Barry Bostwick on Rocky Horror, Tim Curry, and Finding Your People

Every Halloween, without fail, we watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

It has become one of those traditions that immediately makes the season feel complete. We know the songs, we know what is coming, and we still have just as much fun watching it as we did the first time.

This year, our tradition is getting a pretty major upgrade.

On October 17, 2026, Barry Bostwick—the original Brad Majors—is bringing the Rocky Horror Picture Show Spooktacular Tour to the Carolina Theatre in Charlotte.

In our Barry Bostwick Rocky Horror interview ahead of the Charlotte event, we talked about the movie, the community that formed around it, what he imagines happened to Brad after that unforgettable night, and what Rocky Horror means more than 50 years later.

We also talked about the tour’s special tribute to Tim Curry and asked Barry what first-time attendees should know before experiencing Rocky Horror with a live audience.

More Than 50 Years of Rocky Horror

When The Rocky Horror Picture Show first came out, no one could have predicted what it would become.

More than 50 years later, audiences still fill theaters, dress as their favorite characters, shout callbacks, and introduce new generations to the experience.

When we asked Barry whether he ever imagined he would still be talking about the film 50 years later, his answer was immediate.

Barry told us:

“No. That’s the short answer—no. How could you? This movie was discovered and created by the fans.”

That distinction stayed with us. Rocky Horror was not handed to audiences as a ready-made phenomenon. Fans found it, added their voices and traditions, and helped turn a small movie into an experience that is still filling theaters five decades later.

Barry also pointed to the music as one of the reasons it continues to work. He described it as simple, three-chord rock and roll—the kind of music that makes everyone feel as though they could be the rock star for a few minutes. That may explain why the songs remain nearly impossible to hear without joining in.

When Rocky Horror Became a Community

Rocky Horror is more than a movie people enjoy watching. For many fans, it has provided a place to show up as themselves, meet people who understand them, and feel less alone.

Barry talked about how that community began with fans gathering at midnight screenings in New York and continued growing from there.

Barry told us:

“It just became a reason for them to have a party and to get together every Friday and Saturday night at midnight.”

Those gatherings became far more meaningful than anyone involved in the film could have planned. Barry told us that fans still share stories with him about sneaking out of the house to attend screenings, coming of age through the experience, and finding something in the film that changed—or even saved—their lives.

What started as an unusual musical comedy became an anthem and a place of belonging. That community did not simply keep the movie alive. It helped create the version of Rocky Horror we know today.

Where Is Brad Now?

Brad enters the story certain about who he is and how life is supposed to work. Then his carefully ordered world gets completely dismantled.

We asked Barry what he thought happened to Brad after he and Janet escaped. Did the experience change him, or did he continue being, as Barry jokingly calls him, “Brad, the asshole”?

Barry had a very specific—and very funny—future in mind for him.

“I think he probably became the mayor of New York.”

Barry imagined Brad living a more complicated private life while never fully stepping out of the closet. Beneath the joke was a serious point about the period in which the character lived. Barry said people were not free to reveal who they really were in the way many can today, and that freedom was fought for.

His answer made us see Brad differently. The castle may have dismantled his certainty for one night, but one night of freedom would not necessarily have been enough to undo a lifetime of expectation, fear, and social rules.

Why the Live Rocky Horror Experience Still Matters

Most movies ask the audience to sit quietly and watch. Rocky Horror has never played by those rules.

The callbacks, costumes, props, shadow casts, and audience participation have become just as important to the experience as the movie itself. Every screening can take on its own personality.

Barry spoke about the costume contest, the famous “virgin” ceremony for first-timers, and the party atmosphere surrounding the screenings. He also explained why continuing to create that space matters now.

Barry told us:

“We have those little things like Rocky Horror where you need them right now more than anything.”

That may be the best explanation of why these events remain so important. The silliness is part of the point. People need places where they can wear the costume, shout the line, laugh loudly, and spend an evening among people who understand the assignment.

And according to Barry, there is one modern improvement: the events no longer have to begin at midnight. We fully support this development. Our love of Rocky Horror is timeless; our bedtime is not.

Remembering Tim Curry

The 2026 Spooktacular Tour includes a special tribute to the late Tim Curry, whose performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter became one of the film’s most recognizable and celebrated moments.

Barry first saw Tim perform the role onstage at the Roxy in Los Angeles. He remembered Tim blowing the small theater apart with his energy, charisma, and talent. When he spoke about what Tim came to represent, he gave us one of the most moving lines from our conversation.

Barry told us:

“Symbols never die. Symbols are forever.”

Barry believes Tim became a symbol of the same courage and freedom that Rocky Horror has offered its fans. He spoke about how much Tim loved those fans and how deeply he valued interacting with the community, even after his stroke limited his ability to perform in the way he once had.

Barry described Tim as someone who could “lasso an audience” and hold them for hours. Then he said something that beautifully captures why the performance still feels so alive:

“He could just leave the screen and enter your heart.”

