did anyone see "Happy Days The Musical" on tour??

[Bwaynerd]

If anyone did was it good??

[Famebroadway2]

It was one of the worst written shows i have ever seen. I can see why no one picked it up for a NYC run. Music was the pitts!

"sock hop, soda pop, meet me at the malt shop, part of growing up around here. Welcome to Wisconson make yourself at home.

[starlight2]

I saw it in Atlanta and LOVED it! But I grew up with Happy Days on TV, and the Fonz, will always be just that....THE FONZ! The music was great, good choreography, high energy...it is cheesy, but that is what it is all about...how great it was to live in the 50"s and early 60's and i am afraid we will never see that "Camelot" in America ever again! I saw the girl that was supposed to be the lead in Catch Me If You CAn, as Pinky Tuscadaro, she can't dance, but had a gorgeous voice!

[Nathan_Lane]

I will be in it! Details to come soon! Stay tuned!!!

[frontrowcentre2]

Terrible show put together by rank amateurs. The show has no redeeming virtues.

See my review from when it played Toronto last year....

http://toronto.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=41374&preview=on

[Piper3500]

what's the first thing you need to be a critic? an opinion?

[frontrowcentre2]

No, I think the first thing you need to be a theatre critic/reviewer is an in depth knowledge of the subject matter.

EVERYONE has a perfectly legitimate reaction to each show they see. The key difference is that professional reviewers get paid for their essays which state whether they thought the show was good or not and more importantly why.

The ability to analyze why a particular show works (or doesn't work) comes from a knowledge base built up over many years of seeing shows, reading scripts and giving thought to the "why" of one's reaction the the piece.

Once you have seen a number of shows and you understand the power theatre can have as an art form. The very best plays and musicals offer compelling stories, fascinating characters multidimensional performances and generally find every person on-stage and off operating at the top of their game.

There are very few shows that are at this top level and deserving of raves, and only a handful that are really terrible and deserving of outright pans. Most productions fall into the area between these two extremes.

All a reviewer can really do is help educate people as to what to expect if they choose to see a particular how and to help them decide whether it is worth spending their hard-earned dollars to buy a ticket.

[Piper3500]

^ I agree, however, when your average person reads a review on a show they may not want "educationn" or need to know the indepths of musical production. a lot of people cannot be bothered to read all of that.

if i listened to all the reviews i have read, i wouldn't see half the stuff i have on both stage and screen. it is still one person's opinion.

i agree for the avid theatre goer, the finer points that encompass all of it from stage production, costumes, score, etc. are important.

[ken8631]

Saw it at the Papermill Playhouse awhile ago. It was just "OK", but entertaining. Gary Marshall was in the audience...

[once a month]

I once played Potsie in this show...a long time ago. It was a very humbling experience because the show was so bad! I never mentioned it again in any following bios. It ranked way down there with 'Donate for Death'...a telethon raising funds for the blind bats in Biafra (a comedy). I kid you not.

[Piper3500]

^^
lol

[MrBundles]

saw it in Phoenix. horrible.

[TheatreDiva90016]

The wigs were a mess...

[Mister Matt]

how great it was to live in the 50"s and early 60's and i am afraid we will never see that "Camelot" in America ever again!

LOL Yeah, those black-only water fountains were some good times!

[FindingNamo]

Oh yeah, Matt! And don't forget those warm McCarthy hearings! Oh and Walter Winchell. He was so trusted, people called him Uncle Walter!

[frontrowcentre2]

I agree, however, when your average person reads a review on a show they may not want "educationn" or need to know the indepths of musical production. a lot of people cannot be bothered to read all of that.

I believe "the average person" (as opposed, I guess to the theatre mavens) who reads a review wants to know either whether to attend the show or not, or to see if the reviewer agrees with their own opinion of the show.

[hmpeterson]

Saw it in Philly over a year ago. It wasn't great. My husband grew up watching Happy Days so he got a kick out of it. But I wasn't that impressed. It was better than a regional community production, but not much. And that is not to insult the actors, they just don't have much to work with in terms of the writing and songs.

If you have people that loved Happy Days the TV show and aren't real die hard theater people, they will probably enjoy it.