Not Your Average Performance

Historic Masonic Temple celebrates a golden anniversary

By Hal Reed

BAY CITY, Mich. – The Historic Masonic Temple hosted its seventh annual showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” during the last two weekends of October, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the cult-classic film starring Tim Curry. Fans packed the theater for the interactive performance, keeping the tradition alive with costumes, props and plenty of audience participation.

The musical performances didn’t follow the traditional format of memorizing lines and delivering rehearsed dialogue. Instead, the production incorporated a screening of the film in the background, while the performers acted out the scenes live on stage, adding a more playful and comedic tone to the experience.

Erica Tatum, who has directed all performances over the last seven years, expressed her admiration for the production. “I want others to be reminded that you know, the movie is 50 years old this year. And so you think of something 50 years old and it’s like, it must be kind of prim and proper and stodgy, but it’s really not,” Tatum said. “It’s like something that you would see on Netflix today and that your grandma would be shocked by, but people were watching it back then and yelling things at the screen and going to midnight movies. So people have always just wanted to have a really good time.”

First year attendees received a red-lip sticker and a chance to participate in a game, these newcomers were referred to as virgins. At the start of the show, the director announced that the first five people to come on stage would have a chance to win a part in the show.

The game consisted of who would say a famous line they were given, in the sexiest voice. Audience members would then cheer for the loudest to win. The winner of the game got to participate in a bouquet toss, which is the opening of the show.

The show offered an immersive experience and even included a prop bag for the audience. Throughout the film, there were plenty of callbacks, jokes and running gags that kept the crowd engaged. Even newcomers were drawn in by a few of the traditions, such as every time Janet Weiss and Brad Majors’ full name was mentioned, the audience would shout “slut” or “asshole”.

The excitement wasn’t limited to the audience, the cast felt it too. Harlan Drexel, who played Riff Raff, said, “We all love Rocky season and as soon as it’s over we want to do it again and again and again. I just love being here with all of these people that are in the cast. We all stay really close after the show ends.”

The Historic Masonic Temple’s annual performance of the classic film has become one of its best attended seasonal events, attracting both longtime fans and first time viewers.