Home Theater "Rocky" Delivers a Knock Out Punch on Broadway, And Wins the Match
"Rocky" Delivers a Knock Out Punch on Broadway, And Wins the Match
■Theater
by Roger Friedman - March 14, 2014 12:44 am
Sylvester Stallone's "Rocky" is now a Broadway musical. Listen, it's a hit. There's no way around it. "Rocky" is a huge entertaining spectacle led by a very talented actor and written, directed, staged, choreographed by experts who know how to put on something a lot of people will want to see, will enjoy and tell their friends about. If you're looking for "Sweeney Todd," this isn't. Aside from the "Rocky" movie theme and Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," the songs are derivative and tedious. But you won't mind at all.
"Rocky" opened last night where "Cats" and "Mamma Mia" have had long, long runs. They were also not "South Pacific," if you get my drift. But the Winter Garden is huge–1,500 seats– and demands a big show of shows. "Rocky" is exactly that. In the second act, when every stop is pulled out, literally, audiences will gasp and buy more tickets. A show like "Rocky" is essential to Broadway's economy survival. It's something you can not see anywhere else.
They will also marvel at the talented cast, especially Andy Karl as Rocky Balboa. Karl (whose wife, Orfeh, is a Tony nominee from "Legally Blonde") gets a workout every night that would send all of us to a hospital or at least to bed for a week. He runs, climbs, leaps, jumps and fights. He never stops moving, except when he has to sing one of those songs. (They are ponderous, and take some concentration and oxygen. Along with "Big Fish" and "Bridges of Madison County," they are among the most tuneless entries in Broadway history. One of them sounds suspiciously like Cee Lo Green's "F You.")
At the premiere last night I asked him what it's like when the orchestra kicks into the "Rocky" theme, "Gonna Fly Now." Karl replied, with a grin (and this now wearing a suit and tie after two hours in workout clothes on stage), "You think here it comes, and off you go." And he runs up a huge steep flight of stairs built to resemble the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
"Rocky" is also aided by a strong adaptation from Thomas Meehan, the Bard of Broadway. Meehan ("Annie," "The Producers") broke Stallone's original movie down and delineated characters, gave them back stories, made them like likeable and accessible. They're consistent too. Rocky never gets over losing his locker at the boxing gym no matter how well he's doing. Meehan always comes back to that. It's one of many nice touches.
At last's premiere: the Talking Heads' David Byrne. His own gem of a show at the Public Theater, "Here Lies Love," was also directed by Alex Timbers. In "Here Lies Love," the audience moves, physically, with the production. Timbers has applied that to the second act of "Rocky," and it's the key to the whole deal.
Stallone brought his wife and daughters. I also ran into director John Herzfeld, who's just finished a movie in which Stallone makes a cameo, he said, as a "Harvey Levin type character from TMZ." Burt Young, who played Paulie in the "Rocky" movies, saw the show, as did "Titanic" director James Cameron. Wesley Smipes, who co-starred with Stallone long ago, arrived wearing his trademark black hat. I spotted "Blue Jasmine" star Bobby Cannavale with pal Joey Slotnick, "Mama I Want to Sing" creator Vy Higgensen with husband Ken Wydro, and NYPD Commish Bill Bratton and journalist wife Rikki Klieman.
Stallone, by the way, is incredibly gracious. His family is a pleasure. He stayed a long time at the after party, greeting everyone. He told me the musical was his vision. He can't get over Andy Karl. "You wouldn't buy it if it weren't for him. He makes you believe it. And he's tireless."
I should note the lavish after was at the Roseland Ballroom. It's the last Broadway premiere there ever, as Roseland will close soon after 80 years. The party planners set up a boxing ring in the center, so guests could get their pictures taken faux boxing complete with red satin robes. There was also a realistic replica of the Philly art museum, where diners could sit on the steps while chowing down. It was a grand send off for Roseland, which will probably become a unnecessary glass tower full of $20 million condos and a CVS downstairs.
