THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW Previews — Page 3

Some quick thoughts from the first preview. Overall, I think it’s a really good production. Not any kind of reimagining and no bold creative choices. I’ve seen about 30 productions and would put this in the top ten. I really loved the last Broadway revival, and this doesn’t compare. 
 

Many of the songs are performed pretty much as we’ve seen them in other productions. Science Fiction has Juliette Lewis planted front and center swaying and moving her arms. She gave me Patricia Quinn vibes. There was a fun use of silver mannequins singing backup vocals, but that was the only time that concept appeared. Dammit Janet was pretty straightforward.  Andrew and Stephanie are really great. Rachel Dratch has the most room to grow in the role, hopefully. She’s such a funny person, and it would be great to see her expand the performance comedically, more than just quoting the script. I’m remembering the rotating roster of narrators in the last revival, some who were fantastic (particularly the late, great Gilbert Gottfried).

I loved Amber Grey as Riff. She has such a unique characterization, part alien and part Walking Dead zombie. MJ as Columbia is very good too, although the part doesn’t give her much to do. She shines on some vocal riffs and has a funny bit during her tap dance, which I won’t ruin. 
 

Luke Evans is spectacular. I had reservations with his casting, but he plays the role perfectly. Hypermasculine, but in ladies’ lingerie. The performance is perfect.

The bedroom scenes were hilarious, and a subsequent bdsm scene of Brad and Frank was surprising and funny.

There isn’t really any audience interaction, other than grabbing a couple audience members to dance onstage during Time Warp.

A few things really confused me, mostly regarding costuming, but maybe they are still finishing some things.  Dr Scott not in a wheelchair, but then being placed in a rolling office chair (from the castle home office?) was odd. 
 

Overall, I was hoping for more creativity and more humor, but it was strong overall, and I’m expecting it will improve before opening. 

it was fantastic

my face hurts from smiling

a fun, life-giving production

juliette lewis is a huge mistake

she does not embody magenta at all, at all

she is not interesting, funny or scary

it is amateur hour for her

and, weirdly, she looks like the recent pictures of kelly osborne

but she was my only problem

they tease at the beginning that they are going to reprimand you for being involved, but it gets cut off and they clearly expect it

and, i must say, the screaming audience, the ones that know the classic callbacks, were fun and funny

so happy to see handsome andrew having fun and not staring into the audience for hours on end like he had to in "outlaw"

hsu will be another contender for best actress in a musical 

dratch's pauses are hysterical 

i am in love with josh

this is what broadway musicals are supposed to be: 

fun, full of talent, escapist...
 
a wonderful and satisfying night out



 

Callbacks - I would expect them to subside to something less than we heard tonight from an audience filled with RH fanatics. 
 

Costumes - no resemblance to the Vogue fashion shoot. I had no issues with costumes, except for Rocky’s. Luke’s lower costume looks unnaturally endowed. Or maybe not…

Yes, Frank’s costume was distracting in the best possible way. And count me in also as someone who didn’t like Rocky’s costume. 

Reports on Reddit say security was asking some people to stop the call-outs. Not gonna lie, that would have me with the house manager and demanding a refund. Imagine being a super fan from abroad who doesn't follow these chat forums and you're suddenly being scolded by security for doing what you've always done at Rocky Horror?

Much as I want to see this cast, these reports turn me off and make me want to just remember the last revival. I hope they dial it back and let audiences have fun over previews, otherwise I may just sell my seat. I have such fond memories of this show throughout my life.

Starting to wonder why Roundabout thought they were the right fit for this.

There were callbacks all night tonight.  Security did not stop people from what I could see.  They happened from the beginning to the end in the same amount.  

Overall I loved it! They clearly weren’t rehearsed for callbacks, but Dratch more than anyone did a great job of changing her performance early on to accommodate them. Highlights for me were Evans (as I expected), Hsu, and Gray. The only lowlight was Lewis as Magenta (though she started the show off great as the usherette). I really enjoyed everyone else. As mentioned above, Rocky’s costume was weird and I expected him to strip down to just the jockstrap that I couldn’t stop staring at through the nude singlet but alas no (and the jock changed to a glitter one for the floor show!). This will get even better in short order and quickly become a must see. It could easily have a long run. 

CoffeeBreak said: "There were callbacks all night tonight. Security did not stop people from what I could see. They happened from the beginning to the end in the same amount. "

Multiple people in this thread said the callbacks felt discouraged by the pacing and that the cast didn’t seem prepped for them. 
 

And this approach to the callbacks was reported a while back in another thread on here, during the rehearsal period. 
 

I’m saying it’s bizarre for Pinkleton to not just embrace it. Why fight it…? It’s inevitable. 

Updated On: 3/27/26 at 12:19 AM

Updated On: 3/27/26 at 12:44 AM

this was pretty solid but sadly is a bit derailed by some major mis-casting.

Harvey, Juliette and Michaela are not vocally strong enough for their roles, and while Juliette was excellent as the Usher, her Magenta was really just kind of aimless.

highlights, for sure Luke Evans, if not for Joshua Henry he would be steam rolling to a TONY award, those firs tfew notes of Sweet Transvestite blew my wig OFF

Amber Grey is doing some wonderfully weird things as Riff Raff

callbacks all night, the preshow announcement and something at the end of Science Fiction absolutely show they are expecting it, the right mezz had a LARGE group of RHSNYC shadowcast folks calling all night.

one of my favorites

Magenta: I tire of this planet
Audeince member: me too!

Also the merch is severally lacking and by the way shame on Roundabout for pirce gouging windowcards at $25! 

Glad we got in for $49, I don't know how pleased I would be spending $330, but again LUKE EVANS IS FANTASTIC

Updated On: 3/27/26 at 01:00 AM

BrodyFosse123 said: "Observation said: "How are the costumes? Are they similar to the Vogue photoshoot?"

Per the curtain call, it breaks my heart to say: nope. Those costumes for the VOGUE editorial were beyond epic. In this production they’reusing the traditional costumes you’d expect in a standard ROCKY HORROR SHOW production. Nothing groundbreaking like those VOGUE versions."

Info that deflates you elates me. God, I thought those Vogue costumes were hideous. 

Updated On: 3/27/26 at 01:00 AM

There was no silencing of callbacks tonight.  

no prop bags but there is a cute easter egg during a moment in act 2 for those who have ever been to a shadowcast performance