Design Spoilers Tonight...
My partner and I headed out tonight with the intentions of winning the Rocky lottery. We arrived a little before 6p and Brooke (lottery mistress) was setting up. I asked her how many people were showing up on average. She said that each night there were approximately a 100 people for 20 seats. (Approximately 10 winners if each person wants a pair.) By 6.30p when the lottery closed and the winners were drawn there were easily 100 people if not more.
We did not win.
I immediately ran to get on line at the box office to see if I could again purchase a discounted seat with the mailer I had waiting in my bag. I was more than pleasantly surprised when I was offered 11th row orchestra, dead center. J108 and J109! These would usually be sold as premium and yet the box office was willing to sell them to me at discount. I was excited and grabbed them.
We were seating 3 rows behind the Golden Circle and one row in front of Alex Timbers, the director. These were truly the best possible seats.
After reading all of the comments here I found myself pleasantly surprised on almost all accounts...
The show ran extremely smoothly tonight. There were a few minor lighting glitches, perhaps one blocking mistake (one of the actors fell over a chair that I'm not sure was intended) but technically, it seems that many of the issues have been worked out. Or, we were just lucky.
The book's structure and the set...
Perhaps the book has been completely rewritten and rehearsed overnight (I doubt it), but the comments regarding scenes lasting less than 2 minutes is just not true. Structurally, the scenes were well written and did not seem at all overly excessive - too many - or too short. Not even close. Each location is matched with a corresponding set, but I found the designs spectacular and exciting. I was not distracted at all by unnecessary moving set pieces. In fact, considering the complexity of the design, quite the opposite.
Despite the fact that the designs are mostly of a working class neighborhood in Philadelphia and employ a large gray scale palette, they are not unattractive. There is still lots of color and variety. There are massive wagons that cross the stage, and others that move down- and upstage. Many have the ability to rotate. There are towers that also cross the stage and rotate. There are several bridges which are both practical - actors can walk across them. Most of these units contain various lighting instruments. There are the much mentioned video monitors which are tracked drops. They project live footage taken by characters portraying news cameramen.
Of course, there is the often present ring. It is used both as a boxing ring and the ceiling of several of the larger wagons that represent either Rocky's apartment, Adrian's and Paulie's apartment, and a pet store where Adrian works. (The fish tanks are definitely high definition video monitors.)
AND, during the much discussed final sequence the auditorium's walls are covered in neon lighting. In addition, over the house, over where the ring will eventually end up, is a square of lighting and screens that scissor down to complete the very effective transformation of the theater into the boxing arena.
There are quite a few more pieces that fill out the various environments or create others not mentioned above.
The set is amazing. I did not find it excessive. I found the set design spectacular.
The lighting, practical effects (neon), projections (rain) and stage illumination were equally exciting. The lighting plot is complex and there are far too many effects for me to remember and/or list here. Know that the lighting is as awe inspiring as the set design. They complement each other brilliantly.
And, even though this sounds huge - it is - I disagree with all those who wrote its way too busy. Rocky will be remembered for its extraordinary design.
Costumes were good, and worked well. The piece just doesn't lend itself to knockout clothing (pun intended). This is not a criticism, just the necessities of the play.
Sound. Here is where I agree with the posters before me. The sound is muddy and during the ensemble numbers much of the lyric clarity is lost. They are working on this and I am hopeful that they will fix this issue. They still have a ways to go, though.
The book is good and often funny. It has a sweetness similar to the film and I found myself often touched by the humanity of the two main characters. Again, I repeat, it is nothing like I imaged based on some of the previous posts. Scenes are well developed and last way more than 90 seconds.
The much maligned music. It is not nearly as bad as so many have reported here. I agree that it is not as sweeping as
Ragtime, or
Once On This Island, but it is a decent score and there are even a few stand out moments - everything Adrian (Margo Seibert) sings is gorgeous and even Rocky (Andy Karl) has a few nice moments.
The cast. The ensemble is good, but does not stand out as this isn't a big dance show and/or ensemble sung score. The leads - Andy Karl and Margo Seibert - are both excellent. They are equally believable and likable. I found myself caring about both of them and their budding relationship. I did not think Andy Karl's accent wavered. I thought he truly held the stage and I was fascinated by his Rocky interpretation.
Alex Timbers' (who I met and spoke with at intermission) direction is spot on. Tonight, without any interruptions, the show moved smoothly. The staging was rich with ensemble members filling out the stage pictures as other gym members, Philadelphians wondering the streets, friends of the main characters, etc. Yes, in true
Spider-man fashion, there were the Training Montages with many of the ensemble members doubling as Rockys.
The final sequence. Wow! Even those who haven't enjoyed Rocky have commented that the last 20 minutes are spectacular. Nothing prepared me for how spectacular and powerful the final sequence would be. From both a performance and design perspective this is truly magical theater.
Everything moved quickly tonight and the Golden Circle was onstage and the theater transformed into a boxing arena in a few minutes.
Everything, is there to totally take you into this world. I was particularly overwhelmed by the in-house lighting effects, but everything is just, WOW!
(I will say that I am glad I didn't have Golden Circle seats. I don't know how much they missed, but from my perspective, I think it is possible that there is a lot they don't see. Clearly, they have no view of the overhead announcers who are on a bridge above them. I suspect that they have visual access to the projected ring corner between rounds segments, but with not as many monitors. Not sure, though. Perhaps, I will try the lottery again later in the run after the show is frozen and I'll have a better understanding of the onstage perspective.)
The audience went wild as did I.
The audience. I saw one person using their phone to film Rocky's entrance during the final fight sequence. Otherwise, tonight's audience seemed well behaved and engaged. I did not hear any moans or sighs when dialogue transitioned into song. I was more than pleasantly surprised.
I loved Rocky. I thought it moving and a lot of fun.
ARTc3 formerly ARTc. Actually been a poster since 2004. My name isn't Art. Drop the "3" and say the signature and you'll understand.
Updated On: 2/19/14 at 01:08 AM
