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By ALAN K. STOUT alanks@leader.net
 Friday, January 10, 2003 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 30 





It's been described as a bizarre cult classic encompassing glitter rock,
horror, comedy and transvestites. It's been a part of pop culture for 30
years, and it's the prototypical midnight movie. It's campy, offbeat, humorous
and thoughtful all at once. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ``The Rocky Horror Show,'' a stage adaptation of the infamous ``The Rocky
Horror Picture Show,'' will make its first Northeastern Pennsylvania
appearance tonight at the Showcase Theater in Exeter. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``It's never been done in the area,'' director Paul Winarski says, adding
that he decided the show - an assemblage of stereotyped science-fiction,
fantasy, rock 'n' roll and vintage culture - would be an excellent
presentation for The Showcase after he became familiar with the recent
Broadway revival of the play. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The score was completely re-orchestrated, it had a great new sound, and
there was a really vibrant energy to the production,'' he says. ``I think it's
about time it's being done here. It's 30 years since the original production
and 27 years since the film.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The show's storyline involves two sexually confused young people confronted
with 1970s moral decadence epitomized in the character of mad transvestite Dr.
Frank N. Furter. The production consists of 18 cast members - nine principal
actors and nine ensemble players - and five musicians bolster the rock sound
that accompanies the story. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The main characters are Frank N. Furter, played by Kevin Costley, the two
clean-cut youngsters - Brad, played by Trevor Drisbach, and Janet, played by
Dawn Winarski - and a hunchback Frank N. Furter henchman called Riff Raff,
played by Ron Araya. Jack Gibbons narrates. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The Rocky Horror Show'' began in London in 1972, Paul Winarski says. It
became a quick success and eventually went on to become a smash in Los
Angeles. In New York, however, the play flopped and ended its run after only
49 shows. Still, plans for a film version of the play already were in
development and moved forward despite low expectations. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The rest is history. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``They released the movie in maybe 10 or 15 (film) houses across the
country, hoping just to bury it,'' Winarski says. ``Then something happened.
They ran it as a midnight showing in New York City - the same city the play
flopped in - and it just started catching on. From there, a whole phenomenon
and cult was born.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Soon, fans were attending the film dozens - if not hundreds - of times.
They dressed in character. They developed ``callback'' dialogue aimed at the
screen. Word of mouth spread, and ``The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' became a
midnight-movie staple from coast to coast for many years. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Winarski says he has enjoyed the challenge of bringing the story to the
stage. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The main challenge is to create that original concept, and that starts
with casting,'' he says. ``You look for someone who's going to bring something
new to the character, and I've done that with all of my roles. You don't see
any carbon copies of the movie. That's the main thing - to get a fresh
approach. And just by using the revival script and the new sound and casting
the right people we've got that.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Winarski says the new ``Rocky Horror Show,'' while true to the original,
also offers some slight differences. (The ``Time Warp'' will certainly be
there, but there's also one adult situation that contains brief female
nudity.) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``They didn't change the songs,'' he says. ``You're going to hear the same
exact songs that you heard on the original Broadway production and two more
that were in the original stage production but were cut from the film. The
storyline is exactly the same, and the dialogue is very close. What they've
done is geared the story a little more toward the way the script worked in the
film.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Dawn Winarski is relishing her role as Janet. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I love the music, and I like the chance to be able to act so hyper,'' she
says. ``In most shows you get to act very natural, but in this show, since it
is based on the old horror films, it's very unnatural and over the top, so you
get to do something you don't normally do. I like that chance to do silly
things.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Costley also is enjoying his turn as Frank N. Furter. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I was surprised anywhere I was actually living would decide to do the
show, and I couldn't miss the opportunity,'' he says. ``It's been a part of my
life since I was in college. The role is a chance to let everything go. It has
no inhibitions. He just says and does anything.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Drisbach, who plays Brad, was attracted to the humor and the sensitivity of
his role. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``In one sense, he's kind of the comic relief,'' he says. ``I think he's
the most naive one in the show, so he has stupid lines, and he just doesn't
get it. He tries to be brave and courageous, but a lot of times he just ends
up making a fool of himself. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``What really sold me on the role was listening to the Broadway revival,''
he adds. ``On the recording was a song called `Once in a While,' which wasn't
included in the film. Basically, it's Brad lamenting over his fiancee, Janet,
losing her virginity to Frank N. Furter and just feeling so rejected and used.
It's really a beautiful, gorgeous song, and it's what made me want to
audition.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Paul Winarski says his entire ensemble has embraced its roles along with
the cherished plot. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``One of the joys is watching the amount of creativity that I get at each
rehearsal and the way it unfolds,'' he says. ``As a director, I like input.
I'll stage my show out, I'll block the scenes, and I'll give my input, but I
like people to come with ideas, and there is no shortage of ideas with this
cast.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 IF YOU GO &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 WHAT: ``The Rocky Horror Show'' (stage version of ``The Rocky Horror
Picture Show'') &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 WHERE: Showcase Theater, 54 Tunkhannock Ave., Exeter. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 WHEN: 8 tonight, 8 p.m. and midnight tomorrow, 8 p.m. Jan. 17 and 18, 2
p.m. Jan. 19 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TICKETS: $15. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 INFO: 654-2555 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

'rocky' Hits Area Stage