‘Rocky’ Casting Is Announced for Broadway

Matthew Murphy Andy Karl

Andy Karl, a Broadway actor who has shown a knack for musical comedy (“The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “Legally Blonde”) and romantic warmth (“9 to 5,” “Wicked”), will star as Rocky Balboa in the $15 million boxing musical “Rocky” that is set to begin performances at the Winter Garden Theater in February, the producers announced on Monday.

The theater actress Margo Seibert, who has worked regionally and will star in the Off Broadway musical “Tamar of the River” this fall, will make her Broadway debut in “Rocky” as Adrian, the painfully shy love interest of the title character. “Rocky,” which opened last fall with a world premiere German-language production in Hamburg, has music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (Tony Award winners for “Ragtime”) and a book by Thomas Meehan (a Tony winner for “Annie,” “The Producers” and “Hairspray”). The Tony nominee Alex Timbers (“Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” “Here Lies Love”) will direct, as he did in Hamburg.

The original Rocky himself, Sylvester Stallone, is producing the musical - which generally follows the plot of the first “Rocky” movie - with Stage Entertainment USA, an arm of a major theater producing company in Europe. Mr. Karl is currently appearing on Broadway in “Jersey Boys” as the latest actor to take on the role of Tommy DeVito. “Rocky” previews are to begin on Feb. 11, and an opening night is scheduled for March 13.