Caught this on Wednesday and truly had a blast.
I went into the show Rocky Horror “aware” (I know “Time Warp,” I know there are callbacks, etc.) but not overly familiar, and I hadn’t seen or engaged with any of the chatter about the production, early previews, audience behavior, etc. here or online. More on that at the end of this write-up.
Have to start by saying Luke Evans is just delicious as Frank-N-Furter. His pipes, the body, those LEGS, and just oozing with dangerous charisma, all while not being one-note or overly droll, which I could see happening in less capable hands. I also kind of thought he looked like Kate Winslet in the wig and makeup, which is not a critique, just an observation I couldn’t keep to myself any longer. Another standout was Stephanie Hsu, who, as the kids would say, understood the assignment. She nailed the humor, the campiness, the ’50s send-up, and she sounded great. Josh Rivera: the body is tea, the dancing is incredible, and he has the vocals to back it all up. Also, my crush for Harvey Guillén lives on.
Also: sets. Multiple, big sets. On Broadway. Really nice to see again. I will say it felt like the design team may have lost a bit of steam for the final sequence because it was a bit bare, and the show itself also felt a little less focused at the end. That may be the material, maybe the direction, but certainly not the performers, who are all fully game to get weird.
To bring it back to my note at the top: only after the fact did I learn that there’s been a touch of ~discourse~ (ugh) about callbacks. I gotta say, sometimes it’s great to just go in blind to all that and experience the show for what it is. There were callbacks here and there, I didn’t find them disruptive, and I understood they’re part of the DNA of the show. And if people were bothered by them… the world continues to turn, and within two hours they’ll be free from the torture and able to go on with their lives.
Go, don’t overthink it, and just have fun.
