- 4 months ago
Let's do the Time Warp again! Join MsMojo as we explore how "The Rocky Horror Show" transformed from a small experimental stage production into a global cultural phenomenon. From Richard O'Brien's quirky script to Tim Curry's iconic performance, discover the fascinating journey of this beloved cult classic that redefined audience participation and created a safe space for self-expression.
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00:00Let's do the Time Wars again!
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:06And today, we would like, if we may, to take you on a strange journey to relive how the Rocky Horror Show
00:13went from a little stage musical that could, and did, to a global phenomenon,
00:18complete with midnight screenings, fan costumes, and endless callbacks.
00:23So let's get started, because we see you shiver with...
00:26Anticipation.
00:31Finding the light over at the Royal Court Theatre, a brief origin story.
00:36Once upon a time, there was an unemployed actor who spent his evenings writing,
00:40drawing from his love of sci-fi, B-grade horror, and the rising glam rock and gender-fluid fashion of the 70s.
00:47That man's name was Richard O'Brien.
00:49I just wrote some songs, I say just, I wrote some songs which I liked,
00:53and I wrote some gags which I thought were funny.
00:56I put in some B-movie dialogue and B-movie situations, and I just, I was just having a ball.
01:02He shared his strange little script with director Jim Sharman, who took a chance on it.
01:06It started as a way for me to spend winter evenings when I was an out-of-work actor.
01:12And it started to come together as a reality when I showed it to a director that I was next employed with.
01:22The show opened upstairs at the Royal Court Theatre, a space usually reserved for experimental work.
01:28Composer Richard Hartley was brought in to help create that rock and roll soundtrack that still gets fans on their feet to this day.
01:35It was like nothing audiences or critics had ever seen before, and it definitely caught their attention.
01:52After all, it provided a safe space to celebrate self-exploration and sexual liberation unapologetically,
01:58doing so with plenty of humor and charm.
02:01Give yourself over to absolute pleasure.
02:07The show quickly graduated from the Royal Court's 63-seat studio to the Chelsea Classic Cinema, more than tripling its audience.
02:14From there, it moved to the King's Road Theatre, where even more people could experience this strange journey night after night.
02:21It was playing 63 people a night, and for five weeks, with a budget of £2,000, and the rest is history.
02:32We ran in London, we transferred twice, we ran in London for seven years.
02:35In 1973, the show won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical.
02:40Then it traveled across the pond, where outside LA, it didn't quite make the same splash,
02:45but it still picked up Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations.
02:48Amazingly, it wasn't until the 1979 West End transfer that the show became the full two-act version fans now love to shout back at.
03:03Even more mind-blowing is that the time warp wasn't even in the original script.
03:07It was added during rehearsals to expand the show beyond its original 40-minute runtime.
03:12There's almost a lineage there back to the munchkins in The Wizard of Oz, with the sped-up voices,
03:17seeing, you know, we're out of the woods, etc., etc., to let's do the time warp again,
03:22which we also deliberately recorded and sped up the voices on.
03:27Little did they know that audiences would keep doing the time warp again, and again, and again, and again.
03:33In fact, as of 2023, it was reported that the show had been translated into 20 languages,
03:39and had an accumulated audience of 30 million people worldwide.
03:43One of those was Ode Records chief Lou Adler, who not only brought the show from London to LA,
03:48but also backed bringing it to the silver screen.
04:08Strutting from stage to screen,
04:10Before anyone could pull up their fishnets and adjust their corsets,
04:13the studio made a very specific request.
04:16They wanted a touch of Hollywood and were willing to fund the production generously
04:20if Americans played Brad and Janet.
04:23So Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon were brought on board.
04:26There's a fire in my heart and you've fed it.
04:29Janet.
04:29If there's one fool for you, then I am it.
04:32Janet.
04:32I've one thing to say and that's damn it.
04:35Janet, I love you.
04:37For the rest of the cast, Hollywood might have been new territory,
04:40but the Rocky Horror World certainly wasn't.
04:43OG Dr. Frankenfurter Tim Curry reprised his role,
04:46joined by fellow London castmates Patricia Quinn as Magenta,
04:50Little Nell as Columbia, and Richard O'Brien as Riff Raff.
04:54Meatloaf, who'd already played Eddie and Dr. Everett Scott in L.A.,
04:58made an unforgettable appearance as Eddie.
