10/05/2026
Hello to all of our beautiful creatures of the night.
We want to share an important update about this year’s Velvet Darkness production of The Rocky Horror Show.
Unfortunately, the Bakersfield Fox Theater has informed us that they will not be hosting us this Halloween. After nearly two decades of making that stage our annual home since 2008, this is a difficult moment for all of us. For our cast, stepping onto that stage each year and sharing those unforgettable nights with you slipping together into the Time Warp has always been one of the true highlights of our year.
This news also arrives during a profoundly emotional moment for our community, as we mourn the passing of two extraordinary cultural icons, Tim Curry and Dolly Parton.
Tim Curry’s connection to Rocky Horror is, of course, unmistakable. He gave us Dr. Frank-N-Furter who is obviously our doctor, our queen, our king, and everything in between. A performance that forever changed what was possible on that stage. His work helped generations of audiences discover a little more freedom, a little more courage, and perhaps a whole lot more antici…pation.
Dolly Parton represented something equally powerful: the belief that everyone deserves a place where they can be themselves. Her message of love, acceptance, individuality, and kindness resonated especially deeply with the LGBTQ+ community and with anyone who has ever needed permission to step outside their cacoon and become who they were meant to be.
And that brings us to Velvet Darkness.
For decades, we have created a space where a biker can stand beside a drag queen, who can stand beside an accountant, who can stand beside a community leader and for a few glorious hours, none of those labels matter. We all put our hands on our hips, bring our knees in tight, and celebrate being exactly who we are.
That is what we are fighting to preserve.
Velvet Darkness is currently without a home for now. Perhaps if we are missed by you, the audience, and The Fox is informed, they might reconsider a future show. For now we will continue to look for a venue that can host our future events.
Because this isn’t simply about putting on a show. It’s about preserving a place where people can come together, discover themselves, find their people, and experience a little bit of life-changing magic.
We want to welcome back everyone who has made Velvet Darkness part of their Halloween tradition and we want to open the doors for the next generation of beautiful creatures who haven’t discovered their Time Warp yet.
Bakersfield, we built this together. We love this community dearly, and we will figure out where we go next.
With love and gratitude,
and kisses and claws,
-Velvet Darkness
