Rocky Horror Rocks It

July it may be, but there have been days when it has felt like October. Hallowe’en always reminds me of a certain 1975 film adaptation of a 1973 British rock musical stage production. A musical stage production that parodied the B-movie, horror, and Sci Fi movie genres of post-WWII to the early 1970s.

That’s right – I’m talking about The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Richard O’Brien. (Your Hedonista received and accepted a media invite to last Wednesday’s Opening Night.) With the longest-running theatrical release in film history, this international cult classic became a must-see – and participate – midnight movie. (I remember attending in my college days.) What’s more, in 2005, it was registered with the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Why? Why, for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” of course! A good choice, given that, costumed up in a riotous hybrid of punk rocker meets burlesque, the cast – and often audience members – of this production never fail to entertain.

And this most recent running at ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery is no exception. From July 13th through the 23rd, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show is very much worth going to see. Put on by ArtsWest’s Summer Musical Theater Apprenticeship Program, this show is as polished as any I’ve seen to-date (really). Directed by Christopher Zinovitch (Evil Dead: The Musical), Kimberly Dare (Tell Me On A Sunday), and Bobby Temple, this production stays true to the original while making it all work perfectly on the intimate ArtsWest stage.

And the cast – some of them as young as still in college, even high school – absolutely rock it. From Brad (Kody Bringman) to Janet (Becca Orts) to Riff Raff (Ryan Floresca) to Magenta (Chelsea Gilpin), all the actors are perfectly cast and pull this production off like real pros. David Katz is an absolutely fabulous Dr. Frank ‘N’ Furter, and Sarah Uptagraff is a freakishly fiesty Columbia.

Remaining performances run tonight through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with late night performances on Friday and Saturday nights at 11:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 each.

So if it’s time to do the Time Warp again, now you know where to go, dear hedonists….

Note: In order to comply with FTC Act 16 C.F.R. 255, Heed the Hedonist would like to disclose that it does receive media “comps” and/or media discounts – but not in exchange for favorable coverage, or for withholding unfavorable coverage, of the given venue/meal/performance/product/service.