A Day With Luke Evans During His Run in The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway

Home Base in Chelsea

Evans begins in a friend's apartment in Chelsea, which he has rented with his partner, Fran, and their dog, Lala. They have lived there since February, and he points out the view as "quite special." He says it is hard to describe what he does in the show, how he looks, and what he wears. He calls it the most extraordinary transformation he has experienced in any role. He wears huge platform stiletto boots and a wig, and in them he stands 6'8". He says that height "changes you" and calls it an extraordinary feeling.

He finishes his coffee and heads out for a walk with Lala. Before leaving he grabs dog treats, which he thinks are peanut butter flavor. On the way he orders a juice of carrots, beets, apple, celery and "lots of ginger." He says he has drunk this combination for about 15 years and swears it is what keeps him healthy.

Fran, Recognition, and a Whirlwind Week

Fran joins the walk and introduces himself as "Fran from Spain." Evans explains that Fran runs the day-to-day of their brand, BDXY, so he is busy, which Evans considers a good thing.

Evans tells a story about being recognized on the street. On the morning the April issue of Vogue came out, featuring an editorial with the Rocky Horror cast, a man stopped him to praise it. Evans says he would not have guessed the man was a Vogue reader. He found the encounter "crazy."

He then describes one especially packed stretch. In a single day he recorded "Sweet Transvestite" with his cast for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and went to the Met Gala in the evening. The next morning he woke up to a Tony nomination for lead actor in a musical. He calls it a "crazy, crazy whirlwind 24 hours." He jokes that he may never be able to come back to New York, because he doesn't think anything will match the experience.

Lunch Before the Corset

The couple eats at the Empire Diner on 10th Avenue. Evans points out the mural on the building above it, which shows Basquiat, Warhol, Frida Kahlo and Keith Haring. The meal has to fit around the show. He can't eat for about two hours before a performance because he wears a corset, which he calls extremely restrictive.

The problem is breathing. Evans has to take very big breaths to sing, so the team has to be careful not to cinch the corset too tight. He calls it "a very strange thing to feel" to be unable to breathe deeply while singing big songs.

Backstage at Studio 54

After going home to pick up his bag, Evans arrives at the Studio 54 stage door. He notes that the area under the theater is a very old part of the building and invites viewers to imagine what went on there in the Studio 54 era. In the wig and makeup area he introduces Sterling, the makeup designer, and Natalia, who looks after his wig and many others. His wig is not ready yet.

Under the stage he passes a pair of eyeballs and declines to explain what they mean to anyone who hasn't seen the show. He then visits the room where costume repairs and stitching happen. The costumes there include the narrator's jacket, a jacket worn by Harvey Guillén as Eddie that "looks frozen and frosted," and part of the usherette's costume with a snakeskin feel. His own second costume of the evening is a nurse outfit. He says several pieces of his costume are "skimpy."

6:03

The Dressing Room

In his dressing room Evans introduces Emma, his dresser. He calls her "very patient" and "legendary" and says he is lucky to have her. The room is painted green at his request. He says repainting it is the only thing he has ever asked for, because he didn't like the original color.

He points out several details in the room:

The first-preview photo. A picture of the company taken at the end of the first preview, which he says shows how many people it takes to put on a Broadway show.
The boots. A piece of his undergarment, and the boots, which he calls "monster boots" rather than shoes. They have studs on the back, belts on the side and platforms, and they are zipped up his legs every night.
Lala's theater bed. Lala plays there with her toys, Mr. Squirrel and Mrs. Lamb.

Evans shares a coincidence about the dog. When Alan performed Cabaret in this theater in 2014, he also had a dog named Lala.

7:24

Building the Face

The makeup process involves many brushes. Evans says he uses about 70 percent of the brushes on his table every night, and he didn't realize one face could need so many. He jokes about the "very technical piece of equipment" for his eyebrows: children's school glue, which is bright purple and looks purple when applied. He says drag queens use the same method to glue their brows down. He applies about five or six layers, with a fan cooling each one, until the coat is very thick.

He also shows a makeup palette designed by Wicked Widow that reproduces the original makeup colors of all the characters. One shade is a turquoise he says Tim Curry wore, the exact same color, and Evans uses it every night.

Before Curtain

The tour ends on the stage. The crew is preparing to hide the sets and bring down the curtain before the house opens. Evans says the theater will be lit in neon and full of "rabid fans of the show" in about an hour and a half. As smoke starts to drift across the stage, he leaves to get ready, noting that his preparation takes longer than most people's. He thanks the crew for spending the day with him, says Lala enjoyed it, and invites viewers to come see the show.