Stage Review - Rocky, the Musical (Tacoma Little Theatre)

Stage Review - Rocky, the Musical
Presented By: Tacoma Little Theatre - Tacoma, WA
Show Run: June 06 - June 29, 2025
Date Reviewed: Friday, June 06, 2025 (Opening Night)
Run Time: 2 Hours, 15 Minutes (including a 15 minute intermission)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

I’ve come to realize over the past, say, forty years or so that when it comes to the film Rocky, the famous Sylvester Stallone written piece that personifies the all-too-American rags to riches story, there are two camps of people, those who appreciate the film for its quality, the masterpiece that won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1977, and those that consider it in the context of the greater “Rocky Cinematic Universe”. As time passes, more seem to skew in their opinion toward the latter, the original film being lumped in with its almost satirical sequels, and lose sight that the 1976 Rocky is one of the top films of its century. The movie is a healthy combination of good writing, excellent directing and cinematography, and the depiction of sympathetic characters that may not always make the best decisions. Those that don’t consider this are often surprised that it won Best Picture, but it did, and it was earned. When it came time to create a musical version of the film (that concept itself still seems a bit odd to me), something that began in the early 2000s and culminated in a NYC workshop in 2011 and a premiere in Hamburg, Germany the following year, the creative team had the option of going either way with it, to align it with one of those two contextual groups I mentioned before. Having experience with the film, and of course the “extended universe”, it was the opposite for me with regards to the musical, that is prior to attending last Friday’s opening night performance of Rocky, the Musical at Tacoma Little Theatre. And while I’d hoped that it would lean on the quality of the film and thus follow with a compelling and creative piece of musical theatre, Rocky deals strictly in the currencies of humor, masculinity, and ultimately fan service. It was clear on Friday from the audience that this direction is appreciated, and TLT should have no problem filling its seats based on the title alone, but for anyone looking for high quality theatre that is creative, challenging, and presented with the high level of detail that the theatre is known for, they’ll have to wait until next season when TLT goes back to its regularly scheduled programming.

To make a finer point about the direction of the musical’s writing, one has to go no further than the phrase Rocky is most famous for, “Yo, Adrian”. Used toward the end of the film, the quote has become an iconic piece of his journey, but in the musical, every time he addresses Adrian is preceded by a “Yo”, so much so that this fan service feels obvious. Other popular scenes, like Rocky’s raw egg cocktail, or his use of a side of beef for a heavy bag, are here as well, as are those that depict the budding, albeit reluctant, relationship between Adrian and Rocky. Here again, though, the way Rocky is portrayed is not nearly as three dimensional as he is in the film. His behavior around Adrian makes him seem, frankly, dumb, rather than a boxer down on his luck as a result of circumstances, and the flawed character that was depicted so well in the film, the one with the childlike heart, is replaced instead with a buffoon-like characterization in the musical. Despite this watering down of the title character, it still plays very well for what it is, and will certainly be enjoyed by those who are more the musical’s target audience than perhaps I am. Musically, the songs (music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens) aren’t anything that will set the world on fire, they’re more just extensions of the way in which this story is told. The main story points are here, Rocky’s pursuit of Adrian through his frequenting of the pet store where she works and the help her brother Paulie provides in helping his best friend get a date with her, champion Apollo Creed and his need for a replacement opponent for his New Year’s Day title defense (which, of course, leads him to Rocky), and the main event, the fight itself, which is preceded by Rocky’s training at the hands of Mickey, with whom the fighter had been at odds with prior to their working together. And that fact alone is going to bring audiences in and provide a good level of enjoyment, just through its nostalgia alone.

The Tacoma Little Theatre production is directed by Chris Serface and Ashley Roy-Simpson (who is also the choreographer) and does a decent job presenting this version of the story, and if the reaction from the opening night audience is any indication, they’ve met the mark with the show’s target demographic. While the show has its challenges in the presentation, there are some true standouts, first and foremost Mariesa Genzale, who plays Adrian. Mariesa is hands down the best part of this show, and her portrayal of Adrian is spot on. From the shy and introverted girl who has garnered the unrequited attention of Rocky Balboa, to the more confident girlfriend who stands up to brother Paulie when he shows up drunk at Rocky’s apartment one night, it’s a performance that doesn’t miss a mark. The transformation is a good one to watch unfold on stage, and the only thing better than her acting is her vocal ability. Mariesa has a beautiful voice, and to hear it in “Raining” is to hear a sweet and shy girl sing while gazing out her window toward the man who would give her his heart, while “I’m Done” presents a character who has transformed and matured, with a new confidence and a lifetime of frustration and resentment that she isn’t afraid to let out. The only struggle Mariesa had during Friday’s opening was in her duets with Derek Mesford’s Rocky, in which it was difficult for her to find harmony with her duet partner. Derek seemed to struggle throughout the performance with his own vocals, though otherwise he’s able to capture the essence of the Rocky character as it’s written in the musical, with an understanding about what book writers Thomas Meehan and Sylvester Stallone focused on, but it’s difficult to find that harmony when one part of a duet is struggling.

