Info on Flaherty/Ahrens' "Rocky" starts to seep out
Info on Flaherty/Ahrens' "Rocky" starts to seep out
#1Info on Flaherty/Ahrens' "Rocky" starts to seep out
Posted: 11/22/11 at 8:22am
The world premiere will be performed in German (but will subsequently travel the globe in English).
Many of the franchise's famous songs will be included such as Eye of the Tiger, Gonna Fly Now, and (horrors!) Take You Back, which was Sly's doo-wop number.
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#2Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 11:44amThe first Ahrens and Flaherty show I have no interest in seeing.
#2Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 12:14pmAgreed - this sounds unbearably painful. Who'd have thought Lynn and Steve would go so vulgar?
#3Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 12:15pmI hope they're being paid really, really well for this. It sounds horrendous. The latest entry from the "ice show" canon of musicals.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#4Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 12:50pm
I'm truly disappointed by this. I am a huge fan of Flaherty/Ahrens.
I was willing to go with their decision to musicalize this property, despite reservations.
But I figured that if anyone could turn the movie into a musical that might work it would be them. But to read that those songs from the movie are included, well my heart sank.
Nothing against those songs, and perhaps with another creative team they might actually work.
But Flaherty/Ahrens; scores create are so intricately woven into the fabric of their shows that I fear these movie songs will:
a) clash with the tone of their score and
b) stop the show cold
Still curious, and still going to check it out but my expectations are officially lowered.
#5Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 12:57pmAhrens and Flaherty have a huge and diverse stylistic range. I'm hoping they write the score AROUND the "Rocky Music" style, and not write an unconnected score then plug those songs and styles in.
Gaveston2
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/11
jdtp12
Featured Actor Joined: 7/16/10
#8Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 3:51pm
That was jaw-droppingly bad.
Holy. Crap.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
bestfreakinshoes
Stand-by Joined: 1/5/08
#9Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 4:13pmI'd rather see this than Spiderman, to be perfectly honest.
philly03
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/07
#10Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 4:18pm
Holy cow... Bring back WONDERLAND already!!!!!!
"My nose ain't broken, it still looks nice
Don't need no stiches, don't need no ice"
#11Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 5:14pmI LOVE Ahrens/Flaherty, even their work that I consider subpar (Seussical, parts of My Favorite Year), and they're certainly more versatile than some people I know who seem to only know ragtime would think, but... What a mess. And I think trying to have their style somehow mix with epic cheese numbers like Eye of the Tiger gives me far less hope than if they just somehow controlled the whole score.
#12Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 5:45pm
It reminds me of the musical spoofs that Mel Brooks or Carol Burnett used to do.
Or that Elephant Man musical in The Tall Guy.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#13Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 6:32pm
""My nose ain't broken, it still looks nice
Don't need no stiches, don't need no ice,
The rest of my body gonna need advice..."
I get that Ahrens is trying to write simple lyrics that would make sense for Rocky to sing (from the clip it sounded like he sings this to his turtles?), but they're gonna have a tough time not getting laughter from those lines...
Gaveston2
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/11
#14Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 8:57pm
Above I wrote "I'm kind of shocked, actually."
Well, I've seen the video and I officially retract the "kind of".
And, no, the boxing does not look real (not even to me and I'm no fan of the sport).
I guess I knew from history that even the best writers can talk themselves into the worst projects, but damn!
#15Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/22/11 at 11:12pmI feel like this is something that would show up on The Simpsons.
#16Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/23/11 at 12:18amI just realized Alex Timbers is directing this (but not writing the book...) Is he aware it's not meant to be a spoof?
#17Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/23/11 at 10:25pmAt least they're doing something with Susan Stroman that sounds like it's of more worth than this.
#19Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/24/11 at 11:40amI have no idea what it's called, but I think it was workshopped at LCT earlier this year.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#20Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/24/11 at 12:53pmThis may make Taymor's Spiderman look like My Fair Lady
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#21Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/24/11 at 1:20pmWhy, Ahrens and Flaherty, why? ;_;
Boredathome
Chorus Member Joined: 5/28/10
#22Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/24/11 at 10:34pm
Wow, I actually think this has a ton of potential, and I'm not a big Ahrens/Flaherty fan.
Some people just like to bitch and moan no matter what. And it's always the same people. It's kinda sad.
#23Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/25/11 at 1:01am
Das Poop!
Should this be a musical? NEIN!!
To quote Alex Timbers, "this is the worst idea in history."
That video was embarrassing BUUUUUT, if theyve got the budget to shoot a video of that quality for a workshop, there's money behind this and it will see a stateside run. I think Europeans might like it. I think New Yorkers are gonna ****e on it.
#24Info on Flaherty/Ahrens'
Posted: 11/25/11 at 6:10am
I don't think it's a bad idea to attempt a musical adaptation of Rocky. I think THIS approach that we see here is terrible. The minute they say they want to add in the cheesy, dated soundtrack songs from the "franchise," they lose me instantly. That shows the desperation in the name recognition. This is another "ice show" adaptation, as I said before. "Let's try to do Rocky on stage by throwing a few songs into it and making it as much like the movies as possible." Instant fail.
At the heart of Rocky (yes, it has one) is a wonderful, small story between Rocky and Adrian, and Rocky and his trainer. That's where the drama and "magic" to the piece can be found. But adding a bunch of generic chorus boys in sweats singing a completely square, "Up With People" arrangement of "Eye of the Tiger" immediately throws the whole thing into parody.
It's not a bad idea to adapt Rocky, although it's a challenging one. But it's a horrible idea to adapt it this way and hope for anything other than laughs.
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
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