The Rocky Horror Show, Richard O'Brien's campy 1973 musical inspired by sci-fi and horror B-movies, has returned to Broadway at Studio 54. The production features a star-studded cast including Luke Evans as Frank-N-Furter, Juliette Lewis as Magenta, Stephanie Hsu as Janet, and Rachel Dratch as the Narrator. Directed by Sam Pinkleton, known for his work on the queer comedy Oh, Mary!, the revival aims to capture the cult classic's spirit but falls short of the energy found in the 1975 film adaptation.
The show opens with promise, as Lewis delivers a wobbly yet charming rendition of Science Fiction Double Feature. Hsu and Andrew Durand, playing Janet and Brad, carry the audience into the plot with winsome performances. Pinkleton's stagecraft, including hands poking out from curtains and miniature models of Frank-N-Furter's mansion, telegraphs the merry silliness to come. However, the energy soon sags. The crispness that Pinkleton brought to Oh, Mary! is absent here, replaced by aimless shuffling and a lack of tightness that one would expect from a professional production.
Luke Evans, while unsteady with Frank-N-Furter's dialogue and appearing self-conscious in a limp wig, comes alive during his songs. His rich tenor shines in I'm Going Home, one of the prettiest numbers on the setlist. Rachel Dratch is a hoot as the Narrator, gamely interacting with audience shout-outs. However, the comedy drops steeply elsewhere. Harvey Guillén as Eddie is barely audible during Hot Patootie, a number staged in a confused hurry. He fares better later as Dr. Scott, but by then, Pinkleton has become overwhelmed by O'Brien's helter-skelter plotting, letting beats and jokes whiz by incoherently.
The production seems to assume too much familiarity with the source material. While devotees in the audience happily participated, others appeared lost, including two adolescents and their mother who did not return for act two. A Broadway show charging hundreds of dollars a seat should ensure everyone is having a good time, not just those who have heard the lines countless times before. A Rocky Horror revival should mint new fans, not merely offer a time warp to remembered nights at the movies.
