July 13, 2022
rums! After a scary film opening credits, the “Rocky Horror Show” crashes across the music theater stage on Tuesday at full volume. “Let’s Do the Time Warp Again”, the people of Linz follow, boom full of the premiere of the former enfant terrible of the musical scene (UA 1973). A sack full of props can be bought in the foyer.
The man in suspenders, corsage and red high heels used to be the subject of serious discussions, today the “Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania” delights with his perfect body and a lustfully celebrated beautiful bottom. As a charismatic Frank’n’Furter, Oliver Savile towers over the rest of the ensemble by a head.
The version, revised by Sam Buntrock, was created in 2008 in the presence of creator Richard O’Brien himself. Since 1973, the virginal couple Brad and Janet have been meeting their absurd fate. For “Damn it Janet” and “There’s a Light” some still grab the red lamp from the prop bag. Janet (Claire Keenan) sings her colorless Brad (Sev Keoshgerian) to the wall, shrill to the point of pain, until Riff Raff (Christian Lunn) sweeps over the gloomy couple in a big voice.
“Spray with water, protect with newspaper,” says the instructions, and hardly anyone digs out a spray gun and paper from the black bag anymore. The musically spoiled audience prefers to listen intently to the eloquently improvised comments of the elegant Sky Du Mont.
Life is illusion, reality is a pipe dream
As if tuned with helium, Columbia, the comedian among the weird characters, sings her howling arias. Frank’n’Furter’s “Beautiful Creature”, lust boy Rocky (Ryan Goscinsky) awakens. A no less beautiful body padding its first steps.
“I Really Love that Rock’n’Roll”, Eddie (Jordan Castle), Rockie’s predecessor, must be killed “Life is an illusion, reality is a pipe dream” when Dr. Everett Scott returns to the stage rocking “From the Day He Was Born, He Was in Troubles” in a wheelchair. The traditional “Hu” doesn’t come in Linz.
After the break, the band can demonstrate what they’ve got. The electric guitarist sweeps away, Brad and Janet indulge in uninhibited transsexual pleasure in a shadow play.
There is little room for choreographies on the stage, the crew moves quite statically to the nevertheless groovy hits. Riff Raff, vocally the true master, sends the weird part back to her planet “I’m Going Home” with an intergalactic cannon, as an angel Frank’n’Furter shows the full potential of his voice. The “Super Heroes” disappear in the dense fog.
Brad and Janet, reformed to evil, find themselves in a new life after two hours of excess. End credits like in the cinema, once again the “time warp” sweeps across the stage. The props stayed in the bag, only the ensemble was active on stage, but there was a very attentive audience, intermittent applause, loud cheers and standing ovations.