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| Norman Wilson, Colin Stephen Kane, and Christine Greenhalgh |
By Tina Arth
Although I was right in the middle of the target
demographic, I somehow completely missed one of the biggest pop phenomena of
the 1970s, Richard O’Brien’s original The
Rocky Horror Show (and the subsequent Rocky
Horror Picture Show), until decades later. By the time I got around to
seeing the movie, I was calcified enough to be utterly mystified by the show’s
cult status, and my first exposure to the live show enlightened me not at
all. When I entered the theater to see
Lakewood’s current production, I was curious to see how aging another decade
would affect my perception. Determined to give the show a fair chance, I blew
$5 on the special participation goody bag, promised the woman at the ticket
booth that I and my guest (a Rocky virgin) would dance the Time Warp in the
aisles, and made my way into the theater. A couple of hours later, two very
happy women bopped out to the car, convinced that we’d seen one of the best
things live theater can offer.
I won’t try to describe the story - those of you who have
seen the show before don’t need it, and Rocky Horror virgins wouldn’t really
understand – you just have to be there. Leave it at this – The Rocky Horror Show, which made its London debut in
1973, is a high camp musical tribute/parody of cheesy sci-fi and B horror
movies from the 1930s through 1960s, with an abundance of transsexual/transvestite
themes and a hearty dose of adult content, but no overt nudity. After the show
was made into a movie (1975’s The Rocky Horror
Picture Show) it achieved international cult status, and Rocky fans (often
in elaborate costumes) continue to flock to periodic revivals. Willingness to
dance in the aisles is a plus. If you think this sounds fun, then you’ll have a
great time, even if you stay in your seat. If you aren’t sure, then by all
means give it a chance – you’ll probably be glad you did. If it still doesn’t
work for you, give it another decade and try again!
Norman Wilson is beyond wonderful in the lead role of Dr.
Frank ‘N’ Furter, the most outré mad scientist in the history of, well,
everything. From the moment he appears,
his non-stop singing, dancing, strutting, grimacing, and leering tell you that
you are in for something special - and he has with no apparent concern for the
ankle-threatening peril of the sky-high stilettos extending his long, long
fishnet-clad legs.
Of course, Wilson doesn’t do it alone – the stage is
brimming with talented Transylvanians and Phantoms, and the narrators (the
imperious Lisa Knox and her sinister sidekick, Rick Warren) keep the story
marginally on track. Colin Stephen Kane
(Brad) and Christine Greenhalgh ((Janet) play the newly affianced couple who
stumble into Frank’s spooky lair with the marvelous naiveté of cheap fifties
horror ingénues, and it’s a real treat watching them shed their inhibitions
(and clothing) as the show progresses.
Special props to Alec Lugo (Riff Raff), Paige A. Hanna (Magenta), and
Michaela George (Columbia) for drawing the cast and audience into an
unforgettable “Time Warp.” Cade Holbrook (Rocky Horror) is not only spectacular
eye-candy (for the audience, and for Janet with her awakening libido) but also
a fine actor, who carries off his role’s wide-eyed, innocent machismo with real
flair.
What else is wonderful? Start with the musicians – this is,
after all, a rock musical, and under Darcy White’s direction the tiny band
makes a lot of beautiful noise. The Rocky
Horror Show also rises and falls
on the strength of its sets, costumes, and choreography, and Director John
Oules assembled a crack production team. Costumer Jessica Miller dresses and
bewigs her cast with glorious abandon, Kevin Paul Clark’s choreography shifts
neatly from between frenetic and sinuous, and Maria Vieno Edwards’ set design
is both stunning and functional – the staircase, balcony, and curtained doors
provide a perfect backdrop for Frank and Rocky’s dramatic entrances, and create
just the right Victorian/Goth/Glam ambience.
Two pieces of advice: (1) if you go, get the goody bag – it
really helps to transform even staid audience members into active participants,
and (2) be like Brad and Janet – forget that you’re in the middle of Lake
Oswego and shed your inhibitions!
The Rocky Horror Show
is playing at the Lake Oswego’s Lakewood Center for the Arts through Sunday,
October 13th.
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