The Rocky Horror Show

This article is about the musical. For its motion picture adaptation, see The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The Rocky Horror Show
Original Broadway poster
Music	Richard O'Brien
Lyrics	Richard O'Brien
Book	Richard O'Brien
Productions	1973-80 West End 1974 Los Angeles 1974 Sydney 1975 Film 1975 Broadway 1975 Buenos Aires 1990-91 West End 1994 Buenos Aires 2000-02 Broadway revival Multiple Productions Worldwide

The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals". It tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist unveiling his new creation, a muscle man named Rocky Horror. The musical was adapted into the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which today has a worldwide cult following and has the longest running release in film history.

History

The Rocky Horror Show began as an experimental rock musical developed in early 1973 by actor-composer, Richard O'Brien with director, Jim Sharman, for a three week run at the Royal Court Theatre in London. The musical went into rehearsals with the working title "They Came from Denton High," which was changed just before previews at the suggestion of Sharman to The Rocky Horror Show..

Original programme from the Theatre Upstairs

Richard O'Brien wanted to combine elements of the unintentional humor of B movies and portentous dialogue of schlock horror. O'Brien took a small amount of the unfinished play to Sharman who decided to produce it at the small experimental space at the Royal Court. Jim Sharman had some success with the original Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar during which he met Richard O'Brien, who had played Herod for just one performance.

Sharman brought in fellow Australians Nell Campbell, a.k.a. 'Little Nell,' and long-time production designer Brian Thomson, who had designed his productions of Hair and Superstar. Costume designer Sue Blane and musical director Richard Hartley rounded out the original creative team. The Theatre Upstairs was run by the Royal Court as a project space for new work. Veteran stage producer Michael White produced the play and Pete Moss later became musical director.

After two previews, the show premiered at the Royal Court's 63-seat Theatre Upstairs on 19 June 1973 and ran until 20 July 1973. The show performed without an interval. The production was a critical and commercial success. Record producer Jonathan King saw it on the second night and signed the cast to make the Original Soundtrack Album over a long weekend that was rushed out on his U.K. Records label. King was involved heavily in the initial promotion for the show as well as being the other backer of it financially with White. The cast included Tim Curry, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, Julie Covington, and Richard O'Brien.

Kings Road Theatre Poster

The success at the Royal Court allowed the production to transfer to the 270 seat Classic Cinema on Kings Road, London, from 14 August 1973 to 20 October 1973. Next to the Comedy Theatre and then transferring to the Kings Road theatre, a run-down converted cinema seating 400 and scheduled for demolition where it ran for seven years closing in 1979. The show received critical praise as well as awards. A cult audience of attendees went over and over. It became a highly regarded "it" trend in London of the mid 1970s.

American premiere

Lou Adler had made millions with risky ventures such as Monterey Pop. His record label, "Ode Records" was becoming known for harvesting experimental talent. In Late winter of 1973, Adler attended a performance of the show with Britt Ekland and acting on impulse and seeing a hit, he met backstage with producers and within 36 hours had secured the American theatrical rights.

The show premiered at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles on March 24, 1974, running for nine months. The cast was all new except for Tim Curry. The Show played to a full house and a deal was made with 20TH Century Fox for a film. Fox executive, Gordon Stulberg, saw the show at the Roxy and agreed to invest 1 million dollars for a film project. Adler's attempt to turn his club into a playhouse was successful. The singer Meat Loaf remembers different celebrities that would come to the show as well as his meeting Elvis Presley at a performance. Senator, Al Franken was a young lighting apprentice brought in by Sid Strong. He recalls Adler had the show mounted by producer, Brian Avnert and that both Curry and O'Brien were brought in from the UK.

Synopsis

Act I

The Usherette in a derelict cinema introduces tonight's film in a song ("Science Fiction/Double Feature"), with masked Phantoms providing the backing vocals.

