Several hundred costume-clad theater goers filled the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Burbank Auditorium on Halloween night for the opening of their production of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show.
This was quite a change from my initial Rocky Horror experience in 1978 when my brother and three of our friends were joined by just one other patron at the first midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at a suburban New Jersey mall twin cinema. What a difference 45 years makes.
And now, I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey…
Newly engaged couple Brad (Aidan Pryor) and Janet (Austin Aquino-Harrison) are on their way to visit their friend, Dr. Scott (Matthew Quezada-Cortez), when a flat tire leads them to seek refuge at a nearby castle. Butler Riff Raff (Bronte Rodriguez-Straub) introduces them to castle proprietor Dr. Frank ’N’ Furter (Alex Delzell). He, in turn, introduces them to his latest creation, Rocky (Aidan Cumming at opening, Calvin Sandeen later in the run). Sexual hijinks ensue which result in multiple awakenings until the castle’s residents’ true identities are revealed.
The Rocky Horror Show is actually two shows—the one happening on stage and the other in the audience. Productions usually allow audience members to bring props (rice to throw at a wedding scene, newspapers to cover your head to protect from the rain provided by squirt guns, toast, etc.), but that is not the case here. What the audience can do is participate in the “callbacks” (audiences’ amusingly crude verbal responses to dialogue). Unfortunately, many of these were lost in the 400-seat theater, leading to pockets of laughter from those who were able to hear them and confusion from those who weren’t.
What was heard by all was the terrific score, a sadly unappreciated component of the show. From “Science Fiction/Double Feature” to “Rose Tint My World” to “I’m Going Home,” stage director Justin Smith and music director Nate Riebli have a lot of talented folks delivering them.
They get to deliver them while attired in the most outrageous costumes by Coleen Scott Trivett whose color is matched by the scenic and lighting design work by Austin R Mueck and Chris Cota.
Overall, the SRJC production of The Rocky Horror Show may be a bit tamer than one might usually expect, but it’s still a lot of fun.
And remember, it’s just a jump to the left…
‘Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show’ runs Thurs–Sun through Nov. 17 in the Santa Rosa Junior College Burbank Auditorium, 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Fri–Sun, 7:30pm; Thurs, Nov. 9, 7:30pm; Sun, Nov. 17, 2pm. $15–$25. 707.527.4307. theatrearts.santarosa.edu.
