‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: (left to right) Amber Gray, Juliette Lewis, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez & Andrew Durand. Photo: Joan Marcus.

[printfriendly]

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
Book, music & lyrics by Richard O’Brien
Directed by Sam Pinkleton
Through November 29, 2026
Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54
254 West 54th Street
https://rockyhorrorshowbroadway.com/

By Scott Harrah

“Let’s do the Time Warp again!” The beloved cult classic The Rocky Horror Show returns to Broadway for the first time in 26 years. It still bursts with infectious songs and bizarre, lovable characters. Now, Tony and Olivier Award-winning director Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary!) reimagines it for a new generation.

Meanwhile, the film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, just marked its 50th anniversary. Its legend comes as much from unruly midnight audiences as from Richard O’Brien’s subversive creation. Anyone who attended those screenings (including this reviewer) may feel surprised by this first Broadway revival since 2000. “It’s Live Theater, Not a Movie,” signs warn in the Studio 54 lobby. During the opening number, cast members even hold up signs that read “Don’t Be an A**hole.”

Restrained but divinely decadent new spin

This is not the cult-film free-for-all many remember. No shouted callbacks erupt. No flying props or shadow-cast antics take over. Instead, restraint drives the evening. Even so, the show remains a great deal of fun. Pinkleton delivers a sleeker, more controlled Rocky Horror. He still invites you to do the “Time Warp”…just not as loudly.

Juliette Lewis makes her Broadway debut as Magenta. The Oscar-nominated actress (Cape Fear, “Yellowjackets”) plays the demented domestic servant with a delicious edge. When she sings “Science Fiction Double Feature,” she nearly talks her way through it, and the choice lands beautifully. Her ghoulish glamour sets the tone. Throughout the show, she shifts between a punked-out French maid fantasy and a kooky usherette. As a result, the performance and her look both land somewhere between Siouxsie Sioux and a glam-rock banshee.

Brad & Janet enter a weird & wacky world

Soon, straight-laced couple Brad (Andrew Durand) and Janet (Stephanie Hsu) run into car trouble. They search for a telephone and stumble upon the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Luke Evans). Then, the eerie Riff Raff (Amber Gray), a Nosferatu-style hunchback, answers the door. He pulls them into a world of seduction and self-discovery. With bold contemporary casting, the revival goes further into the weird, the wacky, and the gleefully gender-bending.

Inside, the couple meets a string of eccentrics. Each proves stranger than the last. There is the twitchy Riff Raff, Magenta, and the quirky, unhinged groupie Columbia (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez). All remain loyal to their flamboyant master. That master, of course, is Dr. Frank-N-Furter. He presides over the chaos with total authority. Soon enough, he unveils his latest creation: Rocky (Josh Rivera), a musclebound creature built for pleasure.

At first, Brad and Janet simply want help. However, the night quickly spirals into sexual awakening, blurred identities, and rising tension. As the castle’s inhabitants draw them deeper inside, the story turns increasingly surreal. Unexpected arrivals shift loyalties. Gradually, something sinister emerges beneath the surface. In the end, the couple plunges far beyond its comfort zone and into a free-fall of anything-goes sexuality and mayhem.

Controlled chaos

Here, director Sam Pinkleton blends genres with confidence. The show feels part creature feature, part alien invasion flick, and part rock ’n’ roll fever dream. He mixes everything into a glitter-drenched, gender-bending fantasia. At the same time, he maintains tight control. His staging favors precision over audience chaos, and it works.

Design elements support that vision. Dot leans into a retro B-movie aesthetic with heightened flair. David I. Reynoso’s costumes carry much of the storytelling. They swing between kitschy excess and sleek glamour. Meanwhile, the staging keeps everything moving at a brisk, almost cinematic pace.

Killer performances

The cast commits fully, and their killer performances drive the night.

Luke Evans commands the stage from his first entrance. His Frank-N-Furter feels as camp as Christmas, yet something sharper lurks underneath. He pushes the role further than Tim Curry’s iconic take while keeping it distinctly authentic. When he launches into “Sweet Transvestite,” he owns the room. He moves with seductive swagger and total confidence. In that moment, he embodies “Don’t dream it, be it” without slipping into caricature.

Andrew Durand grounds Brad with clean-cut sincerity. Even as chaos builds, he keeps the character rooted. Stephanie Hsu brings Janet to life with bright, searching energy. Each shift in her performance registers clearly, and her powerful vocals soar with glee.

Amber Gray delivers a striking Riff Raff. She pairs eerie physicality with a surprisingly beautiful voice. Meanwhile, Juliette Lewis continues to haunt the edges of scenes. Her watchful, conspiratorial presence adds unpredictability.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (TV’s “Pose”) reshapes Columbia into something darker yet grounded. She strips away the “cutesy” edges and finds a quieter strength. Josh Rivera plays Rocky with playful charm rather than brute force, which adds warmth. Harvey Guillén as Eddie/Dr. Scott and various ensemble actors add energy to the production. Finally, Rachel Dratch anchors the evening as narrator. Her droll delivery and winking irony keep the show self-aware without slowing it down.

