Rocky Horror Media Coverage
Oh, horror, Rocky's still a riot
- by Ted Shaw, Entertainment
(appeared in The Windsor Star:
October 6, 2003)
Halloween's ghouls are rehearsing their lines at Capitol Theatre the next coule of weeks, where Korda Productions' Rocky Horror Show opened over the weekend to howls of laughter.
The Richard O'Brien musical spoof of B-grade horror and science-fiction movies is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Korda Productions, founded by Tracey Atin, is barely a year old. But the two make great music and fun together.
First, a warning: This show is definitely not intended for kids. It is for mature, or at least adult, audiences.
A strong cast led by Mark Lefebvre as Frank N. Furter is made better by professional-quality set design and exceptional musical accompaniment.
David Court's set design is a functional grouping of castle walls, two of which rotate on casters to allow for quick scene changes.
Director Jeff Marontate faced the unenviable task of trying to make this stage show viable for audiences who are likely more familiar with the 1975 movie, Rockie Horror Picture Show. Judging by the reaction of Saturday's boisterous crowd, he's done his job.
The movie is a cultural phenomenon where screenings are traditionally met with thrown objects and lots of primal screaming. For this show, no toast or rice is allowed, and Saturday the audience's patience was further tested by a request not to trade barbs with the cast. Whether it was planned or not, it had the effect of lighting a fire under some in the crowd.
Rick Farrer, on loan from Windsor Light Opera Association, directed the music, and talented Mike Karloff led the band from the keyboard. Louise Pacquette's choreography is most effective, particularly in the famous Time Warp.
Clare Kilpatrick's costume design seemed to depend on finding enough corsets for the cast, especially in the second act's wild routine, Rose Tint My World.
Lefebvre, a University of Windsor drama graduate, navigated Frank N. Furter's five-inch heels like he was born in them. His performance as the transvestite leader of the ghoulish pack is a joy.
So, too, are those of Danielle Boissonneault as Janet and James Kitzul as
Brad, the kids
who wind up in Frank's clutches. Wayne Belkosky
brings the role of Rocky Horror, Frank's monster, the right mixture of
innocence and guile.
Credit goes to Terry Ware, of Plaid Jacket Productions, for his hilarious turn as Narrator. Heckled throughout, Ware was unfazed and turned the tables on the audience.
Time Warp
Rocky Horror Show brought to life onstage.
- by Michael Jackman
(appeared in The Metro Times:
October 8-14, 2003)
In a way, the new presentation of The Rocky Horror Show at the Capitol Theatre in Windsor is a return to roots. Originally a live musical comedy, Rocky Horror opened in London in 1973, and in 1975 was made into The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Quietly shelved by 20th Century Fox, the film was regarded as too bizarre for general release. Within a few years, midnight showings had built an unprecedented cult following, with audiences yelling at the screen and throwing rice, confetti and toast. This cultural phenomenon now comes full circle with Korda Productions' and Mindbox Creative Group's new musical production, which coincides with Rocky Horror's 30th anniversary.
For Rocky Horror virgins
unfamiliar with the story, Brad Majors and
Janet Weiss, a young, straight-laced couple, drive into a storm. A wrong
turn and a flat tire send them to the castle of Dr. Frank N. Furter, a
sexually omnivorous transvestite-mad scientist who is bringing a creature,
Rocky Horror, to life. Brad and Janet find themselves sucked into a
disorienting world of powerful sexual urges.
When it opened 30 years ago, Rocky Horror offered a ribald look at both Eisenhower-era sexual repression and the cliches of post-hippie sexual liberation. Rocky Horror was edgy in a time that was relatively open-minded.
As for the notorious Rocky Horror audience participation, there is a strict policy at the Windsor show: The establishment welcomes patrons in costume but discourages high jinks, even searching handbags for rice at the door.
Despite this policy, if the opening night is any indication of the later
performances, the production can be more chaotic than an episode of The
Jerry Springer Show.
Groups in the audience shout Asshole!
and Slut!
when Brad and Janet are mentioned, and loudly groan with
boredom when the narrator takes the stage. The actors generally bear it with
aplomb, sometimes guiding audience response playfully.
At other times, the actors and audience trade lines with something
approaching wit. Insisting on accompanying Brad through the rain to look
for a phone at the castle, Janet says, I'm coming with you.
[That'll be a first!
] The owner of that phone might be
a beautiful woman.
[He is!
]
Though talk-back and sing-along offer possibilities, staging Rocky Horror has its drawbacks. When so much hinges on knowing the whole story by heart, how do you fit in something new? For Rocky Horror fans, everything is inevitably compared to the movie.
Transcending the limitations means making deliberate choices. For instance, there is a noticeable glam-to-goth makeover in this production. One meatier choice is deciding to bookend the show with Brad and Janet as a couple of theatergoers, who start as though on a friendly date, but part from each other apprehensively at the end as changed people.
This production has a good deal of humourous slap and tickle
in it, but
despite the carnal pantomime, the effect is cheeky, not decadent, winking at
lust instead of embodying it. Camp means we're in on the joke, and that's
definitely part of the Rocky Horror experience. Still, the job of an
actor is changed when winking at the audience.
For instance, Mark Lefebvre plays Dr. Frank N. Furter with a nasal queenliness and a self-satisfied swish. It's funny, but it's partly a missed opportunity, because Furter does have something dark and threatening to him. After all, he isn't the hero; he's the brutal and distressed mad scientist fated to be destroyed.
