'Rocky' fails to deliver KO punch in Broadway

The Broadway musical 'Rocky' will showcase its final performance on August 17 at the Winter Garden Theatre after battling in to allure sufficient audience to sustain its high weekly running costs.

The show had run 28 previews and 188 regular performances before its final closure, the Hollywood Reporter reported.

The stage musical was adapted from the iconic 1976 best picture Oscar winner of the same name was about underdog Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa.

Financially, the commercial failure represented a major blow to a production that reportedly cost a heavy 15 million dollars, although some sources said it was higher.

The show opened a successful world premiere run in fall 2012 in Hamburg, Germany, where it continues to pack houses, and was expected to be a major moneymaker on Broadway. However, the ticket sales had been disappointing since the start of previews.

Critics generally praised Alex Timbers' direction and Andy Karl's big-hearted performance in the title role secured him a Tony nomination. But still apart from other key aspects such as the book by Thomas Meehan and Sylvester Stallone, as well as the score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, the show drew tepid reviews.

Stage Entertainment is reportedly searching options for future productions, both in the U.S. and internationally.