The Rocky Horror Show

For other uses, see Rocky (disambiguation)

For other uses, see Rocky Horror (disambiguation)

The Rocky Horror Show is a musical with music, lyrics and a book by Richard O'Brien. The first production of The Rocky Horror Show was in London, at the 63-seat Royal Court Theater, in the Theater Upstairs. It opened on June 19, 1973 and ran there until July 20. The original production won the 1973 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical, and moved first to the Chelsea Classic Cinema (8/14/73-10/20/73) and then to the King's Road Theater (11/3/73-3/31/79). It continued regularly through 1980, and had several revivals over the years.

The Rocky Horror Show was a parody of science fiction and horror B movies of the '50s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist unveiling his new creation, a muscle man named Rocky Horror. The show was flashy and campy, adding a sexual overtone to the squeaky clean genre of teen horror flicks. It has been said that the glittery costumes and torn fishnets for the play, designed by Sue Blane which were influenced by the Glam Rock look of David Bowie and others, in turn heavily influenced the look of the early Punk Rock movement in London.

The original show was produced and directed by Australian director Jim Sharman, who had worked previously with Tim Curry in the U.K. production of Hair and Richard O'Brien in Jesus Christ Superstar. In 1972, O'Brien brought Sharman his treatment for "They Came From Denton High," and together they worked it into The Rocky Horror Show. Richard Hartley was brought in as musical director (later replaced by Pete Moss), and Michael White took over as producer. Long-time affiliate of Jim Sharman, Brian Thomson, served as the original set designer. The same team later worked on the film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

American producer, Lou Adler, caught the show while in London, and quickly secured the rights to the show. He brought it to his night club in West Hollywood, CA, The Roxy Theatre where it debuted on March 24, 1974. Tim Curry from the Original London Cast reprised his role as Frank N Furter in The Roxy Cast with American actors in the remaining roles. It had a successful 9-month run, and ended when production began on a big screen version of the play, which featured many member from the first cast. A concurrent production was launched in Australia on April 15 starring Reg Livermore, and ran for two years at the the New Arts Cinema in Sydney. It moved to Regent Palace Theatre in Melbourne, where it remained open from October 1975 until May 1977.

After the film was completed, but before its release, The Rocky Horror Show opened on Broadway, at the Belasco Theater where the disappointing run ended after three previews and forty five shows, though it did manage to get nominated for a Tony Award for lighting. It is thought that the show lent itself to small cabaret like the Roxy, but was not suited for the much larger Belasco. After the film opened to no success outside of Los Angeles, a production of the show was launched at the Montgomery Playhouse in San Francisco, on February 3 of 1976, running until May 30. Ironically, when the new Frank N Furter, David James, was asked why he felt the movie didn't catch on, he said that it was because the play was an "interactive experience-with audience participation," and the film was not.

There were several international productions of the stage show in the mid-'70s, and several Rocky Horror Show Cast Albums emerged, including ones from Germany, Norway and an unlicensed version from Mexico called El Show de Terror de Rocky. As The Rocky Horror Picture Show increased in popularity, more stage productions were launched, including an ambitious U.S. tour in 1980-81, featuring Kim Milford from the Roxy Cast reprising his role as Rocky Horror.

Productions of the Rocky Horror Show

1973 London Cast
1974 Roxy Cast Los Angeles
1974 Australian Cast
1975 New York/Broadway Belasco Theatre
1975 Brazil
1975 San Francisco
1976 Mexico
1977 Norway
1978 New Zealand
1980 Germany
1980 - 81 North American Tour
1981 Australia
1990 London Revival
1991 Iceland
1992 Australian Revival
1994 German Revival
1995 New Zealand Revival
1995 Finland
1995 Iceland Revival
1995 German Revival
1996 Denmark
1996–97 European Tour
1997 German Revival
1998 London Revival
1998 South Africa
1999 Los Angeles Revival
2001 Broadway Cast Revival
2001 Korean
2001 Peru
2002 Philippines
2005 Vancouver, Canada
2007 Panama
2009 Mexican Revival
2010 Icelandic Revival
2011 Poland
2011 Japan
2015 London Revival