Pittsburgh CLO's 'Rocky Horror' is campy, raunchy and so much fun at the Greer Cabaret Theater

If going to a midnight theater showing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” would have you up way past your bedtime, I have a great solution — at least, for the next few weeks.

While most are aware of the now 50-year-old cult classic film, not everyone knows that before the cameras rolled, Frank ‘N’ Furter put on his floor show under the stage lights. Richard O’Brien’s “The Rocky Horror Show” premiered in London in 1973 and moved to Broadway — and the big screen — in 1975. As Pittsburgh CLO executive producer and director of this production, Mark Fleischer, put it in his opening night pre-show remarks on Thursday night, “both were flops.”

But something magical happened with the film; it soon gained an underground following and a subculture grew up around it, a subculture full of DIY costumes, obscene callbacks, water pistols and airborne toast.

The Pittsburgh CLO is putting on the stage show through Nov. 8 at the Greer Cabaret Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh.

As a huge fan of the film — or, at least, the spectacle of seeing it in a theater — I’ll be the first to say that the plot makes no sense, but let’s give it a quick rundown anyway. In “The Rocky Horror Show,” newly engaged couple Brad (Spencer Millay) and Janet (Kat Harkins) venture out into a stormy night to visit an old teacher, Dr. Scott (Matthew Hydzik, who also plays Eddie). After meeting some car trouble, they find themselves at a castle, where they’re introduced to a strange cast of characters, one of whom is Dr. Frank ‘N’ Furter (Alexander E. Podolinski), a lingerie-clad scientist who’s created a Frankenstein’s monster, but hot — the titular Rocky Horror (Michael Greer).

A bunch of other things that I can’t put into print ensue, all soundtracked by actually good 1950s-style rock songs.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” has some legendary performances, including those from Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and melodramatic singer Meat Loaf. This production had some great ones, as well — Podolinski’s Frank ‘N’ Furter was certainly inspired by Curry, with the addition of great live vocals and truly impressive swagger. Frank’s assistants Riff Raff (Connor McCanlus), Magenta (Laura Frye) and Columbia (Sam Carter) were all standouts, especially nailing “The Time Warp,” a pivotal number for any good production.

Millay and Harkins really nailed the innocence and hope of Brad and Janet, in contrast to the strangeness that they encounter. Greer didn’t have too much to say, but the physicality of his performance had Thursday night’s audience whooping, even in skimpy gold shorts.

Hydzik charmed in his double role, especially as the ill-fated biker Eddie. He played it very much like Elvis and fit the bill perfectly. And drag performer Dixie Surewood had the role of Narrator, which could’ve been stuffy and dour in less capable hands; she easily seemed to have the most fun with a rowdy audience.

And the audience on opening night was rowdy. Part of the “Rocky Horror” film experience is audience participation, with plenty of tried-and-true callback lines. Those familiar jokes showed up at the Greer as well, and trust me, they can be raunchier than anything you’ll hear from the stage. While that might not be to everyone’s taste, it’s also just pure fun — so many one-liners from the crowd got the rest of the audience rolling with laughter. It’s truly a credit to the actors that they can just truck through without breaking or losing a step in the face of obscene shout-outs. No guarantee, of course, that every performance will have an avid fan who knows all the lines, but be prepared.

The campiness of “Rocky Horror” is a major part of its fun, and Fleischer infused every part of the production with the kind of low-budget-feeling, winking silliness that makes the show and film special. Costume designer Derek St. Pierre decked out the cast in glitter, feathers and stockings fit for a burlesque show, and the set (by designer Noah Glaister) and video effects (by Natalie Rose Mabry) felt a little low-rent in just the right way. Add in some glitzy and atmospheric lighting design from Cat Wilson and you’ve got the ideal tone for such a unique show.

Choreographer Mara Newbery Greer perfectly used the skills of the cast; their gyrations and even acrobatics wowed. And the orchestra, directed by Robert Neumeyer, brought all of the show’s catchy tunes to life and really rocked the theater.

Along with the performances, the CLO will be hosting accompanying trivia nights, costume contests, college nights and other programs to get the audience even more involved. All in all, they captured the spirit of what makes “Rocky Horror” such a lasting phenomenon — a lot of camp, a lot of laughs and a real feeling of community.

“The Rocky Horror Show” will run through Nov. 8 at the Greer Cabaret Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh. To see special events and get tickets, visit pittsburghclo.org.