It’s just a jump to the left and a step to the right — right into New York City as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Original Cast “Spooktacular” Tour makes its way to the Big Apple this month.
On Oct. 30, the 40-city tour, presented by producer Scott Stander and The Stander Group, will come to The Town Hall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the cult classic film. The New York City stop will be hosted by Barry Bostwick (who played Brad Majors), Nell Campbell (Columbia), and Patricia Quinn (Magenta).
The night will feature a screening of the original film alongside a live shadow cast that will perform in sync with the movie on stage. There will be a costume contest with prizes awarded to the top three best costumes (so bust out your sequins and fishnets). The night will also feature a live Q&A with Bostwick, Quinn and Campbell, and a few surprises along the way.
In an interview with amNewYork, both Bostwick and Campbell said that the New York City tour show is pulling out all the stops.
“What you can expect, babycakes, is us in the flesh there to answer their questions that they’ve always wanted answered, that they’ve never been able to answer, have answered before, that they’ve always wondered about,” said Campbell.
“We just throw a big party. We have costume contests, we have virgin ceremonies,” Bostwick joked. “That’s what’s fun about it is we go up there and every night’s different.”
A live shadow cast performs alongside the screening of the original film.Photo courtesy of The Hell on Heels Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast
The night will also feature a tribute to Tim Curry, the original stage show’s and film’s Dr. Frank N. Furter, who passed away this year at the age of 80.
“I think a lot of people feel it; it’s a bit like when Princess Diana died, when there’s someone that you become so familiar with in your life, even though you’ve never met them, but you see them and the ‘Rocky’ fans see Tim in that role and in other roles so often, you actually think you know them, and I think that’s a good thing,” said Campbell. “I hope that people with that close knowing of Tim through seeing him in the role of Frank N. Furter and in other roles can just embrace that they do know him; they feel close to him and that he’s always going to be there in their lives.”
“That’s the thing about acting, and musicians. He has such a catalog of work that people are going to be able to revisit, forever, and to see his charm and wit and talents — the plumber down the street, he doesn’t have that opportunity to pass on his skills or whatever to other people,” said Bostwick. “But with Tim, you can go back to ‘It,’ you can go back to all of those wonderful things he did and it’s like he’s not gone, he’s still there. He’s there entertaining you in the same way that he did when he was with us.”
Bostwick and Campbell told amNewYork that to see the impact that “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has had over the years has been incredible. When the stage show, “The Rocky Horror Show,” premiered in 1973, it had a successful run, but the cult following really came with “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” a few years later.
“When the film was one year old, we had the one-year anniversary in New York, that was the first time I saw it. That’s when we realized when we saw that people were enjoying, you know, dressing up, performing in front of the screen at the cinemas, and, embracing all things ‘Rocky Horror,’” said Campbell.
“Even when the film first played its first run, they said that it wasn’t successful. What was so interesting about it was that when it was playing in Westwood or a few other theaters, the same people were coming night after night, even way back then,” said Bostwick.
Nell Campbell, Tim Curry and Patricia Quinn in a publicity photo for ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox
The duo continues to hope that through “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” people can continue to build community with each other over their shared love of the film and be inspired to truly be yourself.
“Each generation has different dreams. Whatever they have to do, it has to do with just being yourself, finding yourself, who you really are, and you find it with the ‘Rocky Horror’ experience. You find it sometimes in a community where you’re safe, and I think we create a safe spot for people to think about their lives in a way where they’re not judged,” said Bostwick. “That we don’t judge, and the audiences don’t judge, and so therefore they create a family that is non-judgmental. I think that’s what we would like this movie to carry on with. I think that’s so important in this day and age, and also politically, socially, we’re going backwards and what we are asking you to examine in your lives and maybe politically get involved,”
“People should be able to identify in whichever way they feel they are. We want everyone to be able to express themselves, who they are sexually, and who they are, whatever their sexuality [or identity],” said Campbell. “That they have found their community within the Rocky Horror community because socializing is so important to get you out of your room, away from the screens, away from the video games, and being together and having bigger lives.”
Tickets for the Spooktacular start at $73.40, with VIP packages available that include exclusive meet-and-greet opportunities with the film’s stars, photo opportunities, and premium seating. Doors will open at 7 p.m., with the show starting at 8 p.m.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.scottstander.com/rocky.
Details
What: The “Rocky Horror Picture Show” “Spooktacular” Tour
Where: The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St.
When: Oct. 30, 8 p.m.
Price: Tickets start at $73.40