The Rocky Horror Show

It's not easy having a good time...but our audiences have certainly taken the task to heart the past 2 weekends. Rocky Horror opened to a sold out audience on Friday, October 30, (and 2 more Nov. 6 and 7!) and we haven't looked back since! We got one amazingly glowing review, one shoddy review that accused us of taking one too many steps to the right of the film version (perhaps they missed our original production of it, which was touted as being very on the money with the movie? But what's the fun in repeating onesself?), and a bunch of really giddy theater goers who left with a smile on their face and a vision to remember in their heads.

You can read local previews from The Vindicator and Warren Tribune Chronicle, or you can get the rundown straight from the source:

Under the direction of Rober Dennick Joki, his band of merry misfits found a way to turn Richard O'Brien's cult classic midnight movie fare into something totally unique to the Oakland Stage. A typically serene Brad and Janet (Eric McCrea and Alyssa Connelly, both of whom have grown leaps and bounds in their work here over the years), are joined by the regular cast of characters, all of whom have a very new look:

• a bizarre looking and robotic sounding Riff Raff and Magenta (Shawn Lockaton and Melissa Cook, riveting as ever)
• a tricked out Columbia (Molly Makselan, who stomps the yard in favor of the usual boring tap routine)
• a wild Eddie (Andrew Labedz, doing everything you'd expect him to do)

• a rock n' roll Rocky (Rick Morrow, gloriously punky in his glittering thongs)
• a gender bending Dr. EVELYN Scott (played to the nines by Geri DeWitt)
• a vamp-a-licious Dr. Frank N' Furter (Robert Dennick Joki, who brings down the house with his unbelievable voice)
• and of course, the Transylvanians, who are decked out in Kerri Rickard-designed sci-fi makeup fit for an Alexander McQueen runway (Shaun Lipe, Alisha Kopcsos, Kristin Sailor, Misty Sharrone, Richard Louis Boccia, and Marisa Zamary, who doubles as the Usherette).

All of these wonderful slaves, virgins, and dominatrixes work under the spell of the spunky Mistress, Ms. Nicole "Buff" Zayas, who joins in on a romp or two but otherwise lounges in her torture chamber, shouting out instructions now and again. And everyone bumps and grinds it to the masterful choreography of the amazing Debbie Pesce, whose reimagining of the Time Warp is rather ingenius. The set they're all working on, festooned with Freudian adornments, is designed and constructed by Christopher Bosi and a loyal crew.

Voyeurs may indulge in the absolute pleasure of viewing the Oakland's tak on O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show three more times this weekend: Friday, November 13 at 8 pm (don't miss Start Gallery Artist Amy Rogby's fabulous dance/art party pre-show from 6-7:45, where you can nab some one-of-akind local art at a real steal!); Saturday, November 14 at 8:00 pm or later that night at MIDNIGHT!

Participation kits will only be permitted at the midnite show, and then, only the ones the Oakland sells (for 2 bucks a bag, it's likely less than you'd spend gathering newspaper, toast, cards, noise makers, and confetti). We DON'T permit the throwing of rice AT ALL - not after we had some nasty spills on it opening weekend!

As always, tickets are $15, $12 for those over 55, and $10 for students with valid ID. Anyone in costume gets a $3 discount.