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Book, Music & Lyrics by Richard O'Brien Directed by Julian Hope based on the direction of Jim Sharman Robert S. Fishko - Associate Producer
Dr. Frank-N-Furter : Frank Gregory Chorus : Thom McCleister, Dennis Daniels, Michael Glenn-Smith, Candy Darling (Dance Captain), Eddy Hasselbrink Scott W. Glenn - Stage Manager
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Thank You Troy Martin for the scan!
When the London Production was finishing it's first run after 7 years, Michael White and Lou Adler thought, with the popularity of the film well established in the USA, that a recreation of the original show, with direction based on that of Jim Sharman, designs by Brian Thomson and costumes by Sue Blane, would do well. It didn't!
What was supposed to be a complete tour of the states, became a five month tour that did very well in a few northern states, opening in Boston, fizzled in the south and finished in Los Angeles (where again it was most popular). The U.S. remained the only English speaking country where the film did better than the stage show. Performed, yet again, in proper theatres rather than it's original cinema setting. Audience members shouted at the cast, as if they were watching the film, even if the references made no sense in a live show. For the uninitiated, having the audience yelling less than humourous jibes, wouldn't improve the show. American tourists visiting London, in the late 70s, had shouted at the London cast who said "we just thought they were twats". This behaviour was still evident in 2001 during the Broadway revival, where patrons yelled "where's your neck?" to a narrator who obviously had one. (The Narrator in the film doesn't appear to have one, or so American audiences think)
Despite claims in advertising of a show "from London", only the director Julian Hope and choreographer David Toguri (Canadian but working mostly in England) came from England, the cast were Americans. Kim Milford, reprsied his role of Rocky from the Roxy Cast.
Director Julian Hope directed the 1979 National British Tour. David Toguri had directed the Norwegian production. Both based their direction on Jim Sharman's.
Sponsored heavily by Schlitz Beer, a poster of the cast was available at the beginning of the tour, which had information about the show on the reverse, with photos from the production. For much of the tour the programmes were single sheets of printed plain paper. A far cry from the extravagant theatre programmes sold in Australia at the same time.
The almost total lack of interest in the show in it's first decade, meant the amatuer rights were given to the USA long before any other country. Where the professional shows abounded elsewhere, only one other professional run occured in the USA in 2001, an overblown Broadway revival that bore almost no resemblence to it's origins. The script was altered to be closer to the film and the songs were in film order, it didn't use Brian Thomson's sets, Jim Sharman's direction, Sue Blane's costumes, or Richard Hartley's arrangements.
Thank you to Gene Chiovari for many of the images on this page
T-Shirt Design - Chicago
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Cigarette Rolling Papers |
T Shirt |
Tour Cap |
Tour Jacket
Crew Tour Jacket
Dennis Daniels as Rocky
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