Philly-based Katy Perry fans were delighted when the pop star took an impromptu sprint up and down the famous Rocky steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art after a sold-out concert on the evening of August 5. According to CBS Philadelphia, Perry showed up at midnight and managed to climb most of the steps before a crowd gathered for her ascendance. She wore a pizza-printed jumpsuit (a nod to one of the many fashion statements in her recent Mondrian-inspired video, perhaps?) and gamely posed for photographs with fans. Afterwards, she tweeted: “I keep my promises Philly!”
artnet News recently reported that many Rocky fans and Philadelphia residents—and at least one professional Rocky impersonator—are angered by a Frank Gehry proposal for a redesign of the museum that could eliminate a portion of the iconic steps, which have become a tourist attraction on par with the institution itself. Proponents of the redesign argue that the museum is blocked off from the city, and that the steps are a formidable obstacle between the art and the people.
Could this stunt be Katy Perry’s argument for keeping the stairs intact? After all, if she can run them in a head-to-toe pepperoni pizza onesie after playing a sold-out concert, how prohibitive can they really be?