And for a performance that's supposed to be edgy, it's confusing to see what should be leering, demented phantoms played by squeaky-clean kids whose fresh-scrubbed faces shine through the fright makeup.
Terry Raisbeck portrays Riff Raff truly, as though chanelling Rocky Horror creator Richard O'Brien's screen performance. James Kitzul and Danielle Boissonneault are believably ingenuous as Brad and Janet. Terry Ware is the charming narrator, who on opening night endured prolonged catcalling with a graceful mien.
Yet it was an opening night haunted by technical difficulties. The body microphones, strapped into skimpy costumes, sometimes malfunctioned. when they did, not all actors were equal to the challenge of making themselves heard.
The show features sci-fi-inspired smoke and lighting effects, including
appropriately cheesy low-tech Flash Gordon-style sparks at the end when the
castle
blasts off for outer space. Some elements, such as costuming and
choreography, lack flair, but the prudent producers got one very important
thing right — great accompaniment from live rock musicians.
All things considered, those willing to go on a night out
across the
Detroit-Windsor tunnel will find a faithful and fun homage to bad behaviour,
and possibly an out-of-control audience.
Michael Jackman is a Detroit-based freelance writer. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com.
Oh, the Horror!
Rocky Horror a Fiendishly Funny Hit
- by Elaine Weeks
(appeared in The Walkerville
Times: Issue #38, October 2003; see
this review
with original photos)
Kudos to Korda Productions, which, along with Director Jeff Marontate, have
pulled together a team of Windsor's most creative and innovative artists to
create and celebrate The Rocky Horror Show
at the Capitol Theatre in
downtown Windsor.
Time has certainly flown since 1973 when a tiny theatre in London, England
opened Rocky Horror,
which went on to become the film cult
phenomenon The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Based on the October 3rd opening night show, the Windsor crew has
successfully recreated the zany madness of the film while throwing in some
of their own humourous sight gags: in the scene where Brad and Janet are
driving their car,
two of the cast members serve as their
windshield wipers.
Mark Lefebvre is devilishly hilarious as the leering transvestite Frank N.
Furter. His guests,
the not-as-innocent-as-she-looks Janet, played
by Danielle Boissonneault, and her geeky fiancée Brad, played by James
Kitzul, perform exquisitely as the objects of Frank's desire. Korda Productions
producer and founder Tracy Atin [sic] does a marvelously campy
job as the lascivious Magenta. Terry Raisbeck is utterly convincing as her
fiendish brother Riff Raff and Wayne Belkosky, who plays Frank's
creature/sex object, Rocky Horror, is terrific (even if the makeup crew did
have to paint on abs and biceps).
The rest of the cast, which includes Jenn Bateman, Davydd Cook, Adam Giles,
April Glover, Corrina Keeling, Terry McDonnell [sic], Rose Napoli, Randy
Samrah and Terry Ware are superb. Ware's casting as the sardonic narrator
was especially effective; he was able to easily trade insults with the
audience who shouted talk-back lines
in true Rocky Horror audience
fashion.
The set design, choreography and music direction all add to the fine entertainment value that this ambitious production offers. Leave the kids at home though — this show is definitely for mature audiences (well OK- let's say folks over 16!). And leave the props home too: rice, toilet rolls, squirt guns, kit kats are forbidden for obvious reasons.
Let's do the Time Warp again
- story and photo by Jon Gagnon
(appeared in The
Saint, St. Clair College's Community Newspaper, on October 10,
2003)
Fans gave themselves over to absolute pleasure and transsexual bliss at
the recent premiere of a live performance of Richard O'Brien's Rocky
Horror Show
at the Capital Theatre.
Korda Productions, which always aims to deliver innovative and challenging shows, produced the play.
Eight months in the making, it featured all the unforgettable characters who made the original film a cult classic 30 years ago.
Rocky Horror director Jeff Marontate, a dramatic arts teacher, stressed the fact the production was not simply a reiteration of the film. That was clearly evident during the show, as new songs emerged and some familiar songs were axed.
Another innovative change was the opening animation. It was created by
St. Clair Tradigital Animation students Cynthia Ing and Jordan Cabral,
offering a humourous addition to the opening song, Science Fiction Double
Feature.
Thanks to an increased budget, lighting designer Chad Croteau was allowed
to bring in some Broadway-calibre
lighting effects, and it showed.
Rocky Horror's set was stunning, reproducing Dr. Frank N. Furter's castle beautifully, using only a wood frame and Styrofoam simulating bricks.
The music stayed true to the original, to a certain degree, with minor variations.
Music director Mike Karloff's piano playing was the central component of the score.
The singing was delivered perfectly, but there were some slight delays with the audio cue-ups on the perfomers' microphones.
No Rocky Horror Show is ever complete without audience participation.
This production, which had more audience participation than The Price is
Right, was no exception. As is the custom with the show, the uttering of
Janet's name was always followed by echoes of Slut!
, and Brad's
by Asshole!
Props were also brought in by audience-members to enhance the participation, but Capitol Theatre forbade any throwing of props for safety reasons.
Overall, the Rocky Horror Show was a success, offering a new, creative perspective of the classic, while, at the same time, maintaining its nostalgic, transsexual charm.