05:00Whereby one was offered a reasonable budget and circumstances to make it,
05:06providing we stocked the film with kind of, you know, currently fashionable rock stars.
05:11The cast wasn't the only part of the original stage show that was retained for the silver screen.
05:16It wasn't so much about reinventing the show as reimagining it for a new medium.
05:21The story mostly stayed the same, but scenes were shuffled, dialogue trimmed,
05:26and songs adjusted for pacing.
05:28Brad lost a verse in Over at the Frankenstein Place and his solo once in a while.
05:33You hear something, ah, about someone you thought you'd known.
05:43Rocky's dialogue had been cut, too.
05:45Trixie the Usherette didn't make it to the screen,
05:47but those disembodied red lips opening the movie more than set the tone.
05:51Depending on which version you've seen,
05:53the song Superheroes may or may not even be there.
05:56On stage, the phantoms, a kind of Greek chorus, hover in the background,
06:12guiding Brad and Janet through the story.
06:15The film replaced them with atmosphere, storm clouds, shadows,
06:18and a gothic mansion that became its own living, breathing presence.
06:22Didn't we pass a castle back down the road a few miles?
06:26I shall resign.
06:27Maybe they have a telephone I could use.
06:30I'm going with you.
06:31Oh no, darling, there's no sense in both of us getting wet.
06:34I'm coming with you.
06:35Filming at Oakley Court, a real, almost gothic-like estate near where Hammer Horror filmed,
06:41gave Frankenfurter's castle that perfect feel of the old-school horror and glam rock decay
06:45they were both paying tribute to and sending up throughout the story.
06:49The minute we saw it, we realized that this gave us the basis for the whole look of the movie.
06:55Familiar props and costumes returned, but the lighting got sharper, the colors louder,
07:00the action bigger than ever.
07:02Now there was even a swimming pool that was made to feel like an unholy baptism.
07:06The soundtrack evolved too.
07:08The stage version was highly influenced by glam rock and vintage pop,
07:12with some Chuck Berry, Rolling Stones, and classic musical theater thrown in for good measure.
07:16What he's done in the music is, I think, something quite extraordinary,
07:20which is very similar to the actual plot, in that he's taken elements from many other things.
07:26He's taken sort of certain 50s elements, certain 60s elements,
07:30and put them together, but actually come out with something that's sort of completely unique.
07:35The movie amped everything up.
07:37Louder, faster, moodier.
07:39They upped the tempo and turned up the dials on that gothic undertone,
07:43perfectly matching its cinematic setting.
07:45I'm a duty, that's what's all.
07:48I really love that rock and roll.
07:50Director Jim Sharman knew he couldn't just copy the stage show and paste it into a movie format.
07:56He had to capture its energy in a different way.
07:58He told the cast to play everything, quote,
08:0015% bigger, but with total earnestness.
08:04Suddenly, you're gonna break.
08:09All the pieces into fit, into place.
08:11He even showed them Beyond the Valley of the Dolls as a reference for that kind of heightened, oblivious performance he wanted.
08:18To keep things genuine, he apparently sometimes kept Sarandon and Bostwick in the dark about little changes,
08:23so their reactions were very real.
08:26You also may have heard that no one but Tim Curry knew what was about to be revealed during that dinner scene,
08:30so those shocked reactions you see are completely genuine.
08:36On stage, the show thrived on a crowd that was already up for something strange and subversive.
08:42On screen, they had to convince movie audiences to come along for the ride.
08:46So even though the theatricality stayed, everything had to be carefully tuned.
08:50Still true to its nature, but grounded enough to work on camera and help movie audiences feel as in on the joke as theater audiences had since the beginning.
08:59It was Richard's first musical, and it was full of his enthusiasms in the way that first works always are.
09:07As it happened, those enthusiasms were being shared by a lot of other people.
09:11Oh, and you know how movies like to hide Easter eggs all over the place?
09:14Well, this movie took that very literally.
09:16So next time you watch, be sure to look out for them.
09:19Here, we'll even get you started.
09:21The film was a flop at first.
09:22Whatever magic it had cast over theater audiences just failed to enchant moviegoers.
09:27That is, until it joined the midnight movie circuit.
09:30It's perfect for midnight.
