Rocky Previews- Page 18

[broadwayghost1]

Posted: 2/19/14 at 9:08pm

Got my tickets for the golden circle this saturday.

[Stevie72]

Posted: 2/19/14 at 11:26pm

So this will get a tony nomination ????

[ARTc3]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 12:00am

^ Who knows? At this point, one can only speculate. The reason I didn't mention awards in my "review" was I didn't wish to based my opinions on a competition for best. I thought it would be more interesting and perhaps relevant if I kept my words just to my experience, thoughts and opinions.

Considering the Tony, I can see Rocky being nominated in several categories and even winning several. I wouldn't be surprised if Rocky was nominated in these categories:

Musical
Actress
Actor
Book
Direction
Scenic Design
Lighting Design
(there might be more, but these are what immediately come to mind)

I am not prepared to make any predictions of winners at this point.

Updated On: 2/20/14 at 12:00 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 2:21am

How's the sound on this?

[ARTc3]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 10:52am

^ You haven't been following, which I understand as this is now a tome.

The sound needs a lot of work. Let's hope they fix it this month before opening.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 2/20/14 at 11:57pm

I'm curious as to why the ROCKY banner ads all say "8 Performances Weekly" when there were only 6 performances this week and 7 next. Also it's weird to me that there aren't Wed matinees during previews.

[dave1606]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:00am

I went back tonight having seen the first preview. They have cut Phily Pie and replaced it with another song. Phily Pie was still listed in the playbill so it must have been pretty new. That was the big change I noticed tonight. The song had better lyrics and definitely established the characters better, but it wasn't as fun as Phily Pie. I can't really remember much else about it as the tune itself was rather forgettable.

The ending was also tightened up and makes a bit more sense that it did before, but otherwise there weren't any other big changes.

My TDF tickets were side orchestra which if I had a choice I would not recommend. You really miss a large chunk of the set here. The final fight was a decent view, but for the rest of the show there was at least 1/3 of the show you cannot see.

Margo Seibert was really on fire tonight and really roused a rather tepid audience with her big number.

[followspot]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 12:59am

My TDF tickets were side orchestra which if I had a choice I would not recommend. You really miss a large chunk of the set here. The final fight was a decent view, but for the rest of the show there was at least 1/3 of the show you cannot see.

This has been mentioned incidentally several times in this thread, but it's worth singling out: I would estimate that 40% of seating for this production is what I would consider "partial view" — full side sections of both the orchestra and mezzanine, and then an entirely different group once the playing space reconfigures for the final scene. The majority of the show's staging is overly deep for the very wide Winter Garden. Most scenes are staged 20 feet upstage, some double that, while a low-hanging walkway hovers overhead downstage, which together pretty much eliminate a full view for all side seating and rear mezzanine. Result: lots of audience craning, leaning, head-bobbing, half-standing, etc., and listening to entire scenes you can't fully see. Possibly the worst match of staging and theater I've ever witnessed.

Bottom line: Sit center, or good luck.

Updated On: 2/21/14 at 12:59 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 7:53am

My understanding is that "Philly Pie" was cut yesterday, so no time for new Playbills.

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 8:59am

Saw it last night. To be honest, I'm not sure what everyone saw the first night that made me rush to get tickets. I agree more with the more recent reviews. I've actually never seen the movie beginning to end, so I feel that allowed me to judge this solely as a piece of musical theater.

The lyrics are laughable, but not intentionally so. I know simple-minded characters aren't supposed to be profound and eloquent, but the ice rink scene and recurring themes like "my nose ain't broken" sounded like you asked some middle schoolers to write a musical. This is the group that brought us Ragtime?

This is supposed to be 1975-1976, which is evident in the physical set design, but video-recorded scenes and graphics are all 2014, especially for the final fight. It's like they just wanted to make it look as "cool" as possible without any regard for stylistic consistency. In fact, that can be said for the entire final scene. It's pretty cool and definitely entertaining, but in the end it's spectacle, not theater. Overproduced with little theatrical value. *SPOILER ALERT* The ending is SO rushed, there should be at least some dramatic value in the actual outcome of the match, even if the point is that the actual outcome doesn't matter (it's that he finished that does). The end of the fight to the blackout is maybe 15 seconds, where we're supposed to digest the fact that he succeeded, despite the fact that he failed, but he loves his girlfriend so all is right with the world? Terrible. Maybe this is a recreation of the movie, but it doesn't work in the theater. *END SPOILER*

People were loving it despite how shoddy it was. There was applause for pretty much anything that was recreated from the movie. Jokes that weren't funny and didn't land (and sometimes weren't even jokes) got laughs, I think because they were dialogue pulled out of the movie. Drinking raw eggs during the training montage almost got a standing ovation. Jogging up the stairs, done twice, and you could hear the gasps of excitement when the stairs were revealed. People almost rushed the stage with joy to climb with him. Also, the fall guard that rises out of the stairs was just awkward. I know we don't want Andy Karl to fall, but constructing it that way ruined the scene for me.