"American Idol" Grim Wednesday Ratings Are Back to Lows from Olympics
Ratings Disaster: American Idol Falls Below 9 Million Viewers
Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
More articles from author
■Movies
"SNL": Ariana DeBose Won Her Oscar Last Night Hands Down, James Austin Johnson Emerges as a Star
by Roger Friedman - January 16, 2022 3:32 pm
Box Office: "Spider Man" Takes 4th Spot in All Time Records, Beating "Black Panther" with $704 Million
by Roger Friedman - January 16, 2022 12:02 pm
Categories Select Category Art awards black lives matter Books Broadway Reviews business cannes 2014 Celebrity charity coronavirus crime Empire State of Mind Exclusives fake news fashion Featured food Foreign Affair george floyd government Health law Media Movie Reviews Movies Music new york city People Watch Politics Religion Reviews royals sports sundance 2021 tech Television Theater Uncategorized Videos
Archive Select Month January 2022 (95) December 2021 (170) November 2021 (145) October 2021 (176) September 2021 (172) August 2021 (151) July 2021 (171) June 2021 (175) May 2021 (199) April 2021 (187) March 2021 (171) February 2021 (139) January 2021 (139) December 2020 (101) November 2020 (137) October 2020 (170) September 2020 (155) August 2020 (137) July 2020 (156) June 2020 (126) May 2020 (148) April 2020 (125) March 2020 (153) February 2020 (100) January 2020 (108) December 2019 (113) November 2019 (115) October 2019 (105) September 2019 (89) August 2019 (104) July 2019 (97) June 2019 (90) May 2019 (116) April 2019 (108) March 2019 (121) February 2019 (81) January 2019 (98) December 2018 (109) November 2018 (126) October 2018 (142) September 2018 (94) August 2018 (103) July 2018 (120) June 2018 (121) May 2018 (112) April 2018 (121) March 2018 (107) February 2018 (104) January 2018 (94) December 2017 (98) November 2017 (116) October 2017 (85) September 2017 (99) August 2017 (111) July 2017 (104) June 2017 (107) May 2017 (121) April 2017 (117) March 2017 (97) February 2017 (96) January 2017 (110) December 2016 (101) November 2016 (105) October 2016 (101) September 2016 (102) August 2016 (113) July 2016 (102) June 2016 (110) May 2016 (103) April 2016 (129) March 2016 (108) February 2016 (104) January 2016 (119) December 2015 (121) November 2015 (108) October 2015 (98) September 2015 (86) August 2015 (110) July 2015 (96) June 2015 (116) May 2015 (94) April 2015 (85) March 2015 (99) February 2015 (95) January 2015 (96) December 2014 (113) November 2014 (92) October 2014 (87) September 2014 (99) August 2014 (74) July 2014 (97) June 2014 (101) May 2014 (83) April 2014 (103) March 2014 (109) February 2014 (111) January 2014 (118) December 2013 (121) November 2013 (104) October 2013 (138) September 2013 (124) August 2013 (147) July 2013 (152) June 2013 (136) May 2013 (124) April 2013 (139) March 2013 (137) February 2013 (133) January 2013 (133) December 2012 (116) November 2012 (120) October 2012 (140) September 2012 (105) August 2012 (129) July 2012 (155) June 2012 (132) May 2012 (16) April 2012 (28) March 2012 (34) February 2012 (49) January 2012 (63) December 2011 (67) November 2011 (82) October 2011 (79) September 2011 (78) August 2011 (53) July 2011 (92) June 2011 (90) May 2011 (88) April 2011 (87) March 2011 (115) February 2011 (87) January 2011 (94) December 2010 (110) November 2010 (96) October 2010 (83) September 2010 (84) August 2010 (85) July 2010 (87) June 2010 (94) May 2010 (74) April 2010 (79) March 2010 (74) February 2010 (68) January 2010 (87) December 2009 (67) November 2009 (74) October 2009 (83) September 2009 (67) August 2009 (74) July 2009 (89) June 2009 (89) May 2009 (47) April 2009 (10)
© Showbiz411.com All rights reserved.
People Watch