The Rocky Horror Show
Theater West End • Sanford, Florida
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Richard O’Brien
Directed by Derek Critzer and Ayò Demps
Musical Direction Maura Sitzman
by Carl F. Gauze
If there was any more stage smoke in this place, fire trucks would cash the party. That never happened, but there was a crackling energy on stage.
On the extremely rare chance that you haven’t seen the movie or the stage play, here’s the plot in a nutshell: Brad (Harvey Evans) and his fiancée Janet (Devyn Schoen) plan to marry, but their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere on a rainy night. They slog through the torrent and find help of sorts in a castle full of very odd people. Their host, Dr. Frank N. Furter, appears in fishnets and heels and asks them to spend the night. Reluctantly, they agree, and Brad and Janet are seduced by the doctor, thus challenging their sexual self-image. Sad little Rocky (Eli Hamilton) is left alone, and everyone beams home to Tran-sexual Transylvania except the good doctor, who is ray gunned to death by the servants. As someone said: you just can’t get good help these days.
If you’re looking to tick off the conservative right, this is your show. I think they overdid the smoke, but otherwise the energy remained high, and the villains were stage evil. Kudos go to Ms. Ginger Minge playing the role of “the Narrator” from the film. She’s much livelier than the original film’s Narrator. I did have some trouble hearing her, but like most folks, I know the plot by heart. It gets a good slide of gags. Brad and Janet are suitably horny and naïve, and they cower before the servants who actually run this spaceship. Dr. F’s first love inconveniently appears for a quick song and then gets ice-picked to death. Then it’s more dancing, and soon it’s time to jet back to Transylvania and talk about Frank N. Furter behind his back.
It’s a solid production with a few audio weaknesses and excess smoke, but the motion on stage is nonstop. We did not throw stuff at the actors, and we refrained from singing along. I admit I mouthed some words, but I was in the back row and no one heard me. Maybe it’s a little early in the holiday cycle for this show, but at least this production will ease the Halloween party clashes. As always, tickets are selling fast, it’s a fun filled filled dance party, and you need to be in it. ◼
