Fox is currently deeply in love with the idea of remaking classic films for television, with series based on The Exorcist and Lethal Weapon presently on the air. On October 20th, the network will unleash perhaps its most trepidatiously anticipated redux, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Tagged with the unnecessary subtitle Let’s Do The Time Warp Again, the two-hour special event adapts the 1975 cult classic musical with new, “contemporary” arrangements from Cisco Adler.
You can hear those updates on the official soundtrack recording of “Sweet Transvestite”, sung by Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The whole thing appears to have dropped deeper to support Cox’s particular vocal range, something that stretches from baritone to a soprano-reaching falsetto. “We were able to explore those lower tones in my voice, which I’ve been afraid of doing for years because I’m a woman and I have a low voice,” Cox told Vanity Fair. “Being trans, it took me a long time to really embrace that part of my voice, but with this character, it was absolutely perfect.”
It’s certainly going to be hard to get the iconic performance by Tim Curry out of your head — even 40 years later — but Cox injects plenty of the required sass, sultriness, and mystery into the song. Take a listen above.
We’ll see if this all comes off better than a local theater revival when The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do The Time Warp Again airs on the 20th. The official soundtrack is due out the following day on October 21st; you can also check out the previously released selections “Time Warp”, “Touch A Touch A Touch A Touch Me”, and “Over at the Frankenstein Place”.
