After eight long months, members of the local 鈥淩ocky Horror Picture Show鈥 shadow cast, a group known collectively as Heavy Petting, are looking forward to doing the 鈥淭ime Warp鈥 again.
The 25-person troupe, which acts out scenes from 鈥淩ocky Horror鈥 while the cult classic plays behind them on the big screen, has been invited to participate in two 45th anniversary showings, hosted by the Tucson-based, drive-in movie company El Toro Flicks 鈥 Carpool Cinema.
The screenings will be the first time the cast has performed in front of a live audience since the Loft closed its doors in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Up to that point, Heavy Petting had been part of the Loft鈥檚 regular 鈥淩ocky Horror鈥 screenings, a tradition at the independent movie theater for years.
Members are shivering with anticipation, according to Andr茅 Rivera, one of the cast managers for the group.
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鈥淓verybody is ready to go,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e are excited to see local audiences participating from their cars however they can.鈥
The screenings will take place at El Toro鈥檚 two Tucson-area locations, at Steam Pump Ranch, 10901 N. Oracle Road in Oro Valley on Thursday, Nov. 12; and in a lot near the MSA Annex, at 131 S. Linda Ave., downtown, Friday, Nov. 13.
As a cherry on top, actor Barry Bostwick, known to 鈥淩ocky鈥 fans as nerdy hero Brad Majors in the original film, will be introducing the movie. Bostwick will also be participating in a socially distanced meet-and-greet.
鈥淭he Rocky Horror Picture Show,鈥 which follows a young couple as they get up close and personal with Dr. Frank-N-Furter (played by Tim Curry) and his depraved, musical minions, was one of Bostwick鈥檚 earliest films.
He has done plenty of movies and television shows since, including six years spent as New York mayor Randall Winston in the Michael J. Fox sitcom 鈥淪pin City,鈥 but he鈥檒l always be Brad to certain fans.
鈥淚t is going to define my obituary,鈥 Bostwick, 75, joked from his Florida home. 鈥淒uring the 1970s, when we realized that this was being picked up by fans and they were creating this whole different kind of theater around it, I thought, 鈥業 am in this for life.鈥欌
It is a distinction that Bostwick and his fellow cast mates, people like Susan Sarandon, Curry and Nell Campbell, embrace, Bostwick said.
鈥淲e are all such big fans of the movie,鈥 he said. 鈥淲henever anything comes along where we can promote the film, we will. It is so incredibly special.鈥
Bostwick has already done a handful of drive-in theater dates on the East Coast. In addition to Tucson, he鈥檒l also be making appearances at screenings in Phoenix and Palm Desert, California.
Bostwick said he is happy to be able to give shadow casts across the country an opportunity to perform again.
鈥淢ost of them have lost their home theaters,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 know they are itching to put on their bustiers and mesh stockings again.鈥
Rivera said Heavy Petting is prepared for whatever an outdoor drive-in theater experience might bring them.
Rivera actually participated in a 鈥淩ocky Horror鈥 screening at the West Wind Glendale 9 Drive-in theater for Halloween with the Phoenix shadow cast, Frankie鈥檚 Fishnets.
Some Fishnets members will be participating in the Tucson-area screenings.
鈥淲e were performing (in Glendale) in front of the screen on the pavement,鈥 Rivera said. 鈥淚 had a blast. We made people laugh. In some parts of the movie, we run around the theater, so we ran around the parking lot so everybody could see us.鈥
Rivera said Heavy Petting is open to doing for-hire shows, but there are no set plans of performing at The Loft anytime soon.
鈥淭he cast and The Loft are thinking about the safety of others,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t is disappointing, but we would rather have people come back to our show healthy, than put on a show and risk people getting sick.鈥
