BWW Reviews: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at Open Circle Theatre

Before the midnight movie showings, before the audience participation there was a little stage show from England called "The Rocky Horror Show" that tried to push social and sexual boundaries with its risqué themes.  Well, Open Circle Theatre is trying to bring that boundary pushing into a new millennium with their own production of the classic, albeit odd, musical.  And while some of it comes across as a bit self serving and under produced, the production manages to take a new look at what an old show could do today.

The story is simple, although strange.  Brad and his fiancée Janet are stranded out in the middle of nowhere on a rainy night and they stumble into the castle of Dr. Frank N Furter and his merry band of deviants on the night when Frank is to bring to life his new creature, the hunky Rocky.  But the more exposure these innocent kids have to this no holds barred world, their own sexual appetites and desires come through and culminate into, what else, a psychedelic floor show.

But this is not your Father's Rocky Horror.  With a more punk rock sense to its orchestrations and a bit of unorthodox casting, not to mention more skin than the original ever dreamed of, director Gary Zinter has re-imagined what this world of perversion might look like in 2011.  For example, Brad and Janet Don't stay in their underwear after they've tasted of forbidden fruits.  Why would they?  The servants are less comical caricatures and more drug addicted sex slaves.  And Rocky's usuAl Gold lame swim trunks have given way to low cut briefs and a G-string.  Oh and the audience participation?  Well, it's still there, if you dare.  At least the night I was there, most of it, when it happened, was just murmured under the breath of the audience.  I think partly because the cast did not leave themselves open to it in their pacing, partly because the bands power chords made it difficult to hear some of the lyrics so you didn't dare speak for fear of missing something and party because the cast established a tone of "I dare you to interrupt me" from the top.  Right from the get go as Terri Weagant's Magenta gave her smokey rendition of "Science Fiction Double Feature", she gives the impression that if you interrupt her, she'll cut you.  But why would you want to interrupt one of the sultriest renditions of the song I've heard?

OK, so it has more attitude and more flesh, but does it work?  Yes and no.  When it works, it works hard, but when it doesn't, well, let's just say at times I longed for someone from the audience to make a snarky quip.   Some of the new casting seems contrived.  The criminologist has been forsaken for a pair of sexy sirens (Christine DiTolvo & Jenrenee Paulson) for our narration.  And while I liked the tone, I kept wondering who they were and what they had to do with the tale.  On the other hand while I was dubious at first, Joan Jankowski as Dr. Ava Scott (instead of Everett Scott) completely rocked the part and her song even without a wheelchair. 

Peter Farrar definitely has the body for Rocky, but he needs to speak up.  Rocky doesn't say much so when he does speak, we want to hear it.  Andrew Murray lacked a little of the oomph and danger I was looking for in Riff Raff, but Weagant as his Sister, Magenta had enough gravitas for the both of them and then some (think Lotte Lenya on crack).  And April Davidson did a fine job as the love struck Columbia but tended to get lost on stage amidst stronger presences.  Presences like Josh Hartvigson as Frank who put every ounce of energy he had into the role and the wonderful Tadd Morgan and Monica Wulzen as the wayward Brad and Janet who managed to really let their vulnerabilities show through as the characters devolved. 

Some of the voices were a bit weak and some of the staging seemed to take the easy road out as the actors disappeared and became off stage voices leaving the scenery up to the audiences' imaginations due to lack of space, but all in all a gusty vision of a fun show.  I only wish it could have been a little more fleshed out (no pun intended).

"The Rocky Horror Show" plays at Open Circle Theatre through April 16^th.  For tickets or information visit them online at www.octheater.com.

Photo credit: David Wulzen

 

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