Pre-show, Andy Karl puts his gloves on just before the first fight of the matinee.
Kate Egan
The first fight of the show begins before the downstage blinder even begins to fly out.
Kate Egan
Cornerman Mark Zimmerman tends to Rocky during the first fight while bets are placed around the ring. The lighting is deeply intertwined not only in the traveling and side towers but also in the set units for Rocky's apartment and the pet shop.
Kate Egan
Floor space in the wings is at a premium. Not only are set units stored in the air, but some large props like the butcher table are flown out to save working space on deck.
Kate Egan
Vincent Corazza selects a piece of meat to cut in the Shamrock Meatpacking plant as Rocky and Paulie debate downstage.
Kate Egan
Apollo Girls Kristin Piro, Dan'yelle Williamson, and Sasha Hutchings join Apollo's manager Wallace Smith and Miles Jergens (David Macdonald) waiting for the walls to open before "Patriotic."
Kate Egan
The crew waits behind the upstage wall for Miles Jergens (David Macdonald) to finish his call before swiftly moving to strike the furniture and remove the platform from the deck. The platform folds in half for storage.
Kate Egan
Adrian (Margo Seibert) pokes her head out of her bedroom door offstage to say hello to Gloria (Jennifer Mudge) after she leaves Paulie's apartment.
Kate Egan
Rocky's apartment, like the pet shop and Paulie's apartment, has full walls on three sides. This is the front of Rocky's apartment from the 'street view' as he invites Adrian inside.
Kate Egan
Boxer Luis Salgado laughs at Rocky's expense in Mickey's Gym.
Kate Egan
Though there is a lot of automation, there's just as much man-powered movement by our fantastic crew. In "One of Us," carpenters Chad Heulitt and McBrien Dunbar pull the dais and the riding cast members upstage as the song progresses.
Kate Egan
Paulie's apartment splits in half and the pieces live on opposite sides of the stage. During "One of Us," only the stage right half is used. Paulie (Danny Mastrogiorgio) and Adrian (Margo Seibert) celebrate Rocky's television appearance.
Kate Egan
Though one would assume the shadow boxing in "In the Ring" is a projection, it's actually done live by actors on opposite sides of the stage. Bradley Gibson shadow boxes stage right at this matinee.
Kate Egan
It's a bit crowded backstage. As Paulie's apartment is lowered from the air for use in the montage, the heavy bags are held out of the way by Lonnie Goertz and Diana Rebholz to make room.
Kate Egan
Kevin Del Aguila (Jack) runs the live feed camera for the news segment at Shamrock Meatpacking in Act II as Dan'yelle Williamson (Linda McKenna at this matinee) begins the interview.
Kate Egan
Rocky changes from a proscenium setting to 360 degrees for the final fight as the Winter Garden is transformed into Philadelphia's famed Spectrum. The Jumbotron video is live every performance, fed by cameras operated by cast members.
Kate Egan
Moving the ring into the house requires extensive additional lighting. Much of the ring lighting is housed in the bottom of the Jumbotron, but moving lights are also mounted on the front of the boxes to provide side light.
Kate Egan
The fight makeup is done in split seconds by the actors. As every second of the fight is done in full view of the audience and magnified on the Jumbotron, special effects designer Jeremy Chernick devised methods for the actors to apply cuts and bruises.
Kate Egan
As Rocky & Apollo can't wear mics during the fight, sound designer Peter Hylenski put them in unusual places to pick up lines. Boom operator Adam Perry moves around the ring to pick up dialogue and there are mics in water bottles, on cameras and in towels
Kate Egan
The matinee ends, and we prepare for the evening show. Andy Karl at curtain call.
Kate Egan
As previously reported, Rocky will end its run after 216 performances Aug. 17.
The musical features a score by Ragtime Tony Award winners Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music). It has a book by Tony Award winner Thomas Meehan (Annie, Hairspray).
Directed by Alex Timbers, the musical stars Tony Award nominee Andy Karl (Legally Blonde, The Mystery of Edwin Drood) as boxer Rocky Balboa opposite Margo Seibert (Tamar of the River) as Adrian.
Rocky, according to press notes, "brings to life the iconic and inspiring story of struggling small time Philly boxer, Rocky Balboa, who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to go the distance against heavyweight champ Apollo Creed. Both an adrenaline-infused spectacle and a surprising story of blossoming romance between two lonely outsiders, Rocky is a heart-stopping and viscerally theatrical new musical for everyone brave enough to follow their dream."
Visit RockyBroadway.com.
