The Late Night Double Feature Picture Show Review

So as many of you know, I may be a little too in love with The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It is hands down the best, worst movie ever. Well last night FOX aired a live version of the play. At first I was against the remake, and judging by the previous live plays that have aired the last few years, I felt for sure FOX was going to ruin this great show as well. Well months went by and I began reading articles about the play and then the cast list dropped. Now I my interest was piqued. I love Laverne Cox in Orange Is The New Black, but I love love love Tim Curry and wasn't sure if she could hold a candle to him. (I'll get back to that later on.) Well October 20th showed up, and of course I was going to watch the performance. I only wanted to watch it to see how bad they would screw it up, and so I could text my other die hard friends during the performance to mock their interpretation.

Below is my review of the new RHPS: Live. A compare and contrast of the characters/actors will be listed as they appeared in the latest version. I will then throw in some random thoughts. Enjoy.

Ivy Levan- Usherette (Science Fiction/Double Feature)

Now that is how you get my attention! Who is this chick? Not only is she gorgeous, she has an amazing set of pipes on her. I love the way she opened the show. I was not disappointed. She needs to sing the next Bond theme. Also I love the Tarantino vibe the opening had. I hope to see Ivy in future productions. I give her 5/5 stars because I am the writer, and what I say goes.*****

Ryan McCartan/Barry Bostwick- Brad Majors, A Hero (ASSHOLE!!!)

One word: Swoon! So in the original, Brad is my least favorite character. Ryan actually made me like the character. He needs to work on his timing, but his voice made up for what he lacked in acting skills. I found the original Brad too bumbly for my taste, but the new version of Brad was portrayed as super confident, and that is what the character needed. Overall I enjoyed McCartan's portrayal. I give him 5/5 stars. *****

Victoria Justice/Susan Sarandon- Janet Weiss, A Heroine (SLUT!!!)

Oh sweet, innocent Janet Weiss what can I say about you. Victoria Justice did what she needed to do to make this part work. Her timing was off a few times, but her rendition of Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me was flawless. Justice had one thing going for her and that is her singing voice is way more soothing than Susan Sarandon's voice. Now having said that, Sarandon wins this battle. Although she is not the greatest singer, she is and will always be Janet Weiss. I give Justice 3/5 stars.***

Reeve Carney/Richard O'Brien- Riff Raff, A Handyman

Hate. Hate. Hate. Double Hate. Loathe entirely!!! Nothing compares to Richard O'Brien's Riff Raff. Carney was not hitting the mark. His voice is nice, but seriously who screws up The Time Warp??? Tim Curry had a stroke and still sang his part better than Carney did. Drunks during karaoke can sing that song on point, and you call yourself a professional. He was too pretty to play the role of Riff Raff. Also Riff Raff is pretty darn creepy in the original. Carney gets 1/5 stars because eww! Seriously you messed up The Time Warp!!!*

Christina Milian/Patricia Quinn- Magenta, A Domestic (WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?)

Magenta is my favorite character in the whole play! Patricia Quinn set the bar really high with her original performance. I was excited to see what Christina Milian would do with the role. I just love her. I enjoyed her performance. The only thing that would have made it better is if she toned down her perkiness a notch. The original Magenta had a more sinister vibe. I would have liked to seen that side of Milian. I give her 4/5 stars because I'm a fan.****

Annaleigh Ashford/Little Nell Campbell- Columbia, A Groupie

First off, I am one of the rare people who actually enjoys Columbia. Before RHSP: Live, I have never heard of Ashford. I really enjoyed her performance. I think out of the entire new cast she was the only one to hit her mark every single time with Columbia's character. She nailed it. I wouldn't mind seeing her in other things. I believe Little Nell would be proud of this performance. I give her 5/5 stars.*****

Staz Nair/Peter Hinwood- Rocky Horror, A Creation (OOH!!!)

Well what can you about a non-speaking role? Nair had better dance moves than Hinwood. This character was actually played very well, even if we had to settle for gold lame basketball shorts instead of booty shorts. Thanks FOX! Nair gets 4/5 stars.****

Ben Vereen/Jonathan Adams- Dr. Everett Scott, A Rival Scientist (KISS ASS!!!)

Aww Ben Vereen is back in my life!!! I haven't seen him since he was Mayor Ben on Zoobilee Zoo. There is not much to say about this character. Nobody I have ever met loves Dr. Scott. The character is mediocre at best. I give Vereen 3/5 stars based solely off my love for Mayor Ben.***

Adam Lambert/Meatloaf- Eddie, An Ex Delivery Boy (EDDIE! EDDIE!)

