Exclusive: Lorna Courtney Is Embracing Her Wild Side in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW

There is something especially exciting about watching a performer step into a role at exactly the right moment in her life. For Lorna Courtney, that role is Janet in Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show, a woman who begins the evening buttoned-up and certain of who she is, only to have her entire world cracked wide open.

It also feels like a perfect next chapter for Courtney. Over the past few years, she has brought her powerhouse voice and unmistakable presence to a remarkable collection of women finding their way, claiming their power, and discovering who they want to be. She broke through as Juliet in Broadway's & Juliet, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical and a Drama League Award nomination, as well as the Clive Barnes Award for Theatre. She went on to play Veronica Sawyer in the Off-Broadway revival of Heathers, then crossed the Atlantic to take flight as Anne Wheeler in the world-premiere stage production of Disney's The Greatest Showman.

Now she is back on Broadway at Studio 54, where she joined Sam Pinkleton's gloriously strange and spirited revival of The Rocky Horror Show on August 25. Janet may enter the story in a familiar world of rules and expectations, but what follows is a wild awakening. For Courtney, who turns 28 this year, that transformation feels personal. Both actress and character are at a turning point, learning to embrace joy, desire, and the freedom that comes with being fully and unapologetically yourself.

For this BroadwayWorld feature, I had the pleasure of photographing Courtney in a new portrait series that brings together the strength, glamour, and playfulness at the heart of this chapter in her career. I also served as creative director for the shoot, with Courtney styled by Project Runway's Jose Gonzalez of Soid Studios NY, makeup by Taylor Levitan, and assistance from Isa Grace Harris.

In our conversation, Courtney opened up about finding her own Janet, the wonderfully unpredictable energy of a Rocky Horror audience, what she carried with her from & Juliet and Heathers, and why she is ready for audiences to get to know Lorna beyond the characters she plays.

You're stepping into Janet in The Rocky Horror Show after a pretty extraordinary few years: & Juliet, Heathers, The Greatest Showman, and now a return to Broadway. What made Janet and Rocky Horror feel like the right next chapter for you?

Rocky Horror feels like the next chapter because of where I am in my own journey. I have had the opportunity to play such amazing characters like the ones mentioned above, and now, while playing Janet, I feel that I am at another turning point in my life. I am turning 28 this year. I feel these last years in my twenties are about finding myself, my joy, and what makes Lorna the happiest. In our late twenties and early thirties, we often make major life decisions that impact the rest of our lives.

Janet is also at a turning point in her life. She is faced with new feelings, emotions, and decisions that she's never faced before. Or maybe she has thought of them, but she never allowed herself to follow through with her thoughts. Her arc is one of the best arcs ever written. It's like an awakening of sorts, where she treasures her wants and desires. What may be looked down upon by society for being outside of the "norm," she embraces, accepts, and lives in as her truth. That's what I want for me too, to stand in my truth and be unapologetically me.

Janet has been played and interpreted by so many performers over the past five decades. When you approached her, what did you want to make distinctly your own?

I got the chance to see Sam Pinkleton's production before auditioning for it, and I loved it so much! Even though I had seen Rocky before, it felt new, fresh, and exciting. I heard the words differently and understood the story in a new way. I could tell that this was his baby, and I wanted to fit right into this beautiful, weird, and quirky world that was created.

I love this quote from an acting teacher, Crispín, who said, "Acting is sharing an intimate part of my soul that resonates with the character." My soul and my experiences as Lorna are different from everyone else's, so that's what makes my Janet different. I relate 100 percent to Janet's journey of exploring her sexuality and accepting her feminine energy, especially because it is still a taboo topic in society today.

Janet begins the show in such an innocent, buttoned-up place and goes on this wonderfully wild journey of discovery. What has been the most fun, or surprising, part of finding that transformation every night?

Richard O'Brien refers to the third number in the show, "Over at the Frankenstein Place," as "falling down the rabbit hole," like in Alice in Wonderland. It's a pivotal moment in the show because it's where a day like any other takes a turn. Janet and Brad are exposed to things they've never encountered or seen before.

Every night, Janet's journey feels a bit different. Some nights she is more curious, other nights more scared, and some nights she is more intrigued. The thing that is always the same is where she ends up. She ends up being 100 percent in at the end. I get to find new places in the show, new words or musical phrases that mean something different to her each night, and I express it through body language and movement.

Rocky Horror has always celebrated freedom, sexuality, individuality, and the idea of giving yourself permission to be exactly who you are. More than 50 years after it first premiered, why do you think that message still connects so powerfully with audiences?

This show still resonates with people because the themes are still relevant. Rocky Horror was ahead of its time in terms of talking about gender fluidity and sexual expression on a spectrum. In Act Two, Frank's final words to his followers are, "Don't dream it, be it." It really is a good motto. As he serenades us with a beautiful tune, we begin to empathize with Frank.

Audience members have all felt different or like an outcast. People relate to how exhausting pretending can be and how much of a toll being stressed and miserable all the time takes. So what if people stop and stare when you do something that is outside of the norm? Do it because it makes you happy! Rocky Horror is an invitation to have fun and not care what other people think!

Rocky Horror audiences have such a unique relationship with the show. They know the lines and traditions, and they often become part of the experience themselves. What is it like performing Janet with that kind of energy coming back at you from the audience?

