Posts Tagged ‘chelsie johnston’

“Rocky Horror” is Back at New Line with Campy, Well-Cast Production

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on March 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Rocky Horror Show
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Richard O’Brien
Directed by Scott Miller and Chris Moore
Choreographed by Chelsie Johnston
February 28, 2025

Katie Orr, Bee Mecey, Tori Shea Cole, Rafael DaCosta, Chelsie Johnston
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

The Rocky Horror Show is a cult hit with a life of its own, having spawned a perhaps more well-known film and gathered a legion of fans over the last 50+ years. Especially if you’re into dark, campy, raunchy homages of old B-style sci-fi and horror, or if you’re curious to see what everyone has been talking about, this show is worth seeing at least once. At New Line, the production is apparently taking a “back to basics” approach that is focused on capturing the independent, small-theatre vibe that the original stage show had back when it first opened. For the most part, this approach works, especially with the talented cast, simple-but-effective production values and overall horror-comedy vibe, although I do think the campiness could benefit from being  turned up a notch in places. 

After an introduction that sets the tone by calling  back memories of old sci-fi/horror films, the story starts in “earnest” as we meet Brad (Rafael DaCosta) and Janet (Brittany Kohl, an overly perky, “innocent” newly engaged young couple. When their tires blow out on a trip to visit their old teacher Dr. Scott (Christopher Strawhun), they seek out a nearby castle to use their phone, and are led into a world weirder than their wildest dreams. Dr. Frank N. Furter (Todd Schaefer), a corset-and-fishnets clad self-described “Sweet Transvestite” is the proprietor of this castle, attended by cohorts Riff-Raff (Bee Mecey), Magenta (Katie Orr), and Columbia (Tori Shea Cole). Frank is working on a new project, a scantily-clad, muscular “Creature” known as Rocky Horror (Zachary Thompson), while Riff-Raff and Magenta keep dropping hints of an extraterrestrial origin and a desire to go back “home”. Meanwhile, Brad and Janet are given an unexpected “awakening” of sorts and are compelled to participate in a “floor show”. 

There isn’t much plot here, really, since this show is more about concept and camp than plot. It’s about the vibe and the aesthetic, which at times can be a little underdone here, compared to the previous version of this show I have seen (I haven’t seen the film). The cast is generally enthusiastic, with terrific performances especially by DaCosta and Kohl–who turn in strong comic performances–and Shaefer, who hams it up with a touch of menace as Frank.  There’s also strong ensemble energy by everyone else, including Chelsie Johnston as the Narrator. As is usual for New Line, there’s great singing as well, although there are moments when the sound isn’t clear, and one full song–“Eddie’s Teddy”, in which Dr. Scott tells the backstory for Frank’s earlier “project” character, the doctor’s nephew Eddie (also Strawhun)–where the harmonies sound nice, but I couldn’t understand the words, and I was sitting in the front row. The rest of the songs are fairly clear, though, and some numbers like the well-known “The Time Warp” are full of energy and excellently sung and choregraphed by Johnston. The New Line Band, led by music director Randon Lane, does a good job on the show’s catchy score, although there are a few moments when they tend to drown out the singers.

The look of the show is a bit more subdued than I have seen before, but it works, with a simple set by Rob Lippert that features a central runway and a series of microphones, almost suggesting a concert-like atmosphere. The lighting by Jack Kalan is terrific, maintaining just the right mood and vibe, and Eric Goodenough’s costumes are colorful and eye-catching, contributing a stylish air to the overall early 70s and sci-fi/horror theme of the show.

Overall, if you love Rocky Horror, you should enjoy this show. Even though there are times when it seems a bit subdued, for the most part it’s a weird, wild ride of a show. Also, while direct audience participation (like for the film) is discouraged, the audience was enthusiastic, with some attending dressed up for the occasion. This is the second show in a season of repeat productions for New Line, and it entertains with energy and campy, creepy style. 

Tori Shea Cole, Todd Schaefer, Brittany Kohl, Rafael DaCosta
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line Theatre is presenting The Rocky Horror Show at the Marcelle Theatre until March 22, 2025

Read Full Post »

New Line’s “American Idiot” Rocks the Marcelle–Again!

