The Critics Rave,, You Go --- It's Horrible!

[After Eight]

We all know the deal. The nefarious critics see some pretentious and/or hateful and/ or miserable and/or boring show, then heap praise upon it knowing that people will be induced to buy tickets and then hate it. You are among those people, as am I. How many times have you been burned?


My list is long:

Sweeney Todd
Sunday in the Park With George
Passion
Parade
Title of Show
Fun Home
The Flick
Circle Mirror Transformation
Mr. Burns
Once
Detroit
Book of Mormon
Mother* With Hat
Jerusalem
Clybourne Park
Venus in Fur
All in the Timing
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson....

And many others I'm glad I can't recall at this moment

[Sally Durant Plummer]

I never really got the hype of Rent. I couldn't connect to any of the characters (except Angel) and the score just seemed so... one note.

[Mr Roxy]

Rent
Andrew Jackson
Once
COPENHAGEN - One word BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rosscoe(au)]

reNt

[wonkit]

True. But I can usually find something I like, even when I am bored/disappointed. I loved the setting for JERUSALEM. I liked the costumes in BULLETS OVER BROADWAY. What I love about live theater is the ability to direct my attention anywhere I want, and so find something worthwhile if the show in the center ring isn't quite what I had hoped. But most of all, for me, is discovering an actor who was previously unknown to me. Example - seeing the non-Jewish FIDDLER revival and noting Robert Petkoff. A young Alfred Drake, I thought. Duly noted for future reference!

[ArtMan]

Passion, Once, The Book Of Mormon, Memphis, Speed The Plow (original with Madonna)

[teresa2]

Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Once, Andrew Jackson, Cats, Hedwig. I know there are others, but can't recall them at the moment.

[chewy5000]

Those nefarious, deceptive and dare I say downright evil critics coerced me into seeing Hello, Dolly!, My Fair Lady, Cinderella, No, No, Nanette, Mlle. Modiste, Babes in Toyland, Dear World, Milk and Honey, Tenderloin, The Happiest Girl in the World, Little Mary Sunshine, the list goes on. How truly dreadful they all were, each and every one of them. Those critics deserve to be punished. PUNISHED. I say we stop going to the theatre and spend the time we save spewing hate onto the internet. Who's with me!

[ethan231h]

Peter and The Star Catcher, Les Mis, Phantom, Lion King, I loved Matilda but thought Ben Brantly over did that review.

[Wickedlover56]

Billy Elliot
In the Heights
Pippin
Matilda
The Lion King
South Pacific
The Bridges of Madison County (the score was underwhelming as everyone figuratively had orgasms over it and will never stop calling it perfect)

[ethan231h]

you really didn't like In The Heights, Billy Elliot, Matilda and Pippin

[ljay889]

I did not get Bloody,Bloody at all. I just wanted it to end.
didn't Brantley rave over Lyristrata Jones? God, that was an awful show. But an awful that became entertaining.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Arcadia. Zzzzzz.

[ljay889]

Lord, Arcadia was a snooze fest.

[rosscoe(au)]

How could I forget the Lion King, even worse than reNt

[skylight2]

The Book of Mormon, Hedwig

[Wickedlover56]

Billy Eliot - The score (except for a few songs) is very dull and forgettable, the dancing is very overrated, and the story, while moving, is also cliche and predictable. I
In the Heights - The book is predictable and the show ends suddenly with everyone's problems being fixed by the lotto. The first act is very slow with way too many "I Want" songs. The show only really works with the right cast.
Matilda - I liked the show ok, but was underwhelmed as I expected to really be wowed with all the raves it got. The show is good, but I was just unimpressed.
Pippin - Still don't get the love for it. The only reason people like if is because of the spectacle. The same thing that people make fun of, and the show gets raves even though other shows with spectacle are a million times better! The score is very uneven, with some gems and some real clunkers. The spectacle completely overshadows the material and sometimes has no integration to the plot. The show has no real meaning. Is it a cautionary tale? Is everything a metaphor? What is the show saying to us?

[Emmaloucbway]

I second Lysistrata Jones. Not sure if most critics gave it a rave, but I remember Brantley did.

[KathyNYC2]

I am underwhelmed by Rent and Cats in general...no matter the production.

While I didn't think they were AWFUL, I did not think that Pippin, Lion King or Once were "all that". I am also most baffled by Pippin - which I have seen a number of times over the years and while this production was creative, I didn't find the urge to jump up and down in raves either and had no interest in seeing it more than once (which is unusual for me, I love to see shows more than once in general).

Billy Elliot and Matilda were victims of too much hype...IMO.

[Producer2]

"Once" was enough!

[RaisedOnMusicals]

[iluvtheatertrash]

Lysistrata Jones reigns supreme as the worst musical I have ever seen. It was pure torture. And considering I saw In My Life that's saying something. I'll add that to the list. i will never understand Brantley's love for it.

Peter and the Starcatcher is another one that I just didn't understand all the love for.

[muscle23ftl]

After Eight, you're always a breath of fresh air in this very tired board! So kudos for the great thread:

I am sure I'm forgetting some but here it is:

Sweeney Todd
Once
Book of Mormon
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson
The Producers
Movin' Out
The Lion King
Matilda
Bullets Over Broadway
Sleep No More
Spamalot
Drowsy Chaperone
Altar Boyz
Avenue Q
Brooklyn
Bonnie and Clyde
Big Fish
Hedwig
Gypsy
The Pajama Game
In The Heights
Pacific Overtures

I want to state that maybe not every critic raved about those particular shows, but I do remember reading a rave or two over them.

[adamgreer]

Who the hell raved about Brooklyn other than children on BWW?

[AC126748]

Currently running:

The City of Conversation