I was thinking they WERE worse....but that could be because I saw Leap and haven't seen Ghost
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These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
By my count, Leap only got 1 positive review (Theatermania). Ghost got around 4 if i recall (including the far reaching AP). Leap of Faith probable had more mixed reviews than Ghost which seemed to be more polarizing, but the negative Leap of Faith reviews make the Ghost negative reviews sound like love letters.
has any musicals that got negative reviews ever been nominated.
CRY-BABY
Nominated??? Remember an obscure little ditty known as CATS?
Reviews for Cats were mixed. Nothing at all like this or Cry Baby. Regardless, reviews ultimately have very little influence on the Tonys. Otherwise, Fela and Passing Strange would have won Best Musical. And I remember Beauty and the Beast and Passion really divided the critics, many of whom found Passion to be too dreary and unfinished.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Having seen Ghost, Nice Work..., Evita and Leap just before their openings, I didnt think Leap was as awful by comparison to the others. Each show had problems, imo.
I actually wish Kecia had gotten more love. She and the two who played her kids were the best part of the night.
The big problem with Leap is that it isnt a very good story, and certainly one that has been told MUCH better before. The film flopped, so why try to make a musical out of it? The book, music and lyrics were mediocre at best.
I was annoyed by Esparza's performance for the most part, and found him very mannered...but have felt that way before. I hated him in Rocky Horror.
I enjoyed the rest of the cast, though. Except the kid. I know he's supposed to be 13, but his voice is about to change and it was just painful to listen to.
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Pot, Kettle, Kettle, Pot Time -- I'm surprised at the real venom being directed at this show in these reviews. I saw the show, and thought it was pretty bad, probably the most utterly bland score I've ever heard, a bad book and direction, and an over-compensating performance from Raul Esparza who seems to think that if he just acts a lot harder that he can make the show good. Yeah, the show is pretty bad, but I think it is deserving more of a shrug and a "better luck next time, folks" than the real hatred it is inspiring.
BROOKLYN deserved the hate. LEAP OF FAITH should just be allowed to be forgotten.
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I guess it depends on the criteria for "worst". For original musicals, I'd put it on par with '93-'94 and '98-'99. And '94-'95 only saw two new musicals open. But nearly every season has seen one or two flops (financial or critical) receive Best Musical Tony noms.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Roscoe, I agree with everything you said, but I think the reason for the hatred is the perceived arrogance of the producers for bringing in a show that was obviously not ready. Plus it had been workshopped to death and received a major tryout production in Los Angeles - based on the obvious issues there, you'd think they would have given it the major overhaul (in the text, not the production) it deserved before presenting a "finished product" to all of New York, not to mention the critics.
Yeah, it was written into their schedule. I just didn't think about it. I figured every thing would be up and running on a Friday, but alas, I guess not.
People hate the show because of the arrogance of the producers? That's an interesting angle. There seemed to be venom for this show from day one of previews. I do feel bad for the whole cast, which I liked. I wish they had all been involved in a revival of a better show. Unlike some here, I like Raul Esparza a lot and I hope he finds another, better show to do soon. Maybe he should have done The Music Man, which I think he might be better in than Matthew Broderick was on TV.