Latest news with #PatriciaQuinn
BBC News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Rocky Horror Show cast get ready to Time Warp in Belfast
The cast of the touring production of the Rocky Horror Show have paid homage to one of the show's original stars, who is from Belfast. Patricia Quinn starred in the original stage production and in the film. It is also a "full circle moment" for Connor Carson, from Killinchy in County Down, who is playing Brad Majors in the touring Rocky Horror Show first opened as a stage production in the Royal Court in 1973 and then became a film starring Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon. The popular show has built up a huge cult following over the years as fans follow the adventures of Brad Majors and Janet Weiss who accidentally find themselves in Frank-N-Furter's country mansion living alongside the perfect man Rocky and domestics Riff Raff and Magenta. The iconic Time Warp dance is also a hugely popular feature of the show. Patricia Quinn played Magenta and the Usherette in the Royal Court production and subsequent film. Natasha Hoeberigs is now playing Magenta and the Usherette and is proud to be part of a show with such an important legacy. "Incredible people have come and gone through the show over the years, like the amazing Patricia Quinn," she said."To step into the shoes of a role that she originated, it's a blessing, it's a dream come true," she said. "I grew up as a child in New Zealand watching the film and watching her portrayal and thinking that's amazing,". In Hamilton in New Zealand there is a statue of Riff Raff. Rocky fans have tried to get a Magenta statue organised in Belfast. Ms Hoeberigs believes it "has to happen". "I think we need to start a petition and I think everyone who is a fan of Rocky Horror needs to get on board with this and we must pay homage to Patricia Quinn and her Magenta," she said. "Richard O'Brien has his statue in Hamilton in New Zealand and it would be so special to have one here in Belfast." Connor Carson used to perform in amateur shows in Belfast and Lisburn before training professionally. He has now performed in the West End and Rocky Horror is his first UK tour."The first professional show I ever watched as a little kid was here in the Grand Opera House so it's definitely a full circle moment to come back here and be playing one of the leads in Rocky Horror - it's a pinch me moment," he says it is very comforting to hear Northern Irish accents in the crowd and meeting him at stage door. "It's such an iconic show and people love it so much so it's great to bring that to Belfast as well," he said. "There is pressure here as I've a bunch of family and friends coming to see it this weekend. "It's amazing to be part of something that means so much to people and that they can connect with. It's really special."One of Connor's favourite bits of the show is getting to perform the Time Warp, particularly during the finale. "Doing the Time warp is an iconic piece of choreography, everyone has been doing at primary school discos since they were five years old," he added. The Rocky Horror show is currently playing at the Grand Opera House in Belfast before moving on to Dublin and then the Millennium Forum in Londonderry.
Time Out
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Rocky Horror is turning 50 and you can celebrate with the cult classic's stars in NYC
Talk about a Time Warp: The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been part of the pop culture landscape for a full five decades now. Originally released in theaters September 25, 1975, the future cult classic made barely a splash during its initial theatrical run, despite the presence of pre-fame Barry Bostwick, Tim Curry, and Susan Sarandon. But in the years since, the musical took on a whole new life as a midnight movie sensation, potentially keeping fishnets on the market long past their natural expiration date. And to celebrate its big 50th anniversary this year, actors from the beloved film have been touring North America with a very special iteration of the beloved screening tradition, giving fans a chance to party with the stars. And the tour just announced a stop in New York City: On Friday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m., bring your rubber gloves and noisemakers to The Town Hall, where stars Bostwick (Brad), Nell Campbell (Columbia) and Patricia Quinn (Magenta) will be on hand for a very special screening. Each stop on the tour includes a costume contest and a screening of the film, with a 'shadow cast' of locals performing scenes in front of the screen—which is to say, it's a glitzier, starrier version of your classic midnight movie screening. Budget your props and costumes accordingly! ' Rocky has changed lives, not just ours, and had a profound effect on how we accept our differences in this world,' Barry Bostwick said in a statement. 'We were fitted for our corsets and high heels and enthusiastically started singing songs that have endured for all these years. And 'dammit Janet'! I have made nerds cool.' 'Fifty years ago, I auditioned for The Rocky Horror Show at the 60-seat Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London," Patricia Quinn added. "I asked my agent, 'What's it about?' He replied, 'Something to do with a circus.' He wasn't wrong. I've been in this circus ever since! 'Cirque Du Rocky Horror' I'm lucky! We're all lucky!! Don't dream it be it.' 'I never would have thought all these years later we'd be touring our little ole film,' Campbell said. 'I'm so thrilled to get back on the road and to meet several generations of fans. Looking forward to a lot of fun just like it always was!' And if you can't make it the night of November 3, never fear: A Broadway revival of the stage show is headed to Studio 54 next spring, directed by Tony winner Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary).