After attending the wedding of Ralph Hapshatt and Betty Munroe, Brad Majors confesses his love to Janet Weiss ("Dammit Janet") and the two become engaged. The Narrator appears to explain that Brad and Janet are leaving Denton to visit Dr. Everett Scott, their former science tutor, while driving into a rainstorm. During the trip, their car has a flat tire, and they are forced to walk through the rain to seek a telephone in an old castle ("Over at the Frankenstein Place").

The Narrator explains that Brad and Janet are feeling "apprehensive and uneasy," but must accept any help that they are offered. As Brad and Janet arrive, Riff Raff, the hunchbacked handyman, greets them, and his sister Magenta, the maid, appears. Riff Raff, Magenta, and Columbia (a groupie) speak briefly of an unlucky delivery boy named Eddie before performing the show's signature dance number ("Time Warp"*). Brad and Janet try to leave at this point, but are stopped when Dr. Frank N. Furter, a pansexual, cross-dressing mad scientist, arrives. He introduces himself as "a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania" and invites Brad and Janet up to his laboratory ("Sweet Transvestite"). As he goes up, Brad and Janet are stripped to their underwear to dry off.

Brad and Janet enter the laboratory, where Frank N. Furter gives them laboratory coats to wear. Frank announces that he has discovered the secret to life itself. He unveils his creation, a blond, well-built man named Rocky Horror, who is brought to life. As his bandages are removed, Rocky worries about his predicament ("The Sword of Damocles"). Frank admires Rocky's physique by singing a tribute to muscle builders ("I Can Make You a Man"). A Coca-Cola freezer in the laboratory opens to reveal Frank and Columbia's former lover, Eddie, a biker covered in surgical scars. Eddie — now rendered a zombie after having part of his brain removed by Frank — contemplates his new existence and recalls his former life ("Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul"). Frank panics, forces Eddie back into the freezer, and hacks him to death. Frank tells Rocky — the recipient of the other half of Eddie's brain — that he prefers him over Eddie ("I Can Make You a Man (Reprise)"). Brad and Janet are then ushered to separate bedrooms for the night.

Act II

The Narrator foreshadows that Brad and Janet may be quite unsafe. Janet enjoys Brad's advances in her darkened bedroom before realizing that it is in fact Frank in disguise. He convinces Janet that pleasure is no crime, and after she asks him to promise not to tell Brad, they resume their lovemaking. The scene changes to Brad's darkened bedroom, where Brad makes love to Janet before discovering that, once again, it is Frank in disguise. Frank promises not to tell Janet, but as they resume, Riff Raff interrupts on the television monitor with the message that Rocky has escaped. Janet searches for Brad in the laboratory, and discovers Rocky hiding there. Checking the television monitor, Janet sees Brad in bed with Frank, and seduces Rocky ("Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me"). While searching the television monitor for Rocky, the rest of the group discovers that Janet has slept with him, and Brad becomes hurt and angry ("Once in a While"). Riff Raff then notifies Frank that there is another visitor entering the castle: Doctor Everett Scott, the paraplegic science tutor whom Brad and Janet intended to visit.

Doctor Scott is pushed into the laboratory by Columbia, and Frank accuses him and Brad of trying to investigate his castle, knowing that Doctor Scott has connections with the FBI. Doctor Scott assures him that he has come in search of Eddie, who is revealed to be his nephew ("Eddie's Teddy"). Frank displays Eddie's corpse to the group and then uses a device to electronically restrain the three visitors and a rebellious Columbia to the floor ("Planet Schmanet Janet"); the inhabitants of the castle are revealed to be space aliens led by Frank, who abandoned their original mission in order to engage in kinky sex with earthlings and work on Rocky. Magenta insists that they return to their home planet now that they have been found out; Frank refuses and, instead, declares his intentions to put on a "floor show."

