Born… Read Full Bio ↴Raúl E. Esparza (born October 24, 1970) is an American stage actor.
Born in Wilmington, Delaware to Cuban American parents and raised in Miami, Florida, Esparza graduated from Belen Jesuit in 1988 and later received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Esparza first drew attention with his performance in the 2000 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show, which won him the Theatre World Award. Additional Broadway credits include Cabaret (2001), Taboo (2003), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (2005) and Sondheim’s Company (2006). He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award for his performance in the ill-fated musical Taboo. Esparza’s performance in Company earned him a second Tony nomination, this time for Best Actor in a Musical, as well as his second Drama Desk award. Beginning in November 2007, Raúl appeared in Harold Pinter’s play The Homecoming and was Tony-nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Play. In 2008, he played Charlie Fox in the revival of David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow co-starring Jeremy Piven and Elisabeth Moss on Broadway. His performance in Speed-the-Plow earned him a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play, making him the second performer after Boyd Gaines to be nominated in all four acting categories a performer is eligible for at the Tonys, although he has yet to win one.
His off-Broadway work includes Comedians (2003, The Normal Heart (2004) and the critically acclaimed Public Theatre production of Twelfth Night (2009) which included music by New York-based band, Hem.
In 1999, Esparza portrayed Che in the national tour of Evita. In regional theatre, he has appeared in two Stephen Sondheim musicals, Sunday in the Park with George and Merrily We Roll Along both presented at the 2002 Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration.
Visit http://www.RaulEsparza.com/ for more information.
Time Warp
Raúl Esparza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Madness takes its toll
But listen closely, not for very much longer
I've got to keep control
I remember doing the Time Warp
Drinking those moments when
The blackness would hit me and the void would be calling
Let's do the time warp again!
It's just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right
With your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight
But it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insane,
Let's do the Time Warp again!
It's so dreamy, oh fantasy free me
So you can't see me, no not at all
In another dimension, with voyeuristic intention
Well-secluded, I see all
With a bit of a mind flip
You're there in the time slip
And nothing can ever be the same
You're spaced out on sensation, like you're under sedation
Let's do the Time Warp again!
Well I was walking down the street just a-having a think
When a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink
He sme up, he took me by surprise
He had a pickup truck and the devil's eyes.
He stared at me and I felt a change
Time meant nothing, never would again
Let's do the Time Warp again!
"Time Warp" is a song from the 1975 cult classic film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," performed by the character Riff Raff in the movie. It is a catchy and energetic tune, with a mix of rock-and-roll, disco, and sci-fi themes. The song's opening lines, "It's astounding, time is fleeting, madness takes its toll," set the stage for the story's chaotic and unpredictable nature.
The singer of the song is a character who has been to a different dimension and experienced time travel. The lyrics recount their memories of doing the "Time Warp," a dance that involves stepping to the left and right, bringing your knees in tight, and performing a pelvic thrust. This dance has become iconic and is often accompanied by a choreographed routine performed at midnight showings of the film.
The song's lyrics speak to a sense of escapism and the desire to be transported to a different dimension, where nothing is quite what it seems. The singer sings about being "dreamy, fantasy free," and experiencing intense sensations that leave them "spaced out." It's a song about embracing the bizarre and the unknown, letting go of constraints and expectations, and dancing to an unpredictable beat.
Line by Line Meaning
It's astounding, time is fleeting
The passing of time is surprising and quick.
Madness takes its toll
Losing control can cause madness.
But listen closely, not for very much longer
Pay attention because it won't last forever.
I've got to keep control
I need to maintain my composure.
I remember doing the Time Warp
I recall performing the Time Warp dance.
Drinking those moments when
Enjoying those moments where
The blackness would hit me and the void would be calling
When the darkness loomed over me and I felt emptiness.
Let's do the time warp again...
Let's perform the Time Warp dance again...
It's just a jump to the left
A simple step to the left.
And then a step to the right
And then a step to the right.
With your hands on your hips
Place your hands on your hips.
You bring your knees in tight
Pull your knees towards your body.
But it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insane,
But it's the hip thrust that makes you feel wild.
Let's do the Time Warp again!
Let's perform the Time Warp dance again!
It's so dreamy, oh fantasy free me
It's so surreal, oh let me escape reality.
So you can't see me, no not at all
So I can remain hidden and unseen.
In another dimension, with voyeuristic intention
In a different realm, with the intention to observe.
Well-secluded, I see all
Well-hidden, I witness everything.
With a bit of a mind flip
With a quick change of thought.
You're there in the time slip
You're now in a different time.
And nothing can ever be the same
And everything will forever be changed.
You're spaced out on sensation, like you're under sedation
You're enjoying the feeling, like you're under medication.
Let's do the Time Warp again!
Let's perform the Time Warp dance again!
Well I was walking down the street just a-having a think
I was strolling down the street while pondering.
When a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink
When a deceitful-looking man winked at me.
He sme up, he took me by surprise
He approached me from behind, surprising me.
He had a pickup truck and the devil's eyes.
He had a truck and had an intimidating look in his eyes.
He stared at me and I felt a change
He looked at me intensely and I felt a shift in energy.
Time meant nothing, never would again
Time lost its meaning and I knew it would never be the same again.
Let's do the Time Warp again!
Let's perform the Time Warp dance again!
Contributed by Liliana J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheKiss
Raul Esparza is better than everything else in this video combined.
David Payne
I'll never understand people's obsession with bringing other performers down to bring up their favourites...
Joshua Youngs
Hard to imagine him as a DA on Law and Order SVU now 😂
jamesthemaniac
how did he do that 8 times a week without shredding his voice?!?!?
StrivingFor Mindfulness
TheKiss
Especially his hip thrusts at 3:28!! 😍🤤
Leigh Fletcher
Absolutely - the only reason to watch.
Mary Hannah Stites
I’m still baffled on why Raul didn’t get a Tony nomination for this. He was BRILLIANT as Riff Raff.
Amaya Jones
Hannah Stites But at least he was awarded for his debut
far_out
I would love for someone on the set of SVU to pull this up and make Mariska and everyone watch it. Because this is damn fabulous Raul.
Reannah Ennis
He’ll yeah