I Spent My First Broadway Show Doing the Time Warp: My Experience in NYC

I spent my first Broadway show doing the Time Warp- though it sounds completely unexpected, I can safely say I had a blast. Last Saturday, the TCNJ Musical Theatre Club (TMT) took a trip to New York City for their annual fall Broadway trip. At the legendary Studio 54, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show has been changing lives since late April of this year. To honor Tim Curry, the iconic actor of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, after his passing, members of TMT thought it would be best to go see the over-the-top, expressive, and classic Broadway performance. 

As a freshman at TCNJ, this Broadway trip was not only my first with TCNJ, but my first ever show! As one of the limited number of people who had never seen a show before, I thought, what better way to start my year off at TCNJ! Many of the members chose to drive to the Hamilton train station and take the train to New York Penn Station, which was about an hour and fifteen minutes. 

The majority chose to take the same train around 11:50 am that morning, but some chose to arrive a bit later; for those on the 11:50 am train like myself, we got to New York just after 1 pm. The show was at 3 pm, so we had just about two hours to walk to Studio 54 and grab a bite to eat. If you’re ever out and about in the city, the well-known coffee shop Blank Street is for sure worth the hype; if you’re a big fan of iced mochas like me, you will absolutely love it! 

After grabbing coffee, we walked another five-ish minutes to Studio 54. As someone who has always been to the city with an adult, it was so much fun to learn how to navigate the city on my own. The city can be a scary place, but once you figure out where exactly you need to go and use Google Maps, the sights you get to see are absolutely amazing! 

Walking inside to Studio 54, it was something special; after learning that theatres decorate the area for the current show, I was blown away. The theater was covered in green and pink lights, decorated for the spooky feel. Even the bathroom was decorated; mirrors were covered with red lipstick, and the iconic quote from the movie itself: “Don’t dream it, be it.” I absolutely loved the effort and felt like I was inside the movie. 

For those who aren’t familiar with the show, Rocky Horror Picture Show is a fun twist on Frankenstein; two sweethearts experience their car breaking down in the middle of a storm, and have no choice to enter a spooky, mysterious house, including characters like Dr. Frank-N-Furter, trying to create life. The play and movie introduce themes of sexuality, social class, expression, and expected traditions. The movie presents itself in such a specific way that it’s hard to stay on track with the many recurring events and themes. 

Rocky Horror Picture Show is not the show I pictured as my first, but I had fortunately seen the movie a few times. Rocky Horror is not the easiest to understand, as there’s so much going on at once, and the “big” reveal doesn’t come until the very end. I was shocked to be one of the few people who understood the show, especially since I don’t come from a theatre background. Either way, it seems like everyone had an amazing time, understanding it or not. 

The iconic movie was and still is known for its queer and gender expression, and many of the actors involved in the show were part of the community. The cast includes Valentina, a trans woman who plays the iconic Columbia, and Jake Shears, an openly gay man who plays frontman Frank-N-Furter. It’s so important to include these groups of people, especially as these themes are well talked about throughout the movie. It provides an outlet for those involved in the community, celebrating them and acknowledging them through art. It’s amazing to watch these characters come to life and include the same traits that the movie had, especially when it wasn’t as widely accepted as it is now. 

The Rocky Horror Show was about an hour and fifty minutes long, including a fifteen-minute intermission; it was very short but was nothing less than impressive. All songs were performed, every scene was re-enacted, and most importantly, the humor wasn’t forgotten. The actors made the audience laugh and dance in such a short amount of time; just before closing out the show, the actors encouraged the audience to get up and dance to the reprise of “Time Warp,” the most recognizable song from the movie/show. The audience was also encouraged to call out certain words and expressions throughout the show, which is not usually allowed in a typical Broadway show. Overall, the show was very interactive and kept the crowd engaged. 

I was completely blown away by the absolutely talented actors and the effort that was put into the show behind the scenes. For my first experience, I can safely say that I would definitely go back, whether it’s the same show or something different. Broadway was something I never expected, and days later, I’m still astonished by what I have seen. For anyone looking to see an amazing Broadway experience, I’d say the Time Warp is a pretty fun way to do it. 

• broadway
• college
• entertainment
• nyc
• theatre