In both versions of RHPS Eddie's five minute appearance is always on the top of my list of favorite scenes. Who doesn't love Hot Patootie? Nailed it. I give Lambert 4/5 stars simply because the scene is too short in either version.****

Laverne Cox/Tim Curry- Dr. Frank-N-Furter, A Scientist (ANOTHER HELPING OF CURRY PLEASE!!!)

Miss Cox had a very tight corset to fill. Putting all bias aside (TIM CURRY RULES ALL!) I gave her a chance. Once I got over the fact that Frank-N-Furter wasn't Tim Curry, I quite enjoyed Laverne Cox' take on the role. Her timing was spot on. She was pretty comical in this role. Her wardrobe was out of this world. (Pun intended.)The lady also has some sweet dance moves. The only thing I could not stand about Cox was he voice kept changing pitch during the songs she sang. Technically she has a good voice, but the frequent pitch change was off putting. I also think she was trying too hard to mimic Curry's voice, even though she nailed it a few times. She wasn't bad at all, but she didn't live up to the hype. I give Miss Cox 3/5 stars.***

Tim Curry/Charles Gray- A Criminologist, An Expert

First of all, TIM CURRY!!! This man had a stroke a few years back and he still did a wonderful job. How he nailed his part during The Time Warp, and Reeve Carney couldn't even get his timing down is beyond me. Curry was in this play for four minutes and he nailed it. To be honest he was the real reason I chose to watch RHPS: Live in the first place. Long live the real Dr. Frank-N-Furter! I give him 6/5 stars because, he's Tim FREAKING Curry!******

The Time Warp

The world has been dancing to this song for forty-one years! Any Halloween or horror fan knows this song by heart. The die-hard fans (me) know the dance. Like I have mentioned before, the cast ruined this song and dance. I have seen professional versions, neighborhood productions, drunk people at karaoke, Tim Curry after suffering a stroke, and myself in the shower belting out this tune, and never once did I hear it screwed up as bad as the cast did in RHPS: Live. I was quite disappointed. Reeve Carney, your rendition of this classic gets 0/5 stars. Seriously who messes this song up?

The Floor Show 

Can we please talk about The Floor Show? Two words: NAILED IT! It was flawless. Even though the outfits were changed due to censorship, the cast rocked the new look. Again Laverne was kind of pitchy, but that Tina Turner-esque dance sequence/vibe won be over. McCartan and Justice prancing around in their corsets and stockings was a perfect homage to the original flair of the movie, and wow did they look hot! McCartan, we all saw that little leg extension slip up. Kudos on making that look like it wasn't an accident. This is my favorite song in the entire script. I even have "Don't dream it, be it" tattooed on my arm. Love. Love. Loved this rendition. This performance gets 5/5 stars...because I said so!*****

Sexuality/Sensuality

At first I was nervous when I heard this very, sexually charged play was airing on FOX, a conservative network. Somehow the director pulled it off, and for that I am grateful. RHPS would be nothing without the sex factor. After all, it is a movie about sexual awakening. I thought each sexual scene was done very tastefully, and gave the audience just enough to let their imagination run wild. I'm glad the network and director found a happy medium.

I don't know what your favorite part of play was, but mine was definitely watching Laverne Cox prance and stumble around the cemetery during Dammit Janet. I could not stop laughing. I even rewound the scene a few times just to laugh harder.

So in summery, RHPS: Live was definitely the best play to air live over the past few years. Sure the cast has is relatively new and have some things to work on, but hey, they are up there doing it. My fandom of the movie has me a little bias. I did not think this play was the greatest thing ever, but it sure was not a bad performance. I would watch it again. Knowing me, I'll probably own it when it comes out on DVD. Just remember to...

Steve Barber Jr.

Turning the Page

What to do? What to do? For the past two months, I have seriously been reevaluating my life and who I am. I still don’t know who I am, but I do know who I want to become. Sarcasm is my defense mechanism. Those who know me best know that my mouth can be my greatest weapon and can destroy someone instantly if I am attacked. It’s pretty sad that I have that ability. I love to have this weapon in my corner when a fight arises, but this past year I have been out of control. Of course I am dealing with personal issues, but it’s still no excuse to hurt those around me. Sometimes I don’t even know I am doing it.

For Lent, I gave up gossiping and talking bad about others. The first week I caught myself about to say something negative almost every hour. It got easier over the following forty days, but wow the “once an hour” statistic kept bothering me. Had this once pleasant man, really turned into this pretty big asshole? Yes, yes he did. I had a lot of turmoil going on, but I did not expect it to work its way out via words and actions. I joked all month that I hoped this experiment would not change me. Luckily it did. Do I still get a good laugh at people tripping or wearing an odd outfit? Yes, I do.  Can I control my tongue and think before I speak? Yes, I finally learned this was a “real thing” someone can do. I have been working really hard at guarding my tongue, and to my surprise, I am pretty successful at doing so.