Under Frank's influence, Columbia, Rocky, Brad, and Janet perform song and dance routines while clad in lingerie ("Rose Tint My World"). After, Frank entices them to lose all inhibition and give in to their basest carnal instincts, resulting in everyone’s beginning to engage in orgiastic sex ("Don't Dream It – Be It") before they are interrupted by Frank, who leads them into the concluding number of the floor show ("Wild and Untamed Thing"). The show comes to an abrupt end when Riff Raff and Magenta enter, wearing spacesuits and carrying ray guns. Riff Raff declares that he is usurping Frank's authority and taking them all back to their home planet. Frank makes a final plea for sympathy from Riff Raff, trying to make him understand his desire to spend the rest of his life having sex with earthlings ("I'm Going Home"). Riff Raff is unmoved and guns down Columbia, Frank, and Rocky before ordering Brad, Janet, and Doctor Scott to leave.

As the trio evacuates the castle, Riff Raff and Magenta express their excitement to return to their world and do the "Time Warp" again with their fellow Transylvanians ("Spaceship"). Brad and Janet watch as the castle blasts off into outer space, confused about the implications of their sexual escapades ("Super Heroes"). To conclude his tale, the Narrator says "…and crawling on the planet's face, insects called the human race, lost in time, and lost in space – and meaning." As the show ends, The Usherette returns to recount the night's events ("Science Fiction/Double Feature (Reprise)").

• In the original London and Los Angeles productions, "Sweet Transvestite" came before "Time Warp". This was changed for the film version and was subsequently updated for the stage version.

Early productions

Original Broadway production

In early 1975 Lou Adler closed the show at the Roxy Theater after a ten month run. This gave actors time to return to the UK for filming of the movie version. Adler planned to open on Broadway just before the release of the film. It was anticipated that this production would be as successful as Jesus Christ Superstar and serve as a public vehicle for the film version. It was unsuccessful and closed after 45 performances.

West End

The Rocky Horror Show transferred to the 820-seat Comedy Theatre on Panton Street in the West End, running from 6 April 1979 until 13 September 1980, closing the play's initial run of 2,960 performances. After occasional productions in the early 1980s, the play was revived for the Theatre Royal Hanley tour in 1984, and still is performed regularly in the U.K.

Music

Theatre Upstairs at The Royal Court

• “Science Fiction/Double Feature”
• “Dammit, Janet!”
• “Over at the Frankenstein Place”
• “Sweet Transvestite”
• “The Time Warp”
• “The Sword of Damocles”
• “Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul”
• “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me”
• “Once in a While”
• “Planet Schmanet Janet”
• “Rose Tint My World/Don't Dream It, Be It/Wild and Untamed Thing”
• “I'm Going Home”
• “Superheroes”
• “Science Fiction/Double Feature (Reprise)”

_{At the Classic Cinema and King's Road Theatre (Formerly the Essoldo Cinema), the following songs were added: “I Can Make You a Man” and a reprise of the same, and “Eddie's Teddy”.}

National tours

The Rocky Horror Show has toured the UK regularly since the 1990-91 West End revival at the Piccadilly Theatre in productions produced by Richard O’Brien's and Howard Panter's Rocky Horror Company. Notable celebrities have been cast including Tim McInnerny, Anthony Head, Robin Cousins, Jason Donovan and Jonathan Wilkes as Frank N. Furter and TV's Craig Ferguson as Brad Majors.

Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show completed its 2006-2007 tour on 14 July 2007 in Woking, England after touring for almost eighteen months. The tour was directed by Christopher Luscombe and featured David Bedella as Frank N. Furter. The 2006 tour cast, accompanied by Roger Lloyd-Pack as the Narrator and author Richard O'Brien, performed "The Time Warp" live in Trafalgar Square on 22 July 2006 as part of The Big Dance event and was broadcast on BBC1's Dancing in the Street. In 2008 David Bedella released his first album The Dean St. Sessions, produced by Nathan Amzi, which included a duet with Richard O’Brien singing I'm Going Home as a bonus video.

