Fox’s new TV musical: ‘Rocky Horror’

LOS ANGELES — If you feel like time is fleeting and madness has taken its toll, then you are ready to do the “Time Warp” dance again. Fox will help fill your dance card as the network wants viewers to make a jump to the left or make a step to the right for a presentation of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again” on Thursday.

This is the latest in the new trend of the networks staging musicals for the TV audience. Fox previously presented “Grease: Live,” and ABC has announced plans to present a musical but has not released which show. NBC has been the most active, having produced “Peter Pan,” “The Sound of Music” and “The Wiz.” It has “Hairspray” scheduled for Dec. 7.

Unlike the previous musical presentations, “Rocky Horror” will not air live. Fox president of entertainment David Madden explains the decision was made so that it feels like a movie experience. The company plans to look at more musicals, including live presentations.

As for “Rocky Horror,” the Fox version features Victoria Justice, Ryan McCartan, Laverne Cox, Adam Lambert, Tim Curry; Reeve Carney, Christina Milian, Ben Vereen, Annaleigh Ashford, Staz Nair and Ivy Levan. Curry is the only member of the 1975 feature film in the new cast. He goes from playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter to the role of The Criminologist.

“I actually offered myself as Dr. Scott because I was already in a wheelchair. They thought the narrator was a better fit, and I enjoyed it a lot,” Curry said.

Having Cox take on the role of Frank-N-Furter is the answer to a lifelong dream. Director/choreography Kenny Ortega didn’t cast Cox to have a transwoman in the role, but because Cox turned in the best audition.

“She’s a force. Five-octave range. A degree in dance from a major university. Acting her heart out in New York and studying for over 15 years. Walking in and bringing something into the room that made us all realize there was no B plan…” Ortega said.

“When we first embarked on developing this re-imagining of ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ the very first thing that was laid out was that we wanted to celebrate the fans with this new departure and that also that we wanted to bring in a cast that didn’t have to fill in anyone else’s shoes but just to wear their own proudly,” Ortega says. “The celebration of the fandom, the 41 years, the midnight screenings, the adoration, was just really important that we had that aspect that was connected as a character to this new piece.”