Rocky Previews- Page 9

[holdyourbatboy]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 12:12am

Just for back from the 2nd preview. I really wanted to like it, but the show isn't very good. The songs are bad. Not just bad -cringeworthy bad. The audience started audibly groaning when a new song began. The first act was very slow, and most of the second act was, until the big fight scene. It is huge. SPECTACLE. Sensory overload. It's lots of fun and the audience was loving it. However, there was tepid applause for the rest of the show. I read here that there was a giant ovation for Adrian's 11 o clock number at the first preview. I really liked her performance, but the song was very generic "get out and stay out" - with less belting. It got fine applause but wasn't a showstopper. Apollo's numbers are horrible and borderline racist IMHO.

Sidenote - it was odd how futuristic and HD all of the "news" footage was. It was a very modern day "espn" with cgi animations. They have definitely kept the show in the 70's, so all of the incredible hd "sports broadcasting" didn't make a lot of sense.

Can't see this getting better without new music and a new first act. The fight scene at the end of the show is great though. Also, the set broke down several times. They actually stopped the show and took a 20 min break in the middle of act one.

Posted: 2/15/14 at 12:41am

^^^^^ agreed. just got back. Show was 3 hours tonight.

found all the songs and story and lyrics and music very flat.

performances,, meh.

the last 20 minutes EXCELLENT- but not worth hard earned money.

I kept sitting there going
"how is this show going to survive once everyone from Staten Island and New Jersey are done with it??"


If you want to sit in a crowd of people who clearly are going to the theatre for the first time in their lives after riding the ferry-- this is the one to see.


there was more language, bad habits, and accents coming from the audience than what was being inaudibly said on stage.


on the other hand- i commend the cast and crew for hanging in there and fighting through this monster of a show. The sets come out swinging. And they win the fight.

I wish there was something that left you humming once you left the theatre.

Unfortunately- the only song you remember is "Eye of the Tiger". yikes.

[ARTc3]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 12:46am

I find it interesting that those who saw it tonight were less than impressed and mostly, those who saw it Thursday loved it. Wonder if tonight's performance was just not as well performed because its the second preview and the excitement of finally put it up in front of an audience drove an energy that was lost tonight.

[bstoll1]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 1:11am

I am on the train heading home from the second preview and I agree with tonight's reviews from "holdyourbadboy" and "taboo123."

Last night after reading the amazing reviews from the first performance and the big celebrities who showed up to support the show I was kicking myself for not grabbing a ticket from TDF for the performance. So this morning when I saw they had tickets for the second preview I grabbed it in a minute!

Although I am a guy I was not a huge fan of the movie and hadn't seen it in years so I had little knowledge of the story line. The TDF seats were located in the rear left side of the orchestra so needless to say the view was not that great.

Similar to the first performance one of the creators came out to thank us for being their second audience but informed us of their electrical issues and how they were using generators. The show began around 8:10 PM and about 30 minutes into the show they had to suddenly stop the production because a set piece would not move. In that time I moved up to the box seats hoping for a better view but it was still obstructed. The show was in no way sold out since there were plenty of seats on the left side of the theater and some in the mezzanine. I also noticed that a lot of the production staff was scattered throughout the theater with their clipboards taking notes as to changes to be made in upcoming performances. When it was time for the 15 minute intermission I moved to what would be my best seat second row center mezzanine. The intermission probably was double the time and the second half didn't start till about 10:15pm. The second half of the show was much better than the "rocky" first and basically went by very fast. I enjoyed the second half much more than the first basically because of the use of technology and screens. The show ended with a big spectacle where they bought the whole first half of the center row orchestra people onstage to sit on bleachers while they put the boxing ring over all the center half of the orchestra seats. They created a big screen that hung above the ring making it look like a real match that could have taken place at a venue like Madison Square Garden. The 15 round boxing match happened in probably 10 minutes and then the show ended at 11 PM - 3hrs later. Stallone did not show up at the end, it just ended with a standing ovation, although the majority of the audience in the orchestra section was already standing as they watched the fake boxing match.

All in all I'd say if you were a big fan of the movie and wanted to go for the spectacle of it all then go if not save your money.

I do though have to give the show credit for how they created the boxing match at the very end. It was a brilliant idea. A lot of work to set up and get everyone in their places but a great job.

I hope this review was useful to those trying to decide about seeing the production and happy Valentine's Day to all those who celebrate.



Updated On: 2/15/14 at 01:11 AM

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 1:31am

So the first preview was great and the second was meh.

I got a ticket for tomorrow night, I shall put an end to this!

[ARTc3]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 1:36am

You go blaxx. I trust you to have the definitive opinion. Post the moment you can.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 1:51am

Why are we assuming that the first and second preview were the identical show? They only have until March 13 to try things out, so perhaps they put some things in that didn't work?

