Samuel French Congratulates Fox on Tonight's ROCKY HORROR Broadcast

As excitement builds for Fox Television's broadcast of their new The Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight, Samuel French, the world's leading theatrical publishing and licensing company, joins Rocky Horror fans in their anticipation of tonight's broadcast.

"Rocky Horror may be one of the most fabulously bizarre and exciting theatrical phenomenons in the last 50 years," says Bruce Lazarus, Executive Director of Samuel French. "One of the most popular titles in our musical catalogue, there have been over 3,000 productions throughout the world since Samuel French began to represent this property nearly 35 years ago. Professional and amateur theater companies continually produce Rocky Horror. To date, there are 154 upcoming licensed productions in North America and the United Kingdom set to open in the next 12 months with new applications being accepted every day. We congratulate Fox Television on putting together this exciting new staging and bringing this incredible material to a whole new generation of Time Warpers."

The original London production of The Rocky Horror Show, produced and directed by Jim Sharman, premiered in 1973 before closing in 1980 after 2,960 performances and winning the 1973 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical. Its 1974 US debut had a successful nine-month run in Los Angeles before debuting in 1975 at Broadway's Belasco Theater, where it ran only three previews and forty five performances, despite earning a Tony nomination and three Drama Desk nominations. Various international productions have since spanned across six continents as well as revivals on Broadway and London's West End, and various touring productions.

In 1975, the 20th Century Fox film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, was released. The longest-running theatrical release in film history, the film continues to have an unprecedentedly large international cult following, withaudience members returning to the film frequently, dressing as the characters and talking back to their counterparts on screen. In 2005, The Library of Congress selected the musical for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Samuel French is the world's leading publisher and licensor of plays and musicals. The company's catalog features some of the most acclaimed work ever written for the stage and titles by writers at the forefront of contemporary drama. Samuel French is proud to have served as a leader in theatrical publishing and licensing for over 180 years and is committed to the future by championing for playwrights, innovating the industry, and celebrating all those who make theatre around the world. For more information about Samuel French visit www.SamuelFrench.com.

Photo Credit: Steve Wilkie/FOX