Rocky Horror Show 40th Anniversary revival?

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 8:35am

What are the odds we will see a 40th anniversary revival of RHS in the next few years? I really feel enough time has passed and I'd love to see maybe Alex Timbers direct it and maybe NPH as Frank (thoughts)

Updated On: 3/20/13 at 08:35 AM

[rorschach37]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 9:29am

NPH as Frank is AWFUL casting, but I'd love to see a revival. It's been away for far too long.

[quizking101]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 9:49am

That would actually be really cool.

I feel like Benjamin Walker is just ripe for Frank N' Furter. He has that dark, twisted sense of humor that bode him well in BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON...plus the body.

[DEClarke]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 9:59am

This could be fun, epsecially since the MTV film remake fell through (thank the gods).

I saw a regional production that utilized 80s toys for props. Like the sonic transducer was Simon Says. The lab had an EZ-Bake Oven for the creation of Rocky. It was all fun. Costuming, wig, and make-up were completely 80s Jem & The Holograms type stuff too. I'd love to see that vibe expanded for a Broadway production too...

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 10:32am

^ Yeah, no. That would be raked over the coals by every critic who ever existed, to say nothing of the sharply divided word of mouth here. Frank Rich would come back from political commentary just to affix a "Kick me" sign to such an obvious target. What works in regional theater is not always Broadway-ready or worthy (just ask Des McAnuff and the Stratford Festival about last season's JCS).

Honestly, I don't think Broadway is, or ever has been, the right place for The Rocky Horror Show. It died at the Beautiful Belasco, as they dubbed it, in '75 because it was presented in the wrong milieu. Quoting the original designer, Brian Thomson, "I wanted to stage it in some old cinema down in Greenwich Village, but Lou Adler, who produced the show in the U.S., wanted to duplicate a cabaret atmosphere. It worked with Rocky in L.A. at the Roxy, but New York is not L.A. Adler pulled out the whole orchestra section of the Belasco Theatre and put in tables and chairs. Waitresses served drinks and hamburgers. It was publicized as 'The Beautiful Belasco, New York's first cabaret theater.' Well, as it turned out, New York didn't need a cabaret theater and Rocky was a disaster. What Adler didn't understand was that the cabaret angle didn't matter. It wasn't the important thing about the play. Rocky is basically a little show. If you try and approach it as 'The Rocky Horror Show - Direct from the West Coast' -- you ruin everything."

Re: the 2000 revival, I can only say that it was the right cast in the right production at the right moment, at least initially. The various stunt castings (Luke Perry as Brad, Sebastian Bach as Riff-Raff, the numerous celebrity Narrators), in my opinion, hurt the show later. I was not shocked when it closed earlier than expected because of financial losses (albeit, this was during the time after 9/11, and other shows closed due to financial losses incurred for the same reason).

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 10:42am

ROCKY was the only show that closed after 9/11 but came back. When you say the show isn't right for Broadway, you mean for a "traditional" theatre with an orchestra, mezz, etc. Circle In The Square was so perfect, it just proved that a revival in any other sort of setting just wouldn't work. The audience needs to be able to fully participate from any seat they're in and also have the cast be able to interact with every single person in the audience.

While I feel that NPH is horrible casting, Ben Walker would be interesting (maybe he's a tad too "butch" but I'll suffer through that). And the "stunt casting" as you called it for the revival only helped. Luke Perry especially was fantastic as was Ana Gastayer and most of the guest narrators.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 10:51am

I feel like if one must have NPH in the show, he's more of a Brad, or even a Narrator.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 10:51am

(I'm pretty sure g.a.h.b.l.e.s.s.y.o.u. has never actually seen any of these shows he writes about with such expertise.)

[rorschach37]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 10:59am

I think Benjamin Walker would be excellent casting. I also think they should incorporate the guest narrators like they did in the previous revival. Constantine Maroulis as Riff Raff anyone?

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 10:59am

ok, NPH out as Frank and in as Brad, Ben Walker in as Frank....

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:02am

thoughts on john larroquette as the narrator?

[rorschach37]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:03am

^That was my first choice, PlayItAgain.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:17am

SO

Frank - Ben Walker
Brad - NPH
Narrator (innately) - John Larroquette

thoughts on Riff Raff, Janet, Rocky, Magenta? (lets cast this as an actually production, not all star casting)

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:22am

Riff Raff: Justin Hawkins
Janet: Anne Hathaway
Rocky: John Hamm
Magenta: Careena Melia

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:28am

Anne as Janet is too much, same with Jon, I like the idea of Careena as Magenta but has she ever done a musical? Justin Hawkins as Riff Raff, brilliant .

[newintown]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:28am

What gdelgi said.

Since it has lost money twice already on Broadway, you'd need an idiot along the lines of Ben Sprecher or Chase Mishkin to try again...

Leave it to downtown or the regions, where people can use their imagination and avoid the bland commercial mistakes made by the team of the recent revival, and do what the original creators did - cast unknowns and make them stars. This regurgitating of the same old semi-famous names for every revival is the antithesis of imagination.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:30am

I don't know if she's ever done a musical, but I've heard her scream at The Witches Rave many times, so she could definitely do Rocky.

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:35am

@newintown I guarantee we see another revival on Broadway in the next 5 years. if were getting 40th anniversary productions of JCS,Pippin,Godspell etc, RHS can't be too far behind.

[newintown]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:42am

No doubt. As I said, it would take an idiot producer, and Broadway certainly has plenty to spare.

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:48am

Neil Patrick Harris has played the Narrator before, a role which suits his persona very well.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 11:57am

Neil Patrick Harris is approaching 40...I feel like he's a bit long in the tooth for Brad. I am in love with the idea of John Larroquette as the Narrator though.

I do hope that if it's revived again it either goes into Circle in the Square again or is done off-Broadway...it doesn't seem like a show that could work in a traditional Broadway house.

[JP2]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 12:07pm

Ben Walker as Fank has to be one of the greatest things I've ever heard.

[rorschach37]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 12:13pm

Mitchell Jarvis as Eddie/Dr. Scott.

[DEClarke]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 12:14pm

I did note that the 80s vibe would need to expanded for Broadway/NYC, but I don't see how it wouldn't work.

You say that ciritics would rake it over the coals, but they do that with this show with or without an 80s vibe. This show has never been a critic's wet dream. So that shouldn't matter.

A sharp divide here is nothing new and has yet to stop a show dead in its tracks.

I'm not certain that audiences would hate it. I think with the right budget and right creative team, it could be pulled off. It was a surprisingly fresh way for me to view the material (and I know it's not wholly original... other productions have used similar ideas). It's also fun, which is the whole point of the show.

In essence, you need to support your claims more if you think you're going to get me to see your point.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 3/20/13 at 12:20pm

It's a terrible idea to set it in the 80s. It's a hook the show doesn't need.

Again, I question your level of taste.