There’s never been a better time to do the “Time Warp” than now. Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans are turning the A.R.T.’s Club Oberon upside down with their electrifying and delightful production of “The Rocky Horror Show.”
Long known for their uproarious gender-bending reinterpretations of classic films, Landry and company stick pretty close to the original script for this, their finest work to date. Of course this spoof of bad horror and sci-fi films boasts enough camp and sexually charged curiosities to satisfy every inhabitant of the Gold Dust family bell curve.
Though Landry’s grand entrance as Dr. Frank N. Furter elicits much well-deserved applause, it’s his performance as the sweet transvestite that could easily make you forget Tim Curry created the role in film. Landry struts around the mosh-pit-style performance space, toying with the crowd, delivering the performance of his life and still somehow managing to deliver enough caustic barbs and eye rolls to let you know he’s, as always, in on the joke.
Kayla Foster and Brad Majors are great as unexpected, straight-laced visitors Janet and Brad. Laine Binder and Tad McKitterick also deliver phenomenal turns as Magenta and Riff Raff respectively.
Special kudos go to James Cerne (Rocky) for his fearless agility wearing nothing but a studded thong. Director James P. Byrne deserves huge praise for bringing this multimedia extravaganza to life — and for incorporating a few Orphan-style special effects to delight the crowd.
