Rocky-Horror-Picture-Show

FOX’s much-hyped stage musical version of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ airs on Thursday night and to get you prepared, here’s a listing of the props you need to watch it!  (Well, you may not want to use all of them, since you’ll be in your house and will have to clean it up later.)

Just a little background, ‘Rocky Horror’ was released in only a handful of theaters in the US back in 1975, but failed to find its audience among the mainstream.  So Fox released it as a midnight movie and it immediately became a cult favorite with fans showing up in costume and toting sundry props to be used or thrown at just the right moment.

I can’t list all of the verbal interactions because there are too many and would require transcribing pretty much the entire script but just be aware that it’s definitely not PG-rated!  (They are also readily available online.)  All I can say is that a large portion of it consists of calling Brad “Asshole” and Janet “Slut” and spelling out the many double entendres.

Now as for those props, generally the ones that you throw, are lobbed at the movie screen.  What all will you need?:

rice

#1 – Rice, uncooked, to be thrown when Brad and Janet’s friends Ralph Hapschatt and Betty Munroe get married.  Rice tossing should coincide with the onscreen wedding guests.  You may want to skip this one for home viewings… or maybe not.  It’s up to you!

newspaper

#2 – Newspaper.  After their car breaks down, Brad and Janet get caught in a storm, Janet covers her head with a newspaper.  You should do the same, unless you’d rather play with…

waterpistols

#3- Water pistols, to simulate the rain.  That’s where the newspaper comes in handy.  You should probably use the cheap old fashioned kind, not Super Soakers which would be too messy.

flashlight

#4- Flashlight to be used during ‘Over At The Frankenstein Place’ when the line “there’s a light” is sung, light up yourself.  Some prefer to use candles or just a lighter, which I think is how it started, but that was back when people were allowed to smoke indoors.  But since you’ll be at your own home, you can light up a joint for all I care.

rubbergloves

#5- Rubber/Latex gloves, preferably in pink.  This is one of the most fun interactions (at least in my opinion).  During Frank-N-Furter’s creation speech, he snaps his gloves three times.  You should snap along in sync as well as when Magenta slips them off him afterward.

noisemakers

#6- Party Noise Makers.  After Frank-N-Furter’s creation speech, the Transylvanians erupt with cheer and you should too!  My favorites are those little spinning rattles!

confetti

#7- Confetti.  Wheee it’s a party!  As Frank-N-Furter and Rocky head off to the bedroom (after the reprise of the ‘Charles Atlas Song’), the Transylvanians shower them with the stuff.  But see Rice, regarding cleanup.

scott-tp

#8, Scott Toilet Paper.  When Dr. Scott enters the laboratory, Brad exclaims “Great Scott!” at which point you send this flying.  (Should be partially unraveled for best effect.)  You can use a different brand of TP but… that would be lame.

toast

#9, Toast, unbuttered.  When Frank-N-Furter proposes a toast at dinner, let your cooked bread fly!

partyhat

#10, Party hat.  Pretty self-explanatory.  When Frank-N-Furter puts on a party hat, you do the same.

bell

#11, Bell.  During the song “Planet Schmanet Janet,” when Brad sings “Did you hear a bell ring?”… well, you know.

playing-cards

#12, Playing Cards.  During the song “I’m Going Home,” when Frank-N-Furter says “Cards for sorrow, cards for pain” get ready to play 52 Pick Up.

hot-dogsprunes

Finally, Hot Dogs and Prunes.  These are two that have been discarded over the years.  The hot dogs were generally greasy and left stains on the movie screen and both are food products and attract pests/rodents.


I’m not sure how the ‘Rocky Horror’ interactions got started or how they managed to spread and become standardized.  I believe in a few instances, there are different takes on what is said in reaction.  But his is basically the standard version.

So now you know how to prepare for Thursday night’s showing!

The new presentation of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ is directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega (‘High School Musical’ 1, 2 & 3, ‘Hocus Pocus’).  It stars Laverne Cox as Frank-N-Furter, Victoria Justice as Janet, Ryan McCarten as Brad, Adam Lambert as Eddie, Reeve Carney as Riff Raff, Annaleigh Ashford as Columbia, Christina Milian as Magenta, Ben Vereen as Doctor Everett von Scott, Staz Nair as Rocky Horror, and original Frank-N-Furter Tim Curry as the Criminologist Narrator.

It airs on FOX, Thursday October 20 at 8pm EST.

Source: RockyHorror.com