I love how involved the audience gets! Every show is different because of it. It's integral to the storytelling of our musical, actually. We listen to them, hold for callouts, repeat things back, and react or respond truthfully in character, either verbally or with our bodies. The audience is 100 percent a character in the show too!

Looking at the women you've played recently, Juliet, Veronica Sawyer, Anne Wheeler, and now Janet, they're all very different, but each is discovering or claiming some part of herself. Is that something you consciously gravitate toward in the characters you choose?

I don't choose the characters. They choose me. I believe that firmly. I said earlier that, in order to be believable as an actor, you have to expose a part of yourself that aligns most with the character. I relate to the journeys and growth of all the characters I've played. I share a connection to and an understanding of who they are because I can see myself in all of them.

& Juliet changed the trajectory of your career. You originated Juliet on Broadway and earned your first Tony nomination. Looking back now, what did playing Juliet teach you about carrying a show and about yourself as a leading lady?

& Juliet had a major impact on my career. For the first time, I led a show, which meant I was put in a leadership position. By playing Juliet, I discovered that what makes a great leader is listening to the thoughts and needs of everyone else and putting them first.

I took a lot of the pressure off myself when I realized that it takes more than 100 people to make theatre happen every single night. From the front-of-house staff to the stagehands, light operators, ticketing folks, bartenders, actors, and band, each and every person is equally important and a key to making the musical happen. Even though, technically, I played the title character, I was a small piece of the pie.

You then went from Juliet to Veronica Sawyer in Heathers, another role with such a passionate fanbase. Did taking on Veronica challenge you differently as an actor than Juliet had?

In & Juliet, audiences sang along and had a great time, but Heathers took it to the next level for sure! It was the first time I understood what true fandom meant. I'd never experienced so many teens and young people dressing up in costume to come see a show before! The fans wrote cards, made bracelets, gave gifts, sang along, and even made their own costumes to dress up as our characters. That show was the best preparation for Rocky Horror because the fans here are very similar in that they also dress up as the characters!

The world in which Heathers existed was much darker, similar to our own reality. It wasn't one that I was used to coming from. & Juliet was like a dance party, very positive and "yes, and." Heathers stretched me because it challenged my mental health. Veronica's journey was a dark one that involved battling bullies and finding her way through abusive and manipulative relationships. Almost all the other shows I did were happier shows. Now, Rocky Horror is so extreme and silly that I think it's a blend of both darkness and comedy.

You also went to the UK to originate Anne Wheeler in the world-premiere stage production of The Greatest Showman. What was it like being part of building a brand-new theatrical version of a story that already had such an enormous global following?

Being a part of The Greatest Showman premiere was amazing! It was a similar experience to the revival of West Side Story in 2020 in that we had two to three months set aside to workshop the choreography and blocking for the show. In both shows, choreography would change every single night. The difference was that in The Greatest Showman, I did trapeze as well as dance!

I had never done trapeze before, so I had to train for six weeks before rehearsals even started, and then train every day in rehearsal too. I pushed my body in ways I never thought I could and overcame fears. This is why I have huge respect for circus performers, because what they have to do is very physically taxing.

The show was similar to Rocky in that it celebrates a group of outcasts who join together. Audiences had a blast every night, and they traveled from far and wide to see it just because it meant that much to them!

You've gone from understudying roles in Dear Evan Hansen and West Side Story to originating leading roles and becoming the person audiences are coming to see. Do you ever stop and think about how much your life as a performer has changed?

It's funny that you ask if I ever stop and think about my career and my past. No, I don't, really. Maybe it's because I'm a New Yorker, so everything is go, go, go, or because I was raised not to look back and to keep looking forward. But it's also because I look at life as constantly growing and learning. Nothing is really set in stone, especially in theatre, which changes night to night.

I have an inner drive that loves to learn, and whenever I'm not performing onstage, I am constantly in class. Currently, I am taking a voice-over class and studying for a yoga teacher training certification. I don't often look behind. Maybe yoga might teach me to do that more? I usually keep looking forward. So, we'll see!

Having now led musicals on Broadway and taken on major roles on both sides of the Atlantic, what excites you most at this point in your career? Are there parts of yourself as a performer that audiences still haven't gotten to see?

I think what gets me the most excited about what's next in my career is being a solo artist. I want to do more solo concerts and cabarets and write my own songs. People have seen me play many different characters in shows, but I want people to get to know me for me. I am introverted, so it can be a bit of a challenge sometimes.

When audiences leave Studio 54 after seeing you as Janet, what do you hope they take away from this version of The Rocky Horror Show, and maybe from Janet's journey in particular?

Honestly, I hope audiences leave Rocky Horror feeling empowered and turned on. Empowered to be the person they have always wanted to be, and turned on maybe by my character? Haha.

I love, love, love how inclusive our cast is. Rocky Horror has a cast, crew, and staff with many different identities, sexualities, and gender expressions. Not only do we have people who use they/them pronouns and identify as trans baddies, but we also have multiple characters in the show who are gender-bent from the original storytelling. It makes me so happy to come into work every day and be surrounded by such a colorful ensemble of talented individuals! I am glad people in the audience can see themselves reflected onstage.

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Creative Team : Photoshoot