By John Fleming
Times Performing Arts Critic
ST. PETE BEACH — On Saturday just before midnight, the crowd gathers on the street outside the Beach Theatre for the weekly screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The night has a rowdy grunge rock feel as Ed Schneider and his performance troupe, the Interchangeable Parts, act out the odyssey of Brad and Janet while the movie plays onscreen. Dressed in outrageous getups, the performers goad the mostly high school and college age audience to get wild and crazy and shout out the characters' lines. Before the show, there's usually something like a race up and down the aisles by "virgins'' — those who have never seen the movie acted out by a live cast — in their underwear.
More than 30 years after its premiere, the cheesy sci-fi musical spoof continues to pack them in for late-night screenings all over the world. Mike France, owner of the Beach, says it's typically the biggest crowd of the week. Tickets are $5, and there are bags for $1 with toast, rice, rubber gloves and other audience-participation props. You're guaranteed to leave the theater with rice in your hair.
Interchangeable Parts performs Rocky Horror every Saturday at midnight and will do two shows on Halloween.
The Beach Theatre is at 315 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach. For more information, call (727) 360-6697 or go to beachtheatre.com.
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