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DOING THE TIME WARP AGAIN 26 February 2005 Technically speaking, I wasn't really doing the time warp again, but for the first time. I was a virgin. "Virgins" are people who have never seen Rocky Horror Picture Show. In this particular instance, we were seeing Rocky Horror Show, the stage version. It was not, perhaps, as wild (as far as audience participation) as the movie would be--at least according to the DVD I watched about all the fans of the movie. But it was definitely a Davis "event." The fun began even before entering the theatre itself. Knowing how people dress up to go to the movie, I wasn't sure what we'd find for the stage show. The audience was an interesting mix of very normal looking people of all ages (I even saw more than a couple of grandmotherly types who appeared to be in their 80s), along with those who came prepared to be participants in the show, dressed in various types of costumes, from wigs to bustiers to capes and spike heel boots. They were obviously ready to do the Time Warp again. ("The Time Warp" is probably the signature song from the show.) In the lobby one could purchase a bag of items, which allow the patron to more fully participate in the action. We didn't spring for the $5 to buy a paper bag, but I hear that it had a little bag of rice (to throw at the wedding scene), a flashlight (to wave in the air for the song "There's a Light...") and some sheets of toilet paper--I'm not sure what that was for, since I was a "virgin" and didn't see it being used. In addition to the Mondavi Centers usual crew of ushers, patrons were escorted to their seats by members of the cast. The woman who escorted me was dressed in an electric blue body suit with long gold fringes on the arms and a white feathery wig (she said she was "Storm"). Behind me Spiderman was telling two girls to enjoy the show. "Im a little nervous," one of them said, indicating that she, too, was a "virgin" and not sure what to expect. As the lights went down, the entire hall became a gigantic movie screen for a film of clips from various sci fi movies. They were on the stage, on the walls, on the ceiling, constant swirling around. Clips of Godzilla and War of the Worlds and King Kong and all the biggies (including some from Casablanca--not sure what that was doing in there!), while a "cinema groupie" dressed as Fay Wray from King Kong sang "Science Fiction," accompanied by the rest of the cast and the "phantoms," positioned all over the hall. You knew that this wasnt going to be your run of the mill show. For the few who may not be familiar with the 1978 cult classic movie, the plot itself is probably incidental the spectacle, but basically its the story of two clean cut kids, Brad (played by Barry Bostwick in the movie) and Janet (one of Susan Sarandon's early films) who have a flat tire on a deserted road in a rainstorm and end up going to the conveniently located nearby creepy mansion where they find an assortment of weirdos and their host, the transvestite Frank N Furter, who occasionally looks like hes been shopping at Chers latest garage sale. They have arrived on the night when Frank is revealing his new creation, a blonde, empty headed god-like young man (Peter Hinwood in the movie) Frank has created for himself, but who ends up finding Janet more attractive than his creator. By Act 2 of the stage show, theres hardly any plot at all, but who cares? Everyone on stage and in the audience was having too good a time to think of such mundane things as "plot." The audience heckled the cast, who had been prepared to handle the traditional catcalls. The audience threw rice. They waved flashlights. They got up and danced during "Time Warp." The pit band got into the act, dressing in costume (the conductor, who sported multi-colored hair, conducted wearing a feather boa). The guitarist leaped up on stage, tossing his silver-white shoulder length wig around as he accompanied the cast in singing "Time Warp." Even the grandmas were standing at the end of the show. A great time was had by all. And I'm not a virgin any more. |
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PHOTO OF THE DAY Tim Curry as Frank-N-Furter (movie version) Click
here for the Lawsuit Song of the Day |
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Created 1/8/05