Saying that "The Rocky Horror Show" is an all−ages production is like saying that Rebecca Black is a good singer. "Rocky Horror" has, however, the amazing ability to attract everyone from crazily dressed teens and young 20−somethings to those dedicated fans who have been going every year for upward of 30 years. "Rocky Horror" is truly a cult show whose lasting effect on culture is sure to continue for generations to come.
While most people are familiar with the 1975 movie adaptation titled "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," the 1973 stage version is quite different. The stage version has been performed all around the world, originating in London and radiating outward to places as far away as New Zealand and Singapore. While the play waxes and wanes in popularity, the movie has remained a constant over the years.
Theaters across the United States reserve a space for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," either seasonally or weekly. In keeping with its roots, however, certain theaters feature live actors mimicking the actions of the film on stage.
"Rocky Horror" is also famous for its audience participation: There are certain lines to which the audience is supposed to shout back a reply and throw objects at the screen during the show. This tradition has been discouraged at live showings due to the possibility of injury to actors and cleanup costs, but callbacks are still popular, as well as audience participation during the song "Time Warp."
Brought to you by the Gold Dust Orphans, this masterful rendition of "The Rocky Horror Show" is full of laughs. The setup of the American Repertory Theater's (A.R.T.) OBERON theater allows the cast to interact with the audience; actors can weave through the standing crowd to reach raised platforms or dash down a flight of stairs from the top level to join the seated audience members in the middle level.
Unlike a more traditional play, the main stage is not the area of focus. It is entirely possible to get whiplash from trying to watch the slides projected onto the screen above the main stage while the cast members move freely around the entire theater. The best vantage point is certainly in the middle of the standing area, from which one can see the main stage as well as the wrap−around balcony. And don't forget to look up!
It is a requirement for any cast member of "The Rocky Horror Show" to be comfortable with his or her body, as the costumes run from risque to next−to−nothing.
Brad and Janet, the main protagonists, have their clothes ripped off near the beginning of the show and wear nothing but their undergarments for the majority of the performance. Rocky's costume often consists of gold booty shorts, though the Orphans stepped it up a notch and dressed Rocky in nothing but a gold−plated thong.
The show−stealer is indubitably Dr. Frank'n'Furter (Ryan Landry), who introduces himself as "a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania." Audiences will enjoy seeing Landry — who's also the Orphans' co−founder — play this notorious character. Landry does an absolutely superb job in this iconic role; he is fearless in his rather revealing costume. The entirety of the cast is fantastically talented, and there isn't a sore note throughout the entire performance.
"The Rocky Horror Show" is performed live at 10:30 p.m. every Friday night through Dec. 2 at the A.R.T.'s OBERON theater in Cambridge.