09:32And then once the audience participation began, there were people who are attracted to that.
09:37Don't dream it.
09:38Becoming a cult classic.
09:40Yes, things were definitely not great when it all began.
09:44And the movie struggled to find those regular Frankie fans.
09:47For one thing, its subject matter was pretty niche.
09:50It's not exactly the kind of film you take the whole family to on a Sunday afternoon now, is it?
09:54Perhaps mainstream audiences just weren't ready for a story led by a gender-fluid, pansexual alien in Fishnets,
10:01who teaches two so-called squeaky-clean Americans how to give themselves over to absolute pleasure.
10:06And without a live audience to feed off, that seductiveness of the stage show just didn't land the same way.
10:24Within weeks, 20th Century Fox was ready to pull it and file it away under financial flops.
10:30Luckily, it was the midnight movies to the rescue.
10:33They catered to people looking for something weird, edgy, and unapologetically different.
10:38And Rocky Horror ticked every box.
10:40These late-night showings became a haven for anyone who didn't fit the mainstream.
10:44The film's message, Don't Dream It, Be It, opened a whole new world for people who'd previously felt disenfranchised or marginalized.
10:52Don't dream it, be it.
10:58On April Fool's Day 1976, Rocky Horror opened at New York's Waverly Theater.
11:04And soon enough, the joke was on everyone who'd written it off.
11:07Within two years, it was a regular fixture in midnight slots across dozens of cities.
11:12I went to see Rocky Horror at the Waverly Theater in Manhattan.
11:16And I saw those lips on the screen, and I felt the electricity in the audience blew me away.
11:20What started as a flop quietly turned into the longest-running theatrical release in film history.
11:26Now audience participation was often somewhat part of the midnight movie experience,
11:30but never at the level it became with Rocky Horror.
11:33I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey.
11:42As the story goes, friends and Rocky Horror enthusiasts,
11:47Louis Ferrissey Jr., Amy Lazarus, Teresa Krakowskis, and Bill O'Brien would attend these screenings
11:53and do their best to improvise callbacks with the intention of cracking each other up.
11:57One night, during that scene where Janet uses a newspaper to shelter from the rain,
12:02right before over at the Frankenstein place,
12:04Louis shouted, quote,
12:05Buy an umbrella, you cheap bitch.
12:07Not exactly the worst thing Janet gets called these days.
12:10And the crowd loved it.
12:12In the darkness of everybody's life.
12:21And just like that, counterpoint dialogue became a staple at screenings and even live performances.
12:27Although, interestingly, Tim Curry credits Angie Barnett, David Bowie's then-wife,
12:32for being one of the first to talk back to the screen,
12:34reportedly yelling,
12:35No, no, don't do it,
12:37as Riff Raff comes at Frankenfurter towards the end.
12:40Anyway, a lot of those off-the-cuff jokes from the early days
12:43are now basically part of the Rocky Horror audience script.
12:46Brad and Janet, what do you think?
12:50I don't like men with too many muscles.
12:53Guess what I'm faithful?
12:54But don't stress if you don't know all the lines.
12:57There are tons of Rocky Horror Virgin guides online that'll get you up to speed.
13:01And honestly, people still make up new ones all the time.
13:04If a line's funny enough, it might even become canon.
13:08Plus, if you're watching a live show and get lucky,
13:10you might get a cheeky clap back from the narrator or one of the other cast members on stage.
13:15There was certainly something about this castle,
13:17to which a flat tire and a wet night had brought them,
13:20that had made them both feel...
13:22It's not what it says here.
13:27Apprehensive and uneasy.
13:29Fans didn't just shout lines.
13:30They became part of the show.
13:32People dressed up and brought props,
13:34rice, newspapers, confetti, flashlights, even hot dogs.
13:38Which maybe don't do.
13:40The cleaning up crew definitely won't thank you.
13:42They would even improvise small actions.
13:44And, of course, everyone did the time warp.
13:48A dance so iconic that it practically became a requirement to join in.
13:51But don't worry if you don't know it.
13:53It's really as simple as just a jump to the left and a step to the right.
13:57Actually, we'll just let the cast take it from there.
13:59We'll bring your hands inside.
14:02But it's a real big love.
14:05Baby, don't you're insane.
14:09Get through the time warp again.
