Kinky Boots didn't get raves last year, the Times was tepid towards it, so who knows. Every critic went out of their way to explain the Golden Circle set up and pretty much all of them raved about the last 20 minutes. Andy Karl didn't do too badly either. I dunno this show may have legs if they have the budget to market it right. Audiences are going nutz at The Winter Garden as opposed to the crickets you heard at Big Fish, there is an audience for this show, they just have to figure out how to keep them coming. I picked out some quotes from the reviews that supports a theme they could create some excitement around
Unlike anything you've seen in the theater. Game-changing. Jaw-dropping. Astounding. NBC
Rocky delivers edge-of-your-seat thrills, a technical knockout! Entertainment Weekly
A brutally balletic coup de théâtre the climatic boxing match becomes as much of a crowd rouser as it was in the 1976 film. New York Times
“Rocky” is big-hearted, quick-fisted, its last 15 minutes pack the punch of a heavyweight champ. NY Daily News
Something electric happens at the end of “Rocky” we leave on a Himalayan high. NY Post
The final fight, a spectacular piece of theater, is so lifelike that it becomes surreal. Associated Press
You go away from Rocky hugely entertained, with a song in your soul and hope in your heart. Rocky is smash hit! Rex Reed/AOL/Huffington Post
The finale fight is so visceral and exhilarating that it sends the audience out on a high. Hollywood Reporter
The stage version of Rocky is very nearly as good as the film, a knockdown hit! Wall Street Journal
The final fight is a brilliant piece of staging that clocks in at about 20 minutes, but by that time, everyone in the house is so caught up in the spectacle that nobody’s counting. Variety
An electrifying climax. Being in the Winter Garden Theatre is the only way to appreciate completely its athletic panache and technical artistry. Washington Post
Dunno Play It, check it out the grosses weren't that much higher, maybe $10k a performance on average and attendance wasn't that far off either. Considering Boots previewed through a decent March in terms of weather and Rocky suffered through a miserable February preview period. Boots took off after opening so lets see where Rocky goes. All the other shows opening aren't getting good buzz either so its anyone's ballgame to break out and break away this spring.
Brantley only gets crapped on on these boards when his opinion differs from the majority's.
And KINKY BOOTS got a much stronger NY Times review than ROCKY did. Brantley may not have raved about it, but he certainly liked it enough to make it a "critic's pick."
I don't know- my view of Brantley has been souring in general the last few years. Even when he's praising something I like, I find him irksome and not at all enlightening.
I found his reviews last season, in particular, pretty tone deaf.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
"And KINKY BOOTS got a much stronger NY Times review than ROCKY did. Brantley may not have raved about it, but he certainly liked it enough to make it a "critic's pick."
Your right, just went back and read his review of "Kinky Boots" and it was mostly positive in comparison to "Rocky" where he seem to only like the final 10 minutes.
"Where's AndrewAndrew? I always think their reviews are hilarious."
I don't.
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The KINKY BOOTS Critic's Pick thing surprised me... the review didn't read to me like it was written by the same person who choose to designate it a Critic's Pick. That felt oddly political, especially in the wake of the figurative orgasm Brantley had over MATILDA.
I think ROCKY got precisely the reviews I was expecting, although I would have seen it be forgiven more for the spectacle. Say what you will about the material, but the production of said material gives you your money's worth.
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
The KINKY BOOTS Critic's Pick thing surprised me... the review didn't read to me like it was written by the same person who choose to designate it a Critic's Pick. That felt oddly political, especially in the wake of the figurative orgasm Brantley had over MATILDA.
I wonder if Brantley and Isherwood actually make the “Critic’s Pick” decisions or if it’s other NYTimes workers who kind of try to decide which shows will go on the list off of the Brantley/Isherwood reviews. I only say this because I recently found out that for the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, the reviewers are not who decide on how many stars they give a production, but, rather, that job is given to editors who are judging off of the review that has been written. Ergo, there have been many times where I thought a star rating didn’t exactly correlate with what the reviewer actually said.
On the local news here in Philadelphia, they had a segment on the opening of Rocky. I can't remember them ever doing that before. So maybe they'll sell some tickets down here.
I thought it was hilarious, though, that the two celebrities on opening night they chose to interview were Orfeh and Montego Glover. I'm sure that 99.99% of the Philadelphia viewing audience were thinking, "Who in the world are they?"
"What was the name of that cheese that I like?"
"you can't run away forever...but there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start"
"well I hope and I pray, that maybe someday, you'll walk in the room with my heart"
Alright, so what about seating from those who have seen it? Better to be in the crowd who gets moved to the stage to watch the finale, or stay in the rows just outside that area?
I am not sure if I want to see this, but I guess I would if I could get a decent price on tickets, just to check out that finale I've heard about.
WickedRocks please don't speak for everyone, good or bad reviews I know many on here just don't like Brantley, including myself, I've said it for years as have many others.
Rocky has not opened to blanket pans, in fact it's had quite a few good reviews and some tepid reviews, let's not get melodramatic just yet ('the reviews have just sunk the show')
Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna
Running a theater/arts website isn't easy because there are reviews that hit my desk where I totally disagree with the reviewer, but I always respect their opinions as long as they back it up. Ben Brantley is a fantastic writer/critic and although I respectfully disagree with several of his points in his Rocky review - I respect his opinion. Respect is the key word here. I still think the show will do well and I wish them well. Rocky review on DCMetroTheaterArts