RIALTO CHATTER: Is Sylvester Stallone Bringing ROCKY to Broadway Soon?

Sylvester Stallone was an unexpected guest at the SISTER ACT opening last night.  Not one to frequest the Broadway red carpets, Stallone revealed on The View this morning that part of the reason for his attendance was because he's thinking about bringing one of his movies to the stage. Though no announcement has been made regarding a new stage adaptation, back in 2007, Stallone was busy developing ROCKY: THE MUSICAL. Could Rocky Balboa on the Great Way Way be a reality once again?

The 2007 version of the hit 1976 film Rocky - the tale of the prize boxer epitomized by Sylvester Stallone - featured a book by Tony Award-winner Thomas Meehan and songs by Tony Award-winning team Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (composer) - the creators of Ragtime, The Glorious Ones, and Once on This Island. Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello (Wicked, Assassins) was on board to direct the project.

Rocky won the 1977 Oscar for Best Picture. John G. Avildsen won for Best Director. The film also garnered awards for Best Film Editing and was nominated for Best Original Song, Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound. Stallone and Talia Shire were nominated as lead actors; Burt Young and Burgess Meredith were nominated for their supporting roles.

Rocky tells "the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. Balboa is also a club fighter who gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship when the scheduled contender breaks his hand." The original Rocky film sparked five sequels.