April  28,  2014      From  Film  to  Footlights…yet  again…  By  JEFFREY  A  SHARP  

“Rocky” is a spectacular theatrical experience…in the truest sense of the word. Directed

by Alex Timbers with a book by Thomas Meehan and Sylvester Stallone, the show (actually

more like two different shows: the story and the spectacle) meanders through a dramatically low

first act into a powerhouse second act, which should only be described in terms usually reserved

for the newest Cirque du Soleil production. The second act is nothing short of a multimedia

extravaganza beginning with two Training Montages (including the iconic trot up the stairs at the

Philadelphia Museum of Art) culminating in the main event, or the most overt display of

multimedia ‘manhood’ on Broadway to date. The final fight between Rocky Balboa, played by

the crooning Andy Karl and Terence Archie’s commanding Apollo Creed, completely immerses

the audience in something akin to watching reality-television. And coming complete with

converted arena seating, projection jumbotron and proscenium-perched video play-by-play, one

tends to wonder, is this a musical or an athletic event?

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (lyricist and composer, respectively) deliver a score

memorable only in that it is not memorable at all. After such successful works as “Ragtime” and

“Once On This Island” one wonders just how Ms. Ahrens could be content writing such horrific

lyrics as, “My nose ain’t broken / She’s good as new / I’m looking forward / My nose is too.”

Even Rocky’s more heartfelt song “Fight from the Heart” is thrown off kilter via awkward lyrics.

Although after the veritable disaster that was “Seussical,” maybe this does not faze either the

composer or lyricist too much. Perhaps the only tunes the audience walks away humming are

Bill Conte’s seminal theme to the 1976 film, and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” (from “Rocky

III”).

The biggest problems with “Rocky” are the inconsistencies that permeate through the

show. For instance, Rocky’s overtly Philly accent disappears completely when he sings,

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replaced instead by uncharacteristically clear diction, not something expected of the normally

mush-mouthed fighter. And with so many script references to Rocky being a ‘southpaw,’ one

would think the director (or someone at least!) would have noticed that Mr. Karl does not even

feign being a lefty. From drinking his signature glass of raw eggs to every jab and hook thrown

(from Rocky and his many second act montage clones), we get a right-handed delivery every

time. The talented Margo Seibert is beautiful and sounds stunning as Rocky’s love interest,

Adrian, however the addition of a frumpy wig and thick-framed glasses does not automatically

make her plain Jane and moreover, lends an air of disingenuousness to the character.

Despite the problems with this production, I must concede a few points to its favor. The

final match fight choreography (by Stephen Hoggett) is both intricate and incredibly executed.

Weaving together dialogue, alternating bursts of quick fighting and slow-motion jabs, and

sprinkled with the ensemble ladies parading the number for each round it proves to be a very

complex bit of staging to navigate. An interesting effect used in the slow-motion fight sections

uses powdered chalk dusted onto each fighter’s gloves to simulate a light spray of blood or sweat

throughout the match. The choreography, together with the media frenzy that accompanies it,

effectively recreates the energy and excitement of a real boxing match. Another point that

should not be overlooked is the strong chemistry between the Mr. Karl and Ms. Seibert. The

awkward flirtatious scenes in the pet shop and later at the skating rink are two of only a few rare

glimpses into Rocky and Adrian’s relationship. It is a shame that there aren’t more of these

sincere moments throughout the show. Likewise, Rocky’s curmudgeonly manager Mickey

(played by the surly Dakin Matthews) has a tender moment remembering his own boxing days

“In the Ring” while trying to convince Rocky to take him on as manager. Unfortunately, the

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connection between Rocky and Mickey is not explored much further beyond what we are given

in this scene.

So many of the ‘film-to-footlights’ musicals that have saturated Broadway in the past few

years, they bank on the love of the source material to bring in audiences, often times allowing

elements such as plot and character depth take a back seat. Sadly, “Rocky” falls right into step

with this formula, suffering from weak plot lines and the inconsistencies of its characters. The

show’s only saving grace lies with its actors’ abilities to do good things with bad material. All

this being said, it has succeeded on two fronts: its innovative use of multimedia and its ability

(mainly owing to the source material) to bring in an elusive demographic to the theatre that so

many shows fail to attract…the middle-aged father. This, together with the circus-like main

event may give “Rocky” the edge it needs to survive in today’s competitive Broadway market.

Rocky

Book by Thomas Meehan and Sylvester Stallone; music by Stephen Flaherty; lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; based on the MGM/United Artists motion picture; directed by Alex Timbers; choreography by Steven Hoggett and Kelly Devine; produced by Joop van den Ende and Bill Taylor; sets by Christopher Barreca; costumes by David Zinn; lighting by Christopher Akerlind; sound by Peter Hylenski; video by Dan Scully and Pablo N. Molina; special effects designed by Jeremy Chernick; wig and makeup design by Harold Mertens; orchestrations by Stephen Trask and Doug Besterman; music director, Chris Fenwick; vocal arrangements by Mr. Flaherty; music coordinator, John Miller; production stage manager, Lisa Dawn Cave; associate producers, Barbara Darwall and Michael Hildebrandt; executive producers, Adam Silberman and Eric Cornell; production supervisors, Jake Bell and Lily Twining; general manager, Bespoke Theatricals. Presented by Stage Entertainment USA and Sylvester Stallone, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the Shubert Organization, Kevin King-Templeton, James L. Nederlander and Terry Allen Kramer, Roy Furman, Cheryl Wiesenfeld, Zane Tankel, Lucky Champions, Scott Delman, JFL Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams, Latitude Link, Waxman/Shin/Bergère and Lauren Stevens/Josh Goodman. At the Winter Garden Theater, 1634 Broadway, at 50th Street, 212-239-6200, rockybroadway.com. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes.

WITH: Andy Karl (Rocky Balboa), Margo Seibert (Adrian), Terence Archie (Apollo Creed), Dakin Matthews (Mickey), Danny Mastrogiorgio (Paulie) and Jennifer Mudge (Gloria).