The Rocky Horror Show: Blue Moon Theater
by Talia Walters
My favorite part about walking into smaller performance spaces is the fact that the productions held there never cease to impress. Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show (directed by Mike Russell), currently playing at Blue Moon Theater, is no exception. Everything from the explicit humor to the enthusiastic audience participation makes this show such a fun night out especially for the Halloween season.
The Rocky Horror Show follows a newly engaged couple, Janet Weiss (played by Rachel Core) and Brad Majors (played by Dorian Bean), as they become stranded on their way to see their close friend, Dr. Everett Scott (played by Luis Cruz), to share the news of their engagement. They make their way to a castle in search of a phone to call for help. The couple meets the servants of the castle, Riff Raff (played by DJ Hinton), Magenta (played by Majorie McCardell) and Columbia (played by Colby Langweiler), before finally meeting the master of the house, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (played by Nicholas Renna), who describes himself as a “sweet transvestite.” He explains to the couple about his new creation, Rocky (played by Shabria Moore), who is built to be the perfect man for him. During Rocky’s birth, Eddie (played by Greg Hammell), who a portion of his brain was used to make Rocky, bursts out of Frank-N-Furter’s freezer. After Frank-N-Furter deals with him, the rest of the story follows Brad and Janet having their innocence dismantled in a messy and chaotic way, and both discovering the other’s unfaithfulness, as well as betrayal within the castle walls. In between scenes, the narrator (played by Lori Thompson) delivers witty remarks and key comedic moments with the audience. This show contains explicit language and onstage intimacy. The Rocky Horror Show is a perfect watch with great audience interaction moments throughout the show, including getting pelted with candy.
The leading actor himself, Nick Renna as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, truly makes the show. His ability to feel comfortable taking up space as well as his bold personality and commitment to the role makes him very memorable. His ability to be both so hilarious as well as so heartachingly sad within the same act is another factor in making him so memorable. Rachel Core as Janet Weiss is another perfect match. Her vocals are so beautiful and bring such an innocence to Janet which is essential to put emphasis on the character’s transformation between acts. Additionally, Core has great chemistry with onstage partner Dorian Bean as Brad Majors. Bean also delivers strong vocals that bring that same innocence that is also essential for Brad. His facial expressions throughout the show are also very notably expressive. Lori Thompson as the Narrator brings so much comedy to the show. Her improvised interactions with the audience as well as her interactions with the rest of the cast has everyone exploding with laughter. Her diction and clear speaking voice makes the delivery of those moments so much more impactful. Shabria Moore as Rocky Horror brings such great expressive emotions to the role and her commitment to the character makes her stand out. Greg Hammell, even though only featured as Eddie for a small amount of time, stays with the audience because of his loud stage presence and natural comedic flair. The iconic sibling duo, Riff Raff and Magenta, played by DJ Hinton and Marjorie McCardell, are particularly memorable to me. Hinton’s mostly unbothered demeanor as the role is so impressive because it is so difficult to accomplish without looking bored or out of character. McCardell’s accent is very clear to understand and her small solos both in the beginning and end of the show are simple yet beautifully sung. Colby Langweiler’s Columbia is such a fun character to watch. From her often eccentric and bold personality to her quieter sad moments, every moment is equally fun and impressive. Luis Cruz as Dr. Everett Scott, even though not as featured as the rest of the cast, is memorable because of his big personality and unintentionally comedic dialogue. The Phantoms, played by Stacy Bachman, Ceci Grassi, Nye Calvert, and Brady Thompson bring a fun vibe to the show with their numerous ad-lib moments as well as their active attention to the rest of the actions happening on stage.
As far as the production team, they make the most of their small space. Firstly, a huge shoutout to their only backstage crew member, Caitlin Johnson. She truly helps make the magic happen and being able to do it all herself is so impressive. On that note, Alexandria Bak who is the stage manager for this production, handles this monster of a show so well. Transitions appeared so seamless and intentional. Next, the lighting (operated by Rick Thompson) gives so much life to the production and makes spotlight moments perfectly isolated. And of course a show wouldn’t be complete without audio. The sound (operated by Donna Laning) adds to the life and allows for the beautiful song moments. The musical director as well as choreographer, Aimee Ferenz Renna, helps to bring beautiful harmonies and movement to both upbeat and fun numbers such as the iconic “Time Warp”, but also helps convey the emotion in the more heartfelt songs. The whole production wouldn’t be possible if not for the director and assistant director Mike Russell and Greg Hammell. The blocking, pacing, and staging brings the show to life in such an amazing way.
I would recommend The Rocky Horror Show to anyone who is in love with the original motion picture, anyone wanting to get into the Halloween season, and to anyone who wants to celebrate the late Tim Curry (who Nick Renna honors very well in his performance). Blue Moon Theater is welcoming audiences for three more performances, October 30th at 8:00pm, October 31st at 11:55pm, and November 1st at 2:00pm. Get your tickets now at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/the-rocky-horror-show-3 and get ready to do the time warp again and again!
