Kevin McHale and Lorna Courtney are also slated to star in the production
Credit: Jim Bennett/Getty; Theo Wargo/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Jake Schears will take over the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter from Luke Evans in the Tony-nominated revival at Studio 54
- The Rocky Horror Show earned nine Tony nominations and marks its first Broadway run in over 20 years
- Its 1975 film adaptation became a cultural phenomenon and holds the record for the longest continuously running theatrical release
After more than two decades of blurring the lines between rock concert, glam spectacle and theatrical performance, Jake Shears is stepping back onto the Broadway stage.
The Scissor Sisters frontman, 47, will play Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, succeeding Luke Evans in the Tony-nominated revival at Studio 54.
It’s a role that feels tailor-made for Shears, whose flamboyant stage persona, gender-bending style and love of theatricality have made him one of pop music’s most distinctive performers. It’s also a Broadway homecoming: He previously starred as Charlie in Kinky Boots in 2018, and later collaborated with Elton John on the score for 2024’s short-lived Tammy Faye biomusical, writing the lyrics.
Frank-N-Furter has long stood as one of musical theater’s boldest icons. Equal parts glamorous, outrageous and liberating, the self-described “sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania” has become beloved for celebrating individuality, rejecting convention and encouraging generations of audiences to embrace the show’s enduring message: “Don’t dream it. Be it.”
Shears’ run in The Rocky Horror Show begins on Friday, Sept. 11. Evans, who made his Broadway debut in Rocky Horror and earned a Tony Award nomination for his leading actor performance, will play his final performance on Sunday, Aug. 23.
View this post on Instagram
He’s not the only new cast member jumping to do the “Time Warp.” Kevin McHale and Lorna Courtney will also join the production, replacing Andrew Durand and Stephanie Hsu as Janet and Brad, the wholesome young couple whose car trouble leads them into Frank-N-Furter’s delightfully bizarre world.
The role marks McHale’s Broadway debut, though he’s no stranger to the stage. The Grammy nominee and SAG Award winner made his New York stage debut last year in the Off-Broadway revival of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as William Barfée. His final performance as the magically metatarsal-ed spelling champion is set for Aug. 16 at New World Stages.
McHale has also has experience with Rocky Horror. During his time on Glee, his character Artie played Dr. Scott when the McKinley High School students did their version of the musical.
Credit: John Lamparski/Getty; Valerie Terranova/WireImage
Courtney, meanwhile, has been performing just steps away from McHale in the Off-Broadway revival of Heathers: The Musical. The actress previously starred as the title character in Broadway’s & Juliet, earning a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical after earlier Broadway appearances in Dear Evan Hansen and the 2020 revival of West Side Story.
Like Evans, Durand and Hsu will play their final performances in Rocky Horror on Aug. 23. McHale and Courtney will begin their runs on Aug. 25.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
They all join Rachel Dratch as the Narrator, Amber Gray as Riff Raff, Harvey Guillén as Eddie/Dr. Scott, Josh Andrés Rivera as Rocky, Sherie Rene Scott as Magenta and RuPaul’s Drag Race fan-favorite Valentina as Columbia. Anania, Renée Albulario, Boy Radio, Caleb Quezon, Andres Quintero, Larkin Reilly, Paul Soileau and John Yi round out the company.
Directed by Tony winner Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary!), the revival began previews in March before opening at Studio 54 in April. It went on to earn nine Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical.
Credit: Todd Owyoung/NBC/Getty
This is the first time Rocky Horror has been on Broadway in over 20 years. The show was last on the boards in 2000, in a production starring Raúl Esparza, Lea DeLaria, Joan Jett, Alice Ripley, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Tom Hewitt and more.
The musical originally opened at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1973 and has been in continuous production throughout the world for the last 52 years — the only musical to have achieved this record. It came across the pond in 1974, first to Los Angeles and then to Broadway the following year.
Of course, most fans first encountered the story through the beloved 1975 film adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which starred Tim Curry in his legendary performance as Frank-N-Furter. Produced for just $1.4 million, the film became a pop culture phenomenon through decades of midnight screenings featuring audience participation, costume contests and sing-alongs. Like the stage hit, the movie is also in the record books as the longest continuously running theatrical release in film history.
All versions follow squeaky-clean sweethearts Brad and Janet who find themselves swept into Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s outrageous world of glitter and glam when their car breaks down outside his spooky mansion.
That story — penned by O’Brien, who played Riff Raff on screen, too — is set to a score of rock ‘n’ roll hits by O’Brien as well, including “Science Fiction/Double Feature,” “Dammit Janet!” “Sweet Transvestite,” “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me,” “Hot Patootie” and of course, the “Time Warp.”
Tickets for The Rocky Horror Show are now on sale.
Read the full article here
