Hard Rock Cafe Presents Rocky Horror Picture Show
For Friday the 13th, The Hard Rock Cafe downtown was explosive with the Transcendent Transylvanian Rocky Horror stylings of an all drag queen cast. The refreshing take on the 1970’s cult classic Rock Horror Picture Show showed that with passion and a drive to slay, life can be breathed into the traditional shadowcast performances usually common to arthouse theaters.
Fans showed up in droves with full make up and costumes adorning the most hardcore of Rocky Horror fans. The environment was a refreshing breath of air in the current climate surrounding drag performances. The inclusiveness and support of the eccentric nature of the film and its community shows that drag is still alive and well in San Antonio, or as the lead performer and PEPPER magazine liaison Anita Verga put it, “It was a really cool experience. To get to know the fandom—to learn that there are so many people who feel left out, but when you create these safe spaces for people to congregate, it really makes everything so much happier, livelier and full of color. To me, it meant celebrating community. And it meant celebrating people who don’t often get the opportunity to be celebrated.”
A fans entered the venue they were greeted with prop bags used to celebrate the film’s longstanding jokes. With newspapers, streamers, and other props the audience became part of the show, accenting the more absurd moments of the film. Hard Rock also brought the flavor with tableside food service and special drink menu.
The boisterous audience was always encouraged to participate as the film played and the performers paraded around the restaurant working the crowd into frenzies with their over the top charisma and style.
One audience member commented, “The use of props was great! They brought the cast and the props, they brought it all.”
The passion and drive brought by the venue and cast was palpable and led to an amazing night for all in attendance. Anita continued by saying, “Working in the production and creating it and putting it together, all the things that came with it—even having to at the last minute get creative to fill in all those parts that dropped out due to illness…It proved to me that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. All of us grouped together working to create it, and it taught me you really do need a team.
It takes a village and it takes support.“
The hard work paid off as one diehard audience member remarked, “I've done it 3 years in a row and this is the best cast I’ve seen. Very comparable to a professional cast.
Cast Included:
Janette / Frank N Furter - Anita Verga @anita_verga_
Brad/Rocky - Ace @acelevn
Riffraff / Magenta/ Janette - Kirstie Leroux @kirstieleroux
Columbia / Janette - Naima Jackson @jesseaholton82
Brad/ Hand Puppet Janette/ Eddie - Zach Salas @zachsalas
