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The Rocky Horror Picture Show (2016)
I must admit to strong mixed emotions when I heard that FOX television's next foray into live television musicals was going to be The Rocky Horror Picture Show for myriad reasons. Number one, the original 1975 film was on my list of films that should never be remade. Number two, I heard a woman was going to be playing the lead role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter and, maybe my biggest concern, the fact that FOX's live presentation of Grease sucked. All my fears were put to rest about 10 minutes into this bold and brassy remake that respects the original material but establishes itself as an independent entertainment and credit for that has to go to director Kenny Ortega, the man behind the High School Musical franchise.
For those unfamiliar with the original, the piece, with a musical score written by Richard O'Brien, who played Riff Raff in the '75 film, is about a nerdy engaged couple whose car breaks down in front of the castle of a kinky, transsexual, mad scientist, started as a theater piece and was given the big screen treatment in 1975 and it promptly died at the box office. Later, someone had the idea to start showing the film at B movie houses at midnight, where the movie became an international phenomenon, which resulted in people bringing props to use during the movie, lines they yell at the screen during the film, and some theaters would have a group of fans actually duplicating the show in front of the movie screen while it was being shown. Soon, this became the only way to experience the film that is now considered a cult classic and kicked off the film careers of Barry Bostwick who played Brad, Susan Sarandon who played Janet, and carved a place in cinema history for Tim Curry, whose one of a kind performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter is now part of pop culture.
This remake is pretty much scene for scene, but Ortega has been very careful in making sure nothing here is a duplicate of the 1975 film...he has given every moment in this film a respectful reboot and they work for the most part. Ortega even had the insight to provide an actual theater audience who execute some of the audience participation activities that were part of the midnight movie experience. The huge red lips that sing the opening number, "Science Fiction Double Feature", are replaced by a movie theater usherette played by Ivy Levan, who brings fresh life to the classic song.
My concerns about the role of Frank-N-Furter being played by a woman (Laverne Cox of Orange is the New Black) were quickly vanished because Cox, and I'm sure with Ortega's assistance, doesn't play the role as a woman, she is played as a transsexual male and there is nary a moment in the performance that comes across as female. Cox is an actress playing a man with female sensibilities, something like Julie Andrews was supposed to do in Victor/Victoria, but Cox does it so much better...this actress commands the screen right from her opening number "Sweet Transvestite" to the out of this world finale. Hunky Ryan McCartan and the lovely Victoria Justice were perfection as Brad and Janet, their vocal chemistry was just as solid as their somehow child-like sexual chemistry. Their take on "There's a Light" was on the money. Reeve Carney brought a freshness and smoldering sexuality to the role of Riff Raff that was just dazzling and Adam Lambert, who I kept thinking would have made a terrific Frank-N-Furter, made every moment he had onscreen as Eddie count. Christina Milian and Annaleigh Ashford properly chewed scenery as Magenta and Columbia, respectively. Ben Vereen seemed an odd choice to play Dr. Scott but it didn't distract, and of course, Tim Curry, the original Frank-N-Furter in '75 was allowed to play the Narrator here, a performance that had its own level of sadness since Curry is wheelchair-bound IRL, but it was still lovely of Ortega to have him involved.
Ortego clearly is a fan of the original piece and of the midnight movie house experience as he tried to create the whole experience for us and he did a surprisingly competent job, providing entertainment that had me laughing and singing along for the entire running time. Ortega had solid assistance with film editing, musical direction, and his choreography was inventive. This recent trend of live musicals on television has been a real hit and miss thing, but this one was a hit.
I must admit to strong mixed emotions when I heard that FOX television's next foray into live television musicals was going to be The Rocky Horror Picture Show for myriad reasons. Number one, the original 1975 film was on my list of films that should never be remade. Number two, I heard a woman was going to be playing the lead role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter and, maybe my biggest concern, the fact that FOX's live presentation of Grease sucked. All my fears were put to rest about 10 minutes into this bold and brassy remake that respects the original material but establishes itself as an independent entertainment and credit for that has to go to director Kenny Ortega, the man behind the High School Musical franchise.
For those unfamiliar with the original, the piece, with a musical score written by Richard O'Brien, who played Riff Raff in the '75 film, is about a nerdy engaged couple whose car breaks down in front of the castle of a kinky, transsexual, mad scientist, started as a theater piece and was given the big screen treatment in 1975 and it promptly died at the box office. Later, someone had the idea to start showing the film at B movie houses at midnight, where the movie became an international phenomenon, which resulted in people bringing props to use during the movie, lines they yell at the screen during the film, and some theaters would have a group of fans actually duplicating the show in front of the movie screen while it was being shown. Soon, this became the only way to experience the film that is now considered a cult classic and kicked off the film careers of Barry Bostwick who played Brad, Susan Sarandon who played Janet, and carved a place in cinema history for Tim Curry, whose one of a kind performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter is now part of pop culture.
This remake is pretty much scene for scene, but Ortega has been very careful in making sure nothing here is a duplicate of the 1975 film...he has given every moment in this film a respectful reboot and they work for the most part. Ortega even had the insight to provide an actual theater audience who execute some of the audience participation activities that were part of the midnight movie experience. The huge red lips that sing the opening number, "Science Fiction Double Feature", are replaced by a movie theater usherette played by Ivy Levan, who brings fresh life to the classic song.
My concerns about the role of Frank-N-Furter being played by a woman (Laverne Cox of Orange is the New Black) were quickly vanished because Cox, and I'm sure with Ortega's assistance, doesn't play the role as a woman, she is played as a transsexual male and there is nary a moment in the performance that comes across as female. Cox is an actress playing a man with female sensibilities, something like Julie Andrews was supposed to do in Victor/Victoria, but Cox does it so much better...this actress commands the screen right from her opening number "Sweet Transvestite" to the out of this world finale. Hunky Ryan McCartan and the lovely Victoria Justice were perfection as Brad and Janet, their vocal chemistry was just as solid as their somehow child-like sexual chemistry. Their take on "There's a Light" was on the money. Reeve Carney brought a freshness and smoldering sexuality to the role of Riff Raff that was just dazzling and Adam Lambert, who I kept thinking would have made a terrific Frank-N-Furter, made every moment he had onscreen as Eddie count. Christina Milian and Annaleigh Ashford properly chewed scenery as Magenta and Columbia, respectively. Ben Vereen seemed an odd choice to play Dr. Scott but it didn't distract, and of course, Tim Curry, the original Frank-N-Furter in '75 was allowed to play the Narrator here, a performance that had its own level of sadness since Curry is wheelchair-bound IRL, but it was still lovely of Ortega to have him involved.
Ortego clearly is a fan of the original piece and of the midnight movie house experience as he tried to create the whole experience for us and he did a surprisingly competent job, providing entertainment that had me laughing and singing along for the entire running time. Ortega had solid assistance with film editing, musical direction, and his choreography was inventive. This recent trend of live musicals on television has been a real hit and miss thing, but this one was a hit.