Good Parts of "Eh" Musicals & Bad Parts of Good Musicals
Good Parts of "Eh" Musicals & Bad Parts of Good Musicals
¿Macavity?
Broadway Star Joined: 1/29/16
#1Good Parts of "Eh" Musicals & Bad Parts of Good Musicals
Posted: 5/5/16 at 2:56am
Sorry for using "Eh", "Good", and "Parts" in the title of this thread, I just didn't want to over crowd the title by saying "Good Aspects of Musicals That You Didn't Care For & Bad Aspects of Musicals You Like(d)". Anyway, this is just a fun little thread, let's get started.
I enjoyed the Overture form "Wonderland", which is a musical that I found mediocre.
I've always enjoyed "CATS" (as you can probably tell) but just because I love it, doesn't mean that I'm blind to the fact that it lacks a solid plot... It has a plot, just not a very solid one...
#2Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 4:59am
"Who I'd Be" from SHREK is stunning, whereas most of the rest of the show is very "eh" as you put it.
Keeping BroadwayWorld Illustrated
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#3Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 5:33am
It's the same exact answers for both questions: Curtain Calls!
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
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.
VonTrappFamilySinger
Chorus Member Joined: 12/21/15
#4Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 7:25am
The first ten or so minutes of the Lion King ('Circle of Life'
are INCREDIBLE. After that it goes downhill. I was somewhat disappointed.
Randomlink1
Understudy Joined: 3/13/16
#5Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 7:31am
I always found No good can come from bad in Drood was a pretty good number, even if the rest of the show is pretty eh (excluding the recent Broadway revival, since that fixed a lot of problems in the show).
ChiTheaterFan
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/9/15
#6Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 7:40am
I didn't like Big Fish but the scene with the trees was pretty amazing.
#7Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 8:06am
The first song in "Titanic" was amazing. If the rest of the show had matched the opening number, it would have been a great musical.
Updated On: 5/5/16 at 08:06 AM
henrikegerman
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/29/05
#8Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 8:14am
I love the whole first act of Titanic. The second act sunk. Not sure if that makes it a good musical or an "eh" musical. For me it's a great first act and a bad second act.
Updated On: 5/5/16 at 08:14 AM
#9Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 8:15am
^nice one.
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Gpvegas
Featured Actor Joined: 9/17/04
#10Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 8:49am
While I was a fan of Taboo, I know that there were a lot of people that did not like it. But one of the stand out songs to me was Petrified.
BroadwayConcierge
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/24/15
#11Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 9:29am
I loathed Finding Neverland, but I have to say that
Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content
Sylvia's death scene with the glitter was stunning
#12Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 9:56am
Put On Your Sunday Clothes is an embarrassingly boring number in an otherwise good show, Hello Dolly. I know they make it exciting by exquisite costumes and dancing and what not - but the concept of the song itself is so dated that I just find it annoying.
Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.
#13Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 10:08am
dramamama611 said: "It's the same exact answers for both questions: Curtain Calls!"
Very clever. I appreciated that.
Most of these are pretty recent because I don't feel like looking back through the list of everything I've seen to think of these:
Good parts of "eh" shows for me:
--For whatever reason, I find "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" in Jersey Boys to be kind of thrilling even though I find the rest of the show pretty boring.
--"Please, Don't Take Him" from Bright Star
--The last 30 minutes or so of The Color Purple (I didn't hate the show, just disappointed overall)
--Heidi's act 2 monologue in "The Heidi Chronicles"
--Shakespeare and John Cariani's character in Something Rotten
"Eh" parts fo good shows for me:
--The shoe-horned meta-theatrical elements of Curious Incident
--"What'd I Miss" in Hamilton, as well as the finale and the scene with Philip as a child
--Tyrone's opening and closing monologues in Hand To God. Brilliant show, but I couldn't done without those
--The ghost in King Charles III - possibly my favorite show this season, yet I found the ghost to be rather poorly done.
