The craze continues. “The Rocky Horror Show,” that is.
Just a short drive north of Vero Beach, a theatrical production of the cult classic opens Friday and runs through Sunday at the Henegar Center in Melbourne.
Not only patrons, but performers alike have lined up to experience this crazy rock musical about an innocent young couple learning about life and obsession in the creepy home owned by the flamboyant transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
The history of the appeal started with a flop.
It was 1973, when the story, music and lyrics, all written by Richard O’Brien, first made it to the stage as “The Rocky Horror Show.” It was designed to be a tribute to all those awful “B” movies with sci-fi settings.
In 1975, it was turned into a movie starring Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon as the young couple. It was arguably also the vehicle for the performer known as “Meatloaf” to step into the public eye.
“The movie became a cult classic,” said Niko Stamos, costumer and associate director for the local production. “People have loved it ever since. And people now do the stage show again because the movie got such acclaim.
“It’s zany weird and doesn’t make much since, but it’s a fun night out.”
Titusville Playhouse has mounted a production of the stage show for the past six years. This time, it’s being done first at the Henegar and then moving to Titusville.
Director Steven Heron offered last year’s cast the same roles for this year’s production. They all jumped at the chance to put on over-the-top costumes and hit the stage to do the “Time Warp” again, have sassy fun with “Sweet Transvestite” and swoon to “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me.”
Because the cast already knows the show, they only need about a week to rehearse the show, which is done with an onstage band led by Spencer Crosswell.
“It’s pretty much a spitting image of what it was done when it was first staged,” Stamos said.
The cast stars Kyle McDonald as Brad and Kristen Sellers as Janet, the young couple whose car breaks down in a thunderstorm who then happen upon a creepy castle where they ask for shelter and help.
Enter Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the boldly sexy scientist played again by Alex Nathan bedecked in fishnet stockings, bustier, wig and bright red lipstick.
Also featured are returnees Melinda Benya as Magenta, Jordyn Linkous as Riff Raff, Marcy Szymanski as Columbia and Ethan Lolley as Rocky. They all don wild costumes and makeup to form Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s questionable entourage of helpers.
The caricature costumes are also a big deal for “Rocky Horror.” Titusville kept spending money every year to rent them, but eventually decided that it would be cost-effective to build the costumes themselves since the show had become an annual event.
In fact, the costumes are so important that audience members frequently dress up to get the full “Rocky” experience.
Audience involvement was created at the movie, called “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” where a so-called “shadow cast” enacts the movie in front of the screen as it is being projected onto it. The audience uses props to duplicate action in the storyline, such as a newspaper to cover their heads during the rain, pieces of toast to toss at the screen, squirt guns to douse each other during the storm, and much more.
Stamos is surprised at the live show’s enduring popularity.
“It has been shocking,” he said. “This show does very well for us. It’s become a Halloween tradition.”
“The Rocky Horror Show” opens Friday and runs through Sunday at the Henegar Center, 625 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. Tickets are $21 to $29. Call 321-723-8698 or visit Henegar.org.
