As you all know, I'm directing a production A DOLL'S LIFE at The New Ohio Theatre (Christopher Street, NY) this January. It's running in rep with a production of Ibsen's A DOLL'S HOUSE and being produced by The Beautiful Soup Theater Collective -www.beautifulsouptheatercollective.org
We've been having such a wonderful time revisiting this lost flop. We've met so many wonderful people and are so excited to present it for everyone starting on January 26th, 2012.
As the Collective has continually grow since our little Off-Off-Off-Off-Waaaaaay-Off debut, we've been talking a lot about doing an annual musical. But the joy of this process has inspired us to make our yearly musical a famous flop. Not to dust it off and laugh, but to celebrate it and give it a new life from a new voice.
We'd love to hear more about your favorite flops: ones that you've never seen but would love a chance to, some you've seen but have been dying to see again, that score you've been aching to hear because you've worn out the recording...
I'm sure there are tons of threads about flops out there, but I think this is of a different nature! Looking forward to hearing about your favorites.
P.S. We've been thinking a lot about doing a production of HENRY, SWEET HENRY next season. But would love other thoughts and suggestions.
"I know now that theatre saved my life." - Susan Stroman
CRY FOR US ALL, by the team that wrote MAN OF LA MANCHA. Beautiful score, but as I remember, the book was a sad little piece of work, and the original production wasnt helped by Howard Bay's lumbering turntable set. IMHO, it definitely could shine up nicely.
One of My favorite flops, and one which I would dearly love to see revived, is The Student Gypsy, or The Prince of Liederkranz, by Rick Besoyan.
It was a satire of operettas of the Graustarkian school, and it was delightul. It had a rich, melodic score, a very funny book, and a gorgeous physical production by the brilliant Raoul Pene du Bois.
The problem was that it was in the same vein as the author's previous smash, Little Mary Sunshine, so it seemed a case of deja vu.
Great to hear some of these mentioned! The ones I've most been tossing around are: "Henry, Sweet Henry"; "The Goodbye Girl" and "The Rink".
But I'd love to hear of things that maybe haven't crossed my mind. Our casts are usually young (under 35), but we love reaching out for older talent as well as new members all the time.
"I know now that theatre saved my life." - Susan Stroman
One that's long overdue: CELEBRATION, by Jones and Schmidt (FANTASTICKS). It had a really short shelf life back in the early 70s on Broadway, which it was really too small a show for. Like all their works, it's "ritual theatre" — in this case, about youth vs. age. Fun score with some great lyrics; all in all, a cool show for a younger cast.
So many great posts. I particularly agree with charlesguiteau, as I'd love to see a production of THE RINK and RAGS. I'd want to see productions of GOLDILOCKS, SIDE SHOW and CELEBRATION.
I've seen LOTS of flop musicals and plays, but for me, the musicals that came closest to being wonderful were SMILE, OH, BROTHER! and THE FIRST (although it went from weak to worse during previews).
I had a very close relationship with SMILE and the show that played a pre-out-of-town gypsy run-thru in New York was far superior to the show that left Baltimore and opened on Broadway.
Other (small-ish) shows I mostly loved on first viewing that surely deserve another:
THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM THE BAKER'S WIFE GRIND GRAND HOTEL (not sure if it qualified as a flop first time out) THE SECRET GARDEN (ditto) PARADE THE WILD PARTY (I preferred the Broadway outing to the Off-, but would see either again)
I HEARTILY AGREE with all of the above titles, except for one:
THE BAKER'S WIFE. Ugh! I saw it in Boston, and with the exception of Teri Ralston's opening number, I thought the entire show was atrocious. and laughable at times.