When i think of flops, I think underappreciated, period. Most Sondheim musicals have been financial flops but are certainly not underappreciated. Here are mine:
DRAT! THE CAT had a wonderful score, including 'He Touched Me.' I saw it in previews and was so disappointed that it only ran a week. Loved it and still remember it quite well.
DARLING OF THE DAY only ran 32 performances and had a terrific Jules Styne score with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg. Saw this on opening night -- home for freshman year break -- and was sure it'd be a hit. But it was out of style in those days. Got some very good reviews from some very tough critics, including I believe Walter Kerr.
The obvious:
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG -- I seem to think it was 28 performances CHESS -- ran 10 weeks or so...for my $$, the best score of the past 30 years
Finally: DEAR WORLD -- with the exception of the title song, which was very tuneful but soooo stupid and did not belong in the show THE GRAND TOUR -- Loved this...don't think it made it to 100 CYRANO (Christopher Plummer one) -- had some beautiful songs...the CD is wonderful
Those 7 shows did not run a year in total and every one of them has a score that has given me many hours of entertainment.
I remember when every tenor/baritone under 30 sang "Floozies" for their auditions! (A song introduced by Russ Thacker in GRASS HARP.) It was definitely a song to avoid--but that was back in 1975.
It may be ready for a comeback.
(But it's definitely a song for a juvenile. You could do as well with "Love I Hear" from FORUM. If you are a baritone in the Bruce Yarnell/Richard Kiley tradition, you probably want something else.
Updated On: 7/15/14 at 09:13 PM
What about "Till I Hear You Sing," from "Love Never Dies?" That's a beautiful song, similar in feel to "Music of the Night" (for obvious reasons), and I don't think it's in a bad range for a baritone. One of Billy Bigelow's songs from "Carousel" might be good, as well, although "Carousel" sure wasn't a flop. A Lancelot song from "Camelot" would work for a baritone.
Audrey, the Phantom Phanatic, who nonetheless would rather be Jean Valjean, who knew how to make lemonade out of lemons.
HALLELUJAH, BABY!! Jule Styne wrote several amazingly powerful and tuneful scores, but this one is actually my favorite. And dayum Leslie Uggams is jaw-droppingly good in the OBCR.