In March 2009, the show would returned with a new UK tour starting in the autumn. With Christopher Luscombe returning as the director, the tour was a revival of the 2006-2007 production with some adjustments to the direction, lighting, choreography, costumes and musical arrangements. The tour opened on 17 September 2009 at the New Wimbledon Theatre and closed on 4 December 2010 at the newly opened Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

The first leg of the tour ran from September 2009 to July 2010 with a short break over the Christmas period. David Bedella reprised his role as Frank N. Furter. The second leg of the tour began on 1 September 2010 at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking with several changes to the cast. During the UK tour's summer break director Christopher Luscombe and the show's creative team recreated the UK production in Seoul, South Korea with a new cast of American, Australian and New Zealander actors and local celebrities as the Narrator. The production played from August until October 2010 before a five week New Zealand tour in November and December with Richard O’Brien making a rare appearance as the Narrator.

U.S. productions

1980 North American production

The Rocky Horror Show toured North America.

The cast featured Frank Gregory as Frank N. Furter, Marcia Mitzman as Janet, Frank Piergo as Brad, Pendleton Brown as Riff Raff, Lorelle Brina as Magenta/Trixie, C. J. Critt as Columbia, Kim Milford as Rocky, Steve Lincoln as The Narrator,

Broadway revival

The Rocky Horror Show had a longer revival on Broadway from October 2000 to January 2002 at the Circle in the Square Theatre and featured Tom Hewitt (later Terrance Mann) as Frank N. Furter, Alice Ripley as Janet, Raúl Esparza (later Sebastian Bach) as Riff Raff, Joan Jett as Columbia/Usherette (later Ana Gasteyer), Lea DeLaria (later Jason Wooten) as Eddie/Doctor Scott, and Daphne Rubin-Vega as Magenta. From October 2001 to January 2002, several guest celebrities played the Narrator role normally performed by Dick Cavett (Kate Clinton took over for a week while Cavett was on vacation), including Gilbert Gottfried, Sally Jesse Raphael, Robin Leach, magicians Penn & Teller, New York Post columnist Cindy Adams, MTV personality Dave Holmes, and talk show host Jerry Springer. It is suggested that the revival, like other shows running at the time, closed early because of financial losses during the time after 9/11. The Revival was nominated for the following Tony Awards: Best Actor: Tom Hewitt; Best Costume Designer: David C. Woolard; Best Director: Christopher Ashley; and Best Musical Revival.

New Zealand

In 2010, it was announced that The Rocky Horror Show would be touring New Zealand, with Richard O'Brien as the Narrator. The show will be in the capital, Wellington, for seven shows in December.

Singapore

The Rocky Horror Show premiered in Singapore at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore, from 5 to 16 January 2011.

Cast recordings

• 1973 London Cast
• 1974 Roxy Cast
• 1974 Australian Cast
• 1975 Brazilian Cast
• 1975 Film Soundtrack
• 1976 Mexican Cast

• 1977 Norwegian Cast
• 1978 New Zealand Cast (starring Gary Glitter)
• 1980 German Cast
• 1981 Australian Cast
• 1990 London Cast
  ("The Whole Gory Story")

• 1991 Icelandic Cast
• 1992 Australian Cast
• 1994 German Cast
• 1995 New Zealand Cast
• 1995 Finnish Cast
• 1995 Icelandic Cast
• 1995 German Cast

• 1996 Danish Cast
• 1996-97 European Tour
• 1997 German Cast
• 1998 London Cast
• 1998 South African Cast

• 2001 Broadway Cast
• 2001 Korean Cast
• 2001 Peruvian Cast
• 2002 Philippine Cast
• 2005 Vancouver Cast
• 2007 Panamanian Cast
• 2009 Mexican Cast
• 2010 Icelandic Cast
• 2011 Poland Cast

External links

• Official Rocky Horror Show UK Tour web site
• The Rocky Horror Show at the Internet Broadway Database
• RockyShows.net, a calendar of US amateur productions