The voices were powerful and enjoyable to listen to amongst the three leads, but they really don't have much to work with. The set is extravagant and actually pretty well done--I can't imagine how much all those hydraulics cost. What was the capitalization? This will need to run for a good while to recoup, but given how much the audience ate it up, I imagine it will sell well.

Finally, the theater--I'd never been here as I haven't subjected myself to Mamma Mia! or Cats, but the sight lines are miserable, especially since they narrowed the width of the proscenium with the speakers and hydraulic rails. As others have said, at least a third of the theater is partial view. I was 6 seats in from the side wall in row O, and I missed a lot of action. I wasn't listed as partial view, and I'd have had a talk with the house manager had I paid full price. The raking is terrible--if I looked directly between the heads in front of me, I had a great view of the side proscenium speakers. The heads in front of me, however, were directly in front of the center of the stage, which was exacerbated by all the head-bobbing from those obstructed in front of me. I'm sure I made it worse for those behind me, too. I saw seats upstairs during intermission that were probably lucky to see half the action. Poorly thought-out by the set designer.

Alright, I guess that's enough of a rant. Are the performances strong? Sure. Is the spectacle entertaining? At times. Is it quality theater? Not a chance, and I doubt it gets there. I'll be embarrassed if this ends up walking away with a bunch of awards, but sadly, wouldn't be surprised.

[followspot]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 10:10am

^^ We had the exact same experience last night, TonyVincent. I know the ROCKY film well — it's a sweet, simple, very down-to-earth underdog love story — much along the lines of ONCE, actually — that builds to an emotionally thrilling climax. What we get here is a SPIDER-MAN-level cartoon from start to finish. The audience ate it up. I'm happy for everyone involved. I found it painful to endure.

Updated On: 2/21/14 at 10:10 AM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 10:58am

"Philly Pie" was cringeworthy. Glad to hear they cut it; hope they replaced it with something...better.

The more I think about the show, the less I find worthy of remembering. I imagined I'd think fonder of it as time passed, but not so much. Updated On: 2/21/14 at 10:58 AM

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 10:58am

Great analogy, followspot! A Once storyline with a Spider-Man execution. Hope you don't mind if I steal that!

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:00am

Are there discounts for the Golden Shower seating?

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:07am

Yes. Stop by my place tomorrow night and I'll get you into the Golden Shower circle for free.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:08am

""Philly Pie" was cringeworthy. Glad to hear they cut it; hope they replaced it with something…better."

I'm just happy they cut it…and y'all know by now what an apologist I am for the score.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:13am

"Yes. Stop by my place tomorrow night and I'll get you into the Golden Shower circle for free."

PM'd you.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:17am

I should have mentioned that it's nearly sold out...

[followspot]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:18am

@ TonyVincent. Don't mind at all. I'm not planning to ever mention this experience again.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:22am

Growl. Another warning: you will get wet. They don't offer any ponchos or protective gear.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 11:22am

Updated On: 2/21/14 at 11:22 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 3:58pm

Hmmmm.......here goes. (Saw the show on Thursday with TDF tix; seats in the last row, center orch next to the sound booth -- sightlines were absolutely fine, not even cut off because of the overhang.

TONS of production team in the house, which I was likely MORE aware of because of my seats, and one such somebody was sitting next to me. They were audible when tech things or gags seems to go well, but not really terribly distracting. (Annie Golden was in the house, btw.)

I agree with lots of the comments here, good and bad. It's workable, but right now it's just not well developed.

The Characters/Performances: While I never felt that they were copying performances from the movie, I felt they were nearly all two dimensional characters but don't truly fault the actors, but the book. (See below.) I did fine that both Rocky and Adrian were well done, but didn't feel moved/interested in any other characters.

The Set: While impressive, I felt it was over designed. Did it ever take away from the show? No, but I didn't feel it ever really added all that much either.

The Book: This is the biggest problem (IMO). NOTHING and NO ONE truly gets developed. We don't truly get to know the characters, so we don't really see any growth/development. Adrian...we don't truly see her awkwardness, so her arc isn't really a huge deal. Rocky...again, where is his growth? Even his training doesn't really work: do we ever see him OUT of shape? Except for his failing at the stairs once, where is the struggle? Let's speak to the arc of both Paulie and Mickey: Where is their development? How can Adrian sing the Act II number when the worst thing we ever see Paulie do is throw the turkey out the window? (Which, btw, would be a better moment if we believed for even a moment that it wasn't a prop weighing just a few ounces.) What about the scene in the butcher shop? We go from Rocky saying he won't hit the meat, to pounding it for the cameras. So many moments that you'd only understand IF you'd seen the film that are just glossed over. Which is another problem with the show....the story just goes from one big moment in the film to the next...without the ingredients to really make it work. The actors aren't given the motivation/story line to make many of those scenes work. I'll agree with the comments that there are too many short scenes...which is why development isn't happening.

