September 16, 2014
Venice Theatre invites audiences to “do the Time Warp again”
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show returns to the Pinkerton Theatre
(Venice, Florida) Venice Theatre’s next Cabaret is a return of the wildly popular cult classic Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show. This campy, crazy, rock and roll tribute to the classic horror movies of the 1950s opens in time for the Halloween season on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014 and runs through Saturday, Nov. 1, with performances Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. There will be special midnight performances each Saturday (Oct. 11, 18, 25 and 31). There are no Sunday performances. Tickets are $28 for adults, $15 for students (not recommended for patrons under 16) and are on sale now at the theatre’s box office, online at www.venicestage.com or by phone at 941-488-1115. At press time, both performances on Saturday, Oct. 25 are sold out.
The show, which ran in London for three years and twice on Broadway, is best known for the 1975 movie version which still thrills its legions of devoted fans across the globe, who dress up to participate in weekly midnight rituals. The participation includes props, singing and dancing along and shouting out lines at the screen or stage. It is quite a sight to see flocks of people dressed as Frank ‘N’ Furter, Riff Raff, Magenta and other characters made famous by the success of the movie and stage versions of “Rocky.”
Allan Kollar, Venice Theatre’s producing director and co-director of The Rocky Horror Show, says that the Venice Theatre production will capture that audience participation feel. “We want the audience to have the total Rocky experience while enjoying the performance of a top-notch cast. We encourage the audience to come in costume and have a blast. With several ‘Transylvanians’ roaming the theatre, Kollar says “you might even end up in the show.” Bags with the appropriate props to be part of the madness will be available in the lobby prior to the show. Due to performance safety issues, rice and squirt guns will not be allowed in the theatre.
The plot for The Rocky Horror Show is pulled straight from the1950s B-movies to which it pays homage. An innocent young couple, Brad and Janet, are caught in the rain with a flat tire and must seek aid at a nearby castle. Once there, they find their world thrown into disarray by the twisted Frank ‘N’ Furter and his band of strange beings from another planet. Will Brad and Janet survive? What evil dwells deep in the castle’s laboratory? And what of Frank’s most unusual creation? For the answers to these and other questions, novices will have to take a walk on the wild side and attend the production.
This incarnation of the show is headed by Logan O’Neill as that “Sweet Transvestite” Frank ‘N’ Furter. Brian Rudolph returns after several years to reprise the title role of Rocky. Area favorites Jason Ellis and Caitlin Longstreet take on the roles of Brad Majors and Janet Weiss. Kaitlyn Terpstra plays the dual roles of Trixie and Magenta opposite Kristofer Geddie as Riff Raff. Vera Samuels is the tap-dancing Columbia and David Walker plays Eddie/Dr. Scott. Venice Theatre veteran Steve O’Dea narrates the show as the Criminologist and rounding out the cast are Allyson Robertson, Jasmine Deal, Sydney Deal, Ali McManamy, Kelly Woodland, Alison Prouty, Ariella Pizarro, Kristina Rehak, Parker Lawhorne, Andrew Cutro, Patrick Tancey, Brandon Butler, Jeffery Sadler and Nyck Antonyo as the Transylvanians. O’Brien’s rock and roll score will be musically directed by the very able Rick Bogner.
NOTE: This production contains strong language, sexual situations, and loud music and is not recommended for the faint of heart, those easily offended by anything or patrons younger than 16 years of age. The theatre is located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays; and one hour before all performances.
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Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show
DIRECTED BY Allan Kollar and Brad Wages
MUSICAL DIRECTION BY Rick Bogner
CHOREOGRAPHY BY Brad Wages
SCENIC DESIGN BY John Andzulis
COSTUME DESIGN BY Nicholas Hartman
LIGHTING DESIGN BY David Castaneda
SOUND DESIGN BY Dorian Boyd
MAKE UP BY Parker Lawhorne
The Cast
Frank-N-Furter – Logan O’Neill
Brad Majors – Jason Ellis
Janet Weiss – Caitlin Longstreet
Columbia – Vera Samuels
Magenta / Trixie– Kaitlyn Terpstra
Rocky – Brian Rudolph
Riff Raff – Kristofer Geddie
Eddie / Dr. Scott – David Walker
The Criminologist – Steve O’Dea
The Transylvanians: Allyson Robertson, Jasmine Deal, Sydney Deal, Ali McManamy, Kelly Woodland, Alison Prouty, Ariella Pizarro, Kristina Rehak, Parker Lawhorne, Andrew Cutro, Patrick Tancey, Brandon Butler, Jeffery Sadler, Nyck Antonyo
140 W. Tampa Ave
Venice, FL 34285
Tickets: 941-488-1115
Venice Theatre’s mission is making a dramatic impact on all stages of life. The third-largest out of 10,000 community theatres in the United States, it is located at 140 W. Tampa Ave .on the island in Venice, FL. Its MainStage offers seating for 432 patrons and features musicals, plays, concerts and special events. Its Yvonne Pinkerton Theatre seats 90 patrons and is home to the theatre’s “Generations”, Stage II and Cabaret Series. In addition to providing entertainment to the community, Venice Theatre has a wide range of education and outreach programs for children and adults.
