If there's one thing we know about Rocky, it's that he keeps coming back.
This time, he's returning home in a musical that will premiere at the Walnut Street Theatre in September.
An earlier version of the Rocky musical ran on Broadway for a few months in 2014, but, really, could New Yorkers be expected to appreciate the South Philly legend?
The musical never made it to Philadelphia, but the Walnut's new production is essentially the same show, but "updated specifically for Philadelphia," the theater says.
Not that the 2014 version didn't have local flavor, including projections of the El and the Italian Market as Rocky makes his way to the art museum steps.
Rocky, the movie, is more than 40 years old now, older than many kids' parents. But its 1976 Best Picture Oscar was just the start of its iconic rise, so there are probably very few youngsters around here who haven't seen the original on TV, computer or phone.
The Walnut's production will include new musical numbers, including "South Philly Hero" (Note to the rest of the country: This is not the same thing as a South Philly Hoagie.), along with the classics "Eye of the Tiger and "Gonna Fly Now."
The production opens Sept. 8 and runs through Oct. 25. It kicks off the Walnut's 2020-21 season, which will also include Disney's The Little Mermaid, Noel Coward's Blithe Spirt, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman and the Broadway musical On Your Feet! On Your Feet! based on the lives of Gloria and Emilio Estefan.
If you're looking for more family friendly theater, check out our guide to family shows coming this year to the Philly area or our day-by-day calendar for what's playing right now.
