Worst Flop ever
Worst Flop ever
#1Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 1:36pm
Believe me, I realize there are many, many "worthy" candidates.
My pick is the infamous "Breakfast at Tiffanys" that starred (then) hot TV stars Mary Tyler Moore and Richard Chamberlain in 1966 with score by the esteemed Bob Merrill and book by Abe Burrows. Let's add legendary David Merrick was the producer.
Where to even start?
David Merrick had the book by Burrows scrapped when it didn't click with the out of town tryout audiences.
So he hires...drumroll...EDWARD ALBEE...to rewrite the book. "Who's afraid of Virgina Woolf" Edward Albee. Edward admits now he didn't know what he was doing, and according to Richard Chamberlain it was a "dark musical" that the audience hated, with material rewritten hours before the cast would do a performance. According to Chamberlain, Mary was crying offstage between performances.
After four NY preview performances David Merrick pulled the plug, despite huge advance sales, refunding all the money. What makes this my all time worst flop was that David Merrick actually took out ad space in the NY times where he explained the closing was due to “rather than subject the drama critics and the public to an excruciatingly boring evening.”
This makes Spider Man the musical look child's play in comparison.
Any other flops in this pantheon one can think of?
"when I’m on stage I see the abyss and have to overcome it by telling myself it’s only a play." - Helen Mirren
Updated On: 6/2/15 at 01:36 PM
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#2Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 1:39pm
Home Sweet Homer
Yul Brynner in a new musical with Joan Deiner . Looked great on paper
Other notables
Mata Hari
Nick & Nora
Legs Diamond
Dude
Via Galactica
Poster Emeritus
Updated On: 6/2/15 at 01:39 PM
#2Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 1:46pm
Three Words:
Carrie: The Musical
From its Wiki page:
"Hampered by scathing reviews, and despite the fact that the theatre was sold out every night, the financial backers pulled their money out of the show, and it closed on May 15 after only 16 previews and 5 performances, guaranteeing its place in theatre history as one of the most expensive disasters of all time. According to The New York Times, the "more-than-$7 million show...was the most expensive quick flop in Broadway history."
Carrie had a decent run off-broadway a few years ago with some notable people, so it's not the worst thing ever, but that original production sounds pretty awful.
Updated On: 6/2/15 at 01:46 PM
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#3Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 1:52pm
I see your Carrie & raise you
Rockabye Hamlet
Poster Emeritus
#4Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 2:05pm
HA!
What about...
GLORY DAYS
BOMBAY DREAMS
TABOO (although I found it semi-entertaining)
THE BLONDE IN THE THUNDERBIRD (god I wish I had seen it)
#5Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 2:09pm
The 1904 George M. Cohan chestnut "Little Johnny Jones" with Donny Osmond closed on BW on Opening night in 1982.
The funny thing was another teen idol, David Cassidy, had toured nationwide extensively with the show the previous year.
"when I’m on stage I see the abyss and have to overcome it by telling myself it’s only a play." - Helen Mirren
#6Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 2:13pm
La strada, a musical based on Fellini's masterpiece, opened and closed on the same day. It starred Bernadette Peters.
#7Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 2:16pm
In My Life. I can't even believe it ever opened.
A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.
#8Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 2:33pm
"Via Galactica" back in the 70's is legendary because the rock opera, which was set in the future in an asteroid was deemed by even it's producers as so incomprehensible that additional plot synopses were inserted into the Playbills. It closed after 7 performances.
It sounded like epic surreal roadkill, with trampolines on stage to convey weightlessness in space.
"when I’m on stage I see the abyss and have to overcome it by telling myself it’s only a play." - Helen Mirren
#9Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 2:41pm
I'd like to offer up Into The Light - the first and only musical about the Shroud of Turin. Starring Dean Jones, it opened in 1986 to scathing reviews and closed after 6 performances.
I didn't see it, but everything I've read and heard about it suggests that it was ghastly.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Updated On: 6/2/15 at 02:41 PM
ShoMo382
Swing Joined: 6/2/15
Fantod
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/3/14
#12Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 3:08pm
From what I hear, Dude was so bad that George Ragni, the man who wrote the book and lyrics to the show, yelled at audience members who tried to leave at intermission to "go sit down and suffer with everybody else. Suffer!" so that might take the cake.
There's Kelly and The Little Prince and the Aviator too.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#13Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 3:17pm
Superman was far from a worst flop
It got generally favorable reviews. It failed to catch on. It has been performed regionally and with the right cast could be ripe for a full scale revival. If flops like Gigi and Sideshow get one, this would be one that deserves a second chance. I saw many of the flops listed here and Superman. Superman does not belong in that class.
Talk legendary and the name Rachel Lily Rosenbloom and Senator Joe come to mind. Saw Rachel and it was a god awful mess. It was like watching Gomez in the TV series The Addams Family waiting for his toy trains to collide & collide they did on stage.
Poster Emeritus
Updated On: 6/2/15 at 03:17 PM
ARTc3
Broadway Star Joined: 8/5/13
#14Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 3:39pm
I too saw many of the flops listed here, including both Via Galactica and Dude. My worst was, Got Tu Go Disco. Now, that was a flop in a class of its own.
ARTc3 formerly ARTc. Actually been a poster since 2004. My name isn't Art. Drop the "3" and say the signature and you'll understand.
#15Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 3:46pm
Can't believe no has mentioned Spider-Man yet.
In our millions, in our billions, we are most powerful when we stand together. TW4C unwaveringly joins the worldwide masses, for we know our liberation is inseparably bound.
Signed,
Theater Workers for a Ceasefire
https://theaterworkersforaceasefire.com/statement
Finch
Stand-by Joined: 9/14/08
#16Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 3:46pm
Lest we forget: "Kelly" and [although not a musical]: "Moose Murderers"
There are also: "A Mother's Kisses," "Shogun," "Annie 2," "Her First Roman," "I Remember Mama [the musical]" and a lot of others from the past!!
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#17Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 3:48pm
Saw Roman, Shogun & Disco. The latter was indeed in a class by itself.
Disco had Phillip Michael Thomas before Miami Vice & Irene (my career disappeared after this) Cara as Cassette - I kid you not.
Poster Emeritus
Updated On: 6/2/15 at 03:48 PM
#18Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 4:03pm
Someone mentioned "Kelly" with score by Eddie Lawrence. He claimed the producers drastically altered the musical without his permission.
Interesting sidenote: Sondheim has included one number " Never Go There Anymore" fr0m that musical among the list of songs he wished he had written.
"when I’m on stage I see the abyss and have to overcome it by telling myself it’s only a play." - Helen Mirren
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#19Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 4:07pm
Just listening to these names is a trip down memory lane. I loved the ones I saw & regret the ones I did not.
Poster Emeritus
#20Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 5:02pm
My favorites, of the ones I saw:
COME SUMMER
GOOD NEWS (Revival)
HER FIRST ROMAN
HOME SWEET HOMER
REX
MOLLY
SMILE
LATE NITE COMIC
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#23Worst Flop ever
Posted: 6/2/15 at 5:15pm
I'm sad to say of all the flops mentioned so far, I only saw Moose Murders and Into the Light. But wow, were they ever!! :)
Alex M
Broadway Star Joined: 11/16/13
