Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – On Broadway, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW is giddily revived in a thoroughly downtown manner

• By drediman
• April 24, 2026
• No Comments

Last night, Roundabout Theatre Company’s highly anticipated production of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show opened on Broadway at what has to be the ideal venue for the cult musical, Studio 54. This season on the Great White Way, the revival joins Titaníque and Schmigadoon! in terms of promising audiences campy escapist fun. In that respect, it most certainly delivers. In my mind, however, this Rocky Horror truly shines as a defiant statement for the maintenance of individuality — notably of the fierce queer variety — particularly in the face of an administration that has been hostile to such displays of nonconformity. In this respect, the production actually has more in common with the revelatory Cats: The Jellicle Ball, with which the production will be vying for season-end revival awards. Both are essentially parties that enable empowerment.

The first thing that caught my attention about the revival was just how irresistibly stacked the company is, down to the last cast member. As Brad and Janet — the straight-laced couple who find themselves stranded on a dark and stormy night in a spooky mansion deep in a forest — the immensely appealing duo of Andrew Durand and Stephanie Hsu nonchalantly juxtapose winking gee-whiz innocence with the voraciousness of their newfound sexual desires. Juliet Lewis (Magenta), Amber Gray (Riff Raff), and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Columbia) bring edgy mischievousness and bespoke kooky energy to the roles of the mansion’s rambunctious denizens. Best of all are Luke Evans and Rachel Dratch as the show’s two ringleaders, the sexually omnivorous Dr. Frank-N-Furter and the show’s seemingly unassuming narrator. The statuesque Evans is a force of nature, conjuring a tornado of impulse-driven chaos every time he makes an appearance. Dratch, on the other hand, brings her extensive improv background to the relatively somber role of the narrator, resulting in some hilariously off-kilter, fourth wall-breaking moments throughout. Overall, the performances find just the right balance between grungy outrageousness and Broadway polish — as does the production itself.

Indeed, aside from Evans and Dratch, the other runaway star of Roundabout’s production is Sam Pinkleton — the director who helmed Cole Escola’s Oh, Mary! to smash hit success — whose staging is inspired mayhem. What’s particularly wonderful about the revival is how thoroughly downtown and low-tech it registers (think Charles Ludlam meets Basil Twist), thankfully with nary a video projection in sight. Indeed, there’s something kitschily handcrafted about the whole affair. Strewn with found objects, the production — scrappily designed by the collective dots to spectacular effect — cozily bleeds into the subversive ethos of Studio 54 itself. As such, the show is more of an immersive event — like watching a midnight showing of the film the musical spawned, there are even interactive opportunities to literally hackle the performance — than your typical and predictable theater-going experience.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
Broadway, Musical
Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54
1 hour, 50 minutes (including an intermission)
Through July 19