| ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| ok, i'm usually the first person to complain about people pontificating on shows they haven't seen but what i'm about to say doesn't really require seeing it. so, three big disclaimers first: 1. i haven't seen the show 2. i have no insight into the financial situations of the investors, what they have or what they're willing to spend and maybe most important of all, 3. i don 't know how much it costs to run. but, unless i am misreading things, which is certainly possible, there seems to be this just accepted idea that ROCKY is a flop. i'm not sure i buy that. did anybody really expect ROCKY to get glowing reviews from critics? it's ROCKY. it's based on a pretty middlebrow property. i don't remember any critical acclaim for the film either though to be honest i wasn't paying that much attention. are a huge segment of the people likely to be attracted to this title folks who would know or care about reviews? (obviously there are people interested in the title who care about reviews but i'm not talking about them.) as far as reviews go they weren't universally bad. you got a couple of good ones from respected sources with pull quotes to die for. what greater contributions could critics make to this? but the biggest factor of all is - it's the middle of march. the tourists will be here in a couple of weeks with the tonys not that far behind. lots and i do believe lots of tourists are going to know this title and like it. women buy most tickets. i can see women, especially tourists, buying tickets thinking this might be a musical their husbands would enjoy. they'll see it as a win/win. they get to see a musical, he gets to see ROCKY. (just play along with the gender stereotyping for the sake of argument.) it's too soon to count this musical out. again, i guess it all depends on how much it costs to run but it's not like they aren't selling any tickets. if they can hold on until the tourists get here and can get themselves on the tony broadcast couldn't this musical find it's audience? if it did - hows that for a victory for the underdog story. | |
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| I think you mean Alternative View. | |
| Posted by: | Budinsky 05:55 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| You're welcome. | |
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| re: I think you mean Alternative View. | |
| Posted by: | kdogg36 10:50 am EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | I think you mean Alternative View. - Budinsky 05:55 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I checked a few online dictionaries, and all of them include a definition for "alternate" (as an adjective) that is pretty much synonymous with "alternative." | |
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| re: I think you mean Alternative View. | |
| Posted by: | Budinsky 05:16 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I think you mean Alternative View. - kdogg36 10:50 am EDT 03/16/14 |
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| To alternate is to take turns; an alternative is an option. Alternate: black white black white black white... Alternative: black or white | |
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| re: I think you mean Alternative View. | |
| Posted by: | Ann 05:31 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I think you mean Alternative View. - Budinsky 05:16 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
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| "alternate" can also be an adjective: constituting an alternative: The alternate route is more scenic. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | oddone 12:36 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| did anybody really expect ROCKY to get glowing reviews from critics? it's ROCKY. it's based on a pretty middlebrow property. i don't remember any critical acclaim for the film either though to be honest i wasn't paying that much attention. Maybe you've diluted the film somewhat because of all the sequels. But the original film won 3 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and was nominated for 7 more. I know that isn't quite the same thing as critical reception, and depending on your definition of middlebrow, the entire idea of awards shows might fit inside. But while I haven't gone back to verify the reviews, I suspect the film Rocky did pretty well in that respect. It IS a pretty good film, even now. I saw the musical, and while it wasn't my favorite (I actually liked the first act better), I think thumbing one's nose at the source material ("It's ROCKY.") is not the best argument to make. It smacks of "how could a dumb boxing movie written by a dumb meathead-type actor possibly be any good or have anything worth seeing." Which may not be what you were thinking, but that is how it comes across. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 01:19 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - oddone 12:36 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| >> I know that isn't quite the same thing as critical reception, yes. that was a my point. | |
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| I'm surprised it isn't doing better in previews | |
| Posted by: | dramedy 11:50 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| It is basically flatlined with the increase in grosses due to the increase in performances. As someone pointed out this week might be low because of the comps. But the weekend could bring in good business. If the show was bringing in $300k, then we could say it is dead. At $600k, it will take a few weeks to see if word of mouth helps. I was not impressed with even the fight scene, but I was on stage so maybe it translates better in the audience, we didn't see the screen above the stage with the commentators. But the audience seem to love it and leave on huge high. That should be translating to increase ticket sales, but It hasn't. The show is probably eating into the reserves to stay open, but those reserves probably are large enough to stay open through tonys. My guess it's losing $200k/week, which could mean the $1-2m in reserves could last a while especially if sales pick up a bit. | |
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| re: I'm surprised it isn't doing better in previews | |
| Posted by: | malibu1 03:14 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | I'm surprised it isn't doing better in previews - dramedy 11:50 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| You have to remember, and the producers hope you dont, that these reported numbers are gross numbers. The net numbers are 80K-120K less than those reported. that puts Rocky in serious straits. | |