Sinful splendor

Ultimately, this Rocky Horror feels more restrained than its midnight-movie counterpart. Still, it remains wildly entertaining. Sam Pinkleton celebrates liberation and self-expression, even as he asks audiences to behave just a bit better. The result is a decadent delight, and an evening of sinful splendor for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Published May 3, 2026
Reviewed at press performance on May 1, 2026.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: (left to right) Juliette Lewis, Andrew Durand, Stephanie Hsu & Amber Gray. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: (left to right) Larkin Reilly, Stephanie Hsu, Andrew Durand & Caleb Quezon. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: Luke Evans & Josh Rivera. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: Luke Evans. Photo: Sarah Krulwich/The New York Times/Redux.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: Rachel Dratch. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW’: (left to right) Stephanie Hsu, Paul Soileau, Harvey Guillén, Caleb Quezon & Larkin Reilly. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘POTUS’: Vanessa Williams & Julie White. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

[printfriendly]

POTUS: OR, BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE
Written by Selina Fillinger
Directed by Susan Stroman
Through August 14, 2022
Shubert Theatre
225 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), https://potusbway.com

By David NouNou

Did you ever wish you could go to the theatre to see a ludicrous farce that will leave you at times laughing hysterically? No hidden messages here, no agendas, a minimal plot that is so absurd that you don’t care; you just want to laugh because the times we live in are so stressful. Such a play exists. It’s called POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.

It is difficult to discuss the plot because it is so convoluted. You have to go see it for yourself to make sense of it. No need to tell you any more than what the title of the show states. Now, there’s no particular president or first lady in this show. Loosely based on our recent American history, the characters are really amalgams and composites of presidents and first ladies and West Wing staff. Playwright Selina Fillinger cleverly lets you decide for yourself who you want them to be, and that makes the show all the more enjoyable.

As you know, no president can run the country by himself; it’s the women behind the scenes that keep him alive. In this instance there are seven women working very hard to accomplish their mission. There is the president’s wife, Margaret (Vanessa Williams); Chief of Staff, Harriet (Julie White); Press Secretary, Jean (Suzy Nakamura); White House Correspondent, Chris (Lilli Cooper); the president’s out-there, outrageous sister, Bernadette (Lea Delaria); office assistant, Stephanie (Rachel Dratch). Of course, there is always a beautiful mistress, Dusty (Julianne Hough). These women really work very hard at their jobs and the fun of the play is how they interact with each other. By the end of Act I, you are exhausted from the machinations and laughter.

I will admit Act II kind of meanders and loses a bit of footing because how can you sustain an absurdist farce after your hand has been revealed? Act II plays more of a clean-up for the mess that was created in Act I. I’m not trying to be evasive, elusive or mysterious. In a farce the less you know, the surprise element becomes extremely funnier.

There’s not one but seven funny ladies up on the stage working their butts off to make us laugh. Also let me caution you that you will be hearing a lot of coarse language, so prepare your ears. This isn’t a show to get offended by—just go with it and enjoy it.

Vanessa Williams is still gorgeous; she has elevated her status from the quintessential real-life Miss America to the fictitious Mrs. America, and can still deliver dialogue with aplomb like she did for years on TV’s “Ugly Betty.” Julie White is the consummate pro,  and so good at what she does, she could be the next president. Julianne Hough is a real talent. Forget her stint on TV’s “Dancing with the Stars” because Ms. Hough is both a beauty and can truly act. Rachel Dratch of “Saturday Night Live” fame and Lea DeLaria— their characters are so over-the-top, they are hysterical, and in lesser hands they would be ridiculous. Lilli Cooper and Suzy Nakamura have the hardest parts, for they are the serious women, but they do manage to get their share of laughs. They are deftly directed by the ever-ingenious Susan Stroman. Kudos to all the ladies who make us laugh, and to Beowulf Boritt for the clever revolving set that represents the different rooms in the White House.

On another note to leave you with, in these days of alternate truths and facts and alternate universes, such an event might not be so improbable. As an alternative, it can’t be any worse than what we went through in the past few years with the previous administration. Sit back and enjoy an alternative reality, written and directed by women and acted by a very funny all-star ensemble of smart and sassy women.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 2, 2022
Reviewed at April 30, 2022 press performance.

‘POTUS’: Vanessa Williams & Rachel Dratch. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POUTS’: Julie White & Suzy Nakamura. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Julianne Hough, Lea Delaria & Suzy Nakamura. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: The cast. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Lilli Cooper. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Rachel Dratch & Julie White. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Lilli Cooper, Rachel Dratch & Vanessa Williams. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Julie White. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Suzy Nakamura. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Vanessa Williams. Photo: Paul Kolnik.