Hosted by Original Cast Member Nell Campbell — Columbia Herself
This Halloween, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is back, and it’s bringing the glitter, the fishnet, and one of the film’s most beloved original stars along for the ride. The longest-running theatrical release in film history embarks on a 40-city “Spooktacular” Tour across the United States and Canada this fall, hosted by none other than Nell Campbell — the dazzling and irreplaceable Columbia — who is ready to remind audiences everywhere why, after five decades, there’s still absolutely nothing like a night at the Frankenstein Place.
Campbell, for her part, cannot quite believe it has come to this. “I never would have thought all these years later we’d be touring our little ole film,” she says with characteristic warmth. “I’m so thrilled to get back on the road and to meet several generations of fans. Looking forward to a lot of fun just like it always was!”
The tour is presented by producer Scott Stander and The Stander Group. “Fifty years after audiences first discovered The Rocky Horror Picture Show, its message of self-expression, acceptance, and community remains as powerful as ever,” says Stander. “This tour is more than a screening. It’s a celebration of the fans who have kept Rocky alive for generations. Bringing Nell in for this Spooktacular experience is something truly special, and we can’t wait to share it with audiences across North America.”
Each tour stop is a full-scale interactive event, and if you’ve never experienced Rocky Horror the way it was meant to be experienced — live, loud, and surrounded by several hundred people in various states of costumed magnificence — consider this your formal invitation to stop being a wallflower and step inside. Every screening pairs the original, unedited film with a live local Shadow Cast performing in sync on stage, keeping alive the midnight-movie church service that audiences have been attending, religiously, since 1975. Campbell herself will be on hand to meet fans, take photos, and preside over the proceedings with the kind of effervescent authority that only a genuine Columbia can bring.
Then there is the “Spooktacular” Costume Contest, in which the audience becomes the show. Prizes will be awarded to the top three best-dressed creatures of the night. Sequins are encouraged. Fishnets are practically mandatory.
Released in 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show was not supposed to conquer the world. It was a modest musical adaptation; a strange, glittery love letter to science fiction B-movies and sexual liberation that studio executives were fairly certain no one would understand. They were wrong, spectacularly and permanently. Starring Tim Curry as the magnificent Dr. Frank-N-Furter; Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as the hapless, delightful Brad and Janet; Meat Loaf as the doomed Eddie; Campbell as the glitter-streaked Columbia; Patricia Quinn as the imperious Magenta; and the film’s creator Richard O’Brien as Riff Raff, the film became a midnight-movie phenomenon and never stopped. It remains the longest-running theatrical release in the world — a record that, like the Time Warp, just keeps going.
Limited VIP tickets for The Rocky Horror Picture Show “Spooktacular” Tour are available in each city, including exclusive meet-and-greet access with Campbell, photo opportunities, and premium seating. General admission tickets are also on sale now.
For tickets, visit: www.scottstander.com/rocky.html