Event
10-31-09 Rocky Horror Picture Show
ROCKY HORROR TIME WARPS BACK TO MILL AVENUE FOR HALLOWEEN TRICKS & TREATS!
TEMPE, AZ, 30 SEPTEMBER, 2009In October 1975, a colorful, campy musical film called The Rocky Horror Picture Show (based on a hit London stage play by Richard OBrien) reached the silver screenand quickly sank without a trace. No one could have predicted that more than three decades later it would still be attracting audiences young and old all over the world.
Like a monster from one of the B-movies it parodies, Rocky Horror rose from its box office grave to become one of the most successful films ever released, thanks to being revived as a midnight movie in the pre-home video days; and even now, well into the electronic age, Rocky shows no signs of stopping any time soonin no small part due to the enduring appeal of audience participation, wherein costumed performers act out and otherwise interact with the film, the audience and each other.
This mixture of film and live performance has combined to make Rocky Horror both a unique entertainment experience, and an enduring rite of passage for more than three generations of virgins (those who have never experienced Rocky in a theatre), devoted regulars (those who attend on a regular basis) and veterans (who nostalgically return to the show, recalling their glory days of doing Rocky in the 70s, 80s, or 90sand often bringing their kids along for their own initiation), so that by now Rocky is firmly entrenched not only as a classic fixture of both popular and counter culture but also a Halloween traditiona tradition Rockys local custodians intend to honor by looking both to the past and the future for this years Halloween presentation.
This is the one time of year when we get hundreds of curious people who wouldnt normally come to the show, says Matthew Yenkala of Come As You Are Entertainment, who has produced nearly every local Rocky event for the last ten years. And since this is the only Rocky production in the Valley, with many people making longer treks from all over the place to see us, we intend to make it worth their while. Were also doing not one but four shows over Halloween weekend to accommodate the demand.
Yenkala promises that the troupes four upcoming Halloween performances will include new props, a costume contest, a THRLLING original musical number, and a dedication to making this the most intense Rocky-Flavored-Rocky experience possible.
He is also thrilled to bring Rocky back to one of its most fondly-remembered destinations. Locally Rocky has played at a bakers dozen theatres since its release, but its most consistent and fondly remembered run was in the 1990s in Tempe, before being forced to leave due to theatre renovations. Since then the show has wandered around the Valley and maintained and grown a loyal following, but fans have yearned for its return to Milla dream that has finally come true, with a sold-out debut show on Friday, September 18th at MADCAP THEATRES, at which over 100 people were turned away.
Mill Avenue and Rocky Horror were synonymous for many years, and were proud to bring the Time Warp back to Tempe for its first Halloween performance on Mill Avenue since 1998, Yenkala asserts. Our shows since leaving Mill have always done well, but it is certainly an added benefit to have more visible, centralized location, thanks to our friends and partners at MADCAP.
Yenkala insists that Halloween is a great time to visit (or re-visit) Rocky Horror. Its almost become a clichIts Halloween, lets check out that Rocky Horror thing Ive heard about, and some people have fun for one night, and others are hooked for life. But, he says, theres a deeper secret to Rockys longevity.
This film has played for almost 35 years because it attracts a very open and accepting audience, one which has almost become a culture unto itself, he says. It might be a touch more risqu than a Friday night football game, but its a safe and welcoming environment. And, he adds with a smile, we only bite unless were asked, provoked or paid!
COME AS YOU ARE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS "THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW"
HALLOWEN 2009 (H2K9)
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LocationMADCAP Theaters
730 S. Mill Ave
Tempe, AZ 85281
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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