Since its release in 1975, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has been one of the most bizarre, yet beloved, cult musicals of all time. With its strange sexual overtones and freaky characters being translated into live performances, its no wonder that Atlanta has become one of the country’s hot spots for seeing this film come to riveting life. Currently, Out Front Theater is jumping on the craze with their own production of “The Rocky Horror Show” that will be playing until Sunday, Nov. 5.
So how did this production do at capturing the feeling of its source material? For the most part, a solid job. The actors facilitate the hilariously over-the-top erotic tone that is consistent throughout the show. It’s clear that everyone involved is giving it their all in their performances, whether it’s delivering emphatic dialogue, singing and dancing or simply moving about the set, there is a high energy to all of it that keeps you entertained.
The audience interaction was also a strong aspect of the show. The shouting out of lines, interaction with cast members and dancing along to the musical numbers added to the experience. At the same time, it never went too far to the point that it would make newcomers feel uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, your enjoyment of this production is going to depend on your familiarity with the film it was based on. Fans are sure to get a kick out of the experience and enjoy the show. For others, however, this show can have some major drawbacks.
One of the main problems was that despite the clear enthusiasm presented by the actors during the musical numbers, the sound system was so loud that it was often hard to hear the actors. While they make it obvious that this is meant to be a loud show, it would be nice to fully connect with the energy the cast is showing off by hearing their voices a little more.
The biggest flaw, however, is how the show chooses to pace itself. The first act starts things off decently enough, with the narrative being fairly easy to digest. After the intermission, things begin to get tiring. The constant musical numbers, screaming and wild antics begin to get mind-numbing after five minutes and it feels like it never ends. It soon becomes hard to fully comprehend what’s happening. Tweaking the source material to give the story some slower moments to allow newer audience members to understand what’s going on would have been much appreciated.
Overall, Out Front Theater’s production of “The Rocky Horror Show” is one that fans are sure to get a kick out of as they successfully capture the strange tone of the film along with some great performances. However, if you are not a fan, it is highly recommended that you see the film first. Otherwise, this is likely going to be a very tiring experience by the end.
