ROCKY Broadway hit of the 2014 Season- Page 3

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 8:14am

"Rocky is not a fight film, that had little to do with the story. It's a love story of two lonely lost people. In fact if you remember the film and spoiler... and shame on you if you haven't seen after 38 years, it has a happy ending despite Rocky losing because it ends with Rocky and Adrian literally finding each other again in the crowded ring."

I have seen the movie at least 4 or 5 times. It is a sports movie with a side story of a romantic interest. Did you not notice all the scenes of Rocky training including the classic scenes I mentioned above? (Rocky running up and down the steps in Philly, Rocky punching huge slabs of meat in meat factory). Movie also includes the promotion of the fight and the search for the opponent of the fight who turns out to be Rocky. The ending of the film is the climatic fight with the crowd going crazy. Rocky did lose the fight but it was his goal to go the distance so Rocky achieved his goal. Yes, Rocky looks for Adrian at the end but that is a minor detail in this sports movie IMO. Like Lisa Headband said, the writer considered the fight the main story so I think he knows the intention of the movie he wrote.

[Goldenboy2]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 8:25am

I have to agree with you. But whether the movie was a sports film or not is irrelevant to a degree. I mean the whole point of doing a musical based on a movie is the beauty of choosing what to focus on. The Broadway musical, all the interviews I've seen on youtube, they say they chose to focus on the LOVE STORY for Broadway. The fight stuff is like icing on a cake.

[amoni]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 9:29am

"Yes, Rocky looks for Adrian at the end but that is a minor detail in this sports movie IMO."


Ha that's a good one. yeah it's a boxing film, that's what Rocky did for a living, but the love story is a MAJOR plot point. The audience wants them together. I worked for a major theater chain for years. I saw show after show people bursting into applause when they embrace. It wasn't because of the fight and I'm sure it will happen in the show too. United Artist didn't put Apollo Creed on the one-sheet {movie poster), they put Rocky & Adrian there.

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 9:40am

The musical love story of this Broadway season should be BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, with is glorious score, and not ROCKY WHATEVER. Friends from Germany who saw ROCKY were not impressed, and it's a little unclear how this show, based on an old movie, is getting so much buzz. I love Flaherty and Ahrens' work too (well, RAGTIME and ONCE ON THIS ISLAND), but this just sounds like a cash cow.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 10:00am

and Bridges of Madison County is based on? A novel from '92? A movie from '95?

I am curious about Rocky....not so much about Bridges. Until they both open, who knows how either will fare. They both have the exact same chances of success....except you have a helluva lot more men that will be willing to see Rocky, then Bridges.

As for the root of the film: It's about dreams, and fighting for them. Just happens to be told through boxing.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 10:38am

"but the love story is a MAJOR plot point."

From the writer HIMSELF, the fight was the major plot point. Not the love story.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 10:51am

""but the love story is a MAJOR plot point."

From the writer HIMSELF, the fight was the major plot point. Not the love story."

Guess some people know more than the actual writer - lol

[bertrande2]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 11:25am

well...just have a look here..

http://youtu.be/V0IZAtTjWqs

http://youtu.be/dssE2XmQsGo

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 1:19pm

betrande2 - Yes, the musical is going to play up the romantic angle which is not a surprise but we were talking about the original movie and that was still mainly about boxing IMO. Thanks for the clips. My overall impression was the boxing looked really fake and that is why I thought this would be a hard movie to make into a musical. Rocky singing just seems lame to me, not the type of person you expect to break into song -lol. I can see the role of Adrian stealing the show musically.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 1:30pm

What sort of people do you expect to break into song? Rocky is a simple lug of a guy, sure, but is passionate and driven, with extremely clear wants and goals.

And I'm not really sure why people are so repulsed by the idea of Rocky-a film that is indisputably considered a classic, which won Best Picture and was nominated for its screenplay, which is ingrained into popular culture- being on Broadway.

Really?

How is it less deserving than Hairspray? Legally Blonde? Kinky Boots?

Updated On: 1/19/14 at 01:30 PM

[jnb9872]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 1:37pm

They long for the good old days, back when Broadway had original musicals like OKLAHOMA!, MY FAIR LADY, HOW TO SUCCEED, GUYS AND DOLLS, WEST SIDE STORY, KISS ME KATE, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE KING AND I...

Oh wait.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 1:47pm

A thuggish boxer has no place in the canon of musical theatre leading men, which includes such distinguished men like serial killers, gang members, drug users, gamblers, philanderers, con artists, and people who are actually insane.


As for the love story: YES, the movie is first and foremost a sports film. But you can't discount the love plot as minor, irrelevant, or forgettable. And it seems to me a smart movie to build upon that plot- which is a major emotional center of the film- for a stage adaptation. It's like dismissing the Audrey/Seymour romance from Little Shop because the movie is actually about a maneating plant.

Updated On: 1/19/14 at 01:47 PM

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 2:39pm

"What sort of people do you expect to break into song? Rocky is a simple lug of a guy, sure, but is passionate and driven, with extremely clear wants and goals. "

A simple lug of a guy and a boxer are not ones that I normally think of breaking into a song, it is just my opinion.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 2:51pm

Because the men of Oklahoma and Carousel and Showboat are erudite?

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 2:53pm

"And I'm not really sure why people are so repulsed by the idea of Rocky-a film that is indisputably considered a classic, which won Best Picture and was nominated for its screenplay, which is ingrained into popular culture- being on Broadway."

I can't speak for others but my thought is that I don't see this show being able to do a credible potrayal of the physical and athletic skills that are key to this show. From the clip I saw, the punches did not even look close to landing and the reaction to a punch that was "landed" was a bit over the top IMO. I wish it luck and hopefully I am wrong because it is always good for Broadway when a show becomes a big hit.

[bertrande2]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 3:07pm

“From the clip I saw, the punches did not even look close to landing and the reaction to a punch that was "landed" was a bit over the top IMO!

Well..It´s choreographed of course but I can tell you that there are a lot of real punches in the show…we already had a broken nose in the show during the final fight …I think they done a good job with it…

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 3:08pm

I have to agree with you. But whether the movie was a sports film or not is irrelevant to a degree. I mean the whole point of doing a musical based on a movie is the beauty of choosing what to focus on. The Broadway musical, all the interviews I've seen on youtube, they say they chose to focus on the LOVE STORY for Broadway. The fight stuff is like icing on a cake."

You make very valid points, they can choose what they want to focus on and for a musical it makes sense to play up the romantic side of the story. While the fight stuff may be "icing on a cake" it still needs to look realistic and that is my big problem with any sports movie/show.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/19/14 at 3:24pm

And you're relying on clips from a tryout.

[amoni]

Posted: 1/20/14 at 7:34am

"From the writer HIMSELF, the fight was the major plot point. Not the love story."
Guess some people know more than the actual writer - lol"


"So there we are in an empty arena and I'm running alongside her because I can't skate at all and she said she did, but if you look at it, she's only just holding on. And Rocky looks like such a fool and she doesn't care. These two people are two halves that really need to fit together.

"I started to realise that this is the key to the film. The heartbeat."

From the writer HIMSELF.

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the-story-behind-rocky

[jas1234]

Posted: 1/20/14 at 9:47am

It just might be best to wait and see the musical and where it takes the original story.
The show will either surprise or frustrate in equal measures, depending upon the fidelity to the film, but should at least be judged on its own merits.

[bobs3]

Posted: 1/20/14 at 10:30am

Isn't LOVE WINS part of the show's logo?