Rocky Horror Show in Chicago - NightBlue production plans to go annual
Ruth F-W
Chicago again, and it's affordable: $20.
This is an opportunity to see how Rocky started, and to get a new
perspective on the story and characters we all love (as well as to go
to the theater and shout lines at actors who can actually react). I
think every shadowcast performer should see the play at least once -
it's a lot of fun, and it can give one ideas that can be taken back to
the movie theater.
Wally and I went to see the Night Blue Theater Production, and it was
all right. Think community theater, but with wireless mics and a
cast that can sing. House seats about 80 people . It's a licenced
production with Samuel French.
Costumes were OK , some very filmlike, some not. The spacesuits, done
in blue and silver, were rather nice, though Columbia's costumes were
pretty much cheap Blane knockoffs, gold foil-dot coat (albeit a nice
one), striped pajamas and all. The Phantoms' costumes were a little
boring (fishnets; leather look leotards with laceup backs; various
black wigs, rainbow eyelashes) though they looked great in the
sequined vests and fancy glasses they donned for Time Warp. Frank had
a couple of costume changes including a fancy outfit for Fay Wray with
boa-trimmed robe and feather headdress, though he shouldn't have been
wearing the same dress underneath as two of the other floorshow
performers; I would have added a fancy train or some other decoration
to mark him as the prima donna.
The sets are very minimal, on about the same level as a shadowcast's -
they had a transducer with a cheap mirror for the monitor; a table
with sheets for Rocky's birth; and some tombstones that became the
castle (rather a nice visual). The band was too loud (seems to
always be the case for small productions) and occasionally overpowered
the performers and the lighting was adequate (small space; no
spotlight).
Choreography was pretty basic during Brad and Janet's first two
numbers (there are many opportunities to be clever here, and they
missed most of them), but things perked up once they got to the
castle; there were some clever bits I haven't seen before. Several
entrances were from the audience into the theater.
The Riff and Magenta were quite good (the Riff did Riff in an Omaha
production that Jeff Mace raves about), but they weren't given a lot
to do. They're worth watching during the ensemble numbers, which were
nicely choreographed, particularly in the Lab. The Brad, who's on his
third time as Brad, was also good and had interesting little character
bits. The production is promoted as a "'unique combination of the
movie and the play" (uh, right), which means the dialogue is a little
different and that they cut Once in a While (which is a shame as the
Brad could sing pretty well; I would have liked to see what he did
with it).
The Frank sang well and had good stage presence but had a slight
tendency to shout. Phantoms appear throughout the whole play and were
pretty well used. Two of them who sing Science Fiction and the
reprise (which is a pity as the Magenta sang very well and one of the
two Phantoms sang a little flat). Rocky speaks his dialogue, but
someone else sings for him (which was weird, though the guy who sang
"Sword of Damocles" could really sing).
Actors and the artistic director were friendly; they'd taken the cast
to see Completely Crazy's shadowcast performance out in Woodridge the
week before (the MC recognized Wally). They encourage audience
participation and costumes (prop kits are $3, complete with Phil
deJean art from rockyhorror.com). Wally came as Frank, and the cast
and audience loved it; come in costume for instant cred. They did
virgin games at the beginning, with penis-shaped suckers and balloons
as prizes (and if you haven't seen the play, you're a virgin to
them). If you plan to yell lines, please be sure your timing is
impeccable and that you know the dialogue differences between the film
and the play, which may be tricky as they mixed the two a bit.
It's easily worth the $20 if you buy a ticket at the box office; might
or might be worth the price of the ticket plus the Ticketmaster fees
(ran us about $25 each for two instead of the $20 base).
They're planning on doing this every year; they did it in 2007 and had
to cancel 2008 due to illness. We might go back next year, and we
definitely will if we can get someone to pick up tickets in person to
avoid Ticketmaster.
Best,
Ruth
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NightBlue Performing Arts Company
Presents
The Rocky Horror Show
at The Athenaeum Theatre
2936 N. Southport, Chicago, IL. 60657
October 22nd - 31st 2009
8pm
Contact info (773) 935-6860 http://www.nightbluetheater.com/
Performances October 22-31
Tickets $20
Audience Partici.....PATION for sale, $3.00 with Ticket or $5.00
Seperate.
For Tickets call Ticketmaster
Uncle Bill
Ruth, this is an awsome review, thank you. :)
Bill