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposal for passenger rail to Bangor loses steam in committee
Apr. 24—A renewed effort to restore passenger rail service from Portland to Bangor was soundly rejected Thursday by the Legislature's transportation committee, following a similar failed attempt last year. The committee voted 9-1 against LD 487, recommending that it "ought not to pass" when the bill goes before the House and Senate in the coming weeks. The bill would direct the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), operator of the Amtrak Downeaster, to apply for at least $500,000 in federal funding to develop a proposal for passenger service between Portland and Orono, just north of Bangor. The bill's opponents, including NNEPRA and the Maine Department of Transportation, say passenger service to Bangor would be too slow, attract too few riders and cost too much to establish and operate. Its supporters dispute all of those points and say the expansion is a practical and necessary investment that would share the environmental and economic benefits of passenger service with more rural parts of Maine. Committee members responded to guidance from Maine rail officials, who said that the project likely wouldn't qualify for federal funding and warned that railroad grants are in jeopardy under President Donald Trump. "There is a great deal of uncertainty at this time," said Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA's executive director. Rep. Lydia Crafts, D-Newcastle, committee co-chair, said pursuing passenger service to Bangor now would be a "distraction" from the state's current passenger rail goals, which include moving Portland's train station and adding a train station in West Falmouth. Rep. Karen Montell, D-Gardiner, was the only committee member to support LD 487, saying that it would fund a study to show passenger service is warranted from Portland to Bangor. Several work session participants said the bill wouldn't fund such a study. Rep. Tavis Hasenfus, D-Readfield, proposed LD 487 after a similar bill, pitched by Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, was narrowly defeated last year. The Senate approved LD 860, 23-11, but the House voted it down, 80-64. Baldacci is co-sponsor of the current bill. Rail advocates still hope LD 487 can overcome cost and ridership concerns to win Legislative support, similar to the effort that brought the Downeaster to southern Maine nearly 24 years ago. The Maine Rail Group has commissioned a new feasibility study by the national Rail Passengers Association, which members say will show the ridership potential of extending passenger service to Bangor. The study will be completed by mid-May. "We believe that it will provide valuable information about extending Amtrak passenger service to Orono through Lewiston, Waterville and Bangor," the group said in an emailed statement. "It should be available to all legislators in time for votes during the current session." The bill would provide $40,000 to prepare an application to the Federal Railroad Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funds would be used to develop a proposal for passenger service from Portland through Auburn, Lewiston, Waterville and Bangor to Orono on the CSX Corp. freight line. Other stations would be added as passenger service developed. Proponents of the new bill say opposition last year was based on recommendations from an advisory group and a "propensity study" that didn't consider Lewiston when factoring traveler interest. That's because the previous bill initially considered a different route that passed through Brunswick and would have bypassed Lewiston. Excluding Maine's second-largest city was a mistake, expansion supporters say, noting the importance of connecting the state's three largest municipalities: Portland (population 69,104), Lewiston (38,404) and Bangor (31,628). Bruce White, a former legislator who served on the transportation committee last year, testified in favor of the legislation on March 6. "This is a new proposal," White told the committee. "This route has never been studied before. Those supporting this bill are confident that this study will show ridership sufficient to qualify for federal implementation funding." Supporters say it's unfair to deny passenger service to central and northern Maine, especially after investing more than $50 million ($89.7 million today, when adjusted for inflation) to bring the Downeaster from Boston to Portland in December 2001 — and continuing to spend $17 million annually to subsidize the service that now extends to Brunswick. They also point out that CSX Transportation, which operates on 481 miles of track and maintains 269 public grade crossings in Maine, has made rail improvements in the last two years allowing freight train speeds to increase to 40 mph, up from 10-25 mph. The improved tracks would allow passenger trains to travel up to 60 mph, according to Federal Railroad Administration standards. Nate Moulton, director of freight operations at Maine Department of Transportation, said a study completed in February 2023 estimated that it would cost $375 million to $538 million in equipment and track improvements to expand passenger service to Bangor, depending on which lines were used. Moulton also said the current Downeaster service covers about 50% of its costs with passenger fares and requires an annual public subsidy of about $16 million. He noted that passenger service to Bangor would parallel interstates 95 and 295, where commuters can travel up to 70 mph in personal vehicles or buses. He referred to an MDOT pilot commuter bus service that started last year between Lewiston-Auburn and Portland. Copy the Story Link
Boston Globe
27-03-2025
- Boston Globe
Railroad tie replacement work set to begin along 124 miles of Amtrak Downeaster train corridor, officials say
Bus service substitutions will be offered at select stations, during From April through mid-July, crews will work in increments of eight days on, six days off, officials said. 'The tie replacement is necessary to maintain the Downeaster's operating speed and reliability,' NNEPRA said. Advertisement Railroad tie replacement involves removing the perpendicular slabs that rails rest on. Older ties, often made of wood, can decay, compromising the stability of railroad tracks, officials said. 'The short-term temporary changes and service interruptions while track work is underway will result in long-lasting improvements that will benefit the public well into the future,' said Patricia Quinn, NNEPRA executive director. Nearly 600,000 riders took the Downeaster line in 2024, setting ridership and revenue records, officials said. A large portion of funding for the tie replacement project, about $27 million, was awarded to NNEPRA and CSX Transportation by a Federal-State Partnership grant, administered by the Federal Railroad Administration, according to the release. Sarah Mesdjian can be reached at
