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New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Meat Loaf was 'always loud' on 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' set
Meat Loaf is still being remembered for his role in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' 50 years after the musical comedy's premiere. Richard O'Brien, who created 'Rocky Horror' and starred as the hunchbacked handyman Riff Raff in the beloved cult classic, opened up about the film and Meat Loaf's time on set while commemorating the movie's 50th anniversary of its world premiere on Aug. 14. 12 Meat Loaf as Eddie in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' 1975 film adaptation. Everett Collection / Everett Col Advertisement 12 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' creator Richard O'Brien as Riff Raff in the 1975 film adaptation. 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Courtesy: Everett Collection 'Working with Meat Loaf was always fun,' O'Brien, 83, exclusively told The Post. 'He was loud and always needed laughter around him all the time, even if things weren't funny.' 'He was a good old boy,' the actor and writer added. 'He was fun.' Advertisement 'Rocky Horror,' which began as a musical stage production in 1973, was adapted into a feature film in 1975. 12 Meat Loaf as the motorcycle-riding, former delivery boy Eddie in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' Getty Images 12 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' co-stars Meat Loaf and Tim Curry together at an event in 1995. Getty Images Besides starring Meat Loaf as a raucous, motorcycle-riding former delivery boy named Eddie, it also starred Tim Curry (Dr. Frank-N-Furter), Susan Sarandon (Janet Weiss), Barry Bostwick (Brad Majors) and Patricia Quinn (Magenta). Advertisement Meat Loaf, whose real name was Michael Lee Aday and who went on to release hits like 'I'd Do Anything for Love' and 'Bat Out of Hell,' tragically passed away in January 2022 following a serious battle with Covid-19. He was 74. However, the 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light' hitmaker discussed 'Rocky Horror' and his role as Eddie years before his shocking death. 12 Meat Loaf in 1979. Getty Images 12 Meat Loaf at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 3, 2013. FilmMagic Advertisement 'The first two weeks when we were doing the play, all we did was the music; they had not given us a script,' Meat Loaf, who starred in both the stage production and the film, explained in a 2007 interview. 'They come to me on the part of 'Hot Patootie,' and Richard O'Brien is here at these rehearsals,' the singer continued. 'He said, 'On this song, you'll never be able to get all the words in. I wrote it, and I can't sing all the words.'' 'I looked at him and said, 'I can sing all the words,'' Meat Loaf recalled. 'Nobody could ever get in and just make those words fly through it. I just love telling people 'I can do that' and then being able to do it.' 12 The 'Bat Out of Hell' singer riding a motorcycle while portraying Eddie in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' Getty Images 12 Meat Loaf and Richard O'Brien during the BRIT Awards in London, England, on February 16, 1993. Getty Images O'Brien also gushed about working with Curry, 79, while looking back at 'Rocky Horror' after 50 years. 'Working with Tim was a dream,' O'Brien said of the 'Home Alone 2' star. 'We were actors, and we approached it very seriously.' As for Sarandon, 78, and Bostwick, 80, being cast as Janet and Brad, O'Brien said that it was a 'happy accident' and the film was 'very lucky' to land the pair as its two leads. Advertisement 12 Richard O'Brien and Tim Curry at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards at the Savoy Hotel in London, England, on January 22, 1974. Getty Images 12 Richard O'Brien as Riff Raff, Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Patricia Quinn as Magenta in 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection 'That was fascinating,' he shared. 'We'd been doing the stage show for a year and a half, and then arriving into that comes these two hapless Americans who didn't really know what it was about.' 'But they came into our world, which was perfect,' O'Brien continued. 'It was Barry who first came along, and he took Susan along with him, which was just wonderful.' Advertisement 'Instead of looking for anyone else, looking for a Janet to go with them, there she was, and there they were,' O'Brien added. 'It was perfect.' 12 Richard O'Brien performing at the Playhouse Theatre in London, England, on September 17, 2015. Getty Images 12 Richard O'Brien at Picturehouse Central in London, England, on September 17, 2015. David M. Benett 'Rocky Horror' first premiered at the Rialto Theatre in London, England, on Aug. 14, 1975. Advertisement Directed by Jim Sharman with a screenplay by him and O'Brien, the musical comedy horror film is still in limited release 50 years later, making it one of the longest-running theatrical releases in movie history. 'We were all happy,' O'Brien said while looking back on shooting the 'Rocky Horror' film. 'It didn't matter how cold it was. We were all happy.' 'We understood what we were doing, and we wanted to make this as good as possible,' he concluded.