I mean, one recent review said the second preview ended with a wrestling match! That's a pretty big switch from day one, no?

But seriously, I think we need to keep in mind that no one is reviewing the same show on consecutive days. It's sort of like how the If/Then DC thread had obvious phases as the show morphed until opening.

[ARTc3]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 2:01am

^ exactly...

Having typed that, there may be some imposed limits on how much can be changed based on the complexity of the production. Sets as expensive and complex as reported by those who have seen the show tend to hinder dramatically changing the structure of a production. Of course, within each scene there is far more flexibility.

Having typed this, I do think this thread is going to be fun to watch over the preview period.

Also, on another note... I was disturbed by the post that suggested Rocky would mostly appeal to audience not familiar with the etiquette of theater going. Those who know me here, know that I take great offense to rude audiences.

Updated On: 2/15/14 at 02:01 AM

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 2:02am

Like when Latinos went to Evita. That was offensive.

[ARTc3]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 2:05am

blaxx, I'd like to think I'm not racist. I admit to being rude audiencist. Cell phones going off, people texting during a show, people bring in and eating their dinner, loud talking, hissing when there is a musical number (as reported here), etc. are my issues.

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 2:08am

Just home from the 2nd preview. Technically they have A LOT of work ahead of them. It wasn't a bad show, but i feel that all the missed cues (and there were a TON of them tonight) really screwed up the pacing. There were a lot of dead spots and it made the show drag along. My issues were all mostly technical so hopefully it will all be worked out. The lighting was so dim in some parts i had trouble seeing people.

I understand that its an early preview, but the sound was truly awful. In every one of the company numbers it was impossible to make out a single lyric of what they were saying. I have been to many early musical previews, but this one was definitely the worst for sound. Again a lot of missed cues at the beginning of sentences and everything was muffled when more than 2 people were singing.

As for the show, the book is solid. There are a lot of funny moments given by Rocky and his simple dialog. I live in Philly and the guard at the ice skating rink has the accent down 100%. Thats EXACTLY how my neighbors talk. I only heard the girl friends use the same accent during the performance. I wish that Rocky and Adrianne had more of the "Philly" accent.

I have to admit that I am a huge A&F fan. Is this their strongest score? No. I do however feel that it fit this show perfectly. Its simple and yet melodic in spots. Adrain's 11'oclock number was great. I could feel the emotion she was feeling at that time. I have to admit I HATED the "Philly Pie" number. It really needs to be replaced. Other than that…. I can't wait for the CD.

The show is going to be a BIG FAT HIT! It is pure spectacle with a great book and score. Once they get the thing running on its own its going to be a contender for best musical. I hope it runs for years.

Its already leaps and bounds better than Kinky Boots….

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 2:10am

Oh and I had TDF seats, Row U left Orchestra. Great view.

[Movidude742]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 3:07am

I only really had 2 complaints. The modern graphics that many have mentioned, and the fact that there is a number about rocky being a south side hero. as a guy from the Philly Burbs, I have no idea what they are talking about. I mean, I spent a ton of time in Sout' Philly, And a bunch of time on south Street, but I have never heard of anything in the old 215 area code being called the south side.

That said, I liked it overall. I don't think the lyrics were bad for these characters. I really liked Fight from the Heart. There were a lot of touches that I really liked. they never call it ABC, but yes there is a channel 6 in philly and they got the call letters right. The Tastykake reference (comparable to my joy at the Wawa references in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) and at the start of South Side Celebritythey have these red and green stars toward the top of the set that totally reminded me of the Christmas lights in South PHilly, especially between Oregon Avenue and Moyamensing Ave.

So I wasn't surprised when they did a few things with the set to almost make me feel like I was sitting at the Spectrum (may it rest in piece).

I may try to re-watch the movie in the next week. I have avoided it since I heard that the show started development because I didn't want to get lost in the differences. I am curious how much of the 'bad lyrics' were lifted from dialogue from the film

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 7:49am

"They are clearly doing well if the second preview is sold out."

Selling out a performance in the preview period is absolutely no indication of a show "doing well." You're not accounting for a period that's know to have an exceptionally high rate of discounts, papering, and comping.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 7:56am

I might have missed it in the reviews so far but do they depict Rocky running up the steps in Philly and then making that infamous pose at the top of the steps.

Posted: 2/15/14 at 8:02am

ARTc3

The audience was full of people who clearly don't attend theater. During most of the show- people were quoting lines BEFORE they happened- making references to the movie- the chomping- the phones... and not vining off the energy of what the show was trying to create-- it was---not so great.

