The Eagle Theatre in Hammonton, N. J., is getting into the spirit of Halloween with a production of “The Rocky Horror Show,” the stage version of the similarly named midnight movie market cult classic, through Nov. 3.
Out actor Bryan Mead, who stars in the production as Brad Majors, said the live show offers a unique experience compared to the film version.
“One of the biggest highlights for our performance is that we have a live rock band on stage,” Mead said. “It’s very different because any time I tell someone I’m doing ‘Rocky Horror,’ they ask me, ‘What shadow are you playing?’ No, we’re doing an actual show. There’s no movie screen behind us. The timing for the callback for everyone in the audience is much more interactive.”
Mead said the show is a favorite with the new theater company as its annual fundraiser.
“I had been working with the Eagle Theatre from when they first started and I did South Jersey theater all around,” he said. “A couple of the directors from the area became involved with the Eagle and they asked me to do the fundraiser. I love to perform and ‘Rocky Horror’ was very different from anything else that I have ever done between straight plays and musicals like the classic stuff. It was a change of pace for me.”
He added that performing in the stage version of the show has deepened his appreciation for the film.
“The first time I had seen ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ was probably in high school and I wouldn’t necessarily say that I jumped on the cult bandwagon,” he said. “I didn’t really understand its cultural influence. When I started studying film, my professor said that this was one of the biggest films for him, people going to the midnight showing to see ‘Rocky Horror.’ It was a big deal. That’s when I understood that I wanted to experience that. Again, the movie is very different from the stage production, but it has all the same aspects.”
The character of Brad might seem tame when compared to the parade of outrageous characters in “Rocky Horror,” but Mead said he enjoys the nuances of playing that role.
“It’s a lot of fun playing this part, especially when you have characters like Janet and Frank-N-Furter to play off of,” he said. “Working with the actors that I’m working with, it’s fun to go back and forth and interact with them and watch their characters develop around the show. Brad stays pretty much the same all the way up until the floor, when he finally has that moment. I like to be able to build that dynamic in character development for the audience, to relate with me the whole time throughout that show and see me go on that little twist, seeing me in some heels and fishnets. I think Brad is probably the closest to home and the easiest for me to portray. Although I can see myself down the line potentially doing the show again and maybe going out for something like Frank-N-Furter or maybe going out for a character like Riff Raff.”
Mead said this production attracts longtime fans of the film as well as younger audiences that might not be as familiar with the film’s colorful legacy.
“Last year we did the same fundraiser and this year we have a couple new cast members but it’s more or less a revamp,” he said. “We’re doing a couple different things. It’s going to be much more intense with lighting and sound design. We’re going to put on an actual live rock show for the audience. At last year’s performance, we had people in their 40s and 50s coming to see the show and doing the callbacks. They were there every single step along the way because they were so familiar with the film. Then we had a lot of theatergoers who appreciate the art of theater and they are there to see the performance, the acting, the singing and all of that. So I think the show attracts a great mix of older crowd and new fans.”
Mead also said the audience participation sometimes varies from what has been established for the film, which means each show has the potential to be a unique experience.
“It was outrageous last year,” he recalled. “On opening night I didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t rehearse with the callbacks or audience participation. The girl playing opposite me, who plays Janet, when we first walked on stage and we just felt the energy from the audience, there was a huge change and it motivated us to be on top of our game and put on a great performance for people who know it so well. I know what to expect this time around. So it’ll be fun. I kind of lead the audience on. I know what kind of callbacks to expect. I can play off of that and give the audience a little bit more. It’s very unique. There was one performance where Frank-N-Furter had a line and an audience member used a callback that we had never heard before. Our Frank-N-Furter is allowed to break that fourth wall and talk to the audience. So he just stopped in the middle of the show, turned to the audience and started singing ‘Kissed By a Rose.’ And everyone loved it. It was fantastic. To have that dynamic with the audience is really cool. I think maybe we’ll get some of that this year.”
When asked why “Rocky Horror” still intrigues audiences more than 35 years after it debuted, Mead pointed to the film’s ability to push society’s buttons.
“It’s one of those films that not everyone is going to like,” he said. “I have a lot of friends who say, ‘I saw the movie once, I wasn’t a big fan.’ So now I’m going to try and get them to the musical and see if it changes their views on the film and maybe they will go back and watch it. But culturally it pushes a lot of buttons and asks a lot of questions. There are a lot of references to Nazis and transvestites and aliens. It’s got this great mix of references that a lot of people could relate to.”
The Eagle Theatre presents “The Rocky Horror Show” through Nov. 3, 208 Vine St., Hammonton, N.J. For more information or tickets, visit TheEagleTheatre.com or call 609-704-5012.