I would like, if I may, to tell you about my favorite Orlando theme park attraction.
It’s a certified classic, having endured for over 25 years. It’s no longer the hot new thing, and some elements are charmingly dated, but it continues to draw new fans. Legions of long-time admirers extol its eye-popping production design, unforgettable music, and even its uplifting message. While it is nominally a “scary” experience, it is actually a safe way for people to confront certain fears, and many adult fans delight in introducing their children to it. You can experience it hundreds of times and still find new details to love.
You know the attraction I’m talking about?
This is an attraction that broke new ground by combining film with in-theater special effects in a way that had never been seen before. Guests experience water, smoke, and other surprises that bring the action off the screen in delightfully unexpected ways.
You know the attraction I’m talking about?
This show, which can be found at Universal Orlando, mixes film and physical effects with live actors in a way that had never been attempted before. Live actors, performing in front of a movie screen, interact seamlessly with characters on screen. A character rides out on stage on a motorcycle. The actors even run through the theater, providing the audience with a unique in-your-face experience.
You know the attraction I’m talking about?
Of course, I’m not talking about “It’s A Small World” or “The Haunted Mansion.” I’m not talking about “MuppetVision 4D” or “Honey I Shrunk the Audience.” I’m not even talking about “Terminator 2: 3D.”
I’m talking about that enduring cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Every second and fourth weekend of the month, the Loews Universal Cineplex at Universal’s CityWalk plays host to a convention of sweet transvestites from the planet Transsexual (in the galaxy of Transylvania). An average crowd of over 100 joins a live cast of performers for midnight celebrations of the original audience participation experience.
This phenomenon began life in 1973 as “The Rocky Horror Show,” a no-budget rock musical written by former “Hair” cast member Richard O’Brien, and performed in London’s miniscule Theater Upstairs. The show is a giddy Frankenstein of sci-fi B-movie schlock, sexual fetishism, and the Wizard of Oz. The original production starred Tim Curry as Dr. Frank N. Furter, the cross-dressing mad scientist, a role he will forever be identified with. The show was an enormous success, transferring to larger houses and running for years. A successful Los Angeles production followed, as did a disastrous attempt at Broadway.
Finally, 20th Century Fox released a film version in 1975. The film starred most of the original London cast, including Curry and O’Brien. Joining the cast were Americans Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and Meatloaf. Despite the popularity of the stage play, and the close involvement of the original creative team, the film was a spectacular failure. Assaulted by the critics and ignored at the box office, the film should have quickly disappeared into obscurity.
Except…
A small number of theaters, most notably the Waverly in New York’s Greenwich Village, held the film over for midnight showings. Theater managers noticed that, while the audiences were small, they were comprised of the same people who came to see the film over and over. Little by little, these “cultists” developed rituals around the film. People started spontaneously dressing up as their favorite characters and singing along with the soundtrack. The use of props also developed organically, as audience members starting bringing newspapers, rice, and toast to imitate the characters on screen. One night, a schoolteacher in the audience saw Janet (Susan Sarandon) place a newspaper over her head during the rainstorm scene. He shouted, “buy an umbrella, you cheap ***” at the screen, and the audience callback line was born.
By the end of the 1970s, the Rocky Horror cult had spread across the country, and had developed into an elaborate and decadent spectacle. Pre-show performances, involving comedy and musical skits, were added to performances. “Shadow casts” of actors in screen-accurate costume and makeup started performing, first before the film and then in front of the screen during the show, mimicking and commenting on the action in the film. A vast liturgy of callback lines and audience participation gags developed, with each theater having their own individual rituals. By the time the Rocky Horror phenomenon peaked in the early 80’s, it had been featured prominently in mainstream media (Time, Newsweek, the movie “Fame”) and was a permanent fixture in pop-culture consciousness.
Although Rocky Horror is not as popular as it was 2 decades ago, it still has tens of thousands of fans around the world. In the US alone, there are 62 theaters showing the film on a regular basis, and dozens more screen it every Halloween. There was a successful revival of the stage play on Broadway in 2000, and rumors swirl of a Fox TV remake of the film for the 30th anniversary. In Europe a successful production of the original stage play continues to tour. Fans from around the world read fanzines, exchange thoughts on Internet newsgroups, and attend conventions. And every other week it seems VH1 airs a special on it, bringing in more new fans.
