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The Rocky Horror Show Also see John's recent review of Some Explicit Polaroids Last night at Sage & Silo made my third live production of Richard O'Brien's sex filled romp rock opus. Having seen two larger than life productions, Casa Manana's excellent production and the current Broadway revival, I knew that I would be not be seeing the same grand opulence in the tiny space that is Sage & Silo, which is actually an abandoned convent. But the current production is a mixed bag; it is at times simply hysterical and original, but at other times it seems to lose its purpose, pace and energy. The Rocky Horror Show is Chris Robinson's first foray into directing. Known previously as an actor, Robinson actually does a fantastic job as director, with what he has to work with. Even though there are pace, character development, and consistency problems in the production, for his first attempt it still is quite a very commendable job. The first three musical numbers are fresh, alive, and downright hilarious, but oddly enough, when the musical enters the company number, "The Time Warp," it begins to lose that original flavor that was delicious in the earlier songs, and the remainder of the evening becomes hit and miss. There is no orchestra, but music tracks are pumped into the small theatre. At times the taped orchestrations work well, as in such numbers as "I'm Going Home," and "I Can Make You A Man," but in other numbers the taped music comes off tinny, lifeless, and sounding way too canned, especially in the full company numbers. However, in the way of the ever mighty dollar, sometimes companies are limited by what the budget allows, so it's understandable. The lighting design (also by Robinson) is downright perfect. The color scheme and the way in which the lighting instruments are aimed and suspended really is superb. There is no set to speak of, only bits and pieces brought in. At center stage there is a scrim that slides in and out, and scenes are played behind it, such as bedrooms and so forth. These physical elements bring new freshness to the production. The ending in particular is original, with the "dead" behind the scrim. Bravo, Mr. Robertson! Costuming (no credit in the program given to a designer) is also at times right on the money, though at other times it totally misses the mark, thus losing the image that is so needed for this show. An example would be the outfits worn for the "floor show" number. These need to be grand, opulent, and sequined; instead the actors are dressed in feather boas and lifeless bustiers. The costuming really fails in the choice of shoes. The four characters in the above mentioned number needed to wear major, over the top "FM" pumps. But here the cast wears an assortment of black ladies' shoes and one actress is even wearing black character shoes! Frank would never have that type of footwear in his floor show. The cast is a sort of catch-22. As actors, the company members are top notch, but as singers, with the exception of a couple of voices, they are weak. Leading the cast is Dennis Canright as Dr. Frank 'N' Furter. His makeup is a work of art, glittered and painted with professional care. I just loved how the light catches the colors of gold and green, right down to the red glitter on his lips. Canright's singing vocals fit O'Brien's rock laden score like a glove, although I wished he had held the notes longer and sustained them, instead of cutting them in half. He does a wonderful job as Frank, but he needs more of the sexual undertones that are built into the role. Canright needs to really play with the double meaning of his lines, and let sex ooze from every glittered pore. When he does hit the mark with these key elements, as in his act two scenes in the bedrooms of Brad and Janet and his reactions to the ballad Brad sings, it is camp at its finest. As Narrator, Ryan Roach is cast perfectly in the role of the "man with no neck." Roach's ability to contort his face to show hilarious reactions to the audience when they throw ad-libs at him is met with killer laughter. When Roach throws out a zinger ad-lib right back, that's a brilliant comic actor at work. Roach's impeccable diction and holier than thou attitude are just what the role requires and needs. He is outstanding, making one wish the Narrator had a big solo number. Roach is ten times funnier than both the actor who played the narrator in the Casa production and Dick Cavett on Broadway. Melissa Jobe as Janet and Joshua Roberts as Brad give tour de force performances as the young, engaged, nerdy couple that get swept into the Transsexual, Transylvania world. Jobe gives a total new twist to Janet, making her a horny broad who gets all hot and bothered even when someone rubs her arm by accident. I have seen Miss Jobe in ladylike roles such as Abigail Adams in 1776; this comedic role as a sexually frustrated virgin is the best work this actress has given. Some of her musical highlights include "Damn It, Janet", "Over At The Frankenstein Place", and of course, "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Me!". Joshua Roberts as the dorky, asexual Brad gives one of the funniest performances I have seen from an actor in the metroplex this season so far. His use of his glasses as a prop is a perfect comic touch. The way Roberts delivered his lines, or how he reacts to the situations and events around him is laugh out loud histerical. Roberts possesses a solid, pop/rock singing voice that fits the songs of his character perfectly. His ballad in act two is the musical highlight of the evening. Together, Roberts and Jobe make a perfect comedy duo. They play off of each other with professional skill, talent, and class. Along with Mr. Roach, these are the best performances of the evening. Cynthia Blackwell is very funny as Magenta; her facial expressions alone are worth the price of a ticket. Sadly, her soprano vocals tend to get away from her. When she tries to belt, her voice becomes slightly off-pitch. In playing Riff Raff, Travis Head's acting is brilliant and he is extremely funny as the assistant to Frank. He too is blessed with great facial expressions and comic timing, but his singing often lands on the wrong notes, notably in "The Time Warp" and the finale. But both Blackwell and Head are simply a laugh riot as the kinky brother and sister team that assist Frank. They too work wonderfully as a unit. Trey Albright is damn funny as the creature that Frank has created for his pleasures. Albright's facial expressions, comic pace and timing are just side splitting hysterical. The "corn-fed, country, bumpkin, aw shucks" overtones that Albright created for his character are priceless. Albright is fresh, original, and wonderfully funny, right down to his sequined boxer shorts. But as in the majority of the performances in this production, he too suffers from weak singing. Albright simply goes off-pitch in his one big number "The Sword of Damocles." But his comedic talents outplay that problem. Natalie Davidson is charming as Columbia, but she really does not dig deep into the character. Columbia is a girl whose boyfriend was killed in front of her, plus she's in love with a fishnet stocking wearing bisexual - the girl has bad luck with men! Davidson taps wonderfully for the role, but she does not get under the skin of her character. This production at times has fresh, original takes for comedic impact, for instance in the opening number and "Damn It, Janet." Choreographer Eddie Floresca does a charming job with the small space he has to work in. Floresca uses more hands, hips, and upper body movements in his choreography instead of big, leaping dance steps, which work for the small Sage & Silo space. Occassionally, throughout the evening, performers pause at awkward times, waiting to hear "call outs" that normally come from the audience. Though it didn't happen often, these odd pauses hurt the pace dearly. The cast just needs to push forward and not let the audience dictate the evening's pace. Overall, while this was an enjoyable production, I wish there were more overtones of camp, ad-libs, and more comedic set ups as in previous productions. But it is a fun time Transylvania with this cast. So, why not buy yourself some glitter red lipstick and go visit the castle of Dr. Frank 'N' Furter - just don't be surprised if you end up wearing pumps and fishnet hose before the night is over! The Rocky Horror Show has been extended through November 11. for ticket information, call 817-924-6243 or visit www.sagesilo.com The theater is located at 801 W. Shaw St., Ft. Worth Texas. The Rocky Horror Show CAST |
