"Rocky the Musical," the new stage production based on the Academy Award-winning film, will "arrive on Broadway in February 2014 at the Winter Garden Theatre," according to Adam Hetrick of PLAYBILL.com. The musical "premiered in Hamburg, Germany, last fall," and will "officially open on Broadway in March 2014." An on-sale ticket date "will be announced shortly." Actor Sylvester Stallone, who starred in the "Rocky" film series, "produces the stage production along with Stage Entertainment," while Alex Timers directs. Casting for the production "has not been announced" (PLAYBILL.com, 4/28). In N.Y., Patrick Healy noted at its premiere, "Rocky the Musical" received "positive reviews from German theater critics for its gritty realism and inventively staged boxing sequences." That production cost about $20M, a "sum that included years of development expenses." Stage Entertainment Managing Dir Bill Taylor said that the Broadway version "is expected to cost about $15 million." Taylor denied a N.Y. Post report from earlier this month that the Broadway production could cost around $30M, which "would have made 'Rocky' one of the most expensive musicals in history." The Broadway production "generally follows the plot of the first 'Rocky' movie." Taylor said that it is expected to be "fairly similar to the one in Hamburg," including Rocky’s climatic fight against Apollo Creed "in a regulation-size boxing ring" and the "use of music from the movies, like Bill Conti’s theme music and 'Eye of the Tiger'" (NYTIMES.com, 4/28).