What makes this show endure while other pop-culture fads flame out and vanish? For one, the music. The play was one of the first (and perhaps the last) true rock-and-roll musicals, as opposed to watered-down theater pop. Elvis, Keith Moon, and Mick Jagger were all fans of the original show, and the music continues to resonate. Another reason is the production design, which combines styles from the 20’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 70’s in a way that is both nostalgic and timeless. Sue Blaine’s costume designs, featuring torn fishnets and platform heels, had a major founding influence on the punk movement. Rocky Horror was an important factor in making the clothing and makeup of an underground subculture into a mainstream aesthetic, as can be seen today by a visit to the “Hot Topic” in your local mall.
But the thing that makes Rocky Horror endure is its message, as embodied in the lyric “Don’t Dream It, Be It.” Long before “*** Eye for the Straight Guy”, Rocky Horror made the blurring of gender and sexuality mainstream. Rocky Horror preaches acceptance of all, no matter what their persuasion or perversion. Beyond sexual politics, the show ridicules all creeds and cultures equally, leaving no sacred cow unslaughtered. This equal opportunity ethos extends to our live performances, which cast without regard for race or gender. Many a young person, uncertain of their place in society, has found a family in Rocky Horror.
My own story is typical. My first encounter with Rocky Horror (other than an unsatisfying viewing on VHS) came during my freshman year of college. I went for the reason that most guys wind up doing things — my girlfriend wanted to go. I was instantly hooked, and as a frustrated theater student at a fairly conservative school, Rocky Horror was a perfect creative outlet. I stuck with Rocky through college, and when I moved to Orlando after graduation I helped start a show at a run-down local theater. It was a great escape from the pressures of working at Universal, and we were very successful for a time. Eventually, that cast fell apart, and I drifted away from Rocky Horror for a time.
Then, in 2001, the management at the Loews Cineplex at Universal expressed interest in reviving Rocky Horror, which had not been screening in Orlando for a few years. Through my contacts made as a Universal employee, I helped organize a small Rocky Horror convention at the theater. We were ill fated to hold the convention only weeks after 9/11, but still had several hundred fans attend. This led to regular performances, first on a monthly basis, then bi-monthly. Our cast, the “Rich Weirdoes”, has now been performing at Universal for well over a year, with four regularly scheduled performances each month, and our audience continues to grow week-to-week.
What will you experience if you attend a performance of Rocky Horror at Universal? As you approach the theater, you may see a knot of costumed characters entreating passing CityWalk patrons to enter. After buying your ticket (and a beer, if you like), you’ll find a crowd of fans in the lobby, many in costume, and cast member selling “prop bags”. These audience participation kits contain everything you’ll need to join in the fun, including rice, newspaper, confetti, and more, along with instructions on how to use them. Inside the theater, the cast prepares the stage while punk-rock covers of the movie soundtrack play over the sound system.
At the stroke of midnight, the pre-show entertainment begins. Your MC for the evening may be a scantily clad dominatrix, a drag queen, or something truly bizarre. The house rules will be explained (no lighters, no water guns, stay out of the aisles) and anyone thinking they’ve wandered into a PG-rated production will be warned to escape while they still can. Depending on the night, you may be treated to a lip-synched dance routine or a live musical number. The heart of the pre-show is the “de-virginizing”, where first-time audience members are initiated into the cult in an embarrassing (but harmless) ritual. If you are a virgin, don’t try to hide, because we will find you and hunt you down!
Finally, at the end of the pre-show, the entire audience gives the projectionist the finger, and the film can begin. The actual show is a blend of a movie, a play, and sheer anarchy. A full cast of live actors, in costume and makeup identical to the screen characters, act out the show in front of the screen. This elaborate pantomime is both a loving homage to the film and a sly satire of it, and involves elaborate props, special effects, lighting, and sight gags. The actors sometimes leave the stage and perform in among the audience, literally bringing the show into their laps. At the same time, cast members planted in the audience lead the crowd in shouting callback lines and throwing props. The overall effect is one of barely controlled chaos. By the end of the night the theater is a mess, the audience goes home happy, and the cast goes home exhausted.
