MCC SUNY Cortland – Rocky Horror Show 2025

MCC SUNY Cortland – Rocky Horror Show 2025

Matt Brooks: [00:00:00] Good morning. I’m Matt Brooks on X 1 0 1 oh, Waze Classic in for another edition of Meet Cortland County. And joining me in the studio this morning, well, we got Everett Zelmer, freshman at SUNY Cortland and Lizzie Fitzpatrick Carmo, also a senior at SUNY Cortland, both musical theater majors. And they’re part of the Rocky Horror Show going on from October 24th through November 1st is a SUNY Cortland co-production with the Cortland Repertory Theater at CRT downtown Now.

Thank you both for joining me this morning.

Lizzie: Thank you for having us.

Everett: Thank you for having us.

Matt Brooks: Alright. Now, first off, I mean the Rocky Horror Show. It is a cult classic that you hear a lot about during this time of the year, but there might be people, not familiar with the Rocky Horror Show. Can you tell me about the show for those who might not be familiar and about the characters you’re playing?

’cause I know Lizzie, you’re playing Janet and Everett, you’re playing Brad.

Lizzie: Yes. Well, I would hope that everybody’s at least heard of a little something called the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the movie version, but [00:01:00] we are doing the staged version, which fun fact actually was how the show came about first, and then it became the movie.

It was written by Richard O’Brien who plays riffraff in the movie, and it’s the celebration of individuality and storytelling and some crazy, crazy themes like aliens and learning who you are.

Matt Brooks: Yeah. No, it, it’s amazing. I mean, there’s some iconic songs that even if you haven’t heard about the, the, the show before, there’s definitely music that came out of it that you hear a lot during Halloween.

Lizzie: Oh, yes. And it is very special for its time because it was very rooted in rock music, and I’m very excited to be singing that. And I know that as a collective, our cast is really excited to be theater performers, singing rock based music.

Matt Brooks: Speaking of cast, you are part of the cast. Tell me about Janet.

Lizzie: Janet. Oh, I love her. So we see her in the beginning. She’s Brad’s fiance, but she’s so much more in the beginning. We see her [00:02:00] in kind of a meek light, but she learns who she is throughout the show by making mistakes, by learning where her line is as a person and experiencing. Not just worldly, but other worldly experiences.

And it’s a lot of fun to play her. She has her iconic song Touch Me, and it’s been a wonderful process getting to know her, and I’m so excited for everyone to see Janet.

Matt Brooks: And we also have Brad in the studio played by Everett. Tell me about your character.

Everett: So Brad is played as kind of this stereotypical male, like as the time.

He’s very uptight, very precise. But then as he goes through these intense experiences throughout the story, he slowly loosens up and learns who he is and how he should portray himself.

Matt Brooks: And this is a, a co-production, and this is the first that I’m aware of that the college is. Co-producing with the Cortland Repertory Theater.

Lizzie, you’re a senior. You’ve done through many productions with the [00:03:00] college. What was the experiences and differences being a co-production?

Lizzie: This has been a wonderful experience. This is my first time playing a lead while working with a guest director. Our director is Brian Nolton. He’s also the choreographer.

And he is just a light and a visionary, and it’s been wonderful working with him and learning from him because he has done so much work in the professional world as a senior. It’s really great to see that. Hoping that I get to experience more director and choreographers like that when I graduate. It’s also wonderful because we get to.

Be in that space. We get to perform at CRT. We’re used to performing in the Dowd Fine Arts Center, which is wonderful, but the set and the space that we’ve created at CRT is immersive for both the cast and the audience. And it’s a wonderful partnership that we are really, really so lucky to have, and I’m very excited to.

Get into the space and to have the [00:04:00] audience get into the space. We’re very thankful

Matt Brooks: and for, forgive me on the pun, but hopefully, this production really sets the stage for future co-productions in the coming years. So being the first, it, it really kind of sets the tone and just shows what experiences there to be to had.

Now taking a, a, a slight step back from the show itself, I wanna talk about the, department of Performing Arts and just the program in general. Everett, you’re a, a freshman this year. How do you feel about being, in a, in a theater production at the college level?

Everett: It has been such a great learning experience, especially working with someone as professional as Brian.

It has just been so amazing and every rehearsal that we’ve had. I’ve learned something new without a doubt. And it’s just been such a, like, pleasure to work with such talented like people.

Matt Brooks: Yeah. And you got plenty of time left. And again, it’s, you’re, if you’re going for a ba you’re gonna have plenty of productions under your belt.

By the time you graduate, turning over to Lizzie, you’re almost out the door [00:05:00] degree, almost in hand. How has, how has it been the past couple years?

Lizzie: It’s been absolutely wonderful an experience. I wouldn’t trade for anything. I have been lucky to be cast since the second semester of my freshman year, consistently and worked with so many wonderful people, not only in terms of.

Performances, but every single class I go to, vocal lesson, acting class, dance class. I am learning so much every single day. The work is never done. Even though I’m a senior, I still go to class every day knowing that I’m gonna leave soon. Like, oh my gosh, wait, no, I still so much to learn, but it’s only because we are surrounded by professors that are so ready to share their knowledge with us and make sure that we have everything we need before we move on.

Matt Brooks: Yeah. As a Cortland alum myself, I will definitely say learning never stops. So as after you watch, walk the stage, it’s you’re still gonna be learning. There’s plenty of, things just to learn about in the future. And [00:06:00] congratulations, by the way, for. Getting so far. Thank you. Now we are unfortunately running out of time getting back to the Rocky Horse Show.

How do people get their tickets?

Lizzie: Well, they can get their tickets on the Suny Cortland website, specifically cortland.edu/performing arts. That’s where you wanna get any and all of your tickets.

Matt Brooks: Yep. It’s not the Cortland Repertory Theater. I know it’s a co-production, but I know I checked their website and they actually relink right to your box office.

So definitely go to the SUNY Cortland website. For the tickets. That’s the Rocky Horror Show. October 24th through November 1st at CRT downtown co-production between SUNY Cortland and the Corly Repertory Theater. Get your tickets at cortland.edu/performing arts. Thank you both Lizzie and Everett for, for joining me this morning, and hope you have a great time at the show.

Lizzie: Thank you so much. Thank you.

Matt Brooks: This has been another edition of me, Cortland County. You’re on X 1 0 1 oh. Ways Classic. I’m Matt Brooks.