Critic's Corner
Rocky
on broadway
Will knockouts overpower experimental skill?
It seems these days producers are willing to take any movie and turn it into a singing sensation. "Legally Blonde" was transformed, along with "Ghost," and for some reason the award winning "Kinky Boots." Most recently, Thomas Meehan wrote an adaptation for "Rocky," as in the boxing movie series, which is currently taking up Broadway.
With the Tony Award nominations just a few weeks away, "Rocky" is bound to be nominated. Why? Because similarly to "Kinky Boots" and "Legally Blonde," if a deeper love story is established and flashy-flair can be seen or heard in any aspect, the production is automatically deemed to be a show stopper.
Meanwhile, in a different theater on "the great white way," Brian Yorkey, the writer of "If/Then" has created a musical that doesn't include typical, belting show stopping numbers or over-embellished costuming. Instead, we're presented with something real that we could probably see in everyday life.
It's these "inner reflections of life" musicals that are often looked down upon by viewers for not having the immediate satisfaction of the overwhelming of the senses. In reality, it's the messages that are translated through the new age artistic style that should be paid attention to, and should be seen more in modern musicals.
The stigma of a production these days is that it must overwhelm you and make you feel immediately, not to necessarily think about the context and put intelligence to use. It's for this reason why I fear that "Rocky" will earn a nomination for best musical, and possibly when.
I'm not necessarily saying that a huge production won't have underlying symbolism, or that the audiences won't appreciate raw talent over belting solos. Perhaps critics and members of the Tony nomination committee should consider the structural value of a show and what it emotes, rather than how "big" it is.
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photocredit hollywoodreporter.com
BY KATE DAVIS