ROCKY Reviews- Page 9

[TimesSquared]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 11:33am

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.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 2:28pm

"As a Hispanic very-liberal-Catholic heterosexual, I am three-for-three outside the central demographic of musical theatre."

Are you saying heterosexual people are outside the central demographic for attending musical theater? That seems incredibly doubtful. I think their prime demographic are people who can afford a ticket, regardless of anything else. According to the Broadway League in 2013, "Broadway theatregoers were quite affluent compared to the general United States population, reporting an average annual household income of $186,500."

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 2:36pm

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

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 2:40pm

Cool. I look forward to their reply.

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 2:45pm

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.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 2:51pm

Ok, that makes a lot more sense. That's really cool you have written about that subject, it's something that interests me as well.

[darquegk]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 3:30pm

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.

[Up In One]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 6:19pm

Innovative staging and lunkheaded charm leave audiences punch-drunk with pleasure
Rocky Musical Lands A Solid Hook on Broadway

[Up In One]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 6:36pm

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

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 7:21pm

I finally read the times review. This quote here...

"For what they have given us is a show that at first feels like such a flat liner that you can’t imagine that it could pull itself into any kind of competitive shape, even in a lackluster season for Broadway musicals"

Lackluster season? Really? And once again Brantley proves he can not actually write a REVIEW. He just writes a recap of the show packed with as much sarcasm and snark as possible. I do have to agree with his comments about the score, though.

[Goldenboy2]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 9:31pm

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.

[Luscious]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 11:45pm

Can someone please tell be how long it will most likely be before the backers of this gigantic turd of a show start making millions? Seriously. I know someone who invested heavily that keeps telling everyone he's going to make millions.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 11:53pm

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.

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

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/15/14 at 11:55pm

"Can someone please tell be how long it will most likely be before the backers of this gigantic turd of a show start making millions?"

Oh, you mean this show that a lot of people really love and think is actually a pretty fantastic musical?

[mschwager]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 12:00am

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

[ARTc3]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 12:13am

I enjoyed Rocky immensely, and I was blown away by the final boxing sequence...

Having typed that, I doubt highly that your friend is going to make millions. Why? It is rumored here that Rocky was capitalized at around 20 million. I don't know the economics around Rocky, but I suspect it has a huge operating cost. Large casts and companies with an extensive technical component means very high nut. Even if Rocky finds its audience and sells out, it will be quite some time before it recoups and then even longer before your friend's investment multiplies - if at all. As Rocky has already been a film, and Broadway musicals as films are rare - although less so these days - it will be unlikely that Rocky will be remade for the cinema as a musical.

Your friend will be lucky if he sees his investment returned and luckier still if it turns a substantial profit.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 4:54am

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.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 11:52am

How was Wicked during previews? Was it selling-out?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 1:09pm

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

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 1:18pm

I think this show will have a decent run. But not because guys are suggesting to their gf's/wives that they should go see this. It will probably be something where the gf's/wives say "Wanna go see Rocky on broadway?", and the guy will probably say "Sure, if im going to see a play it might as well be Rocky!". Some guys will just go see whatever but some wont, but they would probably go see something like Rocky.

[blaxx]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 1:48pm

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.

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 1:56pm

Well, blaxx. Many of them were probably like 5-years-old in 2004. Sometimes the kiddies rewrite history.

[Up In One]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 2:13pm

Wicked was the most anticipated show of that season

[Kad]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 2:16pm

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

[blaxx]

Posted: 3/16/14 at 2:19pm

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?