RTÉ News
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
We have the talent - so why not an Irish musical theatre scene?
London has the West End. New York has Broadway. Ireland has… Well, we have a well-established and respected theatre scene, of course. Still, imagine a theatre district dedicated to musical theatre - where we welcome the odd touring production, but primarily stage our own homegrown shows featuring local actors, lighting designers, set designers et al? The so-called green wave has been discussed extensively in recent years and our bands, musicians, artists, actors and writers are undoubtedly doing great things 'out foreign'. Yet for some reason, the 'musical theatre' branch of the performing arts is often an afterthought in Ireland. There are a number of brilliant stage schools around the country that cater for kids and young adults, and which often set them up for stellar careers in the industry. Yet when they get to a certain age, they're essentially forced to leave Ireland to train in the UK. Listen: Sarah O'Connor talks to Marty In The Morning Is it because musicals are often perceived by some as the frivolous little sibling to 'serious' or straight theatre? I've interviewed several of our most successful musical theatre stars in recent years. One of them, the brilliant Sarah O'Connor, played Glinda in a recent touring production of Wicked, spoke about the necessity of leaving Dublin after her Leaving Cert to pursue her dream at a Performing Arts school in Romford, Essex - a "scary" proposition to leave home so young. Another, Kildare native Sharon Sexton - who originated the role of Sloane in the acclaimed Meat Loaf musical Bat Out of Hell and has forged an incredible career for herself - said that after outgrowing Naas Musical Society as a kid, there was no other option but to leave for London. "There were no musical theatre courses in Ireland when it came to me leaving school, but there was a drama course in DIT," she said of the concession that she made at the time. "So I kind of persuaded my folks to let me study there, because you got a qualification as a teacher. I did that for three years, and after that, just kind of tried to find work in Ireland - if there was any musical going, I was in there. But y'know yourself, there's no real musical theatre industry, as such, in Ireland. You've got the pantos at Christmas - which I did, or the odd musical in the National Concert Hall - which I did. And I, Keano, which was billed as 'Ireland's Biggest Musical' - and which I did." We have the talent in abundance - and we should be doing everything to foster this and build upon it, rather than exporting our talent to the UK like teenage footballers being snapped up by Premier League clubs. It's not just musical theatre, either; performing arts are lacking in funding and framework on a wider scale to train and support budding artists who want to pursue it as a career at home. Dublin ballet dancer Stephen Murray, who recently wowed audiences in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, revealed the circuitous route he was forced to take to pursue his dream in ballet - from the Westside Stage School in Lucan as a kid, to the College of Dance in Monkstown, and finally to London's Central School of Ballet when he was just 16. It has undoubtedly worked out well for him - but wouldn't it have been better for him to train at an elite level in his hometown? The main problem, of course, is that there is simply not enough work in Ireland to sustain everyone who wants to work in musical theatre full-time. There aren't enough homegrown shows, outside of panto season and the odd outlier like I, Keano, to keep performers in employment for twelve months of the year. While it's unrealistic to imagine that we could ever rival the West End or Broadway, it's also something that will never change if we're not prepared to fund the sector and invest in building an Irish homegrown musical theatre scene. It would be nice to see more Irish-made productions, to start with. Why not? Listen: The Ray D'Arcy Show talks to the cast of Little Shop Of Horrors On that note, the production o f Little Shop of Horrors currently running at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre is a huge step in the right direction. Since opening its doors in 2010, the theatre in the heart of Dublin's docklands has hosted some of the biggest musical productions of all time, from Wicked to Hamilton and The Lion King to The Book of Mormon. Little Shop of Horrors, however, is an absolutely stellar show; from the set design, to the puppetry and the excellent performances across the board, there is no sense of cutting corners. Taking on Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's camp classic is no mean feat, but this show emphatically proves that it can be done to a high standard. It also proves that we have the talent in abundance - and we should be doing everything to foster this and build upon it, rather than exporting our talent to the UK like teenage footballers being snapped up by Premier League clubs. Most people would agree that theatre - and particularly independent Irish theatre - could do with a lot more funding. Actor Aaron Monaghan, most recently seen in The Cave at Dublin's Abbey Theatre, spoke passionately about how difficult it has become to get funding for his own independent company, the Cavan-based Livin' Dred, which has done great work including a recent production of Playboy of the Western World, which he directed. "I think everything comes back to the crash and the decisions that were made about the cuts; everything," he said when I spoke to him earlier this year. "I say this in a very well-meaning way - because I think the decisions that were made were well-intentioned - but there was too much being spent on infrastructure, on the administration side of things. And they could have been better streamlined, but what they ended up doing was cutting companies. So as well as cutting the architecture and the infrastructure out of the industry, we lost a huge amount of administrative and producing experience. And we also cut a huge amount of companies - which meant a lot of artists were gone, a lot of companies gone, a lot of audiences gone. There had been huge diversity of work: you had Barabbas who were doing clown stuff, Performance Corporation were doing their stuff, Second Age were providing things for schools. So if suddenly they're all gone overnight, it's huge. And I don't think we've recovered from that." If the 'green wave' is really more than just a soundbite for American media around Oscars season, it needs to encompass every aspect of Irish arts - and musical theatre shouldn't be left behind.