--Lavender's monologue in the beginning of Matilda's 2nd act. Feels weird and out of place to me, but I adore the show.
#14Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 10:21am
Judging only from the cast recording (never saw the show): I love the opening number of My Favorite Year, "Twenty Million People." After that...not so much.
woeisme3
Featured Actor Joined: 9/14/15
#15Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:01am
"It's Hard to Be The Bard" is the only part of Something Rotten I enjoy.
I thought Spamalot was eh, but the Diva's Lament and basically everything Sara Ramirez did in that show was genius.
I've always held the opinion that One More Kiss completely slows down Follies. In the same way, the Phillip scenes in Hamilton and Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story are nice, but I don't think they do much for the show.
aaaaaa15
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/31/15
#17Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:12am
Scarywarhol said: "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story IS the show."
Yup. I remember reading the first reports of Hamilton and people were saying the finale was disappointing which scared me as I always think the finale is the most important part. Then I saw it and jeez, it's up there in my favorite finales ever. It's surprising, emotional, sums up the point of the show and then that little fourth wall break at the end. It's perfect to me.
#18Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:21am
aaaaaa15 said: "Scarywarhol said: "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story IS the show."
Yup. I remember reading the first reports of Hamilton and people were saying the finale was disappointing which scared me as I always think the finale is the most important part. Then I saw it and jeez, it's up there in my favorite finales ever. It's surprising, emotional, sums up the point of the show and then that little fourth wall break at the end. It's perfect to me."
I like the concept of the ending in the context of the larger story, but the execution feels off to me. I can't quite explain it. It's a personal thing, I guess. I realize I'm in the minority. I REALLY don't like the 4th wall break and the gasp -- lucky for me that wasn't in the show when I saw it for the first time at the Public.
woeisme3
Featured Actor Joined: 9/14/15
#19Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:24am
I don't know, I just didn't care for Eliza throughout the whole show and get her to end this exciting show with a ballad that reveals nothing about her character was not the ending I imagined or wanted. The show ending with The World Was Wide Enough makes more narrative sense.
aaaaaa15
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/31/15
#20Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:29am
I mean, I get that you wouldn't like it if you didn't like Eliza but the finale tells you a ton about her character. The whole last 3/4 of the song is about her loyalty, her desire to tell Alexander's story, her political views (slavery), her kindness (orphanage) and her self-deprecation when talking about her own story being told.
I have no issue with people not liking the song but I do think your reasoning is a little off woeisme3.
I think the ending would be way too abrupt if it ended after The World Was Wide Enough. I feel like the audience wants to see the characters reactions to his death.
#21Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:32am
"A Whole New World" and "Friend Like Me" were great parts in Aladdin, but I found the rest of the musical to be meh at most.
aaaaaa15
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/31/15
#22Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:34am
wish i were here2 said: ""A Whole New World" and "Friend Like Me" were great parts in Aladdin, but I found the rest of the musical to be meh at most. "
Yep. They were both magical but the rest fell completely flat.
#23Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:36am
I haven't seen Hamilton yet, but based on my listening to the cast recording I agree with the criticism of "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story." Obviously an integral concept to the show, it is the execution that falters. While Lin does an obviously tremendous job making so much exposition throughout the score so engaging, the exposition in the final number, especially the need to sum up large portions of these characters' futures, is noticeably clunky in comparison. It's a smart way to conclude the show thematically, but I'm not a fan of the song.
aaaaaa15
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/31/15
#24Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:39am
I would say that the staging of the final few moments adds a lot to the finale, but I do agree that its far from the best song in the score.
mpkie
Broadway Star Joined: 6/21/15
#25Good Parts of
Posted: 5/5/16 at 11:44am
Good Part In "Eh":
"High Adventure" in Aladdin. The only part that I legitimately enjoyed myself whole show. Yes, James Monroe Iglehart gave a great performance but he alone could not save this show for us.