The Score: Not impressed. Yes,these are working class, uneducated people -- but there is a difference between rustic/non-refined and stupid. They aren't stupid. I cannot hum a single tune that I didn't already know. I agree that a 70s feel (or any feel at all) would have been welcome. I heard a similar conversation during intermission.

The Boxing/Final Fight: It didn't win me over. I felt lots of the fighting looked incredibly fake. How can I punch you, if you don't take the hit? The balance just wasn't there. I found the scripted parts to feel incredibly artificial...maybe because you HAD to look at the screens. But that removed me from the story and any personal connection I might have started to feel. And (this needs to be yelled) I DON'T NEED TO BE BLINDED BY THE LIGHTS WITH EVERY HIT OR ROUND CHANGE! WTH? I also found the the last tableau, between Rocky and Adrian just awkward and after school special-like. It's not their declaration of love that ends the story, its his achieving of the goal -- a goal that wasn't all that well established.

I didn't hate the show, but felt disappointed. The moments that worked the best were between Rocky and Adriane. And the scenes with 1/2 clothed men. I can't really reccommend this show to many, nor will I try to dissuade anyone. My son enjoyed the show, it was it first introduction to the story. (Now we have the movie scheduled for the DVR tomorrow night....we'll see if his opnion and/or understanding change with that.) He gives it an 8 out of 10, while I'd be giving it a 6.5.

The audience, however, ate it up. Quick to get on their feet. I saw/heard no phones or obnoxious behavior, nor any moaning and groaning with the songs. Yes, it didn't seem like a typical audience (more men, fewer senior citizens) but they were appropriate in every way.


BTW....I really loved the curtain during intermission, found it to be very clever.

Updated On: 2/21/14 at 03:58 PM

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 4:13pm

great review Dramamamma...was waiting for it all day!

thanks to everyone too - based upon all reviews I am not going to subject myself to this. (I did my part with Queen of the Night) Although I am tempted by the train wreck status Rocky is achieving, I am going to pass and not get to wear the T-Shirt "I survived Rocky the Musical and all I got was this stupid T-Shirt"

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 4:19pm

"BTW....I really loved the curtain during intermission, found it to be very clever."

Oh what was it?

[April Saul]

Posted: 2/21/14 at 4:46pm

Wow! I thought I had learned my lesson that folks on this board are so unabashedly excited to see new original musicals that you can't always quite trust the early raves here, but sadly, I had not. I was at the same performance as TonyVincent and Dramamama and had much the same reaction to Rocky. It's okay, though, I had a TDF ticket and would have been curious about this one, anyway.

It appears that the movie is just so damn beloved that yes, folks will roar with approval at Andy Karl eating raw eggs or yelling, 'Yo, Adrian!' Besides the new songs being largely forgettable, character development is almost non-existent. The getting into shape stuff is a vehicle for cool projections and scenery, but doesn't give you a sense of Rocky's struggle. Particularly abrupt for me was how Adrian went from being afraid to be alone with Rocky then almost immediately to a scene where she's amorously trying to grab his crotch. Her relationship with Paulie is never fleshed out, either, so I was as mystified as Dramamama when she triumphantly frees herself from her brother with a song.

I thought the actors did a good job and were in fine voice. It's not their fault, and it's great to see Andy Karl in a juicy lead role. The fight scene, which was described by somebody here as thrilling, worked well; yes, it's all a big, well-executed, splashy cartoon. If it wins a best musical Tony, I would be shocked...it's true that the Rocky movie won the Oscar, but at least that was a crowd-pleasing original and not an adaptation.

But I have to say that not since Jersey Boys have I witnessed this much audience rapture, it is definitely a hit.

For folks here who still want seating suggestions, I had a varied experience, first sitting in M15--a better TDF seat than most, no obstructions. At intermission, frustrated with the tall guy in the seat in front of me (not his fault!) and the neighbor to one side who checked his freaking cell phone every five minutes, I actually slipped into an open seat in the Golden Circle and did join the onstage crowd. It is a strange place to be. It seemed like they played more to us for the first half of the fight, then turned the ring and played more to the rest of the house for the end; in fact, the final Rocky/Adrian kiss was blocked from us completely, and we couldn't see Adrian singing or the announcers all perched on a ramp above us. Looking down at the audience, I noticed that a lot of folks in the first three to five rows of the side orchestra stood throughout the fight...which made me feel like I wouldn't want to be there, being so short.

So I would not break the bank to be in the Golden Circle, which, though it is cool to be that close when they're playing in your direction, is actually somewhat obstructed. I'm not a big fan of the mezzanine, but given the factors at work here, this might be the ideal first-row-of-the-mezz show.

I gotta say, having lived and worked in the Philly area for over 30 years, I was baffled by all the references to "Southside" in dialoue and song. There is no such place in Philadelphia! There's a South Side in Chicago and a Southie in Boston, but down here, it's South Philly, plain and simple...surprised they wouldn't try to be authentic with that reference.