Shows that have won best musical but were not particularly good?

[Jay94]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 8:59am

What are some shows that won the Tony for best musical but were not particularly well received when they were released?

[JMPlayer6]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 9:06am

Y'know ... I've always had a pet peeve about original posts that throw out some question to get other people's opinions ... but yet the original poster offers no opinion of his/her own. So why don't we hear your thoughts on this?

[Jay94]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 9:11am

okay... titanic comes to mind

[wickedfan]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 9:35am

I don't mean to be mean spirited, but this topic was literally just discussed at length on another thread.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 9:42am

1. Big River
2. Redhead
3. Applause
4. Titanic
5. Thoroughly Modern Millie

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 10:12am

I thought "The Will Rogers Follies" was the fourth best of the shows nominated in 1991.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 10:27am

Memphis. It wasn't AWFUL, but it certainly isn't great.

(But if we're going to point out pet peeves, threads that are really just LISTS aren't really discussions either.)

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 10:44am

It's frequently mentioned in discussions like this, but I really have to chime in and say that I absolutely love Big River. It's certainly not the best show that's ever been written, but I think the score is great and the show overall is, surprisingly, very touching. I think one of its best features is how well the score works with the source material. I wish there were more bluegrass-inspired scores out there.

I've only seen the Encores! production of Applause, but what a not-great show. I thoroughly enjoyed that production, but I definitely think it's the worst show (not production) I've seen at Encores.

[newintown]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 10:56am

Ugh. Stupid, stupid thread.

It's just braindead to write that you think any show, particularly Big River, Applause, Titanic, etc. is "not particularly good" when you never saw the original production as an intelligent/discriminating adult, but only know it through the recording or a half-assed revival.

All of these shows were loved and respected by many people - perhaps you would do better to ask yourself what it is that you aren't perceiving about their qualities, instead of pretending that you have some sort of special knowledge about theatre that others (including successful theatre artists) don't.
Updated On: 6/28/11 at 10:56 AM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 11:19am

Big River is, in all respects, a first class musical.

Here's my bottom ten:

1) Passion

2) Cats

3) Applause

4) Thoroughly Modern Millie

5) Phantom of the Opera

6) Jerome Robbins' Broadway

7) Kiss of the Spiderwoman

Drood

9) Man of La Mancha

10) Titanic (great first act, lousy second act)

[mrweasel2]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 11:59am

Okay for the people who find this thread really annoying then why are you posting on it? If you don't like it let people who do like it have a nice discussion

[newintown]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 12:00pm

That's exactly the sort of thing someone who likes this thread would say...

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 12:15pm

For the record, I'm of an age where I DID see the original productions of all the shows I cited -- as an adult.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 1:47pm

The problem lies in the fact that many musicals that won often had little or no competition. It varies from year to year.

Also, the title of your post implies that some shows that won Best Musical are just overall not good, which is never totally true. You will always find someone (either audience or a critic) who loves a certain show, especially one that has won Best Musical. I for one, love Sunset Boulevard, which many people hate. I also think the score to Titanic is one of the most gorgeous and richest scores I have ever heard.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 6/28/11 at 2:01pm

We just had a thread exactly like this...

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?page=1&thread=1032999&boardid=0

...started by the same person. I don't see how this thread is any different.

[AngusN]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 8:59am

Jersey Boys - half decent show. Not worthy of best show.
Memphis - nice music, dull show.
Titanic - terrible score.
In the Heights - no plot, mediocre music.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 9:23am

One of the above posters had a list of the bottom 10 shows that reflect this topic. For the life of me I don't understand how he could have put JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY on that list. This show, which I saw four times, was a retrospective of dancing from some of the finest shows to ever grace Broadway: ON THE TOWN, WEST SIDE STORY, GYPSY, HIGH BUTTON SHOES, THE KING AND I, PETER PAN, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, all choreographed by the brilliant if insufferable Jerome Robbins. The results by an immense cast of first rate dancers and singers was extremely impressive. Robbins had had a very long rehearsal period and the cost of the show was staggering; thus, it will probably never be done again. It was a brilliant evening at the theatre, deserving of awards.

[Urban]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 9:37am

Maybe that poster was a big 'Starmites' fan...

[Jon]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 10:16am

henrikegerman must be over 60, if he saw the original production of La Mancha when he was over the age of 12.

[newintown]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 10:31am

And Ed_Mottershead must be over 70 if he saw Redhead as an adult...

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[goldenboy]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 12:35pm

Titanic
In the Heights
Contact


I love Applause. That is a great show as long as Lauren Bacall is in it. I also thought Memphis was fine and d0n't get people's problem with it.

[ahhrealmonsters]

Posted: 6/29/11 at 1:48pm

In reverse chronological order:

Memphis
Billy Elliot
In the Heights
Spring Awakening
Jersey Boys

See a trend?

Posted: 6/29/11 at 7:52pm

I wish Jerome Robbins' Broadway had been professionally filmed. I think some people are against it winning because it was a collection of some of the best musical moments ever--it's kinda hard to beat that--and essentially a revue. (Similar to Fosse--a show I love, flaws and all--winning).

But that same poster put Kiss ofthe Spiderwoman and Passion on his list, so I'm not gonna take his opinion seriously

[After Eight]

Posted: 6/30/11 at 10:38am

I think henrikegerman's list is pretty much on target, though I did like both Applause and Titanic.

One thing's for sure, though. Passion is definitely the worst of the lot. Or any lot, for that matter.

And I would add Spring Awakening and Book of Mormon as two other abysmal Tony Award winners.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 6/30/11 at 1:07pm

Why does everyone hate TITANIC? The score is beautiful.