THE THEATER MIRROR, New England’s LIVE Theater Guide
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MARQUEE | USHER | SEATS |
INTERMISSION | CURTAIN |
note: entire contents copyright 2004 by Carl A. Rossi
Ralph Hapshatt … Rob Rota
Betty Monroe … Rebecca Riley
Magenta … Linda Goetz
Columbia … Jennifer Kenneally
Janet Weiss … Yolanda Farina
Brad Majors … Eric Ruben
Narrator … Marek Janota Bzowski
Riff Raff … Tim McShea
Dr. Frank N Furter … Richard Repetta
Rocky Horror … Adam Barrett
Eddie … John Pirroni
Dr. Evrett Scott … Paul O’Shaughnessy
Transylvanians:
Adriane Brayton; Justine Doré Caron; Lara Kain; Matty Laurenza;
Melinda Mogel; Rebecca Riley; Rob Rota; Julie Ann Silverman;
Sparkle; Deirdre Wade; Emily Wender
Wedding Party:
Members of the Cast and
Abby Arnold; Hannah Bucklin; Lydia Bucklin; Sarah Dixon;
Brittany Edwards; Celia Givens; Michael Levy; Sherilyn Levy;
Patty Lieber; Sandi McDonald; Pat Wirtenberg; Karen Wepsic;
Megan Willis Jackson; Tom Wingard; Bogusia Wojciechowska
The Band:
Keyboards … Mario Cruz
Guitar … Peter Boardman
Bass … Tony Sumbury
Drums … Ignasi Corella Sole
Sax … Jerilyn Sykes; Andy Bergman
Though no longer shocking, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, the source of the 1975 cult film classic, remains cute, campy fun: now going into his fourth decade, Dr. Frank N Furter, that “sweet transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania”, continues to create a bodybuilder named Rocky for his personal pleasure and subject Brad Majors and Janet Weiss, a white-bread couple, to some naughty moments before getting zapped by his servants Riff Raff and Magenta. In either format, this sci-fi musical spoof is nostalgia for some, a rite-of-passage for others --- everyone should attend a ROCKY at least once to throw things on cue, talk back to the characters and for a few hours not to dream it but to be it.
Director James J. Girgenti directs a youthful, in-your-face production for the usually staid Footlight Club --- this is a punk-style evening rather than a celebration of criss-crossing --- and I grinned for the wrong reasons whenever the chorus, for all their leering, cautiously fondled one another as if afraid of leaving fingerprints. But Mr. Girgenti gets his cast to move rather well to the rockin’ music and there are a clutch of good singers; Richard Repetta charms as a non-threatening Frank (a garden party hostess rather than a liberating life-force) and Tim McShea and John Pirroni are in ringing voice as Riff Raff and the lobotomized Eddie. Linda Goetz never gets to unhinge her Gwen Verdon legs as Magenta but Paul O’Shaughnessy certainly does with his in a hilarious turn as crazy scientist Dr. Scott.
On the evening I attended, one of the band members led the obligatory catcalls which at times clashed with those coming from the audience, leaving the cast caught in the crossfire. Hopefully this will be modified to allow the fans to dominate; actually, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW is such a solid piece of cake that it can be enjoyed without any icing.