Luke Evans, Paul Soileau and Jake Shears paid tribute to late Rocky Horror Show star Tim Curry on Wednesday following news of his death at age 80.
Following Wednesday’s Broadway performance ofThe Rocky Horror Show, Paul Soileau — who is currently starring as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, the role Curry originated — honored the late actor after the curtain call.
In videos shared online, Soileau told the audience, “The role of Frank-N-Furter is a marvelous beast. Frank-N-Furter inhabits spaces and sneaks in spaces and places and old theater houses and old theaters like this, movie theaters, teenagers’ bedrooms.”
He added, “The way Frank-N-Furter survives is that he finds vessels and he goes into them and he takes them over and he keeps moving and moving and moving all around. And many people in this room, on this stage, have been a vessel for Frank-N-Furter over the years. But if you trace it all back, 53 years ago, there’s one home and one vessel. One mother ship that Frank-N-Furter could actually call home, and it’s Tim Curry.”
Curry first took on the Frank-N-Furter role in the original 1973 London production of Richard O’Brien’sThe Rocky Horror Show, following a turn on Broadway in 1975 and in the 1975 film adaptation,The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
“Fifty-three years ago, Richard O’Brien laid a piece of paper in front of Tim Curry with ingredients on it,” Soileau also said. “And he took all those ingredients and he created this beast that everyone found something within it and could see a piece of themselves inside of it.”
Soileau later welcomed Luke Evans, who portrayed Frank-N-Furter in the current revival and played his final performance just three days prior, and Jake Shears, who will take over the role starting Sept. 11.
Together, the past and present Frank-N-Furters performed the song “I’m Going Home” from the musical. The performance was shared on the official social media accounts for the production.
Rocky Horror creator Richard O’Brien also paid tribute to Curry in a message shared by his son online.
“Tim Curry was a wonderful man by nature who was also a wonderful performer and understood the difference between such delightful achievements. He never sought attention and never put himself before the roles that he played. He was, in short, a good egg and class act,” O’Brien said. “It was both a privilege and delight to have known him and worked with him. Rest in peace dear Tim.”
On Wednesday, a tribute to Curry was also set up at Rocky Horror’s Studio 54 Broadway theater.
Tribute to Tim Curry in lobby of Broadway Theater.
THR Staff