There’s a moment during the revival of Richard O’Brien’s seminal cult musical The Rocky Horror Show, where the lyric “Don’t dream it, be it” is emblazoned over the Studio 54 stage. And the show’s Tony-nominated stars Luke Evans and Stephanie Hsu embody that ethos of that sentiment nightly in their performances as Dr. Frank-n-Furter and Janet Weiss, respectively.
“It’s as close to being a rockstar as I’ll ever get,” Evans tells Gold Derby about his glorious entrance during Frank’s signature song, “Sweet Transvestite.” As the tune kicks in, the actor appears at the top of a staircase sporting high-heeled leather boots, glittering makeup, and a luscious black cape that reveals his corseted body beneath. “It’s a thrilling, adrenaline-inducing moment, and I feel the size of the Empire State Building,” the Fast & Furious franchise favorite says.
For Hsu, stepping into the role of Janet meant stepping outside of her own notions of the kinds of roles she could play. “I never saw myself as the ingenue,” she says in a separate conversation. “And she is an ingenue that sort of disintegrates into a creature.” The Oscar nominee ultimately found inspiration in Susan Sarandon — who played the character in the classic 1975 feature film version — as well as classic film stars like King Kong‘s Fay Wray, as well as the late, great Madeline Kahn.
“There’s just a little twinkle in her eye, and it’s not a wink at the joke,” notes Hsu of Kahn’s comedic sensibilities. “You can just tell she is delighting in her absolute stupidity.”
Any revival of Rocky Horror is cosmically linked to the show’s storied legacy, first as a 1973 London stage show and then a famous Broadway financial flop before it was reborn as an interactive midnight movie experience that still draws crowds today. Evans and Hsu have found ways to honor what’s come before while also charting their own course.
“I think about Tim Curry’s performance, but I don’t let it guide me,” explains Evans, referring to the beloved actor who originated the role of Frank onstage and onscreen. The actor describes his take on the sexually-charged mad scientist as part-Greatest Showman and part-Little Bo Peep. “He’s a creature of the night, but he’s a butterfly and a peacock,” elaborates Evans. “He wants to be heard above everyone else and he wants to be understood.”
Hsu, meanwhile, has been expanding the concept of what it means to be the “typical” girl next door. “Me and my body get to be a part of the Janet Weisses that have come before me and will continue,” she says. “Twenty years from now when they do the next revival, I wouldn’t be surprised if Janet looked a lot closer to me … it feels like I’m creating generational wealth for my community.”
Costuming is a vital element for both actors; Janet’s transformation into a sexually-empowered woman is telegraphed through a costume evolution that Hsu approached with care. “Her journey isn’t like, ‘I’m a prude and then I’m a hot girl,’” she explains. “There’s something about her desire that’s more animal. She has ownership over it and the power to choose.”
When Janet ultimately embraces her body’s needs, she strips to a revealing outfit — a moment that Hsu describes as an exploration of desire free from shame, rather than a generic vision of what “sexy” might conjure up. “I fought really hard for a jockstrap,” she reveals, “she’s wearing combat boots and a jockstrap; just these little Easter eggs of something that feels less traditionally feminine.”
For his part, Evans reveals that he arrives at Studio 54 an hour and 20 minutes before curtain in order to start the process of “putting on” Frank.
“The first thing I do is I completely strip naked, and then I put on the double fishnets and the jockstrap.” he explains, laughing. “It’s almost an insult to call them underwear because they’re not really covering very much.” After that comes 45 minutes of makeup, followed by the corset, the jewelry, and a long wig. He is adamant about doing the last step himself: lacing up Frank’s stilettoed boots.
“Each step of the way I see myself disappearing and Frank appearing,” he exclaims. “By 20 minutes into the show, I’m standing in front of a mirror in my dressing room and there he is. I don’t think I’ve ever had the opportunity to disappear that fully into a character and I really enjoy it.”
Ironically, Evans ends the evening by shedding Frank’s flamboyant outwear during the song “I’m Going Home.” Confronted with his imminent demise, the scientist slowly removes his lashes and wig, and wipes the makeup from his face as Evans’ tender voice floats to the rafters.
“The song begins as more of an explanation, but then becomes incredibly emotional because he realizes this was all just a facade,” the actor explains. “He was hiding behind this look and there’s actually a vulnerable, lonely, empty person behind it all who realizes he’s lost.” Evans even describes hearing gasps or laughter from the auditorium because the audience is so shocked to see the character stripped bare.
“It’s really powerful,” he says. “It’s a momentous moment for him where he just goes, ‘My speeding train has hit a wall, and I know this is the end and I’m sorry, but I saw blue skies through the tears in my eyes.’ I saw it and you didn’t see it. It’s beautiful. It’s very profound to me. I understand Frank probably better in that moment than I do throughout the whole show.”
