The Fire Island Pines Arts Project’s (FIPAP) Labor Day Weekend show, from August 31 to September 2, was a rollicking, sexy, smile-and-laugh-a-minute production of Richard O’Brien’s “Rocky Horror Show,” directed and choreographed by Joe Barros, with Luis Villabon; music directed by Anthony Travaglini; and designed by David L. Arsenault (sets), Jessa-Raye Court (costumes), with Rita Horvath; Zach Pizza (lighting); and Matthew Karnatz (sound). Audience participation and dressing like the characters were encouraged. FIPAP’s “Rocky Horror” was given in memory of Pines icons Jack and Rita Lichtenstein and Tony LaRocco. The action was moved to Bellport, Sayville, and the Pines and the first of the three evenings is considered here.
Villabon, a vision in black leather and glittering drag, commanded the stage as Frank-N-Furter, from his dynamic entrance song “Sweet Transvestite” onward, and made it his nefarious business to help nerdy, needy Brad (Jeff Ostermueller) and Janet (Katie LaMark) realize their sensual sides.
“I Can Make You a Man,” Frank assured his creation, Rocky, a smoldering Dylan Hartwell, who lamented “The Sword of Damocles” hanging over his head and later drove Janet to a wild and unbridled “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me,” much to Brad’s dismay, as his wistful “Once in a While” made clear.
Carly Ozard, as Magenta, kicked off the show with a vibrantly voiced “Science Fiction/Double Feature” and assisted Derek Nicoletto, as Riff Raff, and Megan Lione, as Columbia, in performing a sensational “Time Warp.” Steven Alan Black, as Dr. Scott, got into the act, from his jazzy, during the gilded ‘floor show,’ “Rose Tint My World,” though he insisted he had come to the castle just to find out the fate, indeed lamentable, of his nephew Eddie, Skie Ocasio, a “Hot Patootie” in a UPS uniform. Narrator Hugh Hysell helped move the action along.
A rainbow flag waved over “the Frankenstein place,” with “There’s a Light” augmented by flash lights that had been distributed to the audience. Riff Raff wielded a pink flamingo laser to usurp Frank’s power and put him, once restrained, on the very slab where he had created Rocky.
Visit www.fipap.org to learn about the organization’s future plans.