The dead giveaway??
The hemming and hawing when songs would start--- as if to say-- 'Yo, they gonna sing now?.. jeesus, Give me a f***ing break'

another example:

woman: who's in this show?
man: ehhh, a bunch of nobodies.

another example:
man 1: how long are these things?
another man: 15 minute intermissions, but its preview night so it may take time
man 1: oh i thought it was over and we get to fill out complaint cards with the ushers.


and that was pretty much the night.

Aside from that I can go further into how much I enjoy A&F's musical catalog and DID NOT enjoy this. Lyrics, borderline cheese- musically- flat and unmemorable. I was disappointed. It was missing wit and charm.

I almost felt the musical would have been done better if treated as a comedy- or lighter fare.
It played weird as a drama with music. Which in turn, did not sit well for the stage. Clearly this is a screenplay- which is why some of these 'movie to musicals' should stay as films for a reason. Rocky has a great monologue in the film that transferred over to stage nicely (conversation with the turtles) but at that point... it just doesn't sit well with an audience who an't sit with a monologue.

To spice it up- I would have added James Brown's 'Living In America' for Apollo Creed. I mean the America theme rang all over- what would it have taken to get the rights for the one song?? AT least the audience would have been bopping heads in the aisles and given them enough cheer with what 'Gonna Fly Now' and 'Eye of the Tiger' did for them. NO OTHER SONG came close to eliciting excitement. at all.

The portion with the 10 Rocky's jogging and 'boxerdancing' was a clear take from the Spiderman scene with 10 Spidermans. it wasn't used effectively... It's a juggernaut of a show/spectacle in the last 20 minutes.... but it's not worth the drab first act and most of the 2nd act.

I see a lot of theatre, and have been for decades.
Rocky is no big fat hit. You can tell it will do its business and serve the target audience- it will have a great summer and holiday season.... but i feel that by next winter..... it's gonna fly now.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 8:09am

I've learned that first preview reactions are usually either overly enthusiastic or overly negative. This one turned out to be overwhelmingly enthusiastic. The real buzz will be decided as the preview period progresses.
Updated On: 2/15/14 at 08:09 AM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 8:17am

Exactly, ljay. Just look at the difference of opinions between the first two nights. Very telling. Although, to be fair, I was in the 'underwhelmed' camp at the first night. I'm just not seeing what's so intellectual or captivating about this musical.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 8:26am

First previews can be tricky because the audience is made up mostly of family, friends and enthusiasts of a particular actor, composer or the subject matter. The reactions are usually wild, or at the bare minimum supportive.

If you go back and read the first preview comments here there were only a couple all out raves for the show. Everyone else (myself included) found things to enjoy, but also were critical of other aspects, especially the score. I don't see the huge disparity between the two nights worth of reactions except the second preview didn't have the few raves mixed in.

I think the key here is how much will the final sequence and sets be able to compensate for the other weaknesses when it comes to your own personal enjoyment of the show? The fight went a long way for me in terms of redeeming the show, but like I said before I still preferred Bridges, Gentleman's Guide and After Midnight, so it's not like the finale turned the whole experience to gold.

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 8:38am

"I kept sitting there going
"how is this show going to survive once everyone from Staten Island and New Jersey are done with it??"


If you want to sit in a crowd of people who clearly are going to the theatre for the first time in their lives after riding the ferry-- this is the one to see.


there was more language, bad habits, and accents coming from the audience than what was being inaudibly said on stage. "

What incredibly stupid and offensive statements.

And you're commenting on other people's bad manners?

The people of Staten Island and New Jersey display far more class than anything you've shown here, since you've shown none at all.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 9:01am

"Can others enthusiasm make me reconsider? Sometimes. Just as it can sometimes make me re-think I DID have an interest in. While I see quite a bit on Bway, I certainly try to spend my money wisely. How often do"others sway me? I would venture a guess to that only being 10-20% of the time. "

Thanks for the reply, Drama. I'm one person who must ignore all other opinions. Why? because I can appreciate a broad spectrum of performances, as in those deemed just awful by the masses, as well as popular favorites. As some here may have noticed, I often have a dissenting opinion to the ones posted here. I never know what I'm going to like, so I have to see something for myself. What appeals to some, may not appeal to me and vice versa.

[amoni]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 9:28am

[quote]there was more language, bad habits, and accents coming from the audience than what was being inaudibly said on stage. "

Wow, how annoying. Almost as annoying as some seasoned theater queen traipsing all over the theater changing seats all night thinking they have the right to sit in any seat they want, and at a reduced rate no less, because well, they are entitled, they are "theater fans"!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 9:57am

So this is going to be a big fat hit?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 10:05am

You know what, I still wanna see it. If nothing else, I can at least say I saw it.

[holdyourbatboy]

Posted: 2/15/14 at 10:20am

My issues with the show have nothing to do with the technical problems. The writing is just not good.