Doing the Time Warp Again
The Sherman Playhouse Opens The Insanely
Campy Cult Masterpiece ‘The Rocky Horror Show’
SHERMAN, CONN. (September 21, 2015) – On Friday, October 2, The Sherman Playhouse will premiere the outrageous cult musical comedy THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, with Book, Lyrics, and Music by Robert O’Brien. The curtain rises at 8:00 p.m. on a five-week run.
On the way to visit an old college professor, two clean-cut young people, Brad Majors and his fiancée Janet Weiss, run into trouble and seek help at the freaky Frankenstein mansion. However, little do they know that the estate is inhabited by alien transsexuals from the planet Transylvania, and Dr. Frank N. Furter is in the midst of one of his maniacal experiments. What transpires is nothing less than THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, one of the most deliberately kitschy, campy, funny, rock ‘n’ roll, sci-fi, gothic epics to ever grace the stage.
“The Sherman Players have so graciously allowed me to indulge in the fantasy that is THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW,” said director Francis A. Daley of Danbury. “It is escape that is the big theme in ROCKY, escape from our fears and insecurities as we seek out something, anything, to numb us into distraction so we don’t need to deal with who we are becoming.”
“After a 10-year hiatus of musicals from the Sherman Playhouse stage, I am both proud and excited to be able to contribute to the genre’s triumphant return here,” said co-producer Al Chiapetta of New Milford. “It’s been an incredibly challenging, yet thrilling, undertaking. What’s more, we’re honored to have a fantastic cast and crew that have helped this show to ‘click’ beautifully. Audiences will, literally, go wild for it.”
The production features many actors from the region: Fred Rueck (Patterson, N.Y.), Carly Phypers (Brewster, N.Y.), Sarah Hammer (Trumbull), Marisa Caron (Southbury), Jillian Kelsey (Bethel), Viv Berger (Middlebury), Beth Lang (Dover Plains, N.Y.), Phaedra Harris and Diana Downes (both Sherman), Michael and Jerusha Wright (both Newtown), Sarah Marcus, Shawn Brown, Jim Dietter, and Christine and Maya Daley (all Danbury).
Besides Mr. Daley and Mr. Chiapetta, the show’s crew consists of musical director Morgan Kelsey, co-producer Lynn Nissenbaum, choreographer Arthur Fredric, sound designer David White, and stage manager Chris Marker.
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW first premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London on June 19, 1973. The show made its Broadway debut at The Belasco Theatre on March 10, 1975. WNBC TV called it a “socko wacko weirdo rock concert.” The cult play spawned an equally popular cult film, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” in September 1975, starring Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon.
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW runs October 2,3 8,9,10 16,17,18 23,24,25 29,30,31 at 8:00 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays, with two 2:00 p.m. Sunday matinees on October 18 and 25. There are two Thursday evening shows at 8:00 p.m. on October 8 and 29, and the final performance is at midnight on Halloween, Saturday, October 31. Tickets for all shows are $30. THERE IS NO PRICING FOR CHILDREN AS THE SHOW IS NOT RECOMMENDED FORTHOSE UNDER 12.
On Thursday, October 1, all patrons are invited to attend a “Half-Price Preview Night” at 8:00 p.m., where tickets are only $15. Students may see any performance for only $20 if they pay in cash only at the door and carry a valid student ID. Students may not make reservations in advance for a performance.
Reservations can be made online at shermanplayers.org or by calling the box office at (860) 354-3622.
The Sherman Playhouse is a non-Equity theatre company located at 5 Route 39 North (next to the firehouse) inSherman, CT.
