DON'T DREAM IT, BE IT. That's the final message of The Rocky Horror Show, and that's the principle by which Angelique Cassimatis appears to be living her life. A self-described "pocket-rocket", this pint-sized triple threat performer has just landed the role of Columbia in the Melbourne season of the show.
Cassimatis wasn't born when The Rocky Horror Show premiered in London in 1973. A spoof on B-Grade horror and science fiction shows, with a Transylvanian drag queen as its star, the scandalously camp show spawned a cult following, particularly in the wake of the film version, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which opened in 1975 with Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon in the cast. The role of the groupie Columbia - "ìthe most human character in the cast" - involves a lot of tap dancing and some "crazy, head-flicking" choreography, says Cassimatis, with evident delight.
This is an extract from an article by Susan Bendall in the current issue of Dance Australia! Read the full article! Buy Dance Australia from your favourite retail outlet, or use our free app to purchase and download your copy, or make sure you receive every issue by subscribing here!