The Broadway show about an uneducated but good-hearted boxer Rocky Balboa will begin its previews next February.
- Apr 29, 2013
AceShowbiz - New Broadway show "Rocky", an adaptation of Sylvester Stallone's 1976 film of the same title, is confirmed to be performed at the Winter Garden Theater next year, with previews in February and an official opening in March. Stallone says that he cannot "be more proud or more excited" about how director Alex Timbers will bring his original screenplay to the musical.
"The story of Rocky was very much like my life at the time - starting out with nothing, having to fight for roles and recognition," says Stallone. "Alex Timbers and the entire creative team have not only honored that original impulse, but have made his story as exciting, heart-breaking, and inspiring as it was when Rocky first went the distance onscreen."
Bill Taylor of Stage Entertainment USA, which co-produces the musical with Stallone, is confident that the show will "appeal to traditional theatergoers." "I'm aware that 'Rocky' might be perceived as an odd choice for a musical," he says. "But I think what people see will not be what they are expecting."
In addition to Timbers, the production, which has not had exact dates and cast yet, will have Steven Hoggett on board to create the fight choreography. It features a book by Thomas Meehan and a score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.
The Broadway show tells the American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. Also a club fighter, he gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship when the scheduled contender breaks his hand.
The production is expected to be similar to the one in Hamburg. Taking place on November 18 last year, the show was a great success. Playing the titular character was Drew Sarich, joined by Dutch actress Wietske van Tongeren as Adrian.
