I had the chance to view “The Rocky Horror Show” opening night on Friday Nov. 4. It is a fun watch if you are looking for something funny and interactive to do this or next weekend.
This goes to say the show is not meant for anyone below the age of 18, however if you are okay with minor adult content, parental guidance is needed for anyone below the age of 18.
The show is based on the movie from 1975. It is about a couple who end up stranded at a castle, which is run by a Transylvanian scientist who is ultimately looking for someone to love after not having much luck. However the means in which the scientist takes are similar to a Frankenstein type of story, creating his newest invention, Rocky. It is a wild ride with lots of fun characters and lots of audience interaction.
The show was unlike any show I’ve ever seen. My favorite aspect of the show being the heavy amount of audience interaction. There were audience participation bags that mimicked the on stage props, which is unlike anything I’ve heard of. At the beginning, Director of the KCC theater encouraged the audience to participate. The participation included poking fun and insulting the cast, which is what the performance is all about. The cast was great about it, leaving room for the audience to speak. There was a link to the actual script, which provides a whole list of what the audience is supposed to say or can say and when to. This was the same for the props in the participation bags, there were specific times and cues telling te audience when to pull them out and use and throw them. It was a great deal of lighthearted fun, and the Narrator, Josiah Bildner, did a great job at getting the audience involved.
The show is full of fun musical numbers and hysterical dialog. The cast did a incredible job delivering lines and jokes, singing, staying in character, and overall making it a great experience for the viewers.
A few cast members that did an incredible job were James Leppien, who sold his role as Dr. Frankenfurter. He had a great stage presence and was the main lead. He delivered on all levels while constantly being on stage for most of the first act and almost all of the second act.
Another cast member that did fantastic was Vincent Rose, who played Riff-Raff, Dr. Frankenfurters right hand man. For a production to be great, supporting roles are very important. Rose sold this, staying in character the whole time. The other actors were easily able to bounce off of his energy and this played a big role in the production. I got the chance to speek to Rose after the show and asked him how much he enjoyed the preformance to which he responded “This is my favorite show I have ever been a part of.”
The rest of the cast did great, Hunter King, who played Brad, and Bri Berning, who played Janet, did a great job together, playing the stranded couple. Their songs were some of my favorites and all around executed their roles perfectly.
Some critiques were the mics seemed quiet, with the audience and band being loud, at times it was hard to hear what the actors and actresses were saying. The only other problem was one or two of the mics had issues, there were random bangs and static randomly throughout the show, however this didn’t really affect the overall viewing experience.
Overall it was a great performance. It was very funny and had a good storyline. I would recommend this to adults old and young, if you are okay with minor adult content and jokes. it is a great laugh and a fun and exiting way to interact with others. The showings are Nov. 5, 11, and 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 6 and 13 at 3 p.m. at the Binda Preforming Arts Center on KCC’s main campus at 450 North Ave.
For more information, contact Brad Poer at poerb@kellogg.edu.