I have since apologized to those who I have hurt along the way and for the most part everyone has accepted my apology and it has made my relationships stronger. On this journey, I saw who was a real friend and who was just dragging me down. I am slowly but surely cutting all the negative things and people out of my life. This is just one small step to become who I want to be as a man.

Many exciting changes are coming. I am excited for the rekindling of old friendships and making current relationships stronger. I have a new lease on life. My new thing to do it accept other’s for who they are and not judge them at all. I have held in so much bitterness or lacked trust in someone because I judged them on their choices. After this realization, I felt euphoric. Nobody wants an unwarranted opinion, I certainly do not. To get respect you have to earn it.

Sadly, I may lose a few people along the way of this new journey, but I am OK with that. It’s not a loss, great times were had, but it’s time for their chapter in my life to end. In life you can move forward like a river and enjoy new experiences, or you can stay content and become stagnant like a pond. I’m tired of my mundane, boring life. I want to begin a new and exciting one.

I Bet You Didn't See This Coming.

Disclaimer: This is not a woe is me story. This is a story what I have gone through to become the man I am today.

I cannot remember the exact date I started therapy/counseling/hardcore praying, but it has been about a decade, and it’s time I stop it. I have suffered with severe depression and anxiety for many, many years, but I have been masking it with a smile. I have been to psychiatrists, pastors, and counselors. (Both secular and Christian) I have taken medicine for my burden, but it does not do anything for me, and I prefer the holistic way of life anyway.

As most of you know, I am a Christian and love the Lord with all my heart. Some people may mock that, but it doesn’t bother me because I know that if it weren’t for Him, I may not be here today. Hiding behind a mask fills you with anxiety which leads to depression, and I am no longer afraid to mention that I have had plenty of suicidal thoughts. Luckily the Lord has been there for me. I mean my friends are the best people in the whole wide world, and my family is even more awesome, but there are some things that cannot be discussed with them and as I felt, needed to be suppressed.

Being born and raised in a Christian/Republican environment, I uphold myself to a certain set of standards, and out of respect for others in the same environment I have kept my problems to myself. My favorite verse is Philippians 4:13. It states “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” It’s so true. That’s my life motto. This verse has kept me away from blades and bridges and at the same time it has given me the inner strength to allow me to overcome hurdles that have been put on my life’s track.

Many of my family and friends always tell me how cool they think I am because I see something I want to do and I go and do it. (I.e. travel the world, sing crazy karaoke songs, or just go see Gladys Knight in concert.) Little do you know, but I wrote out my Bucket List when I was twenty-three years old. The “easy way out” thoughts came a little too often back then and I truly love life. Even though I have had these thoughts, and even though the Lord has intervened each time, I truly love life and wish I was immortal. There are so many things to do during this one shot we get, so if I see something I really love, I do it because you never know when it will all come to an end. I want to die laughing with memories instead of full of regrets.

Most of you know I enjoy food and liquor, but because of this burden weighing on my heart all these years, I have over eaten and imbibed too much at times. The stress of it all has me gaining weight, losing my hair, putting my health at risk, using obnoxious sarcasm, lying to those I love, and in my early 20’s, I self-medicated with drugs here and there. I am tired of it all and I am finally ready to put this all behind me and move on.

The Bible says in John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  After digging down deep I knew exactly what had brought everything on. Actually I knew from the very beginning. I am not an ignorant person, in fact I am quite intelligent, and yet I brought this all on myself because I was not happy with the way I was created.

For twenty years now (yes, I started this at 10 years old.) I have been praying and praying for God to take this burden off of my shoulders. I have prayed for it to cease many, many times. The Lord only gives three answers to prayer, they are yes, no, and wait. The last few counseling sessions I had with one of my assistant pastors, he asked me if I ever thought of changing the prayer or rewording it. No I knew what I wanted and never thought of changing my prayer.

I have prepared myself for every possible worst case scenario. I thought about me, me, and me. The Bible also states in I Corinthians 2:11 “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?” People may mock the spiritual aspect of my life, and others may mock my human side. Either way over the years, I have become so close to my God through this battle that the opinions of others about me no longer matter to me.  I may not even be here today, if it weren’t for my Lord keeping his hand of protection around me.

So about eight months ago, I changed my prayer. After twenty years of relentless prayer with no answer, I came to terms of growing old by myself, and I would be just fine with that. I came to terms like this to protect my family, whom many share the same beliefs as I do. I also kept my secret so long because I was afraid to lose what I love most in this world, them. No offence to my friends, you guys are perfect, but one can always make more friends throughout life. One cannot replace a family member.