It’s a great honor to be able to perform this show at Universal. The Loews Cineplex is one of the most beautiful theaters in Orlando, and the theater management is more accommodating of the show than any I’ve worked with. But just imagine if there was a true merger of Rocky Horror and theme park entertainment? The influence of Rocky Horror can be seen in a number of theme park attractions, most notably MuppetVision and Terminator. What if the theme parks returned the favor? What if there was a Rocky Horror theme park attraction?
Just imagine…
The year is 2009, and Universal opens its long-awaited 3rd theme park. Built on a portion of the property Universal purchased from Lockheed-Martin, it is a year-round horror themed park.
There is the “Classic Monsters” section, with a “Dracula’s Castle” roller coaster and a “House of Frankenstein” walk-through attraction.
There is the “Modern Masterpieces” area, featuring a 3-D movie based on “The Ring” and an E-ticket ride through Peter Jackson’s remake of “King Kong.”
And then there is my favorite section, a land dedicated to “Cult Favorites.” There is the “Army of Darkness” stunt show, and a “Dawn of the Dead” ride-through interactive shooting gallery. And the centerpiece — “The Rocky Horror Experience.”
Guests enter the façade of a decrepit movie theater, patterned after New York’s Waverly. It is minutes before midnight on a Friday during the height of Rocky Horror’s popularity, and the theater is buzzing with excitement. The queue winds through the theater lobby, decorated with B-movie posters that magically transform into video screens, showing clips from Rocky Horror history.
An usher guides you into the theater auditorium, once opulent but now threadbare. The velvet curtains part and the film begins with an up-tempo rendition of “Science Fiction Double Feature.” The iconic singing red lips are superimposed over clips from the sci-fi and horror classics mentioned in the song.
Next, Brad and Janet appear on screen, enacting the post-wedding scene from the beginning of the play. Magically, they step through the screen and appear as flesh-and-blood actors in front of the audience. They perform an edited version of the song “Dammit Janet”, and then disappear as the Narrator appears on screen. The narrator, perhaps played by Tim Curry himself, sets up the story of Brad and Janet, a newly engaged couple out for a drive on a dark, stormy, night. With a flash of lightning, the screen disappears, and the rainy country road on screen has become a real environment.
The audience rises out of their seats and steps into the film. The winding path through the woods passes Brad and Janet’s abandoned car, though an ominous gate with a sign warning “Enter At Your Own Risk!” and up to the doorstep of a gothic castle.
Guests enter the castle lobby, styled to look identical to the one in the movie. At the appointed time, the coffin-shaped grandfather clock in the corner begins to chime, and an actor portraying the butler Riff Raff enters. He sings the first verse of the “Time Warp” and at the chorus leads the guests into the castle ballroom.
What follows is a 12 minute digest of the remainder of the show, performed with a combination of live actors, animatronics, video projection, and special effects. The audience becomes Brad and Janet, witnessing the arrival of Dr. Frank N. Furter to the song “Sweet Transvestite,” and the spectacular birth of his creation, Rock Horror. Eddie arrives on a motorcycle to sing “Hot Patootie”, and the wheelchair-bound Dr. Scott smashes through wall. In the end, Riff Raff returns to destroy Frank and his creation, warning the guests to leave before he beams the entire castle back to their home planet. As the castle collapses around them, guests escape into the inevitable gift shop to the strains of “Superheroes” and “Science Fiction Double Feature Reprise.”
Obviously, this is a blue-sky proposal that could never exist. Not even Universal, known for its PG-13 attractions, would push the envelope this far. But we can dream, and Rocky Horror is all about dreams and fantasies. So, if you don’t mind, I’ve got to go get my fishnets pressed. After all — in just seven days — it’ll be time once more to “… take a jump to the left, and a step to the right.”
For more information on Rocky Horror at Universal Orlando, please visit www.richweirdoes.com.