BWW Reviews: SMT's ROCKY HORROR SHOW Is a Bit Rocky But Very Sexy

Let me start by saying that "The Rocky Horror Show", on its own, is not a very good show. What makes the show fun and worthwhile is the audience participation. So when that is lacking, as it was at the recent Seattle Musical Theatre production I saw, it only serves to spotlight how mediocre a show it is. So I must encourage all you Rocky fans who know what to yell at the stage to go and lend the final piece to the show for its own sake. But lack of audience interaction aside (seriously there were only about five of us participating in a full house and getting people to do the Time Warp was like pulling teeth) this circus burlesque reimagining of the show works on some levels but lacks focus on others making the evening feel ... well ... rocky.

Most everyone knows the story of this cult classic. Naïve kids Brad and his new fiancé Janet (Garrett Dill and Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako) have had a little car trouble and have ended up at the castle of the twisted Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Joel Domenico) on a night when he and his assistants Riff Raff, Magenta and Columbia (Nathan Brockett, Stephanie Graham and Sophia Franzella) are creating Frank's new plaything, the hunky creature Rocky (Hisam Goueli). Once his creature has been brought to life, Frank's love of all things decadent takes innocent Brad and Janet on a roller coaster ride of debauchery which could lead to their undoing.

It's basically a parody of a cheesy B horror movie from the 50's but, as I said, what makes the journey worthwhile is the history of yelling out one liners at the stage (calling Brad and asshole and Janet a slut, commenting that castles don't have phones, etc.) and of course the naughty nature of the show itself. Well director and designer Steven Fogell has certainly amped up that last aspect to 11 as the costumes are all quite skimpy and the cast is all quite attractive. But as much as his vision for the show worked for me, some of the performance aspects felt a little too loose and free and unfocused killing some of the flow of the show.

Don't get me wrong there are some wonderful performances in the show. The addition of Peggy Platt and Lisa Koch on filmed inserts as the narrator and her butler added some glorious comedy bits although I did miss the live interaction of the narrator. Dill and Nako are adorable as the trapped couple and very fun but I felt could have taken their descent into sin even further (although Dill's sexy solo during the floor show was quite something to behold). Brockett had some wonderful toadie moments with Frank and lead off the Time Warp well but Graham and Franzella seemed to be trying too hard to punch the tone. Goueli is one of the best Rockys I think I've seen. He's definitely got the bod for it but also has some killer pipes. But it's Domenico who has to drive this show and he does but at times it felt like an uphill strain. He's got a lot of stage presence and he definitely looks good in what little he was wearing but at times lost a little of his control of the situation. Although I have to mention his incredibly soulful and just plain beautiful rendition of "I'm Going Home" which was so lovely that I didn't even dare interrupt it with any shout outs.

So on the whole the show is a good one but missing two major things; the audience participation, which they cannot control aside from putting plants in the crowd (they may want to consider that), and a commitment to the focus, drive and timing of the show, which is all on them. My three letter rating system is failing me a little on this one. It's not quite to the level of a YAY but the good points I mentioned put it just above a MEH+. I guess I'll go a little outside the box here and give this one a MEH++. What pushed it over the edge? I'll admit it. That sexy tone of it all.

"The Rocky Horror Show" performs at Seattle Musical Theatre through October 18th. For tickets or information visit them online at www.seattlemusicaltheatre.org.

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