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| In the charts I've seen for shows | |
| Posted by: | dramedy 03:29 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm surprised it isn't doing better in previews - malibu1 03:14 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| And I haven't seen rocky charts. For other ones, the league fee and commissions is 4.5% and then I've seen credit card fee added on that. Others, I've seen 8% fee total. So 600k gross would actually be lowered to 550k which I think is referred to as nagbor--net after gross box office receipts. That is much less than the 80-120 you are quoting, which would be more in line if the show was making 1.4m gross | |
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| re: I'm surprised it isn't doing better in previews | |
| Posted by: | BroadwayTonyJ 02:39 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | I'm surprised it isn't doing better in previews - dramedy 11:50 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Do you think its nut is in the $800K range? | |
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| Probably 700-800 range | |
| Posted by: | dramedy 03:14 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I'm surprised it isn't doing better in previews - BroadwayTonyJ 02:39 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| There's a lot going on--it's not a simple show--lots of costume sets and lots of back stage hands. It has to be more than 600. But I doubt that it's $1m like Spider-Man. If they want to recoup that $14-16m, they need to be grossing in the 1.3m range the theater potential is 1.45m plus premium pricing, so it could be done. But it needs to double it's current grosses. | |
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| According to the today show it opened to rave reviews | |
| Posted by: | dramedy 11:19 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| In this mornings broadcast. So the reviews are already being rewritten. | |
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| re: According to the today show it opened to rave reviews | |
| Posted by: | ryhog 11:52 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | According to the today show it opened to rave reviews - dramedy 11:19 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| well let's say the reviews are being spun. It is true that the show received rave reviews (as in >1 rave review). The real test is where word of mouth and press spin ends up taking the show. If we get a few frames down the line and the grosses aren't in 7 figures, they are in trouble, not the least because they will not be able to pull up on the tv ad throttle. and yes tv appearances are always soft. | |
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| re: According to the today show it opened to rave reviews | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 11:37 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | According to the today show it opened to rave reviews - dramedy 11:19 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Well, let's play with that for a sec, the same way pull quotes get routinely distorted to sound positive. We do tend to assume that "a rave" is a positive review. But "to rave" also has negative, angry connotations ("to rant and rave") - so one could try to twist the words, honestly pointing out that critics "raved" (negatively), but knowing that people not in the know will hear that as a positive. Crazy business this...;-) | |
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| Clearly they meant positive | |
| Posted by: | dramedy 11:40 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: According to the today show it opened to rave reviews - Chromolume 11:37 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| It was during the Hollywood update section and she said that phrase of opening to rave reviews and the "20 minute fight scene". That's the type of distorted statements that sell lots of tickets. | |
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| re: Clearly they meant positive | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 11:51 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | Clearly they meant positive - dramedy 11:40 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Oh, of course they meant it to sound positive. What I'm saying is that if pressed, someone could try to parse words and say that "rave" doesn't have to mean positive, so they weren't lying when they said that. (Regardless of the spin they knew the word would have.) Either that, or if, say, there were two very positive reviews, legally they can say "rave reviews" lol. (If there were only one, they might have said, "opened to a rave review...") You know - it's like the classic infomercial "if you order now" statement. What they don't say is that you can order anytime and still get the supposed deal...but they're sneakily trying to imply "[only] if you order now" even though that's not true. It's all spin. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | ryhog 10:29 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I would certainly not suggest this show is an auto-flop, and I do not think very many postings on here are properly characterized to say that. The show, like all shows, is entitled to work as best it can to find an audience, and it does of course have some things going for it. Largely positive reviews is not one of them. Between hit and flop there is a wide, high risk terrain. There are shows that start like this that end up becoming huge hits, others that fail fairly quickly and still others that limp along for quite some time. The difference is a combination of luck and good producing. This show has found one four leaf clover already-it is hitting in a season that is especially weak overall. That will help it. It lacks a strong hands-on producer. Will someone step forward and assume that role? We shall see. If you believe that some houses are cursed, then you should also believe some are blessed, and it seems the Winter Garden has precisely the blessing that's needed for a show that gets little mileage from reviews. