The Rocky Horror Show

A vital part of the late night theater experience since it first opened in Athens, where Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes and their pals sat in the audience and took notes, "The Rocky Horror Show" arrived in St. Louis again the other night, offering a history-and-trivia lesson at the Tower Grove Abbey, where it will run through July 18.

The Stray Dog Theatre production is moderately entertaining, with some good performances, but much of the opening-night effort fell victim to an unruly sound system that garbled and squashed much of the dialogue. Women were the primary victims, because the lines from Chuck Lavazzi, as the narrator (a part once played on stage in New York by Dick Cavett), Joshua Thomas as Frank’n’Furter (Tim Curry on both stage and screen) and Leo Stoff as Rocky came through in satisfactory style.

It’s primarily a show for grown-ups, with a 9 o’clock start that has one – or both – of two purposes, either to put the children to bed or because the vampires cannot come out until after dark. It still provides some raucous entertainment, with a lot of simulated sex and double entendre dialogue and action. Stoff’s silver shorts and rippling muscles lead the way.

The show has a unique history. With book, music and lyrics by Richard O’Brien, who also was Riff Raff in the original movie and (using the name Ritz O’Brien) on stage, the play opened in New York in March, 1975, with Curry as Frank and Meat Loaf as Dr. Scott and Eddie, the movie six months later with Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon as Brad and Janet, respectively, and Curry again as Frank. Both were directed by Jim Sharman. The first stage run was only 45 performances, but it came back in 2000, directed by Christopher Ashley with a cast that included current Tony winner Alice Ripley as Janet, Joan Jett as Columbia, Raul Esparza as Riff Raff and Lea DeLauria as Dr. Scott and Eddie. It ran more than a year.

Obviously, both play and movie have wonderful histories, create some fine memories, offer some large footprints for today’s actors.

At Stray Dog, with Chris Owens directing in a diligent, but slow-moving manner, there was good work from Felia Katherine Davenport and Joe Dreyer as costume designer and music director, respectively, and from Aaron VanderYacht and Michelle Aubuchon as our heroes, Brad and Janet. They’re so innocent and presentable they make one’s teeth ache, even though their singing is less than one would desire. Everyone else works hard, and the evening is fun, with many "Oh, yes, I remember. . ." moments for those who are familiar with our previous viewings of this silly, rowdy, entertaining farce.

A Stray Dog Theatre Production at the Tower Grove Abbey through July 18.

-Joe