Canyon’s theater program recently held its very own rendition of “Rocky: The Musical.” The musical follows the story of Rocky Balboa, a very troubled but motivated aspiring boxer in the Philadelphia area. However, boxing isn’t the only conflict he struggles with—his personal and love lives are both equally as full of hardships as his career.
Rocky’s main point of conflict lies in his fight against Apollo Creed, an undefeated boxer from Los Angeles. The people around him, especially Adrian Pennino, his love interest, object to his aspirations and doubt his ability to fight Creed. The climax of the story comes when the big fight between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed happens. Unfortunately, Rocky is defeated.
Canyon theater’s performance of Rocky was, to say the least, very impressive. The talent in the program shined through the whole two-hour show, with Evie Greene’s rendition of “Raining” being the moment that stood out the most to me. Greene’s powerful voice and vocal runs could have filled the theater even without a mic. James Cisneros, the actor behind Rocky himself, was also incredible. Both his acting and his singing stayed inspiringly close to the character, making the show that much more authentic.
The set props were also very creative—my personal favorite being the mat used to recreate the romantically powerful ice-skating scene between the lovebirds Adrian and Rocky—which put the show above and beyond in terms of performance. The fighting ring was also impressive, which made the Apollo v. Rocky fight look very raw and very real. The overall show was incredible to see in person and even better when you get to sit in the first row!
“Rocky” was Canyon Drama’s second-to-last show of the year. Their final show will be Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” which will have showings on May 15, 16, and 17. Make sure to come out on one of the three days (or all three!) to support our very own theater program in their wonderful rendition of the adrenaline rush-inducing witch hunt!
