Why did Bonnie & Clyde flop?

[broadwayaddicts]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 11:05pm

It was such a great show, and it stared Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan, I don't understand why it flopped

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 11:12pm

For one thing, it wasn't received all that well by critics. Some attribute that to a general distaste for Wildhorn amongst reviewers.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 11:27pm

I'm kind of happy it flopped, because then Jeremy couldn't have done newsies to them go on to smash to then be in a successful television show.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 11:28pm

You hit the nail on the head. The critics hear his name and it is like showing a crucifix to a vampire. It was actually quite good and one of his better shows.

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 11:30pm

It flopped because they ruined it from La Jolla to Broadway. It wasn't a good show by the time it opened, but it was in La Jolla.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 11:35pm

because the book was terrible, the direction was terrible the physical production was terrible and the score was subpar

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 3/4/16 at 11:58pm

Honestly, I've never seen one of Wildhorn's musicals live, but I have seen the televised version of Jekyll & Hyde. However, I have listened to many of his musical's cast albums on Spotify. From what I have heard while listening is that he is (IMO) a very talented composer. On the other hand, (my only references are Jekyll Hyde and what I've read)  the books to his musical's (especially Jekyll & Hyde's) are ROUGH. Some of the dialogue in J&H is so awkward. Or it may have just been how Hasselhoff delivered them. Anyway, I think Wildhorn often gets stuck with bad books, just my opinion.

[gfaustswa]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 12:04am

I loved Bonnie and Clyde......some beautiful songs.   I really thought it would do well.   Maybe it was  just the timing when it came out.  I'd love to see it have at least a Tour run.   I'd be there almost overnight if it came to Nashville.   =)

[Back Row]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 12:18am

I never saw it, but it seemed to be doomed from the git-go. It opened In December, and it appeared to be badly undercapitalized. At that time in their careers, Jordan and Osnes were not yet the caliber of stars who could be expected to bring in a healthy advance, so when it got the predictable anti-Wildhorn reception from the critics, they had absolutely no safety net. Opinions about the show seemed to be mixed among those who saw it, but you have to wonder if even mixed to positive reviews could have kept it open through the winter months. They just didn't have any money.

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 12:25am

Jordan and Osnes still aren't the kind of stars who are going to bring in a healthy advance.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 12:46am

I agree that the show wasn't necessarily bettered between La Jolla and Broadway. The scene where Bonnie and Clyde first meet was much better in La Jolla as was the act one finale, but I liked "Raise a Little Hell" better than "Sixteen Years" and "Too Late to Turn Back Now" was also better than "I'll Never Leave You." Basically the score got better and the book was stripped of some of its charm. I don't think any of that would have really mattered though because, Wildhorn or not, it was still a poorly reviewed show with limited appeal and no stars.
Updated On: 3/5/16 at 12:46 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 7:43am

Every score Wildhorn writes is generic, and his songs could be easily swapped from one show to another since they lack any kind of character specificity. A New Life or Someone Like You (both of which are pleasant enough songs) could just as easily be placed into Bonnie and Clyde and you'd never know the difference. 

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 7:53am

The show was one of the most boring and forgettable things I've seen...in fact I had forgotten I had seen it...and don't like to be reminded of it. It's $30 and time I will never get back.

[newintown]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 8:36am

The obvious answer? Because not enough people wanted to pay to see it.

 

I would say that it had an unusually bad book, idiotically reducing two complex anti-social psychopathic murderers to sexy misunderstood kids just trying to express their individuality, like an episode of a YA TV show. I also found the musicalization of the story to be baffling, featuring meaningless songs about the love of driving cars, which neither says anything interesting about the characters nor advances the story in any way.

[Esther Blodgett]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 8:39am

Bonnie and Clyde failed for many reasons and most of those reasons have been named on the thread.

 

But to stress a few overarching things. The show wasn't any good of course is the major reason for the failure. I don't think it could ever be any good. See below.

 

The show's creators never asked themselves the two basic questions that must be asked before beginning any adaptation of any property:

What do these people have to sing about?

Can we tell the same story better?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 8:58am

If Bonnie and Clyde didn't close would newsies have happened?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 9:05am

So one show must die so another can open. Newsies would not have succeeded had Bonnie not taken one for the team. Hey it's only a Wildhorn show so no big deal right?  My eyes are officially rolling right about now.

[Broadway kid 2]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 9:22am

Mr Roxy said: "So one show must die so another can open. Newsies would not have succeeded had Bonnie not taken one for the team. Hey it's only a Wildhorn show so no big deal right?  My eyes are officially rolling right about now.

 

"

 

[Tom5]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 9:35am

All I can tell you is why I had no intention of seeing it: I already knew the story from top to bottom.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 9:51am

Call_me_jorge said: "If Bonnie and Clyde didn't close would newsies have happened?

 

Yes, Newsies was transferring regardless and had already announced its "limited engagement" on Broadway. They just simply would have opened without Jeremy Jordan and done just as well if they opened with, say, Corey Cott as Jack.

 

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 10:16am

"You hit the nail on the head. The critics hear his name and it is like showing a crucifix to a vampire. It was actually quite good and one of his better shows."

 

I always thought it would be interesting if Mr. Wildhorn would write another musical but go by another name. Sometimes I think anything he does now is DOA and if he went by alias would his music get the same treatment - lol. I saw "Jekyll & Hyde" (1997) and really liked it, the OBC was wonderful. I also saw "Scarlett Pimpernel" and while it was not the best thing I have ever seen it was enjoyable and Douglas Sills was very good.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 10:23am

I do enjoy Jekyll and Hyde but strictly as a guilty pleasure...there are a lot of moments (no pun intended) that are just clunky enough to be cringe-inducing.

That being said, I think on the recorded version, Coleen Sexton's Lucy is one of my favorite things ever. She absolutely "got" the character in ways I don't think Linda Eder did.

On-topic, I frequent the Broadway tags on Tumblr. and the amount of Bonnie and Clyde fangirls that post stuff really gets on my nerves. I almost want to shake these kids and say, "There are better shows out there damnit, give them a chance too!"

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 10:29am

Whilst the book was shaky I personally thought the show had a superb score, his scores can be generic and interchangeable but I didn't find that with this show at all. How Bout a Dance, Raise a Little Hell, This World Will Remember Us, Dying ain't so Bad were terrific. It got a tough ride due to critics hating Wildhorn. On the preview thread the word of mouth was very good.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 12:22pm

I agree that the score is superb and the cast album captured that beautifully which is likely why we will continue to see threads like this. People listen to the score and hear songs like "You Love Who You Love," "You Can Do Better Than Him" and "Dyin' Ain't So Bad" and wonder what went wrong.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/5/16 at 12:33pm

So one show must die so another can open.

 

It's the circle... the circle of liiiiiiiiiiiiiiliife...