14:13Shadow casts started forming in the early 80s,
14:16where fans or actors performed the movie live in front of the screen.
14:20We know when each actor blinks.
14:22We know what their hands are doing.
14:23We know what their faces are doing.
14:24And it's a matter of personal pride to just see how accurate you can get.
14:29They made their own costumes, provided their own props,
14:32and often auditioned for roles.
14:34Full-on theater troops like the 8th Street Players
14:36and the North Denton Aristocrats were formed as a result
14:39and helped turn Rocky Horror screenings into immersive events
14:42that blurred the line between film, stage, and just full-on party.
14:53Don't dream it! Be it!
14:57The fan community truly exploded.
15:00Midnight screenings became safe spaces for anyone who felt othered.
15:03A place to dress up, shout out, and just be themselves.
15:07Magazines, fan clubs, and word of mouth
15:09helped fans connect across cities and countries,
15:12creating a real, vibrant, and inclusive community.
15:15Even if it was just for the movie's duration,
15:18it wasn't just dreaming it anymore.
15:20As the movie says, you could actually be it.
15:23Do you think you gave people permission to be who they truly are?
15:30I think so.
15:30A wild and untamed legacy.
15:33Today, Rocky Horror is so much more than just a movie.
15:36It's a stage, a playground, and a safe space all rolled into one.
15:40It broke new ground by celebrating sexual freedom
15:42and showing that gender and identity don't have to fit into any boxes.
15:46This was a much bigger deal back then, when it was still considered rather taboo.
15:51At its heart, what's the message of Rocky Horror?
15:54It will certainly be who you want to be and have the b****s to do it.
15:59LGBTQIA plus communities in particular found a place to just be themselves,
16:04thanks in part to Dr. Frankenfurter,
16:07in his fishnets, corset, pearls, and more makeup than most of us even own,
16:11never asking for permission to live authentically
16:14and showing everyone what full-on self-expression could look like.
16:18In one shadow performance,
16:19Frank was even played by transgender actor D. Garrett Gafford,
16:22who was fundraising for gender-affirming surgery.
16:25For a lot of people, it went way beyond entertainment.
16:28It was a life-saving community they'd never experienced before.
16:31And I went to Rocky, and you know, it's a very open community.
16:34They don't care what this, this, and this is.
16:36You know, everyone's welcome.
16:38It doesn't matter what's going on.
16:39It's just that welcoming feeling.
16:41And on a bigger scale,
16:43try finding someone who hasn't at least heard of the Rocky Horror Show.
16:46Even if you've never been to a screening,
16:48chances are you've seen it parodied or referenced on The Simpsons,
16:51That 70s Show, Glee, The Drew Carey Show.
16:55Seriously, the list goes on.
16:57Sabrina Carpenter even gave it a nod in her music video for tears.
17:07And it's not just about pop culture shout-outs.
17:10In 2005, it was inducted into the Library of Congress as, quote,
17:14culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
17:17The stage version got its own recognition in 2011,
17:20becoming one of just eight musicals commemorated on a Royal Mail stamp.
17:24And in 2023, it celebrated its 50th anniversary with an NFT.
17:29That world!
17:31How about that?
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17:48Its journey from stage to screen to full-blown pop culture phenomenon
17:52is practically unparalleled.
17:54And the crowd outside the Lincoln Theater is here for a movie many have seen before.
18:00Oh, hundreds.
18:00Hundreds of times.
18:01Between the two of us, at least 150, maybe 200.
18:04But what's even more incredible is what it did and continues to do for its audience.
18:1050 years later, people are still lacing up their corsets,
18:13strapping on their highest heels,
18:15perfecting those pelvic thrusts, shouting call-outs,
18:18and just throwing off every rule the world tries to stick on them.
18:21They're part of the Rocky Horror experience to this day.
18:25We get older people, younger people, conservative people, very liberal people.
18:29What's wrong with coming to a movie and having a good time?
18:31It's proof we still desperately need spaces where people can explore their sexuality and identity
18:36and just be totally themselves.
18:39And honestly, it shows that owning your weirdest, boldest, most unapologetic self
18:44can actually save your life.
18:46And if we're lucky, maybe we'll all get to that rose-tinted world
18:49before the movie hits its 100th birthday.
19:01How many times have you done the time warp again?
19:04Let us know in the comments.
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