After the success of the live remake of “Grease,” FOX strikes again with another live version of a beloved classic, “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
The remake, called “Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again,” will air 8 p.m. Thursday on Fox.
It is a celebration of the movie’s 40 years of theatrical distribution and a celebration of how much of a pop culture icon the film has become, especially during the Halloween season.
The cult classic tells the story of Brad and Janet, a newlywed couple that one night get a flat tire while driving in a storm.
They seek shelter from an eerie castle and there meet Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an eccentric, androgynous mad scientist who is creating a man “with blond hair and a tan” to fulfill his sexual needs.
“Orange Is The New Black” actress Laverne Cox will play Dr. Frank-N-Furter; Victoria Justice and Ryan McCartan will star as Janet and Brad; singer Adam Lambert will play the motorcycle-riding Eddie; and the original Frank himself, Tim Curry, makes an appearance as the criminologist that narrates the story.
The success of the film was in part for its daring themes, but when a remake is constructed for a show like this in modern days, some of its content doesn’t have the same appeal as it would have when it first came out.
“That was the only apprehension I really had about doing the film was the term transvestite,” Laverne Cox said in an interview at the Variety’s Power of Women Luncheon. “We don’t use that term anymore, but in the historical context of Rocky Horror it’s appropriate you don’t change the words to an iconic song.”
Each year, theaters across the country present the musical in an interactive way, with actors dressed up as the characters who sing and dance along with the musical numbers.
This year, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater will show the original “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” at 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 29. Tickets are $15 for those who come in costume, and $20 for those who don’t.
regomes@umail.iu.edu
