Rocky in Japan

The way that Philadelphia is often written about, you'd think that the people of Brotherly Love are sweatpants-wearing drunk sports fans who eat cheesesteaks and pretzels with every meal and constantly talk about Will Smith and Rocky when they aren't screaming at PPA officers. It's not exactly the best reputation, especially when you're the little city smack dab between New York and Washington D.C.

But it seems as though the more embarrassing stereotypes got lost in translation somewhere on the way to what we think of as Godzilla's favorite city, Tokyo. The city's annual Cinema Meets Symphony concert will pay homage to the iconic Rocky film series when Tokyo's Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra performs music from the first five Rocky movies on April 6 of this year. And in a move that is sure to leave the audience feeling like they just ran up all 72 steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, some of the series' most memorable scenes will be screened throughout the concert as well.

Orchestral concerts dedicated to a movie or series aren't groundbreaking, especially in America. Last year, in Philly, I listened to the Philadelphia Orchestra play famous compositions by John Williams (yes, from Star Wars) for his 80th birthday concert at the Mann and wrote about a chamber ensemble that played the music of famous video games at a concert at First Unitarian Church. But in both of those instances, and many others, the stars of the original programs don't show up as honorary guests.

That's not the same for the Rocky Cinema Meets Symphony concert. Sylvester Stallone, who dubbed the English version of the Rocky series (and, you know, wrote all of them and directed more than half of them), isn't scheduled to attend, but Michio Hazama, the voice actor who dubbed Stallone's dialogue in the Japanese film, will attend the concert.

The event will have musical superstars of its own, as well. Masahiko Enkoji, the former conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, will serve as the trainer-figure to the members of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, and the popular male vocal group jammin' Zeb.

You can already guess two of the songs that will be played. The first film's theme song, Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now," will be performed, as will Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky III.  And the scenes playing alongside the performance? I'll gladly drink five raw eggs if the original movie's training montage and the "ADRIAN!" scene don't get played.

The concert might have come off as a form of Philly propaganda in a faraway land, if the movie series didn't function as a cultural keystone for the Japanese to recognize and understand a foreign city.

"Rocky is truly a global Philly brand," Jorge Leon, a native Philadelphian who has lived in Tokyo for the past five years, says.

Leon, who moved to Tokyo in 2008 with his wife of over 20 years and their two kids, said that Rocky is his go-to way of identifying Philadelphia abroad.

"Rocky is almost always connected with Philadelphia in the minds of people here in Japan," he said. "Sometimes, when they ask where I'm from, I'll say 'Philadelphia.' When I see no change in their expression, I usually say, 'Rocky' as my 'Plan B Desc-riptor.' Without fail, a smile appears on their face and they begin to nod and say 'Oh, Row-kee.' 100 percent without fail."

Leon bought two tickets, which cost 8,500 Japanese yen or about $90 each, and plans on attending with a family member. There will be a family meeting to decide who gets to go once his daughter comes back for spring break from the University of Edinburgh.

He explained, "Some might 'self-select' based on what I plan to wear. I posted [an article about the Rocky Concert in Tokyo that was printed by an English-language Japanese newspaper] on Facebook and asked, 'What should I wear to the concert, my #18 Jeremy Maclin jersey or a gray sweat suit?' The feedback thus far is decidedly sweat suit."

This will not be the first time Leon has worn Philly apparel to represent his hometown in Japan. Two years ago he climbed to the top of Mt. Fuji with his daughter, all the while wearing an Eagles fleece jacket. When he reached the summit, he played "Gonna Fly Now" on his iPhone and did what Rocky did when he, too, reached the top of his metaphorical mountain after his challenging climb.

"I was truly surprised by how the Japanese people around us got into it. 'Go Rocky!' 'You are champion!' they said," Leon said. "Being demure Japanese, they elected to not join me in my victory celebration."

And maybe the Japanese won't dress up or get out of their seats to practice punches or raise their arms at the concert either, but that doesn't mean they won't appreciate the classic underdog story. It may be a Philly classic, but it's a story beloved the world over.