Missouri Street Theater (2021) - Fairfield, CA

Missouri Street Theater (MST) is one of several companies that makes "Rocky Horror" an annual affair, and has produced the show for at least the last six or seven years at Fairfield's Downtown Theatre on West Texas Street. (They were the only ones in NorCal who did anything "Rocky" last year, putting on an outdoor "concert" version of the show.) This group, directed by Dae Spering each time, has been fun to watch as they've developed their own little traditions, from recurring ad-libbed lines to familiar stage gimmicks (looking at you, trap door).

The Friday-night atmosphere on entering the house was unlike any of the other "Rockies" - this company wants its audience PUMPED. UP. "Club" music lit up the sound system, while the Phantoms gleefully passed out "Virgin" or "Whore" name stickers to each patron. (The latter were for those who had seen Rocky before... and the actors knew immediately which one to give me, for some reason.) Each time they found a new Virgin, it was loudly announced to a cheering and welcoming audience.

Just before the show started, I saw the concession bartender - MST's resident "me" - take his seat. We were ready to rock.

MST, like Green Valley, gives each production its own theme, and this time around it was "Rocky Horror, Class of 2021" - in other words, "Rocky" meets "High School Musical." The castle set appeared as a high school locker hallway, with various dirty graffiti, school banners, and other such paraphernalia. The Phantoms were cheerleaders (slutty ones, natch) who also donned bear mascot garb for "Eddie's Teddy." Meanwhile, the floor show scene took place in a Homecoming dance setting, with Frank obviously the Homecoming Queen.

Overall, I thought the theme of teenage cliques, rebellion and awakening made for MST's most appropriate spin to date, and their most comprehensive execution of a theme. The only real stumble I found was Magenta's and Riff Raff's costumes - they had no clear connection to the school motif, unless the two were meant to be theatre kids dressed as Magenta and Riff Raff.

Kevin Gruwell gets my nod for strongest choreography I've seen this Rocky season. The show had more Phantoms than average, and they filled out the stage as a veritable dance crew with fantastic technique. This especially came through with a most explosive "Time Warp."

In a break from recent tradition, Anthony Allen gets a go as Frank N. Furter and was easily the night's MVP. Allen contributed to the high school theme as a solid "Regina George"-type clique leader, with the cattiness turned up to 11. He also carried on the tradition of improvised audience banter during "Sweet Transvestite" to hilarious effect, and straight-up owned his floor show moment wearing the fabulous Homecoming Queen dress.

F. James Raasch has become one of the most recognizable faces from MST's "Rocky," this time playing Brad Majors - a role that he has played there before, book-ending multiple years as Frank N. Furter. (Several MST actors seem to get passed around to different roles, including one of this year's Phantoms who was a previous Janet.) Raasch carries his tall and (if I may say...) muscular-looking frame well on stage, producing a truly larger-than life Frank in those years, and a lovable "teddy bear" Brad now.

Jerry Kennedy makes his MST Rocky debut as the Narrator, which he has actually played before at Green Valley! While his last Narrator was grizzled and probably an alcoholic, Kennedy nails a brand new persona as a polished "straight-man" character, delivering his speeches from a special section off from stage-right that very much appears as a principal's office.

Not to be outdone, Casey Ellis pulled some serious double-duty as Columbia and the production's Music Director. The latter was arguably Ellis's bigger win, given the strong ensemble vocals throughout. Columbia did appear to have a more specific direction than most Columbias, though: her costume and character seemed a deliberate clash as a "60's" girl among more modern-looking Transylvanians, suggesting the castle may actually exist in a sort of "time warp." This was also underscored by Eddie's (the always-reliable Michael Cross) classic "Meat Loaf" look.

Missouri Street Theater's all-out devotion to "Rocky Horror" - performance talent, technical capability, and audience involvement - make them a staple of any Rocky season. Definitely catch them if you can!

MST's "Rocky Horror Show" continues its run tonight (10/28) through Saturday the 30th. Info re: tickets and future productions can be found at missouristreettheater.com.