A Transexual's Delight 

The Hippodrome production has been adapted from the original - also a play - by Lauren Caldwell, the Hippodrome's artistic director. To update the classic a few pleasantly raunchy barbs are made in the general Clinton direction. This in no way detracts from the performance, despite the tiresome massive media overkill of "Lewinsky- Gate." 

"Rocky Horror" is a campy sexual romp that explores the taboo, the mundane and the secret desires of everyday people. This is the reason people are drawn to it, said Jim Brown, a UF theater professor. 

"No one gets hurt, and we are allowed to act out what normally needs to be suppressed in daily life," Brown said. 

And some audience members do just that. When preparing to see Rocky Horror, do not be surprised to see a 45-year-old man with hairy arms wearing a black lace teddy beside you. The audience is almost as entertaining as the show. 

With costumes mildly reminiscent of "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" meets Fredricks of Hollywood, the characters of Rocky Horror have a delightfully dirty east end of London flair that is worth seeing, especially for those who have vinyl and safety pin fetishes. 

Straight-laced leads Janet and Brad, played by Cindy Thrall and Bobby Matteau, put in a strong performance as the anally-retentive couple that takes a journey, going from strange to freakishly bizarre. 

Thrall's vocals are particularly throaty and pleasant as she sings "Touch a Touch Me" and "Once in a While." And Magenta, the wickedly bawdy maid and hench-woman to Dr. Frank N. Furter, has an incredible soul-sistah voice that ranges from sweet, to nastier than sweaty sex on a leapord skin couch in July. Oh yeah, baby. 

But the topper is definitely femme fatale Frank N. Furter. Mark Chambers who plays the "sweet transvestite from transexual Transylvania," works it hard as head diva of a stage full of twisted little underlings. 

Chambers, who in real life is an ordained minister of the Universal Life Church, plays the king, QUEEN and all the little indians to his hodge-podge group of followers. 

Franks shocking simulated sex, fellatio and buggery scenes will entertain even the most repressed college freshmen, and he wears a thong pretty damn well. 

Without a thong, but still stylin' with that pimp-daddy shine, is Mark Sexton, who plays the narrator with a new southern Gospel twist. (It looks like they all needed a little sexual healing.) 

All around, don't expect to see the movie, but do expect to have a good time. So put on your fish-nets, this may be the last opportunity to publicly display fetish wear until next Halloween. You can't pass that up. 

-- by Krystal Outman

(11/12/98)
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