7NEWS
22-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Mourners say goodbye to AFL great Robert Walls in emotional funeral at the MCG
The Robert Walls' funeral ended on a highly emotional note on Thursday, with a letter penned by the AFL legend read out to the hundreds of mourners who turned up to the MCG service. Walls — who chose to end his own life rather than keep fighting the rare cancer that was slowly killing him — pre-wrote the letter, ensuring a final goodbye from the grave to friends and family. Not even any of his family knew a note from beyond the grave was coming. 'The most fortunate thing in my life was meeting and marrying Erin — we raised three beautiful kids: Rebecca, David and Daniel,' Walls wrote. 'Who have become just very good, kind, respectful, decent people. 'My adult kids are my best friends. 'Erin and I shared over 30 years together. She was always my strong, loyal support, and a devoted mum.' He then spoke about his partner, Julie, who he met after Erin, saying 'fortune shone' on him when they met. He then said farewell for the last time in classic Walls style. 'Enough from me, goodbye, best wishes and be kind to each other,' he wrote. Football great Robert Walls was remembered as a devoted family man, mentor and friend in a touching service celebrating his life. About 600 mourners attended the service at MCG's Members Dining Room, including many AFL champions and media icons. Carlton greats such as Stephen Kernahan, Stephen Silvagni and Craig Bradley all paid their respects to Walls, as did Michael Voss (who was coached by Walls when he was at the Brisbane Bears). After Walls' coaching career ended with an unhappy tenure at Richmond, he became a respected commentator — always with the forthright and fierce demeanour that had marked his lengthy tenure inside the game. David Barham worked with Walls when the Essendon president was head of sport Channel 10. 'Wallsy set the standard for expert commentators. He remains the best I have ever seen,' Barham said. 'At times he was blunt, and brutally honest, but it never came from anything other than what he believed was right and fair.' Barham also relayed a story about Walls and Meat Loaf when the famous US Bat Out of Hell singer performed at the 2011 grand final. Barham revealed Meat Loaf was thinking about pulling out of the event due to rain, and he had let that information slip to Walls. There were concerns from Meat Loaf's representatives about safety in performing on an outside stage. 'It was big news, and given this was (Channel 10's) last grand final (as the AFL broadcaster) ... the confidentiality part slipped my mind, and I decided I would tell Wallsy,' Barham said. '(Robert) didn't take it well. He lived his life by fronting up no matter what, and he didn't take to people who dodged their responsibilities. On air, he gave Meat Loaf one of his better sprays … along the lines of 'he just must front up and perform … he's being paid a lot of money … it's just a bit of a drizzle… if he doesn't perform I will'. 'He finished with my personal favourite: 'Just tell the Big Loaf, to harden up and get out there …' 'Wallsy's on air spray started a bit of a media bushfire and the news spread quickly. 3AW picked up the story and it blew up into a drama. 'Meatloaf's man, turned directly to me and launched into me, he was screaming ... 'Walls … who's Walls' … Walls' … I looked him straight in the eye and said, 'I have never heard of him' … and then turned around and walked away, knowing Wallsy had single-handedly ensured Meatloaf's half-time show was back on. 'Suffice to say, had it not been for Wallsy, we may not have the Meat Loaf memory, something we have all enjoyed talking about for more than a decade. 'Wallsy, if you are listening to this and you have ended up in the same place as Meat Loaf, a warning, he will probably be looking for you, and I suggest an apology might be a good thing … however, if you do see him, tell him it was great TV.'
