ROCKY Reviews — Page 9

Maybe I missed them, but I don't think I've seen any posts, or press for that matter, that mention Rocky's plot and directorial similarities with The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity a few years back at Second Stage. Chad Deity isn't a musical, and concerns a Pro Wrestling, not boxing underdog, but the live cameras feeding to video screens, big fight sequences, and insanely over-the-top sports pageantry I'm hearing about in Rocky's finale were all present throughout Chad Deity, which I thought was a wonderful play, and a thrilling production. It was all the more impressive that it brought that intimate underdog story with its huge spectacle feel to the small theater at Second Stage. They hoped to bring it to Broadway, but of course, that never happened. Chad Deity was one off-Broadway play that I thought would benefit from a transfer to a bigger venue.

Terrence Archie who plays Apollo Creed also played the title role in Chad Deity, a VERY Apollo Creed-like character, although like Rocky, the play is centered on its underdog Rocky type character.

I haven't seen Rocky yet, but I would not be surprised if Chad Deity inspired the idea to bring Rocky to the stage. In fact, given the staging similarities, I WOULD be surprised if no one on the creative team of Rocky had seen Chad Deity.

@SuttonRoss I think what darquegk is asking is the origin of stereotypes to those associated with/in theatre.

I left out a word- musical theatre CREATORS. It's something I have discussed on the board before- I am a writer and theorist with theses on crafting musical theatre.

Rocky DID remind me of Chad Deity when I started hearing the reports from previews.

Some perverse part of me would LOVE to see an adaptation of Hamlet, pro-wrestling style. The beefs, the backstage conspiracies, the over-the-top grandiose characters and the constant confrontations and fights seem like a natural adaptation for WWE format.

If 68% of the audience is female, 32% are male - or yet to have made up their minds - I can imagine of that 32% the gay quotient has got be pretty high so if Rocky can up the straight male audience percentages, more power to it.

I can tell you that my in-laws from Peru recently talked about going to a Broadway show - having never seen one - and my mother in law wanted to see Mama Mia. Her husband yes'd her to death but when it came time to order tickets she called to ask if only women went to see that show, his father was having second thoughts. We suggested Rocky for him, and he asked "that's a stage show?" and immediately said he'd go to that.

•In the 2012–2013 season, tourists purchased approximately 66% of all Broadway tickets. International tourists comprised 23% of attendees, the highest percentage in recorded history.
•Sixty-eight percent of the audiences were female.
•The average age of the Broadway theatregoer was 42.5 years.
•Seventy-eight percent of all tickets were purchased by Caucasian theatregoers.

•Broadway theatregoers were quite affluent compared to the general United States population, reporting an average annual household income of $186,500.
•Of theatregoers over 25 years old, 74% had completed college and 36% had earned a graduate degree.
•The average Broadway theatregoer reported attending 4 shows in the previous 12 months. The group of devoted fans who attended 15 or more performances comprised only 5% of the audience, but accounted for 31% of all tickets (3.6 million admissions).
•Playgoers tended to be more frequent theatregoers than musical attendees. The typical straight play attendee saw seven shows in the past year; the musical attendee, three.
• Word-of-mouth was the most influential factor in show selection.
•Forty-one percent of respondents said they purchased their tickets online.
•The average reported date of ticket purchase for a Broadway show was 27 days before the performance.
•Forty-two percent of attendees walked to the theatre. Nineteen percent took the subway, and 14% drove in a car.

Get the full report through the link ...

The Demographics of the Broadway Audience 2012-2013

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I have the utmost respect for Brantley. But his opinions and critiques are full of so much sarcasm that he actually makes people want to go see the shows. It actually is starting to do the opposite of what people think. Rather than hurt a show it helps it. And I think that a lot of times he's right...to a degree. But the days of killing a show because of a critic are over. Again just my opinion. People buy and see what they want. Word of mouth is the greatest and most effective tool with these shows having success. Critics do matter but word of mouth has been statically proven to matter most.
Rocky actually received some really great reviews from credible newspapers and magazines. I wouldn't count this show out at all. I think because so many will, the Tonys might favor the underdog.

From your sarcastic statements, you are either a relative or a Brantley wannabe who worships at his altar.

Brantley to me is irrelevant and a no talent hack. In another post we were accused of piling on. Well boo _______ boo.

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Updated On: 3/15/14 at 11:53 PM

I went into it tonight expecting strong performances and an amazing technical show (which were both very true), but was immensely surprised at how strong a musical it was on all levels. Is it the best musical ever? No. But I think it has a long life ahead of it

The following few weeks' numbers will indicate the life span we can expect to see for this. This could easily turn out like Wicked and overcome the negative reviews. It is definitely an uphill battle. Rocky has its flaws, but overall I immensely enjoyed myself, and those last twenty minutes had the most thrilling stage magic and technical elements I have seen. Seeing the Winter Garden light up and transform was truly an unforgettable experience.

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https://www.broadwayworld.com/grossesshow.cfm?show=WICKED&year=2003

It did well in previews, but it obviously wasn't consistently cracking a million like it is now. Average ticket price during previews was about $60. Remember, though, that the top ticket was $100 then.

I, personally, don't find the WICKED comparison apt. WICKED targeted a completely different audience than ROCKY and it also has worldwide, universal appeal as being connected with one of the most familiar stories of all time. ROCKY is hardly an obscure title, but it's not THE WIZARD OF OZ. Also, the stakes are much higher now than they were in 2003. The most expensive ticket to ROCKY is $248, whereas WICKED's was only $100. ROCKY's got a much steeper uphill climb than WICKED did. We'll see how good (or bad) word of mouth is in the next few weeks alone, I'm sure.

Updated On: 3/16/14 at 01:09 PM

I just adore how Wickedites choose to believe their show got simply TRASHED by the critics, when in reality it got mixed-to-positive reviews and was the award favorite of the season up to the Tonys.

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Wicked was the most anticipated show of that season

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In terms of critical consensus, Wicked and Rocky are on similar footing.

Let's assume that is correct. What does that make Wicked? The exception? How many shows have been critically snubbed to become mega hits as opposed to those that closed as flops?

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