By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
For four nights, silence will not be required at the movies as guests are taken “on a strange journey.”
Reading Cinemas, on North Main Street, will bring the Rocky Horror Players to the theater every Saturday in October for the company’s “Friday Night Specials,” which include live musical numbers and a stage show of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
”When the people come to the theater, they smile and have fun, like going to a concert,” said Bill Brennan, manager at Reading Cinemas. “Last time we had it, it went over like gangbusters.”
The show – which Mr. Brennan said includes performers from Manville, Aberdeen, Roselle Park, Edison and Bound Brook – will feature a show with live musical numbers from 11:15 p.m. until midnight when the movie begins. That initial show, Mr. Brennan said, will include all kinds of current songs and such attractions as a man imitating Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose.
”They sing anything that’s modern,” he said. “Everyone likes this part.”
Once the clock strikes midnight, the real fun begins, as the Rocky Horror Players, lip-syncing the words as their microphones are turned off, perform the show as the movie plays, with volume, on the screen behind them.
”People are encouraged to scream and yell during the performance,” Mr. Brennan said.
Mr. Brennan said the theater initially brought the performance to Manville for four weeks in June, and ended up attracting larger audiences each week until tickets were completely sold out by the end. He said that, to accommodate the possibility of selling out, the movie has been moved to a 400-seat theater for this upcoming run, rather than June’s 200-seat theater.
”We had to turn away about 20 people in June because we were sold out,” he said.
Aside from the actual movie and stage show, Mr. Brennan said guests are also attracted to the opportunity to dress up when they come to the theater. He said people were dressing as characters from the “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” in addition to any other costumes they chose.
”It was like Halloween,” he said. “There are all these kids that are too old to go to bed at midnight, but are too young for the bars.”
The movie, with an entrance fee of $7, is for people at least 17 years of age, unless accompanied by an adult. Because of its content, the movie was rated “R,” or restricted, when it was initially released in 1975.
Still, Mr. Brennan said, during the June performance, he saw families with kids as young as 10 years old.
”What was considered cutting edge back then, is campy at best now,” he said.
The film follows Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon), who arrive at an old castle after they get a flat tire, and meet Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), who calls himself a “sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania.” Finding themselves in the midst of a party, Brad and Janet deal with a strange cast of characters, including a humanoid figure named Rocky, and Eddie, played by musician Meat Loaf.
Released 33 years ago, Mr. Brennan said the film is in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest running film.
Overall, Mr. Brennan said the combination of stage show and movie is an opportunity for people of all ages to dress in costume and enjoy the entertainment.
”It is fun to see everyone so hyped up,” he said.