The blame is on me. I put myself through hell all these years because I wanted more time with my family. I also made the huge mistake of not believing in the ones I loved the most, and underestimated their love. So eight months ago I changed my prayer and instead of asking the Lord to rid me of this shame, I asked Him, if it was His will, to put someone in my life to help me. Within in four months I had an answer.

Many of you know, a few weeks ago I went to an anointing service at my church. Yes, I asked for anointing and prayer to heal my back, but I also asked the pastor to pray that I calm my drinking down and that I would have the strength to finally say what I needed to say. He looked me right in the eyes and said “The truth will set you free, Steve. Tell your family and friends what you have been struggling with and all the problems will go away. It then dawned on me that all these years, the root of my drinking, drug use, rudeness, stress related pain, and every other negative thing in my life was this problem. I have talked with some people already and my back pain has been dissipating rapidly, the consumption of alcohol has decreased and all my friends have said I have become even happier than I was because now it shows on my face and not behind a faux smile.

I know it’s not ideal, and if I had the choice to choose who I become, I would probably choose a different path. I am tired of being anxious. I am tired of being depressed. For the first time in years I am finally to the point where I accept who I am. God, created us all different and these were the cards I was dealt. I wish I would have said something years ago and saved myself so much heartache. I am finally ready to admit that I am gay. I have struggled for years with this and I truly was afraid to lose the people around me that I love so much.

I believe God created me this way, and I know I will deal with this when Judgement Day comes, but that is my problem. I do not ask you to accept this, but I do ask for your continued love. If I lose friends and family over this, I am OK with that, but those people will still be loved by me, and will always have a place in my heart. I am only telling you this because the rumor mill is worse than a puppy mill, and I wanted you all to hear it from me first. I will answer all appropriate questions, and I will not tolerate rude comments.

My immediate family and grandparents have my back and now that they know, I feel I am free and the burden is gone forever. I felt I could express myself better in the written word than face to face. I love you all.

-Steve

Prologue To "My Roaring 20's"

Prologue

12/11/13

On the eve of my 29^th birthday, I am filled with both fear and excitement. Fear because this is the last year of my 20’s and I know after almost a decade of partying it up, it’s time to close that chapter in my life. I am also excited because it’s my birthday, my very own holiday! I am also excited because this year I promised myself that I would cross off a few things on my bucket list, have a few new experiences, and maybe, along the way, I am going to grow up.

I will be documenting this crazy ride. It’s going to be filled with fun, laughter, experience, and hopefully no bumps in the road, but hey, we’ll cross those hurdles when they come around. I also must warn you, there will definitely be a day or two where I will end up in sweatpants, order a pizza, and watch a 7 hour marathon of Law & Order: SVU. Truthfully, we all need those lazy days, especially after those wild nights.

Well strap yourself in and here we go. Wish me luck.  Let the adventure begin!!!

58 Things To Do Before Summer Ends

55 Things To Do Before Summer Ends!!!

Have a bonfire on the beach, in your back yard, at your mom’s house.
Find a nature trail, a spot on a map, a new town you haven’t visited.
Go on a road trip.
Make a playlist with your favorite tunes.
Invite some friends over.
Or don’t.
Find a really divey bar.
 Play a song on the jukebox.
Have a drink with an old man who will tell you stories.
Buy a one-time use camera.
Take a walk in the woods.
Let yourself get lost.
Notice the fullness of the trees,
Notice the sounds of summer all around you,
Notice the way the air smells different here.
Watch some bugs.
Take pictures.
Keep exploring.
Go somewhere and watch the sunset.
Eat salt water taffy.
Listen to a lot of Top 40 music.
Go to a carnival.
Go to a county fair.
Eat your weight in fried foods – elephant ears, fried Oreos, onion rings.
Play a game.
Win a stuffed animal.
Go on a ride.
People watch.
Take more photos.
Make a fort out of pillows.
Go fishing.
Have a root beer float.
Send a postcard.
Drink beers on a porch, on a patio, on a stoop, on a roof.
Say hi to someone who walks by.
Make someone laugh.
Have a dance party for one.
Watch a meteor shower in an open field.
Have a beach day,
Have a rainy day next to a window,
Have a sick day you take off to nap in the sun.
Kiss someone you think is really great.
Drink sangria.
Have a cookout.
Hang out with someone who has a pool, a lake house, a cottage, or just something somewhere you can get away to for a while and forget about who you are.
Read a book.
Read another book.
Eat a lot of ice cream.
Visit a friend you haven’t seen in a long time.
Get lost in conversation until 3 in the morning.
Go see a movie.
Think about someone you miss.
Listen to a song that makes you feel alive.
Go to a park.
Go to a festival.
Go to movie night in the park.
Go to a playground.
Wish this moment could last forever.