The Rocky Horror Show and Asbury Park: Let Your Freak Flags Fly
Call it the quirky, little play that inspired a world-wide cult following. The Rocky Horror Show began as homage to horror films and science fiction at the Royal Court’s experimental Theatre Upstairs in London back in 1973 with a six-week workshop run. An immediate success, the show soon moved to the much larger King’s Road Theatre and was named “Best Musical of 1973” by the London Evening Standard’s annual poll of drama critics. Yet, the play’s early success was nothing compared to the madness that would take place shortly after the film version opened in America on September 26, 1975.
The film’s place in cinematic history was cemented just a few months later on April 1, 1976. That was the day the film became known as the ultimate midnight movie when it began its run at the Waverly Theatre in New York City. Soon theaters around the country began showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight and within three years the film was playing on hundreds of screens including over 20 in the New York City region alone. As the midnight showings spread, a strange phenomenon began taking place. It started when people began shouting out phrases to the characters on the screen, then people came to the theaters dressed up in costume; eventually, audience members began bringing props and throwing items like rice and toilet paper during specific parts of the film. It was clear the evolution was now complete -- Rocky Horror had successfully shattered the fourth wall and invited everyone into its own world! The midnight showings continue to run while touring companies have brought the stage version of Rocky Horror to every corner of the globe. In fact, a special version is coming to New Jersey this week just in time for Halloween.
ReVision Theatre will present the stage version of The Rocky Horror Show October 28 through November 7 inside the old Carousel House on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. If you’ve never done the time warp, the play’s story is pretty simple: two clean-cut kids (Brad Majors and his fiancée Janet Weiss) run into tire trouble while on their way to visit an old college professor. They head to a house down the road for help and enter the zany world of Dr. Frank N Furter, a transvestite from the planet Transsexual of the galaxy Transylvania, who is in the midst of one of his maniacal experiments. What follows is a stream of seduction, sexual transformations, and an adventure neither Brad nor Janet will ever forget. In between, the Carousel House will rock with such memorable songs as “The Time Warp”, “Damn It Janet”, and “Sweet Transvestite”.
“The Rocky Horror Show is about releasing your inhibitions and being outrageous,” explained Thomas Morrissey who is directing the ReVision Theatre production. “Everyone wants to let go at some point and live, even if briefly, in a fantasy world. This show allows you to do that. The movie, as the followers evolved, took this to the extreme big-time by dressing up and interacting with the actors in the film. At the Revision Theatre production we’re also encouraging people to come in costume and participate fully. It’s an opportunity for ordinary everyday people to let loose and express their wild side.”
The Carousel House presents an interesting challenge for ReVision productions, but it also gives the company the ability to custom design each show based on its specific needs. Morrissey says this production will literally utilize every square inch of the facility as performance space. The show will be completely interactive with the audience and prop bags will be available for sale at each performance. Audition participation is completely voluntary, but you’re bound to see more people getting involved than not! The prop bags will help out Rocky Horror “virgins”, as the newbies are called, with instructions on how and where in the show to use them. Some of the call back lines will also be seen on a screen above the stage and the performers will encourage audience participation at certain times throughout the play. Morrissey stresses that there will be plenty of opportunity for the “non-virgins” to participate “outside the box” as well.
“The movie (titled The Rocky Horror Picture Show) is based on the stage play (titled The Rocky Horror Show) and is basically the same plot with mostly the same music and much of the same dialogue,” continued Morrissey. “The show has a great rock score and amazing characters who are beyond what normally is portrayed on stage. This is not your typical ‘musical theatre’ show. It’s a parody of science fiction and horror movies, so it’s very funny. It’s like a giant rock concert on acid!
“We at ReVision Theatre put our stamp on the work we do ‘revisioning’ classic works such as The Rocky Horror Show with a twist here and there. Die-hard fans of the show will be more than satisfied and gratified with enough of the original concept, giving them what they expect and enough surprises to keep them intrigued. Newcomers to the show (or virgins, as they are referred to by the Rocky Horror followers) will be thoroughly entertained and will likely become future fans as well. We like to say that when you see a show at ReVision Theatre, even when it is a known title, you’ll see a production you can’t see anywhere else.”