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | Vint 07:35 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - ryhog 10:29 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| If the Winter Garden were as helpful as you think it is, Pacific Overtures would have made it to 200 performances… :) | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | LegitOnce 09:09 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| hows that for a victory for the underdog story. Yes, nothing more heart-warming than the tale of a tiny fringe show that finds its way to Broadway armed with nothing more than pluck, moxie and a $16.5 million investment. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | FriendofDorothy 08:59 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I expect it to run for a long time. It has an appeal to tourists from everywhere based on familiarity with the films, and, like Spiderman and Book of Mormon, it is appealing to straight men in numbers unusual for a musical. And, despite what a lot of the reviews said and some posters here say, the several people I know who've seen it were genuinely wowed by it. Plus, I must say personally, Andy Karl is a hunk. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | mikem 08:30 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I haven't seen the show either. Based on who's involved, I expected Rocky to be better received than it has been. I at least expected Ahrens and Flaherty to write a score that wasn't considered one of the weakest parts of the show. I don't know the financial details, but Rocky is struggling at the box office. It's around where After Midnight is, but After Midnight is in a much smaller house. Aladdin, Beautiful, and If/Then are significantly higher. Bridges and Gentlemen's Guide are lower. By gross % of potential, Rocky is the lowest of all of them. Some of that is from comps for critics, but it was just as low the week before. I would have expected Rocky's grosses at the onset to be stronger than they have been, for the reasons you say. The opening certainly built awareness of the non-theater crowd. We'll have to see whether word of mouth is strong, since I don't think the reviews are strong enough to drive ticket sales. Rocky is reminding me a little of 9 to 5, another musical that I thought would have had a bigger built-in audience than it apparently did. 9 to 5 closed by Labor Day; I sincerely hope that Rocky has a better fate. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 11:47 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - mikem 08:30 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I at least expected Ahrens and Flaherty to write a score that wasn't considered one of the weakest parts of the show. That's the linchpin for me as well. From the beginning, I thought this was an odd choice for a musical - I don't see these characters necessarily needing to open up in song - I don't see why the story would be well-served as a musical. (Not that we all haven't been surprised before, but still...) The one think I kept thinking was, "well, if Aherns and Flaherty are involved, I trust their craft and their instincts, so if they think they have something to say musically here, I'll go with it." True, not all their shows have been major successes, but I do feel their scores are always interesting and worthwhile. Now, I have not heard the score yet. But I don't exactly see most people coming to their defense here either. So I also trust what I'm hearing about the disappointing nature of the score -- and as I seem to think someone else on here already stated, what good is a musical without a good score? (We are often in the habit of saying a show has a lousy book, but the score makes up for it - but when do we ever champion a musical that does not, in some way, have a compelling score - or even just a handful of good songs?) | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | ryhog 05:21 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - Chromolume 11:47 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| It occurred to me while I was reading your post that the overall quality I have been looking for to describe this show is "paint by numbers" and nowhere does the description seem more apt than the score. Every choice the producers made in putting together the creative side of this show seems unassailable on paper, and yet the work as a whole seems to lack a soul. A&F in particular seem to have about as much attachment to this project as a writer brought in to see what he or she can do with the script of a middling sitcom that's on the verge of being cancelled. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | bradmurf 10:34 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - mikem 08:30 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Haven't seen it, and have no interest, but a friend was comped. He was completely underwhelmed. Somewhat impressed by the finale, but he said, that wasn't enough. The songs apparently suck. This is supposed to be a musical, after all (his overall assessment). | |
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| re: ROCKY ... | |
| Posted by: | flaguy 08:05 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Haven't read the reviews yet, but I saw it last night and kept thinking "It's SPIDERMAN! ... A mildly entertaining spectacle, with a weak score, nicely staged, with no stars in the cast. And it'll probably run two years, then fold, and never make it's money back." I may be wrong. I may get the cast album and learn to love some of those songs, who knows? But those were my thoughts last night, as I watched it. And the fight is truly spectacular. | |
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| AND the last time I was in the Winter Garden Theatre was ... | |
| Posted by: | flaguy 11:10 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY ... - flaguy 08:05 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| The last time I was in the Winter Garden Theatre was 2001, shortly after MAMMA MIA! opened. And before that, it was 1982! Catching a preview of the new musical CATS!! Lovely to see this place again, from the inside. It always takes me back to FOLLIES, which I saw there in 1972 a total of seven times. Those were the good old days. ;) | |
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| You might be able to make the exact same argument for. ... | |
| Posted by: | broadwaybacker 08:03 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Flashdance, if it ever opens on Broadway. | |
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| re: You might be able to make the exact same argument for. ... | |
| Posted by: | jero 12:26 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | You might be able to make the exact same argument for. ... - broadwaybacker 08:03 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I was a little put off by the change in story to Flashdance... the more gutsy old lady friend...the younger mill owner...but that aside, really liked it-especially the contrasting dance styles. Liked that a LOT | |