Press and Journal
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Press and Journal
Meat Loaf tribute act leaves the Aberdeen audience 'All Revved Up'
There's a fine line between homage and impersonation. Heaven Can Wait, the Meat Loaf tribute act currently touring the UK, knows exactly where to walk it. Big vocals, high drama, and more than a few raised eyebrows. The show knows exactly what it is, and in Aberdeen on Wednesday night it delivered everything the crowd came for. More than three years on from Meat Loaf's passing, his music still has the power to fill a theatre and stir a crowd which is a testament to just how deeply it connected. Taking on Meat Loaf is no small feat – literally. It's not just about hitting the notes. It's about channelling that wild-eyed, operatic melodrama that made him such a one-off. Frontman Lee Brady is a brave soul, stepping into the spotlight with the swagger and stamina needed to power through an epic Jim Steinman setlist. And to his credit, he delivers. No one can truly be Meat Loaf, but Brady finds the theatrical core and runs with it. During two 45 minute sets he's backed by a rock-solid band of seasoned UK musicians, including female vocalist Kerry Carlton, handling everything from Paradise by the Dashboard Light to Dead Ringer for Love. This wasn't just a karaoke night in wigs; there was proper musicianship on display. Some music fans can be a bit sniffy about these shows, but it's worth noting that many players split their time between tributes and original projects. Far from stifling creativity, often gigs like this help fund it. The setlist is exactly what it needs to be. We got the big Bat Out of Hell hitters, along with some deep cuts. The show leans into the over-the-top drama that made these songs iconic. It's ridiculous, of course, but that's exactly the point. A quick nod, too, to the venue. The Tivoli Theatre is one of Aberdeen's hidden gems. Rich in heritage and with an intimate feel, it's a perfect match for a show built on connection and emotion rather than sheer scale. The all-seated setup perhaps encouraged a reserved response from the polite Aberdeen audience. The crowd, mostly folks who were around when Bat Out of Hell first came screaming out of radios nearly half a century ago, took some coaxing before they got up and let loose during the second half. In the end, Heaven Can Wait isn't trying to replace the original. It's trying to keep the fire burning. And for Wednesday night's Aberdeen crowd, it did. If you came looking for subtlety, you were in the wrong century. But if you came looking for a rock opera dream of leather, heartbreak and passion, you'd do anything for this show. It's no surprise that it's set to return next year. If you enjoyed this story, you may also like:
The Independent
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Remember Monday, What the Hell Just Happened? review: Eurovision entry is Meatloaf meets Chappell Roan
'What the Hell Just Happened?' I'll tell you what, the UK has unveiled a genuinely good Eurovision entry in the form of pop trio Remember Monday, the first girl group to represent since 1999. What the hell, indeed. The big reveal of the act chosen to perform at the annual Eurovision Song Contest has, for the past decade, carried with it a sense of doom. Britain has a victim mentality when it comes to the world's biggest singing competition – particularly since Brexit, naysayers have claimed that politics is a sword of Damocles hanging over the head of whichever sacrificial lamb we decide to send to the slaughter. Never mind that the UK has in fact won five times, tied for the second-most wins with Luxembourg, France and the Netherlands, with Ireland and Sweden claiming the most wins (seven). In truth – and as any true Eurovision fan knows – the UK is its own worst enemy. With the exception of 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder, who dazzled the public voters and the jury with his golden voice and golden retriever energy, our more recent history is a graveyard of forgettable, identikit ballads performed by quailing pop singers. None of whom can hope to compete against delegates from countries who better understand what voters look for in a winning candidate. Give it up for Remember Monday, then, who have co-written what sounds like the result of a drunken one-night stand between Meatloaf's 'Bat Out of Hell' and Chappell Roan 's 'Pink Pony Club'. There's certainly a touch of Queen and Elton John in those dramatic piano crescendos, squalling guitar riffs and bombastic blasts of synth – this is a full-scale production, full of fun and flair. The lyrics, too, present Remember Monday as actual personalities (crucial for Eurovision), with the kind of winking, tongue-in-cheek tone that made Little Mix so endearing. Thematically, it's reminiscent of Katy Perry 's 2011 bop 'Last Friday Night (TGIF)' and Carrie Underwood's 'Last Night', a piecing-together of the messiness of the previous evening: 'Broke a heel, lost my keys, scraped my knee/When I fell from the chandelier…/ Ripped my dress, call an ex, I confess/ I'm obsessed, not the best idea…' There's a devil-may-care hedonism to it, the kind Britain seems to yearn for right now. In the midst of a cost of living crisis and a particularly bleak news cycle, 'What the Hell Just Happened?' does for pop what Disney's Jilly Cooper adaptation Rivals did for TV. It's a throwback to carefree times, when the biggest thing you had to worry about was whether you did call your ex after five shots of tequila. How will they fare at Eurovision? No idea, but I like it.