Barry also shared a fascinating piece of film history. Mick Jagger had been interested in playing Frank-N-Furter, but director Jim Sharman wanted to preserve the energy and outsider perspective of the original stage cast.

Barry believes that choice helped the film become what it did. With an established star at its center, audiences might have watched the celebrity instead of finding and creating the phenomenon for themselves.

Barry’s Advice for Rocky Horror First-Timers

If you have watched the movie at home but have never attended a live screening, the Spooktacular will be a completely different experience.

Barry delivered his advice with exactly the sense of humor we expected:

“Have a few drinks … and bring a virgin. You should always bring a virgin.”

In Rocky Horror language, a “virgin” is simply someone attending a live screening for the first time. Consider this your official permission to bring the friend who knows absolutely nothing about what is about to happen.

The best approach is to arrive ready to participate, laugh, and accept that the night probably will not go exactly as expected. That is part of the fun. If you are the first-timer in the group, you may want to prepare for a little extra attention.

What “Don’t Dream It, Be It” Means Today

“Don’t dream it, be it” has grown beyond its original place in the movie. For many fans, it has become a reminder to stop waiting for permission to be who they are.

We told Barry that the words connect with us because we once sold our home and business, downsized, and built a life that many people did not completely understand. His answer made the phrase feel even more personal.

“I dreamt it. I didn’t know where it was going, and I am it now.”

For Barry, “being it” includes the freedom his work has given him to meet an extraordinary range of people and hear how this small film became part of their lives. He sees the phrase as something much broader than sexuality or the story on the screen.

“I’m going to take the chance. I’m going to feel the fear, and I’m going to go on.”

We love that interpretation because living the dream does not mean knowing exactly where it will lead. Sometimes it means taking the next honest step while the fear is still there.

Fun Fact: Before Brad Majors, There Were The Klowns

Most people begin an interview with Barry Bostwick by asking about Rocky Horror. Gerry decided to begin with “Lady Love,” a song Barry recorded as part of a group called The Klowns—with a K.

The group was assembled with the backing of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in hopes of becoming part of a television show, similar to the way The Monkees had been put together. The show never materialized, but the group recorded one album, giving Barry valuable studio time and another chapter in his musical career before Brad Majors entered the castle.

Barry joked that “Lady Love” may have appeared on the charts “with a bullet”—although, in his version of the story, the bullet was traveling down rather than up.

It was an unexpected way to begin the conversation, and it immediately gave us a glimpse of the quick, self-deprecating humor Barry brought to the entire interview.

Our Biggest Takeaway From Barry Bostwick

After speaking with Barry, we kept coming back to the idea that Rocky Horror belongs to the people who found themselves—and one another—through it.

Barry repeatedly shifted the attention away from the actors and toward the fans. He wanted to know who they were, what drew them to the movie, and how it became part of their stories. He spoke about people who secretly attended midnight screenings, people who found a place to be themselves, and people who told him the film had changed or even saved their lives.

That is a remarkable legacy for a movie no one expected to be discussing 50 years later.

Rocky Horror has lasted because it gives people more than memorable songs and wonderfully strange characters. It provides a fun space to participate, laugh loudly, test a few boundaries, and find people who appreciate the same weird and wonderful things.

As Barry put it, “We have those little things like Rocky Horror where you need them right now more than anything.”

We cannot wait to experience the Spooktacular in Charlotte, and we have a feeling our annual Halloween viewing will mean even more after this conversation.

Rocky Horror Picture Show Spooktacular Tour in Charlotte

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Spooktacular Tour is coming to the Carolina Theatre in Charlotte on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

The event includes:

• A screening of the movie in a new 4K restoration
• An appearance by Barry Bostwick
• A live shadow cast
• Audience participation
• A costume contest
• A memorabilia display featuring artifacts and an original costume
• A special tribute to Tim Curry

The screening begins at 8:00 p.m.

VIP meet-and-greet tickets are also available and include premium seating, a commemorative laminate, a personal photo with Barry Bostwick, and an autograph opportunity. VIP guests should note that late admission will not be permitted after 7:00 p.m.

Purchase tickets for the Charlotte Rocky Horror Spooktacular through Ticketmaster.

Planning to enter the costume contest? Our sustainable Halloween costume ideas can help you create a memorable look using items you already own, thrifted finds, and pieces you can reuse after Halloween.

sCarolina: More Halloween Events at the Carolina Theatre

Rocky Horror is part of sCarolina, a monthlong celebration of horror, cult movies, and Halloween fun at the Carolina Theatre. The October lineup includes screenings of Hereditary and Obsession, Matt Fraser’s live psychic-reading show, and the Halloween-night sCarrie Prom, featuring a pre-show party and a 50th-anniversary screening of Carrie.

Whether you prefer psychological horror, cult classics, costumes, or a little paranormal activity, the Carolina has given spooky-season fans plenty of reasons to visit this October.

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