Rainbow Cult teamed up with Colorado’s Elusive Ingredient and Meow Wolf for a Rocky Horror Picture Show Spectacular.
When you are in the business of throwing large-scale queer events centered around cult classic movies, you often get asked when you are going to tackle The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Rocky Horror is undoubtedly one of the original archetypes of cult classics and has been a long-standing time-tested tradition in the world of queer entertainment.
I remember seeing it for the first time, at 15 years old. I wasn’t even out of the closet and ended up sneaking into a gay bar after the show to do the time warp on stage. I was petrified of being out there in the open but also felt exhilarated by the freedom and acceptance of how queer it all was. Full-grown men in sequin corsets? Sign me up, lock me in, and throw away the key.
Going to that first The Rocky Horror Picture Show helped me figure out who I would become. It showed me that there was an alternative to the staunch conservative Redneck Riviera where I grew up. It made me want to wear feather boas, while hosting a dinner party, in a castle on a hill. It opened my eyes to a world where I can belong. 26 years later, we had the chance to stage our version, with 360-degree wall projects and a shadow cast of 28.
On July 22 and 23rd, 2024, Rainbow Cult celebrated The Rocky Horror Picture Show over two nights of sold-out shows in the Perplexiplex at Meow Wolf Denver. We joined forces with the shadow cast of Colorado’s Elusive Ingredient and put on one hell of a show! Twice!
Colorado’s Elusive Ingredient does what nobody else can. There are many Rocky Horror shadow casts in the world, but their performances, costumes, props, and callbacks were well thought-out, original, and super campy. You can tell just by talking to them that they truly love what they do, and both nights were a true tribute to the world of Rocky Horror, and the magnificent Tim Curry himself. Their production was so passionate they even broke a table!
The shows also featured a pitch-perfect live-singing drag extravaganza by non-binary drag/burlesque performer Enzo Benzo, AKA the Sensual Seduction themselves. Crafty Grant and I spent the week before the event creating their bejeweled corset, cloak, and a large-scale UFO prop for the performance. All of that turned out great and was a perfect accompaniment to their loud and proud rendition of the song Sweet Transvestite.
Professor Andy, Grant, and I also created bedazzled and bejeweled costumes and went as the main characters of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Rocky, and Riff-Raff. I have to say, we were in excellent company.
One of the things that makes Rocky Horror so special is the audience partici….pation. It was amazing to see so many Rainbow Cultists dressed up in their seductive best. Some people wore simple Rocky Horror shirts, while others donned full character regalia and embodied Frank-N-Furter, Columbia, Rocky, Riff-Raff, and Magenta to a T. We always love a good costuming moment with our events, and the audience did not disappoint.
We at Rainbow Cult want to say a special thank you to our summer sponsors: Bad Habits, Goldie x Bob Salon, Twig Hair Salon Boulder, Barber X, Denver’s Cupid, Keifer Mansfield, Denver Realtor, Denver Divers, Rhein Haus, X Bar, Urban Sanctuary, Dazz Media, and Gay Denver. Want to become a beloved sponsor of Rainbow Cult? Click here!
Our next big show at Meow Wolf is a screening of Labyrinth on November 19th at 6 pm. You are cordially invited to join us for a night of bubbles, puppets, 80’s wigs, and queer revelry! Get your tickets HERE!
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