Studio 54 to Host Broadway Revival of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ With Luke Evans

Roundabout Theatre Company will revive Richard O’Brien’s cult musical “The Rocky Horror Show” on Broadway this spring, staging a limited run at Studio 54, the former disco synonymous with New York nightlife excess.

Dates and venue

Previews begin March 26, with an official opening set for April 23. The production is scheduled to run through June 21 at Studio 54, now operated as a Broadway theater by Roundabout.

A rare Broadway return

The engagement marks only the second Broadway revival of “The Rocky Horror Show” and the third Broadway production overall, arriving more than two decades after the show last appeared on Broadway.

Originally launched in 1973 at London’s Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, the musical grew from a low-budget spoof of B-movie sci-fi and horror into a global phenomenon—propelled by the 1975 film adaptation, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” whose midnight screenings helped create a lasting audience-participation culture of callbacks, costumes and props.

Broadway, however, has historically been less hospitable. The first Broadway production opened at the Belasco Theatre in 1975 but closed quickly, while a 2000 revival at Circle in the Square ran through early 2002.

Luke Evans leads a screen-heavy cast

Luke Evans will make his Broadway debut as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the flamboyant “sweet transvestite” at the center of the story. Evans, the Welsh actor known for film roles including “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Hobbit,” has said he long hoped to perform on Broadway.

“I’ve always wanted to do Broadway, I just didn’t think I would be in stilettos and fishnets,” Evans told People in an interview published in December.

Roundabout’s principal cast blends film, television and theater credits:

• Juliette Lewis as Magenta
• Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as Columbia (Broadway debut)
• Harvey Guillén as Eddie and Dr. Scott (Broadway debut)
• Stephanie Hsu as Janet
• Andrew Durand as Brad
• Amber Gray as Riff Raff
• Rachel Dratch as the Narrator
• Josh Andrés Rivera as Rocky (Broadway debut)

Sam Pinkleton directs

The revival is directed by Sam Pinkleton, the Tony Award winner for best direction of a play for “Oh, Mary!” Pinkleton described “The Rocky Horror Show” as “a sublime, ridiculous, giant-hearted act of love,” calling it “a trashy little musical that means so many things to generations of tender weirdos with mascara streaming down their faces.”

The creative team includes choreographer Ani Taj; music supervisor, music director and orchestrator Kris Kukul; scenic designers dots; costume designer David I. Reynoso; lighting designer Jane Cox; sound designer Brian Ronan; wig and hair designer Alberto “Albee” Alvarado; and makeup designer Sterling Tull.

Studio 54’s history—and the cultural moment

The choice of venue adds a second layer of resonance. Studio 54, once a symbol of 1970s disco-era permissiveness and celebrity spectacle, has long been associated with queer culture and hedonism. Evans called the location “the most perfect thing for this show,” citing its past and the musical’s message of self-acceptance.

“It’s like the most perfect thing for this show, which is about fluidity and a feeling of ‘don’t dream it, be it, be yourself, whatever you are,’” Evans told People.

O’Brien, who created the musical and originated Riff Raff on stage and screen, welcomed the revival in a statement released through the producers: “Break out the fishnets and let’s have a party.”

The production arrives as drag performance and transgender visibility face heightened political scrutiny in parts of the United States. While Roundabout has not framed the revival as an explicit response to recent legislation and campus disputes, the decision by a major nonprofit to mount a drag-inflected, gender-bending classic on a prominent Broadway stage is likely to be read against that backdrop.

Updating a cult classic

A 2026 staging also invites renewed debate about material written in the early 1970s. “The Rocky Horror Show” is celebrated for camp and sexual fluidity, but it has also been critiqued for dated gender portrayals and scenes that raise questions about consent. Theater observers will be watching how Pinkleton and his cast approach those elements—and whether any textual or staging adjustments are made.

Roundabout has promoted the production as a “party” at Studio 54, but has not specified how much traditional audience participation—such as call-and-response lines or props—will be incorporated in a Broadway setting, where safety regulations and subscription audiences can constrain those practices.

For now, the company is leaning into the show’s cross-generational familiarity. “Everybody knows at least one song from the show,” Evans said, pointing to staples like “Time Warp” and “Sweet Transvestite.”

When previews begin in March, longtime devotees and newcomers will gather under Studio 54’s chandeliers and catwalks—testing how much transgressive charge a 50-year-old cult musical can still summon under Broadway lights.