I'm happy to report the Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS) is as advertised - with dialogue in English (and a bit in Korean), the show offers much of the dialogue and songs you know and love from the cult classic. A few differences are evident to make this version a bit more 'PG-13' than 'R', and the majority of the crowd (probably) spent more time watching the screen showing the Korean subtitle than the action on stage.

I should start by saying that this was far from an 'authentic' RHPS experience. The vast majority of English-speaking ticketholders that has seen the 1975 movie may have expected the callbacks, the 'stuff to throw', and the interactive side that has made it a cult classic. This is, of a course, a stage musical - what the film was based on. I'm sorry to say that none of the expectations were present; the one exception was a quartet of actresses hanging from ladders reciting some of the callbacks during the first 15 minutes. A handful of foreigners shouted a few of the more common ones, although the majority of Korean musical-goers looked on with incredulity.

Because much of the RHPS deals with issues not commonly seen in Korea (two men in a bed together, the hypersexual / hedonistic tendencies of multiple characters, bisexuality, some vulgar talk, etc.) there were some notable differences. The dinner scene (where the famous 'toast' throw takes place) was non-existent, while the bedroom scene of the 2nd act (where Frank is seen in a cleverly-staged stand-up bed with both Janet and Brad) was toned down somewhat, according to the Lady in Red. It's been years since I've seen the movie, so I'll defer to her knowledge. The result, although not obvious, was a production lacking only the most extreme or shocking areas, while covering the cast in "a bit more clothing than I expected", as one fellow foreigner put it.

The group that comprised dozens of foreigners (many of which were dressed in RHPS-inspired clothing) probably knew more about what to expect than the 700 or so Koreans that otherwise filled the COEX Artium's seats. The dialogue was entirely in English, with the exception of a Korean narrator that admirably performed the 'Narrator' duties. The few appearances he made were accompanied by English text, just as the English dialogue was accompanied by Korean text neatly visible on either side of the stage.

Being the stage musical that preceded the movie-based crowd-sourced antics, it would be logical to avoid those possibly mischievous behaviors in favor of a smoothly-run show. Thus, there were no 'stuff to throw' bags for sale at the door and nobody shouting callbacks (those smart-mouth retorts delivered by the audience). An usher reminded me once of the 'no photography' rule (which was promptly ignored), yet the Earth kept spinning regardless.

As you might expect from a professionally-done show, there was no faults to be found in the acting, music, visual effects, sound, or lighting. The blocking was spot on - which was important in the second-act scene that found several main characters trapped in Frank's Medusa Transformer - while the encore got the entire crowd to their feet for a 'Time Warp' dance.

The highlight came before, during intermission, and after the show. When the foreigners came out, the Koreans noticed. They stared. They took a hard look at the guys wearing fishnets and heels, and cast a critical eye at the girls exposing a jealousy-inducing amount of cleavage. Being experienced RHPS-goers - and Korean expats used to being stared at - people simply took it in stride. Even as the show ended, the foreigners in the balcony were the last to leave the theater, still straining for that last sexy photograph. Post-show, the lobby was taken over by that same group of foreigners, who found ample picture-taking opportunities with each other or the Frank-N-Furter cutout:

A special surprise came when two cast members made the mistake of taking the elevator down. Both Rocky and Magenta (?) were good sports, posing for pictures until the crowd was satisfied. They seemed genuinely surprised in the turnout, even as they recognized this was the first RHPS stage musical perfomed in English in Korea. Look for the light blue shirt on the left side for Rocky and the black headband for Magenta (?):

While I would have liked to see a bit more interactivity, I was told that the Traveler's Bar in Bundang (south of Seoul) would feature a movie screening on October 29th. If you're connected to the Seoul expat community, keep your eyes on Facebook and your ears open for further information.

So, to answer the question asked in the title: What do the Rocky Horror Picture Show and kimchi have in common? Both are things considered shocking and repulsive by some and thoroughly enjoyed by others. You either love it or hate it - there is no between. If you fall in the 'love it' category, this is the show to see.

The show continues in Seoul through October 10th. For more information, check out the appropriately-named website.

© Chris Backe - 2010

This post was originally published on my blog,Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.