As many veterans of musical theatre strive to keep a stronghold on the traditional form of the art with shows like "Oklahoma," "Show Boat" and "Carousel," we must recognize the life of said art form must also appeal to the mindset of new generations. In 1973, a rock musical began making waves in London's theatrical community. "The Rocky Horror Show" was like nothing anyone had seen before. The show had a plot but was presented like a rock show. The characters paid homage to a youthful faction of society wanting to express its individualism. Musicals continue to explore new avenues and bring new faces to the theatre. Shows such as "Rent," "Saturday Night Fever" and "Wicked" have garnered interest from a younger audience. Songs from these shows are appealing to the masses just as the songs from "Oklahoma" and "Carousel" did in the 1940's. A growing interest in musical theatre by the younger population can pique their interest in discovering other musicals. One way to satisfy this piqued interest is by infusing a youthful or modern energy to shows that can be adapted to the senses of this younger generation. "Oklahoma" or "Carousel" might not adapt well by being set in the 21st century. But "The Rocky Horror Show" already exudes a timeless energy with its nod to popular culture (its rock music influence). As musical theatre transforms with its audiences, so can some of its well-known shows.

This thesis documents my process as the Costume Designer for the University of Central Florida Conservatory Theatre’s production of Richard O’Brien’s musical, The Rocky Horror Show. The production opened on March 29, 2007 and ran for fifteen performances in the University of Central Florida’s Mainstage Theatre before closing on April 15, 2007. This document presents the analysis, research, and design process that I used to create the costume design for the performance. In this thesis, I document how I combined my own analysis and research with that of the director and design team to take the design from concept, through construction, to completion. This thesis will contain specific information on my design process including an analysis of the script, research, preliminary sketches, final designs, photographs of the production, and all paperwork I generated for the show. A journal of the challenges and solutions that I encountered during the design and construction process are included, along with a self evaluation and reflection on the finished production.

In Spring 2007, the University of Central Florida (UCF) Department of Theatre mounted a production of "The Rocky Horror Show." This thesis focuses on the author's process of using the gospel music style to revitalize "The Rocky Horror Show," a cult musical. The author uses defining characteristics of the cult film genre to establish a set of guidelines. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is the movie version of the stage musical and is responsible for the show's inevitable cult status. He discusses the history and journey of "The Rocky Horror Show" and how audience participation was integral in establishing this landmark musical. The reader observes the process used in rearranging "The Rocky Horror Show" score from start to finish and recordings used as influence throughout. Although this is a discussion of a musical process, this portion of the document is written in terms for all to understand, and a glossary of terms is provided for those that are unsure of certain vocabulary. With a show that is well established, one must be careful when making stylistic changes. The author took this into consideration when arranging the score and rationalizes through a discussion of gospel music history, key gospel elements apparent throughout the score, and how the essence of Richard O'Brien's music remains intact.