I recently wrote that Alex Stewart, senior, and I were Rocky Horror virgins, nervous and excited to go to our first ever showing of the play. However, that is no longer the case. On Oct. 29, we experienced Rocky Horror firsthand.
Dressed in French maid costumes from Party City in a not-so-accurate representation of Magenta, we drove to Memorial Auditorium, getting lost several times along the way – luckily, we were over-eager and arrived with a half hour to spare. As we walked through the dark streets of downtown Raleigh toward the auditorium, we expressed the fear that emerges whenever wearing a particularly stupid costume – what if no one else dressed up?
Luckily, we saw groups of hardcore Rocky Horror fans in full costume and relaxed as we entered the lobby of the auditorium. We were greeted by scantily-clad men and women in full drag-queen makeup who posed for pictures, flirted with theater-goers and offered us scandalous candy. As we took our seats, they danced up and down the aisles, pumping the crowd up for the show and creating an atmosphere filled with excitement by the time the lights went down.
The show was hilarious and fun to watch. The actors were extremely talented, and their singing and dancing were mesmerizing. One or more members of the audience interjected their own lines whenever the actors paused, adding to the humor and craziness of the show. The set and costumes were artistic and flashy, adding to the otherworldliness of the show, and the overall effect was a sensory overload – in a good way.
The night also included one of the most embarrassing moments of Stewart’s and my lives: We were standing in line in the Ladies’ room during intermission, when the woman in front of us asked us how we enjoyed the show. We replied that we were loving it, and Stewart said, “I drooled all over myself when I saw Rocky!”
This was a comment that we expected the woman to agree with, since Rocky happened to be a young, blonde, extremely muscular man wearing only a gold Speedo. However, her reply shocked us both:
“Oh, that’s my son!”
Our faces turned bright red, and we stammered out apologies, but luckily Momma Rocky was incredibly nice, told us her son’s entire life story and insisted we meet him after the show. We did, and it was wonderful.
Overall it was a great night, with singing, laughter, some blushing and one awkward attempt at the Time Warp with the rest of the cast and audience. The sense of community was astounding as actors and audience members alike were friendly and outgoing, and Stewart and I gushed about the performance as we walked back to our car.
With good times, a fantastic show and a male lead with a great body, I know why people go to Rocky Horror again and again.
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