It’s boxing with songs – ‘Rocky the Musical’ hits Broadway

‘Rocky: The Musical’ has opened on Broadway to good reviews. The story of feisty hero Rocky Balboa, which launched Sylvester Stallone’s film career back in the 1970s, has remained popular and is now being reborn as a musical show.

Stallone himself approves of the concept: “I’ve always thought these characters were very musical. I just always thought – when I was writing it, I used to think about things like Marty Scorsese and Mean Streets, and West Side Story. And I always saw them as kind of poetic street characters, you know what I mean. I thought this will be a natural – no one else did.”

Many well known names from the world of entertainment turned up for the show’s first night, including film director James Cameron. He explained the attraction of the character: “It’s just that he’s the common man, you know. It’s the common man that has a moment of greatness and earns it. It’s a dream that we all have. I was a blue-collar guy, truck driver, precision tool and die machinist, you know, before I became a movie maker. So I can totally relate to that.”

Also at the premiere was Whoopi Goldberg, who is a big Rocky fan: “The story of Rocky is the story of every person who has a dream. That’s what I love. There’s no mystique. This is all about us, you know. It’s America’s story. I think that’s why people love it.”

Andy Karl, who plays Rocky in the musical show, also got help from the original: “Sylvester Stallone has been in full support of the show, and he’s talked to me on several occasions about the character, and what’s deep in his heart. And also maybe a few boxing moves that he’s shown me.”

‘Rocky: The Musical’ is currently playing at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York.

For more information see www.RockyBroadway.com