By Abigail Haddock
Just in time for Halloween, the Marathon Community Theater is putting on “The Rocky Horror Show,” the cult classic musical. For the uninitiated, “Rocky Horror” is a campy, fun and sometimes bizarre musical that begins with two sweethearts – Brad (MCT funnyman John Schaefer) and Janet (Jeanie Schwenke) – getting trapped inside the mansion of mad scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter (John Journell, star of MCT’s drag queen bingo), all with a rock soundtrack.
Many on the stage are new to MCT, and some are even new to musical theater, but they are, as Schwenke very modestly put it, “musically inclined.” From the very opening number by the “usherettes” (Allison Sayer and Stephanie Zajac) to dance solos from Columbia (Michelle Dobler) and an impressive and hilarious series of hot dog-related belting from Magenta (Abbi Colella), the music of this show is sure to stick with an audience.
“Rocky Horror” isn’t just a musical though. It’s a musical comedy, and the Narrator (Dion Watson) is the comedic voice of the show, responding to hilarious planned outbursts from the crowd as they follow along with an “audience participation” script. “I remember at 19 or 20, taking my mother to see ‘Rocky’ at midnight,” said Watson. “So now I want to be a part of it. But there are a lot of people who don’t know it, or who have only seen the movie, and you have got to see the real show. This is what it’s all about, and this time my mom has front-row seats.”
Schwenke’s family also had connections to “Rocky Horror.” “I grew up on ‘Rocky Horror,’” she said. “Both me and my sister did the ‘Time Warp’ at our weddings, and we went all out, crashing to the floor at the end and everything.” Schwenke’s castmates confirmed that she knew every line from the start, calling her the “one-woman show” of the cast.
Not all the cast were lifelong “Rocky Horror” fans. Steve Emmerling listened to the soundtrack for the first time after it was suggested by his neighbors, and then auditioned for the mansion’s mysterious butler Riff Raff. “I thought the most exciting part was just getting picked (for the role),” he said. “But then I met the others, and they’re all just as excited. What a glorious thing, meeting people who are all as excited about this as you.”
Above all, the cast hopes that audiences come ready to be part of the show, an interaction made easier by audience participation bags to be distributed to patrons on entry. “Rocky Horror” is an interactive show, and the audience is encouraged to cheer, react, laugh and have fun with the cast. By the end of the show, it’s impossible not to want to dance along with them.
“The Rocky Horror Show” is directed by Jim Zimmerman and opens on Thursday, Oct. 27. It runs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. until Nov. 12, with a special 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Oct. 30. Tickets are $33 and are available at www.marathontheater.org or by calling 305-743-0994. The show contains adult themes and language, and is recommended for mature audiences.
‘Let’s do the Time Warp again!’ Riff Raff (Steve Emmerling, front left) and Magenta (Abbi Colella) move through the cult classic dance. 
8021: Columbia (Michelle Dobler, front center) leads a portion of the ‘Time Warp.’ 
Riff Raff (Steve Emmerling, top) welcomes visitors to ‘The Frankenstein Place.’ 
Phantoms like Karen Shotwell (far left) swoop in as Janet (Jeanie Schwenke, seated left) and Brad (John Schaefer) find themselves with a broken car. 
The Narrator (Dion Watson) handles inappropriate – but hysterical – exclamations from the audience with ease. 
‘Dammit, Janet!’ Brad (John Schaefer, right) and Janet (Jeanie Schwenke) have no idea what they’re in for as they approach Frank N. Furter’s mansion. 
Usherettes Stephanie Zajac, left, and Allison Sayer open the show.
THE CAST
Usherettes – Stephanie Zajac, Allison Sayer
Brad – John Schaefer
Janet – Jeanie Schwenke
Phantoms – Sharon Young, Karen Shotwell, Catherine McCole, Chiino Rios
Narrator – Dion Watson
Riff Raff – Steve Emmerling
Magenta – Abbi Colella
Columbia – Michelle Dobler
Frank N. Furter – John Journell
Rocky – Lee Lawson
Eddie – Ashley Andrews
Dr. Scott – Dayanara Terpos