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

American Idiot
Music by Green Day
Lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong
Book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer
Directed by Chris Moore and Scott Miller
Choreographed by Chelsie Johnston
New Line Theatre
September 21, 2024

Cast of American Idiot
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line Theatre’s latest season is all about revisiting their past successes, and hopefully offering a new perspective, introducing these well-known shows to new audiences with fresh eyes. The first offering is American Idiot,  Green Day’s ode to disaffected youth in the first decade of the 21st Century, based on the band’s popular concept album and ringing with their melodic punk hits sung by a strong and memorable cast. The look is a little different than last time, but the message comes across just as well, and maybe even a little more clearly.

The story is a sex-drugs-and-rock ‘n roll–filled journey of self-discovery for three young friends–Johnny (Clayton Humburg), Tunny (Rafael DaCosta), and Will (DeAnté Bryant), who are tired of their aimless suburban existence and want to check out life in the big city. Johnny buys them all bus tickets, but only he and Tunny are able to go, because Will’s girlfriend Heather (Rachel Parker) has a surprise in store. So, Will reluctantly stays home, and Johnny and Tunny each face a different fate in the city. Johnny meets a girl identified only as Whatsername (Lauren Tenenbaum) while also indulging in the more seedy elements of city life under the influence of alter ego St. Jimmy (Bee Mecey). Meanwhile, Tunny is seduced by patriotic propaganda represented by a character known as the Favorite Son (Jordan Ray Duncan), and joins the military, going overseas and experiencing the violence of war, while the disappointed Will sits home drowning his sorrows in alcohol, pot, and video games. The various trials present the young men with challenges that shape their perspective on the world and their place in it, while the show also examines the state of life in America in the post-9/11 era with a critical eye, but also leaves room for hope amidst the chaos and confusion.

Although I enjoyed the show last time New Line staged it in 2016, my biggest issue with that production was in the way the set was laid out, because so much was happening at once and was spread out across the back wall of the space at the Marcelle, making it difficult to follow the action and to hear everything. This time, the staging is similar, but improved, in that one third of the staging area is taken up by the excellent New Line Band, led by music director John Gerdes, assembled behind a chain-link fence to make them part of the scenery as well as providing the driving musical backdrop for the production. Some of the story is performed in front of this fence, but the bulk of the action happens on the rest of Rob Lippert’s simple but striking set, allowing the audience to focus a bit more on what is happening while also showcasing the music and energetic choreography by Chelsie Johnston. The costumes by Lauren Smith Bearden are detailed and striking, helping maintain the overall vibe, augmented by Ryan Thorp’s excellent atmospheric lighting. The staging of the group musical numbers is especially dynamic, with familiar Green Day hits like “Holiday” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” adding energy to the overall vibe and storytelling.

The casting is excellent, led by dynamic performances from Humburg as the thrill-seeking Johnny, Bryant as the aimless Will, and especially DaCosta as the initially directionless but eventually profoundly devastated Tunny. All three have strong voices and presence, carrying their numbers with clarity and authenticity. There’s also strong support from Tenenbaum as the determined Whatsername, Duncan as the charismatic Favorite Son, Mecey as the edgy, confrontational St. Jimmy, and Adrienne Spann as Tunny’s army mate and fantasy “dream woman”, the Extraordinary Girl. Parker also does as well as possible with the underwritten role of Heather–the only named woman character in this largely male-focused show. There’s also an enthusiastic ensemble adding to the energy of the story and contributing strong vocals to the driving, crunchy score by Billie Joe Armstrong and Green Day.

If you love Green Day, you’ll probably enjoy American Idiot. Even if you are not as familiar with the band and their music, however, there is a compelling, well thought-out message here, even though it does have its flaws. In terms of the production itself, this is another strong effort from New Line Theatre, proving that revivals can be just as effective as their original productions, and sometimes even more so.

Cast of American Idiot
Photo by Jill Ritter Lindberg
New Line Theatre

New Line Theatre is presenting American Idiot at the Marcelle Theatre until October 5, 2024

Read Full Post »