'Rockytober' Is Back for 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' Aficionados

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The 40th anniversary the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” will be celebrated with a special Halloween release, but southeast Michigan fans of the cult movie classic won’t have to wait that long.

The classic State-Wayne/Phoenix Theatre in Wayne have been bringing the film to the big screen regularly for the past two-and one-half years along with the Michigan Rocky Horror Preservation Society, which presented its 50th performance earlier this month.

Miss it?

No worries. The show goes weekly during, ahem, “Rockytober,” with performances scheduled for Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24 and 30. A special “Devil’s Night” show is planned on the 30th

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show Experience is something we pride ourselves on offering to our audience,” co-executive producer Faith Duede said in a statement. “The movie is full of great songs and great dialogue, but to truly appreciate it, you really have to be a part of the entire experience.

“We are very fortunate to be able to provide that with a full shadow cast performing along with the movie, and the use of the props you all remember, like throwing toast, cards, toilet paper, and using squirt guns. We also have pre-film videos and a pre-show dance party, it’s an amazing atmosphere.”

Cory Jacobson, owner of Phoenix Theatres, said the shadow cast makes the show one of the most unique, memorable nights ever spent at the movies.

“We had a crazy idea to try to recapture this classic movie-going experience over two years ago,” Jacobson said. “More than 7,000 patrons have descended to Wayne for twice-monthly special showings from throughout Michigan and as far away as Chicago to relive a film from their youth or discover it for the very first time

“The Michigan Shadow Cast and crew have truly developed into one of the finest and most professionally staged shows around the world, and is just great fun to be an audience participant,” Jacobson said. “The idea that film has been showing in cinemas continuously for 40 years and is sold out for every performance at State-Wayne has been simply amazing.”

Phoenix Theatres opened its first Detroit-area theatre in 2001 and currently operates an additional 10 screens at Laurel Park Place in Livonia and eight screens at the Mall of Monroe in Monroe. S

tate-Wayne was built in 1946 as an art-deco masterpiece, serving millions of movergoers in Wayne County with an old-fashioned charm. The State-Wayne movie theatre has gone through a digital overhaul late in 2012 and was purchased by Phoenix Theatres in 2014. For more information or to take a “virtual tour” of the Classic State Wayne Theatre visit www.phoenixmovies.net.