A Jump to the Left was started in 1990. Here you will find a timeline of Jump, with some of our favorite highlights! Late Summer, 1990: Tucson cast members gather in the living room of Andrew (their cast-leader/Frank), and compose the enduring and infamous Virgin Marriage/Sacrifice ceremony. October 20, 1990: members of Tucson’s yet-unnamed cast travel to Beverly Hills to attend the 15th Anniversary Convention, "The Master’s Affair", on the Fox backlot. Tucson’s own Rocky Horror, David Douglas, delights the celebrity judges (including Pat Quinn and Little Nell) with his boyish good looks, golden curls, Velcro-closure wraps, and a bright green glowstick in the front of his shorts, and takes home the costume contest prize for Rocky.Impressed by the performing casts, and with an eye towards traveling and performing at future conventions, the cast decides to come up with a name for themselves. Their first choice, as suggested by James Norman (Tucson Fan Club Rep/Dr. Scott), is "The Real Thing". This name is changed within a few months to the snazzier "A Jump to the Left", suggested by Phillip Van Allsburg (Brad). June
22, 1991: A Jump to the Left performs for the last time at
the 180-seat New Loft Theater on Sixth Street and Fremont. To mark the
historic event, the cast brings up the lights near the end of the film
and adds a live June 29, 1991: A Jump to the Left opens in their new home in the 150-seat upstairs theatre of the Loft Cinema, former site of the Showcase Cinema, on Speedway near Country Club. The cast soon moves to the downstairs theatre when it is feared that their enthusiastic audiences might bring down the downstairs lobby chandeliers with their stomping and Time-Warping. October, 1991: A Jump to the Left performs for the first time at a national convention, at "Rocky’s Sweet 16" in Las Vegas, Nevada. The cast’s performance includes a rendition of "Science Fiction Double Feature", as well as "Little Black Dress" from Shock Treatment, with original choreography. Halloween, 1991: A Jump to the Left debuts a brand new 35mm print of RHPS, complete with stereo soundtrack and the inclusion of both "Superheroes" and "Science Fiction Double Feature Reprise", previously unseen in Tucson. February 13, 1993: A Jump to the Left sponsors a benefit performance for the Tucson AIDS Project. The downstairs (540-seat) theatre sells out, and the cast raises over $2000 for the charity. August,
1993: members of A Jump to the Left perform at the "Age
of Consent" (18th Anniversary) convention, hosted by Midnight Insanity,
and appear on the September 3, 1994: The Loft reinstates RHPS showings after a summer hiatus, encouraged by a letter-writing campaign on the film’s behalf by members of AJttL. October
20, 1995: A Jump to the Left travels once again to Los Angeles,
and performs on the Roxy stage during the 20th Anniversary Convention,
sponsored by 20th Century Fox. For the next five years, Jump is a fixture
on the April, 1998: AJttL debuts their ground-breaking multimedia performance of KTRN News 69 (the brainchild of Sebastian Tantraas) at the NYC convention. The number’s combination of live and taped segments allow cast members who were unable to travel across the country to perform in tandem with those who were able to represent the cast in person. The number is an unqualified hit. October,
1999: AJttL hosts their first national convention at the Loft
Cinema. Capitalizing on the popularity of the News 69 brand, the cast
writes and produces an even more elaborate "Final Newscast"
that screens at the Fine Line October,
2000: AJttL performs "Fag Club" at the Cashman Center
in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the 20th Anniversary RHPS Convention. The number
(conceived by June,
2001: A Jump to the Left Magenta Kate Pitroff wins the "Trixie"
category in the costume contest at Midnight Insanity’s "Frankie
Goes to Hollywood" Convention at the Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood,
California. Kate’s costume consists of a sparkling red Trixie
costume that completely reverses to a Magenta dress, with a cigarette
tray that folds out into a monitor board. Kate receives special kudos,
hugs, and kisses from Patricia Quinn herself. September, 2001: A Jump to the Left revisits their charitable past and sells prop bags in support of the Red Cross. Future shows raise money and food items for the Tucson Community Food Bank. |