Adrian’s brother Paulie, played by Stan Morrow, is another example of a very well performed character. Stan’s work is one of the rare components of this play that feels like Philly, his accent is good, his mannerisms and overall acting in presentation of the character is extremely well done. His presence on the stage in Paulie’s scenes is among the best in the cast. His wife Gloria, played by Christina Ramirez, works at the pet shop with Adrian, and along with Angie (Sophie Bee Kashman) and Joanne (Annelise Martin) try to convince her to get out, even wanting to give her a makeover to help Adrian feel better about herself. I like their work in the musical number “Holiday” and together they sound very good. On the characterizations, specifically Christina’s as Gloria, there is a lot of nice work being done here, but I wonder about her accent, it sounds more New York than Philadelphia to me. Another standout is Martin Goldsmith as trainer Mickey. I like Martin’s portrayal of Mickey very much, he plays the grumpy trainer exactly how he should be played, as a person who doesn’t put up with Rocky and his lifestyle and isn’t afraid to tell him. Musically, his performance in “In the Ring” is nostalgic and well done. DuWayne Andrews, Jr. is Apollo Creed, and to his credit, he does a nice job to capture the arrogance and confidence that Apollo is known for. Vocally, he also struggled a bit on Friday, but it’s his presence that makes the performance work as well as it does. His entrance into the ring for the New Years Day fight is one part of the musical that captures the intent of the film, though with no James Brown “I Feel Good” included. Costumes from DCM Costumes are on full display in the title fight scene, Rocky’s minimalist look and Apollo’s over the top patriotic themed attire do nicely to express the contrast between the two fighters. Trailed by his “Apollo’s Girls” (Kareyana Aguon, Anna Horn, Erin Johnson, and LaNita Hudson Walters), Apollo’s entrance into the ring at the famed Spectrum in Philadelphia is big and bold.

On the Philadelphia side, having grown up just outside of the city and being fully enveloped in the bicentennial fervor that was 1976 as well as the initial local reception of and attachment to Rocky the film and also Rocky Balboa the character (in a recent poll of Philadelphia residents, when asked who the city’s best athlete of all time has been, the fictional character Rocky Balboa topped the list), I had hoped for a bit more of a Philadelphia feel to the show. Blake R. York’s design is good and his use of the theatre’s turntable for scene changes is excellent as always, but there’s one opportunity missed that, while it may not have added to the overall quality or enjoyment of the show had it been there, it’s something that is most noticeable in its absence. Blake uses TLT’s modular digital screen to present sports news reports on the side walls of the theatre, but during Rocky’s climb up the stairs to what is supposed to be the Philadelphia Art Museum, an image of the museum displayed on the screen that Derek’s Rocky runs to would have landed so much better than the solid white to which he runs in the show. It would have brought a much needed piece of Philadelphia to the production. All that said, overall, the design is well done in support of the story, a design which includes lighting from Michelle Weingarden-Bandes and sound from Dylan Twiner.

There are few films with the staying power that Rocky has had since its 1976 release, having spawned five sequels as well as three movies in the Creed origin series. This extended universe has a wide reaching fanbase, a base that stretches well beyond that which considers the original film to be one of the best of the 20th Century, which it most definitely is. The stage musical leans into that extended base, as does the Tacoma Little Theatre production, diluting the complexity of the original story and its characters and focusing on the humor and masculinity of the larger breadth of the Rocky canon. Fans and followers of the Rocky series will thoroughly enjoy this telling of the boxer’s rise from mafia enforcer to heavyweight contender, but for those looking for a recreation of the artistry and nuanced complexity that was the Oscar winner for Best Picture in 1976, you’ll have to leave those expectations ringside, grab some popcorn, and enjoy it for what it is.

Rocky, the Musical, Tacoma Little Theatre’s 2024-25 closing production, runs on stage through June 29. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://www.tacomalittletheatre.com/.

Photo credit: Dennis K. Photography