Let’s do the Time Warp: LGP steps out with “Rocky Horror Show”
For someone who has seen the cult movie classic a couple dozen times, Gigi Dowling Urban is still excited about directing the musical theater version of “The Rocky Horror Show” at the Looking Glass Playhouse in Lebanon.
Performances are at 7 and 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5, and Saturday, Aug. 6.
“I saw the movie more than 50 times when I was in grad school at SLU,” Gigi said of the 1975 comedy-horror flick. “It was just something students did then. We all dressed up and sang and danced our way through the midnight showing.”
She hopes the musical version will become a regular summer fund-raising event for the theater, as “Christmas Carol” is each December. “Rocky Horror” is strictly meant for mature audiences.
In the movie, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. There are elaborate dances and rock songs and Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest Frankenstein-like creation: a muscular man named Rocky.
“Almost all of the music and story is identical to the movie so audience members can sing along and answer lines just as if they were at the movie,” Gigi said. “The show has lots of appeal to folks our age who remember it with some nostalgia, but it will also appeal to younger (but mature) audience members because of its raucous rock and roll sensibility.”
The Looking Glass cast includes Shannon Netemeyer as Janet, Will Knowles as Brad, Russ Reidelberger as Frank-N-furter, Leigh Reidelberger as Magenta, Cassie Gillespie as Columbia, Mike Russell as Dr. Scott, Brian Scheppler as Eddie, Brad Sanker as Riff Raff and Brian Rauckman as Rocky.
“There is also a tremendously talented group of ‘phantoms’ (not in the movie) who function as a kind of demented Greek chorus,” said Gigi.
The audience is welcome to come dressed for the occasion and participation bags will be for sale. No outside props or large bags are allowed.
Tickets are $10 and available at lookingglassplayhouse.com or by calling 618-537-4962.
This story was originally published July 27, 2016 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Let’s do the Time Warp: LGP steps out with “Rocky Horror Show”."