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| re: You might be able to make the exact same argument for. ... | |
| Posted by: | FriendofDorothy 09:00 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | You might be able to make the exact same argument for. ... - broadwaybacker 08:03 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Nowhere near as famous as Rocky, nor as good a movie. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | TGWW 06:15 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| 'it's ROCKY. it's based on a pretty middlebrow property. i don't remember any critical acclaim for the film either though to be honest i wasn't paying that much attention." Any critical acclaim? Well according to an ad in the December 13 1976 edition of the Village Voice. Gene Shallit of NBC says "Rocky Is One of The Best Movies Of The Year" and Kathleen Carroll of The New York Daily News awarded "Rocky" Four Stars (Highest Rating). Not to mention the 10 Academy Award nominations with 3 wins including Best Picture or The Golden Globe Best Picture or Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Picture. Does that count? | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | MikeR 02:07 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - TGWW 06:15 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Yes, Rocky won the Best Picture Oscar, beating All The President's Men, Network, Taxi Driver, and Bound for Glory. It also won Best Director (and Film Editing), and was nominated for original screenplay (along with four acting nominations, sound, and song). The endless sequels made Rocky a punchline, but the original was pretty highly regarded - although there were, of course, critics who didn't think as mcuh of it (Vincent Canby comes to mind). | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | Epenthesis 10:43 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - TGWW 06:15 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Oy. Three minutes on Wikipedia before expounding on a topic you know nothing about--that's all the internet asks of you, and some people still fall short. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | TGWW 12:51 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - Epenthesis 10:43 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| 'a topic you know nothing about" Sweetie, I was a NY movie theater manager for twenty years before working behind the scenes on Broadway shows. I might know a thing or two, but thanks for playing. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 01:22 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - TGWW 12:51 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| who said anything about attendance in a cinema? i was talking about critical reception - the kind we had been discussing re: brantley. not the same thing. at all. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | TGWW 03:01 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 01:22 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I wasn't talking to you. I was answering Epenthesis. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 04:33 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - TGWW 03:01 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| i though you wrote this: >> Any critical acclaim? Well according to an ad in the December 13 1976 edition of the Village Voice. Gene Shallit of NBC says "Rocky Is One of The Best Movies Of The Year" and Kathleen Carroll of The New York Daily News awarded "Rocky" Four Stars (Highest Rating). Not to mention the 10 Academy Award nominations with 3 wins including Best Picture or The Golden Globe Best Picture or Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Picture. Does that count? not talking about awards. not talking about how many butts it put in the seats in cinemas. i was talking about critical reception. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | TGWW 09:13 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 04:33 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| And I provided you with TWO notable NY critic's opinions direct from a NY newspaper ad. Pay attention. Rotten Tomatoes wasn't in existence then, but they have compiled reviews of the time and "Rocky" receives a 92% positive. And too bad if you don't consider TWO Best Picture Awards better than any critic's view. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 11:39 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - TGWW 09:13 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| pay attention to what? since someone else had noted that gene shalit was pretty much the definition of "middlebrow" i didn't feel the need to repeat an observation that had already been made twice. of course one man's middle is another man's peak. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 06:22 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 04:33 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I may be wrong but I think the critical reception was mostly favorable and was very favorable in some quarters. Winning the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for best picture suggests that at least some critics liked it a lot. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | enoch10 12:06 am EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - AlanScott 06:22 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
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| i'll attend to this once i have sufficiently recovered, assuming of course i ever do, (and that such a recovery is even possible - i have my doubts) from the emotional turmoil inflicted by a cruel, senseless, dare i say abusive post about a revival of FOLLIES which raised my heart - all too briefly - only to then dash my dreams until they resembled josette after hurling herself onto the jagged, craggy, rocks in the turbulent waves crashing beneath the peak of widow's hill. oh, josette and i, we know from heartbreak. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 07:02 pm EDT 03/16/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 12:06 am EDT 03/16/14 |
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| Oh, dear. Now I'm trying to cast Follies with members of the Dark Shadows cast, several of whom, of course, were known for musicals. And one of whom famously played Sally a long time later. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | LegitOnce 08:55 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - TGWW 06:15 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Gene Shalit is the definition of "middlebrow." | |
