There was a time, on a late Saturday night, when I’d cake on eyeliner and pack a bag full of toast, newspaper, and rice. Midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show have become a rite of passage for freaks, geeks, or anyone with a penchant for cosplay, since the 1975 film adaptation of the stage production became a cult favorite. The oddly controlled revival, now playing on Broadway at Studio 54, might make one wonder, what was I thinking?
One of the fundamental joys of watching the film is its participatory abandon. But in Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival, director Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary!) keeps audiences on a short leash, even if it’s studded leather.
The safe word is “Broadway”
As the show begins, an announcement reminds the audience: “Don’t be an asshole.” We’re in a theater with live performers, we’re told. Fair enough. Rachel Dratch, as the narrator, kept solid control of the crowd the night I attended, her improv experience coming in handy for shout-outs. Still, “asshole!” and “slut!” echoed through the rafters at our forlorn couple, Brad (Andrew Durand) and Janet (Stephanie Hsu), as they stumble upon a castle after their car breaks down.
Riff Raff (a fantastically committed Amber Gray) and other less interesting servants, including Columbia (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez) and Magenta (Juliette Lewis), invite the pair into the eerie digs. Meanwhile, as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Luke Evans brings a Tim Curry-inspired jolt to creator Richard O’Brien’s B-list horror movie and science fiction send-up.
It wants better content.
The scenic design by dots keeps things appropriately kitschy, with Jane Cox’s lighting and Brian Ronan’s sound design adding further flair and shockwaves. By the time our scantily clad monster, Rocky (a muscled and magnetic Josh Rivera), arrives, the room is electric, but the voltage wavers.
Varying degrees of stage experience among the cast give an adult-learner college production vibe as glaring as the neon green rope lights strung throughout the theater. Nostalgic, sure, but is this the caliber Broadway audiences expect to see? If only there were a post-show cast party at Denny’s.
As Frank-N-Furter says, “It’s not easy having a good time.”
Is ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ worth seeing?
Luke Evans earns every inch of those heels, but Roundabout’s revival of The Rocky Horror Show delivers more controlled experiment than midnight mayhem.
- Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street, New York City
- Notable performers: Luke Evans, Stephanie Hsu, Juliette Lewis, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez
- Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission
- Performances through July 19, 2026
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