Behind the Design: The Rocky Horror Show

Behind every awesome theatre performer is a thoughtfully and intentionally realized scenic design. (No, literally—it’s right behind them.) And some of our favorite past Good Night shows feature some subtle design choices that you may not have noticed at first glance. To give you a peek behind the curtain (yep, we’re in pun territory…) we wanted to give you a glimpse at some of the behind-the-scenes details from shows past in our new blog series, Behind the Design. Last time, it was Suspect! In this edition, it’s our October 2019 production of The Rocky Horror Show.

The set revealed the remains of the galleria, from Spencer’s Gifts signage to X-Files posters.

Frankenstein Place Galleria

When it comes to iconic aesthetic in musical theater, you can’t get much more well-trod than the legendary looks of Rocky Horror. So our tech team embarked on something of a departure from the norm — life’s more delicious that way, right?!

Transporting the proceedings from a palatial manor in a bygone era to a shopping mall in the more recent past, the Frankenstein Place Galleria took shape. Firmly planting the story in the ‘90s, the story behind the galleria was that our faithful crew of Transylvanians crash landed into the mall and promptly took over, allowing the building to fall into disrepair in the years since. Saving this reveal for “The Time Warp” was intentional — the set began the production covered in muslin cloths, and our intrepid aliens revealed the galleria just in time to literally warp time to the ‘90s.

From the Sam Goody, Blockbuster, Claire’s and Circuit City signage, to the pastel, cracked and dirtied tile floors, to the set dressing that featured everything from Nirvana and Pulp Fiction posters to a runway lined with VHS tapes, CD-ROMs, boom-boxes and Troll dolls, the scenic design depicted what a semi-exploded mall set 25 years ago might look like when the inhabitants aren’t exactly using a chore wheel to keep things tidy.

Riff Raff checks on the creature on the “TV monitor,” in this case, a vintage original GameBoy.

The “trim and terrific” Rocky doll is presented to his creator — now with muscles!

The Props

Leaning even further into the theme of the 1990s, every piece of iconic Rocky Horror props had a taste of the grunge era, as well. When Frank orders Riff Raff to check the TV monitor to spy on his guests, the dedicated butler promptly grabs a GameBoy to check on the goings-on. The Sonic Transducer that transforms the party guests into sex-crazed burlesque performers? Why a Bop-It, of course!

Most notable of all, though, might be the device by which Frank breathes life into Rocky — upgrading the tank to a truly 90s representation of pop-culture manhood, our tech team built a life-size Ken doll box, the perfect vessel for bringing the gold-lamé-shorts-clad Rocky into the world. Even the ingredients for birthing Rocky had a tinge of retro — as Frank cries out for “balls,” Riff Raff dumps a neon-purple fanny pack full of ping-pong balls into the box; when he requests “tubes,” Columbia supplies glow sticks; and when he screams for “crimps,” Magenta trots out her hair crimper.

The body-snatched Sam Goody employees introduce their 90s-punk-inspired master, Frank-N-Furter.

The Costuming

The wardrobe choices also told a story that leaned into the overarching theme. Starting with our welcome party, Riff Raff, Magenta and Columbia. Each was outfitted with the look of a different Sam Goody employee, from the yellow polos to the nametags. An added twist? The tags read “Dylan,” “Amber” and “Tiffani,” the implication being that the Transylvanians had body-snatched some local teens and part-time mall employees after crash-landing.

Beyond our terrifying trio, even the iconic Frank look was adjusted to match the style of the time period — he takes on an early-90s rock vibe, complete with high-heeled boots, patent leather hotpants, spiky chokers and bracelets, mesh tank and Robert-Palmer-girl-esque hair and makeup.

Another costuming detail was born out of a venue-specific necessity — presented in an unconventional space at local bar ICON Lounge, the team sought to give an impetus for the actors to leave the stage at the end of Act I so that the actors would have access to the green room and the restroom… located behind the audience. As Act I closed, Rocky and Frank are married and exit down the aisle, outfitted by the Transylvanians in a tattered black veil and a bouquet made of beheaded Barbie dolls, as Magenta and Riff Raff follow, scattering dead rose petals behind them. They’re quickly followed by a horrified Brad and Janet as a zombified Eddie chases them offstage with blood running down his mouth. The return after intermission? Frank and Rocky are back from their honeymoon, Hawaiian shirted and lei’ed, as zombie Eddie uses one more death rattle to chase the remaining cast members back to the backstage.

We hope you enjoyed this quick glimpse into what made Rocky Horror tick — stay tuned for more “Behind the Design” right here on the Good Night blog!