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| I have friends ..... | |
| Posted by: | jdm 05:48 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| who are certainly not into theater as we are here. But they do see shows as entertainment , maybe 4 or 5 times a year. They NEVER read reviews (they never read movie reviews either). They bought tickets for Rocky (for the whole family) the first day they went on sale. They asked me about If/When because they "heard" of Idina Menzel, and they said it sounded weird, they would def. pass. My guess is that Rocky will indeed will find its audience. Jim | |
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| re: I have friends ... me too! | |
| Posted by: | Mike 07:50 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | I have friends ..... - jdm 05:48 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| jdm, I've had exactly the same experience with friends of mine. ROCKY isn't a musical (except for the spectacle of it all) for the purists. ROCKY is a musical for the masses and since its title is core to their comfort zone, it's going to be massively successful. And I've already bet $50 cash that Karl takes the Tony for Best Actor. | |
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| I'm not friendless, what are you talking about! | |
| Posted by: | mikem 03:37 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I have friends ... me too! - Mike 07:50 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I guess I'm the only one who looked the titles of posts, saw one that said "I have friends" and another that said, "I have friends...me too!" and thought, "What in the world did the original message say? Is he attacking people who like Rocky as friendless nerds who live in their parents' basement?" :) | |
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| re: I have friends ... me too! | |
| Posted by: | bwaydiva1 08:54 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I have friends ... me too! - Mike 07:50 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| I think Neil Patrick Harris or Jefferson Mays will win the Tony. Rocky MIGHT get the tech awards, but I highly doubt it's going to take ANY acting awards (nods, sure). Andy Karl was being Sly Stallone in the role. If Neil Patrick Harris is any good I think the award is his to lose-the role is really a great one. Jefferson Mays, who changes into different roles in his show, is the 'runner up'-he will likely win if Harris is not up to snuff. | |
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| re: I have friends ... me too! | |
| Posted by: | Chromolume 06:51 pm EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I have friends ... me too! - bwaydiva1 08:54 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Rocky MIGHT get the tech awards, but I highly doubt it's going to take ANY acting awards (nods, sure). Andy Karl was being Sly Stallone in the role. Too bad there's no category for stage combat choreography. ;-) | |
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| Harris vs. Mays | |
| Posted by: | mamaleh 09:12 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: I have friends ... me too! - bwaydiva1 08:54 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| My view is that the Tony may indeed be Harris' to lose--but largely because the Tonys folk are wont to pre-anoint him, whatever his performance, as thanks for Tonys-related activities. If not consciously, then subconsciously. Mays gives a gloriously daffy performance (8 times a week as opposed to what I hear will be only 7 by Harris) that I hope will be deservedly recognized come June. Actually, I hope he ties with Steven Pasquale, equally deserving of accolades for BRIDGES. I haven't seen Andy Karl yet, however. That's coming at month's end. Looking forward to my ROCKY experience. | |
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| re: Harris vs. Mays | |
| Posted by: | bwaydiva1 09:21 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | Harris vs. Mays - mamaleh 09:12 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| The thing about Harris is that Hedwig IS the show. I think if they'd wanted to do eight performances a week, he'd need an alternate. Mays is a worthy competitor but I think if Harris can stay healthy and not miss, he's got it. Mays' advantage is that he is in a NEW, ORIGINAL show and it got great reviews. But...it's a relatively unknown entity. I wasn't as impressed with Pasquale as you-O'Hara was the standout there for me. (I don't 'get' the hype over Pasquale personally.) Andy Karl is mediocre-and I think the lukewarm reviews aren't going to help. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | AlanScott 04:26 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | ROCKY - An Alternate View - enoch10 03:32 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Are you trying to suggest that the Winter Garden might not be available for next season's revival of Follies, to be co-directed by Hal Prince and Bartlett Sher with the original choreography and designs recreated? Now you're going to get me upset. But, of course, you're right. No one knows yet what is going to happen with Rocky, and any number of possibilities seem . . . possible. | |
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| re: ROCKY - An Alternate View | |
| Posted by: | malibu1 11:07 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - AlanScott 04:26 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| Unfortunately, Rocky, like most new shows, has an advance sale that is less than stellar. The below-average reviews will make it very difficult for Rocky to find its niche. I assume from what I have heard that its weekly expenses are on the high side. Not a great combo. | |
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| My guess is $750kish range | |
| Posted by: | dramedy 11:14 am EDT 03/15/14 |
| In reply to: | re: ROCKY - An Alternate View - malibu1 11:07 am EDT 03/15/14 |
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| There's probably no star salaries, but lots of sets costumes and props that mean a lots of behind the scene salaries. And winter garden Can't be a cheap theater. If this flops, I wonder if the shuberts will regret kicking mamma Mia out, which probably cost them some money to help move to broadhurst. And jackman' show really should go into the broadhurst next season. | |
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