For Bert Bernardi, the founder and artistic director of Milford's delightful, long-running Pantochino Productions, the glitz, glam, participatory cult stage musical "The Rocky Horror Show," a classic presentation vamped and draped in playful wickedness and gender-bending craziness, is one that is filled with the kind of joy, oomph, nostalgia and humor, he simply cannot get enough of.
"I've seen the film countless times," he confesses during a rehearsal break from the theater's upcoming revival of two-act musical which made its official London debut back in 1973 followed by an American version the following year in Los Angeles, thus, prompting the 1975 film adaptation starring Tim Curry, Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon.
" 'Rocky Horror' was the first book musical I ever directed many, many years ago," Bernardi recalls. "So, there are lots of memories from the past as together we're creating new ones, which is why I love directing so much.
"Helping the cast create these characters and watching them find new moments that are inspiring and encouraging is why I love directing."
A tasty, infectious mix of science fiction, B-horror movies, sexual innuendo, over-the-top musicality and transvestism, "The Rocky Horror Show" finds nerdy romantic, married high school couple Brad Majors and Janet Weiss seeking refuge (their car broke down during a rainstorm) at the Transylvanian castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist and cross dresser, surrounded by a bunch of crazies that include live-in butler Riff Raff, his sister Magenta, a groupie named Columbia, a muscular male body builder called Rocky and Eddie, the unfortunate victim of a botched-up delivery that led to very troubled circumstances.
"The Rocky Horror Show - a departure from Pantochino's original whimsical musical fare - "The Gingerbreads of Broadway," "The Wicked Witch of the West: Kansas or Bust," "The Waffle House Five," "Glitz! The Little Miss Christmas Pageant Musical" will be staged at the Milford-based venue from October 22 through October 29, 2021.
Bernardi agrees with this 'breaking from the norm' assessment, admitting that "Rocky Horror" is an unusual choice for Pantochino Productions, but quickly admits that the show itself is absolutely perfect for these difficult, troubled and unusual times. "While our mission remains to create original musical theatre for family audiences, back in the spring, we weren't sure where the world would be with the pandemic with the coming of fall.
"Would parents be ready and willing to bring children into the theater in October when our season normally begins? So, we decided to take the leap and do something completely unexpected, appealing to our other part of the family - the grown ups!"
Glancing back, Bernardi admits that the choice to stage "The Rocky Horror Show" this fall was one that kept popping up in his head "as a yes or no choice for Pantochino" until he finally caved and decided to green light this revival. "The songs, the film, the various memories of it all kept the show alive in the back of my brain somewhere," he explains. "So I said, 'Why not?' "
Surrounding himself with a "dream cast" of veteran performers - all of whom have contributed greatly to the success of dozens of hit musicals that have comprised the theater's acclaimed repertoire - Bernardi began casting the production with actors and actresses best suited for the theater's official opening since the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down for good back in March, 2020.
Starring in "The Rocky Horror Show" are Pantochino co-founder Jimmy Johansmeyer as Dr. Frank-N- Furter, Jusin Rugg as Riff Raff, Jack Saleeby as Brad, Elise Sullivan as Janet, Shelley Marsh Poggio as Magenta, Mary Mannix as Columbia, Everton George as Rocky, Steve Autore as Eddie/Dr. Scott and Don Poggio as the Narrator. Michael Cavone, Maria Berte and Sherri Alohonzo will play the Phantoms.
"Originally, our plan was to create another drive-through Halloween experience for families which was a fantastic success for us last year," says Bernardi. "But when financial backing and power simply wasn't there as it was before, we had to come up with a new plan. And so 'Rocky Horror' and this cracker-jack cast seemed like the right possibility."
And what a cast it is!
"The bonus, of course, was that our core company was tailor-made for this project," adds Bernardi. "Without a doubt, my co-producer and husband Jimmy Johansmeyer was absolutely perfect for the lead role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Justin Rugg, our musical director, was an outstanding choice for Riff Raff. Shelley Marsh Poggio and Mary Mannix are exciting performers for Magenta and Columbia, respectively."
Given the racy, sexually-charged premise for "The Rocky Horror Show," exactly how risque is this particular staging? It is fine-tuned and edited? It is PG perfect? Is it censored? It is re-imagined for the Pantochino audience? "It's a little bit of both - tame and risque," admits Bernardi. "We're not shying away from the text or the visuals. So those who have never seen it before may be surprised, which is a good thing!
"For those who know the show inside out, hopefully they will be delighted as Pantochino puts its unique stamp on the piece."
Originally, Bernardi thought his production would just appeal to a younger thirty-something crowd. But the more and more he thought about it, he found that "Rocky Horror" is the kind of show that should appeal to everyone including seniors who have already purchased tickets to the musical along with teenagers, young couples and the parents of the theater's popular camp for children.
Is there audience participation?
"Having directed this show twice before, I know there will be audience members who know the 'call backs' and they should be free to shout them out during the show as it is part of the 'Rocky Horror' experience.
"Throwing rice, toast and other objects at live actors, however, will not be permitted. It's simply too dangerous. Still, I know our audience will have a great time without putting the cast at risk."
Staging "The Rocky Horror Show" for the third time in a row has been especially gratifying for Bernardi who is having a great time readying the production for a live audience with his stellar cast of performers. "The creativity, the trust, the freedom to experiment and the sense of camaraderie and respect within the cast makes for a very happy rehearsal," he explains. "This, however, is wildly different from anything we've done thus far, which makes the entire process and exploration even more fun."
If you've never seen a production staged by Pantochino or you are someone who has seen their several of their original works, the timing, per Bernardi, couldn't be more perfect than the theater's offering of "The Rocky Horror Show."
"Audiences are ready to come back to the theater," he says. "I hear it not just from the theatre community, but from everyone around town. People are ready for the return of live entertainment. And I think this show has it all - an exciting rock score, a sassy and campy sense of humor and lastly, a chance to see it in person, live on the stage."
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