The Rocky Horror Show review - campy musical returns to Broadway in need of an energy boost
The Guardian • • entertainment
Key Points:
- The Rocky Horror Show revival on Broadway, directed by Sam Pinkleton and featuring a star-studded cast including Luke Evans and Stephanie Hsu, generated significant excitement but ultimately underwhelmed in its execution.
- While the production starts promisingly with charming performances and creative stagecraft, it soon loses energy and coherence, with pacing issues and a lack of focus detracting from the experience.
- Luke Evans delivers strong vocal performances but struggles with fully embodying Frank-n-Furter’s character, and other cast members like Harvey Guillén face challenges with audibility and staging.
- The revival assumes a high level of audience familiarity, which alienates newcomers and diminishes accessibility, undermining its potential to attract new fans beyond longtime devotees.
- Overall, the production falls short of the film’s iconic status and fails to provide a consistently engaging or clear theatrical experience, especially given the high ticket prices.
