Richard O’Brien’s twisted send-up of cheesy sci-fi flicks hit was born on the London stage and reached Broadway once before, in the early ’70s, where it quickly closed-one critic dubbed it “the fiasco at the Belasco.” This time, it’s likely to be a runaway hit. You remember the story: wholesome teens Brad and Janet are stranded on a dark and stormy night and seek shelter at the scary castle of Frank ‘N’ Furter, a high-stepping transsexual from Transylvania.
Today, the gender-bending antics seem fairly tame, and we’re all so steeped in “Rocky’s” knowing irony that this show-so bad it’s good-is finally ready for prime-time Broadway packaging, nicely wrapped in a red feather boa.
The production is almost non-stop mindless fun (there are only a few over-the-top vulgarities and the second act drags a bit, pardon the pun). From the bemused narrator, Dick Cavett (who deftly ad-libs to the catcalls of the audience) to the leather-clad chorus, the cast is so energetic they must all be lining up for Vitamin B shots. There are fine voices, from rocker Joan Jett to Lea Delaria, in the Meatloaf role. Tom Hewitt as Frank lacks the dangerous edge of Tim Curry, but he’s a powerhouse in fishnets and high heels (everyone’s very buff in this version), and his comic touch commands the evening. Which is just how Dr. Frank would want it.
