The show had a distinct look. The audience was watching in the theater along with the characters in the background, and they can clearly see the dark outline of the jokesters. The show’s creator Joel Hodgson decided to make the show live and take it around the country three years.
“My vision was to show people that this just wasn’t stuck in the ‘90s. That the brand was worth invigorating,” Hodgson said.
While the original show is special to Hodgson, the live show has its benefits. The live show has many twist and turns and it has more of a vaudeville-feel.
“Obviously it’s different because you are watching the movie with 1,200 other people. It’s live and you get a confirmation for things that you think are funny. In some ways it is better than the TV show,” Hodgson said.
The movie they will watch is “No Retreat, No Surrender.” Beyond just watching the movie, there will be sketches and songs throughout the night. Hodgson wanted to make the live show more than just a version of the TV show.
“We did a fair amount with staging. I wanted to put as much creativity into the staging as possible. There are new innovations for the puppets. The robots can do so much more now than before. I made it as theatrical as possible,” Hodgson said.
Hodgson went with a circus theme because it is very versatile. Beyond being fun, it makes writing much easier because there are so many premises that could be explored.
“We wanted a really broad concept and the circus is really having an identity crisis. The American circus is searching, so I wanted to put forth an idea about a robot circus. Everyone loves the circus,” Hodgson said.
Hodgson has loved touring the country with the show, but it is bittersweet. This will be his last tour, but he has been thankful for the public that still loves the show.
“I feel really grateful that people still come out and they still care. I am glad about that. It’s fun,” he said.
The goal of this final show is for Hodgson to say a final farewell while handing over the reins of the show to the new actors and writers. The tour has included numerous incarnations of the robots and new material.
“The idea is one day I will let go of it. That’s part of this (tour). It’s kind of about my vision to bring in new performers and writers,” he said.
After the tour ends, Hodgson will still be working behind the scenes and managing MST3K tours and shows. He has also said that other projects beyond MST3K will be explored, so he won’t be gone forever.
The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour starts at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Victoria Theatre at 138 N. Main St. For tickets, call 937-228-3630 or visit ticketcenterstage.com.
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