It’s being called one of the most challenging productions ever for the Kelowna Actors Studio.
And it’s certainly going to be one of the most risqué theatre runs for the studio and the 18 actors set to kick off a 16-day run.
The Kelowna Actors Studio presents the cult classic Rocky Horror Show for an extended run that begins tonight and includes both a G-rated version as well as several R-rated late night shows.
“This is really just a fun piece of theatre,” said Kelowna Actors Studio artistic director Randy Leslie, the play’s director. “People ask me why I’m doing it and I say ‘why not?’ It’s that homage to the old B movie, kind of similar to to a musical version of Plan 9 From Outer Space or the Blob. It’s a big cult classic.”
Quite likely, the Rocky Horror Show is the most famous cult classic musical ever. It bursts with music including the famous number Time Warp as well as Sweet Transvestite and Damn It Janet.
Several of the shows are already sold out and the studio has gone so far as to add more R rated productions and will do two shows a night on Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29, the first time ever the studio has put on two shows in one evening.
The R-rated version will hit the stage at 11 p.m. each of those nights, following the early show at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s a big challenge,” said Leslie. “It’s a high energy show and it’s a bit risqué. It’s a challenge because there are two different versions. The show itself is two hours with an intermission. It’s two hours of high energy, so to do two shows is a lot of energy to go through in one evening.”
The original Rocky Horror show debuted in London in 1973 and then took off on an eight year run, closing in 1980. In 1975 it was made into a movie and gained wide spread cult-classic status with Tim Curry as its star with fan participation including dancing and tossing things at the actors, part of the fun.
To keep with the theme of the classic play, Kelowna Actors Studio is selling items that audiences can use to interact with the show with proceeds going to their acting academy. When it came time to put the production into practice, the actors studio decided to do the two versions, giving its audiences a chance to see an even more risqué production at the late night showings.
“The R rated one is risqué, but it’s risqué for the 1970’s” explained Leslie. “We’re in 2016 where you can see everything on TV nowadays. The main theme is acceptance and that applies to anybody today. It’s about being who you are and having fun with it.”
The arrival of the Rocky Horror Show (as a movie it was called the Rocky Horror Picture Show), was actually thanks to fans of the Kelowna Actors Studio. During a survey some 18 months ago, the Rocky Horror Show was rated as the fifth most popular play that fans would want to see.
Leslie said it was that interaction with their audience that brought the play to Kelowna.
“We had a list of about 100 shows and asked people what shows they wanted to see,” said Leslie. “We always want to give them what they want and this one being a cult classic and bit edgier, the actors were keen to do it.”
The Rocky Horror Show opens tonight and will run from Wednesday to Sunday, closing out with a special Halloween night R-rated finale on Oct. 31 that is already sold out.
Tickets can be purchased at www.KelownaActorsStudio.com or by calling Kelowna Tickets at 250-862-2867 or visiting Kelowna Tickets in Orchard Park Shopping Centre.
