Video: Rachel Dratch Talks Audience Participation in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
The Rocky Horror Show will begin previews on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
Just ahead of the first preview for The Rocky Horror Show, Rachel Dratch visited Late Night with Seth Meyers to talk all about the highly anticipated production. Dratch takes on the famed role of the Narrator in the Broadway revival.
Though her character doesn't sing and dance in the show itself, the comedian shared that she still had to partake in dancing during rehearsals, even if it isn't her area of expertise."[On the] first day, they're like 'We're gonna have a two-hour dance session.' And I was like, 'Okay, so I wait in another room?' They're like, 'No, this is everybody...' I had to be a team player. It's fun as an adult to do something that you 'aren't good at.'"
One of the distinct elements of the Rocky Horror phenomenon is the audience participation. Go to nearly any screening of the film version and one will find audience members who loudly quote the movie's iconic lines and throw items at the screen. For this new production, Dratch isn't sure what to expect.
"We don't know. Are people gonna shout things out like they did at the screen?" she pondered. "We'll find out." Watch the full interview, where Dratch also talks about bringing back her famous Debbie Downer sketch for SNL 50, being accused of cheating on Celebrity Jeopardy! and more.
The Rocky Horror Show will begin previews on Thursday, March 26, 2026, ahead of an opening on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at Studio 54 on Broadway (254 West 54th Street). This is a limited engagement through Sunday, June 21, 2026.
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, with direction by Tony Award winne Sam Pinkleton, will be led by Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast, High-Rise, Backstairs Billy) as “Frank-N-Furter” making his Broadway debut.
The cast will also include Tony Award nominee Rachel Dratch as “Narrator;” Tony Award nominee Andrew Durand as “Brad;” Tony Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner Amber Gray as “Riff Raff;" Academy Award nominee and The Actor Award [formerly known as the SAG Award] winner Stephanie Hsu as “Janet;” Academy Award and multiple time Emmy Award nominee Juliette Lewis as “Magenta” making her Broadway debut; Imagen Foundation Award nominee Josh Rivera as “Rocky” making his Broadway debut; and Golden Globe Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as “Columbia” making her Broadway debut. The cast will also include: Renée Albulario, Anania, Boy Radio, Caleb Quezon, Andres Quintero, Larkin Reilly, Paul Soileau, and John Yi.
The Rocky Horror Show will feature choreography by Ani Taj (Dead Outlaw, Untitled DanceShowPartyThing w/ Sam Pinkleton), music supervision by Kris Kukul (Beetlejuice, All In: Comedy About Love), set design by Tony Award nominee dots (Appropriate, Oh, Mary!), costume design by Tony Award nominee David I. Reynoso (Water for Elephants, Sleep No More), lighting design by Tony Award winner Jane Cox (Appropriate, Macbeth), sound design by Tony Award winner Brian Ronan (Beautiful, The Great Gatsby), wig & hair design by Drama Desk Award nominee Alberto “Albee” Alvarado (The Outsiders, Sumo) and make-up design by Sterling Tull (No Glow, “Love Island USA”), with Bryan Bauer (Oh, Mary!, Mother Play) as the production stage manager.
