Let's Do the Time Warp Again!: My Experience at the Rocky Horror Picture Show

Spooky season is here, readers! Time to cuddle with a pumpkin, step on all of the crunchy leaves, and finish a gallon of apple cider in one sitting. Even with this recent snowfall, that won't stop me from spreading spooky vibes with all of you. Halloween is incredibly special in my heart as I'm able to dress up as my favorite characters outside of the theater. And this past weekend I finally crossed something off my costume bucket list: Magenta from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I was finally able to buy tickets for the show at Peoria Players, and it truly was an unforgettable experience. I'm so glad I was able to go since I knew my Halloween would be jampacked with rehearsals, so I think this Halloween-like experience was an 11out of10.

Some of the infamous characters from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

If you are not familiar with the plot of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it's best described as a cult classic with expressive and progressive themes of sexuality, gender ambiguities, and overall quirkiness. It follows two conservative lovers Brad and Janet as they wind up one rainy night at the mansion of Dr. Frank N. Furter, a larger-than-life scientist with some queer characteristics. As Brad and Janet get sucked into the bizarre culture of Furter's home, an unexpected ending brings both life and death to the lives of Dr. Furter and his equally insane friends. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend checking out this trailer. There are other versions that have come out after the classic 1975 film, but I'm going to focus on the original movie since it is the one I watched this past weekend.

I bought the tickets straight from Peoria Players' box office, and immediately started to plan my outfit. Some key characteristics you must have in order to have the Rocky look: pale face makeup, tight outfits, and ALL. OF. THE. FISHNETS. Of course, you don't have to dress up to attend, but it makes the experience ten times more fun and I was ready to go all out. I went to Spirit Halloween to buy my gear, but here's an inexpensive Magenta costume I found on Amazon to save you some hassle.

Are you a more conservative person like Brad or Janet? Or do you live more on the wild side like Magenta or Rocky? Either way, you'll have fun dressing up with your friends for the show!

As soon as I stepped into the theater that insanely cold Saturday night, I was immediately greeted by a woman wearing stiletto heels and black eyeshadow. I must've had a surprised look on my face because she asked if we had ever been to Rocky Horror. My friend Ximena and I shook our heads, and she took some red lipstick and wrote a "V" on our foreheads. It's a Rocky tradition to get this mark to show it's your first time at a Rocky show. We walked into the auditorium and a bunch of dancers were on stage bouncing to LIzzo and Michael Jackson. It was a sight to see. About five minutes after we sat down and soaked in the atmosphere, a man with a skimpy sequin top took our hands and took us on stage to dance. I had a blast up there; I could tell everyone was having as much fun as me as well. After a couple of songs, Ximena and I let ourselves back down, and soon the host announced it was midnight. The fun was only just beginning.

A huge screen fell from the ceiling and everyone started to cheer. The actors stepped out on stage, and as a pair of red lips appeared on the screen, a man was moving another set of plush lips underneath. The entire show was like this; actors would come and go as the movie progressed and they would walk and talk as if they were the actors in the movie. What I didn't expect were all of the comments from the audience. When one actor came on, either boos or cheers roared through the auditorium. There were also some vulgar comments said to certain characters, but they made me laugh until I was crying in my seat. There were also a LOT of props used. Since it was my first time, I thought you only brought one or two. But in every scene, something was thrown up in the air in response to a line. Rice, confetti, and toilet paper ended up in the sky and in my hair for the next two days (and I shower everyday) but a man next to us was nice enough to share his props with us so we could get the full experience.

At last, around 2 am, we ended the movie dancing to the Time Warp. What I appreciated so much about the entire night was how accepting everyone was. I saw no one shy enough to not stand up and belt the lyrics to any song, and it made me happy to see how body confident and judge-free everyone was to each other. If anyone wants to go to The Rocky Horror Picture Show next year, I highly recommend it. Buying tickets is a bit difficult since they have no online sales, but I hope this post solidifies your Halloween plans next year, even if it is 364 days away.