If you could revive any Broadway flop?

[theatregoer3]

American Psycho

[NOWaWarning]

Obviously Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don't You Ever Forget It)

[Miles2Go2]

Many of the shows listed I’d love to see successful revivals of because I never was able to see them in their prior runs. I really wanted to see American Psycho. As far as a flop I don’t think anyone has mentioned yet, I’d like to see Xanadu revived. I had a total gay (before I knew it) boy crush on Olivia throughout my teens and loved the movie in a totally unsarcastic way. I understand the stage production received some strong reviews and played up the campy elements.

[sethleaf2]

ChildofEarth said: "American Psycho for sure - or Groundhog Day. Both of these shows would have been the hits of the season this year."

 

Bless you...

[HelloDanny]

Check this out on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/202306021364

c. 1965 PICKWICK 54 perf. musical flop HANDBILL Charles Dickens HARRY SECOMBE 

[BuddyStarr]

Lot666 said: "BuddyStarr said: "I've seen a number of these shows that people want revived because they were a flop, however, they closed for a reason, they weren't good."

That's a bit pompous, don't you think? There are obviously people here whodisagree with your assessment, so what you're basically saying is "My opinion is the only valid one"."

 Wasn’t trying to be pompous at all.  I was just saying that these shows closed for a reason.  I’ve listen to a lot of cast albums that I thought were great but closed early.  It seems it’s the rare musical that can come back from the dead unless it’s totally redone. 

[thebookofwhizzer]

I would say Carrie as well, but keeping the revised score from 2012 (which I adore) and keeping the revised book as well (though I would revise it a bit further). I would keep it small-ish, maybe like the LA in the round revival, at the Circle in the Square. Maybe even modernize it a bit ala Mean Girls and keep it with a great cast (I could see Carolee Carmelo as Margret, a new comer as Carrie and maybe someone like Alex Finke for Sue), I think the show definitely could work. Also, Jason Gotay playing Billy is totally a dream for me! 

[Tapping23]

Amour
Never Gonna Dance

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

PACIFIC OVERTURES

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

ANYONE CAN WHISTLE...all 3 need to be revived with full scale productions!!~

[mrmushnik]

Definitely agree on Catch Me If You Can; also would love to see Bridges of Madison County revived.

 

[Rainah]

I think most things can be revived successfully if they're done well. But hear me out

Ten years from now, a Great Comet revival done by someone who knows how to market the damn thing. 

[Demitri2]

Trust me. There's no reason to ever revive NEVER GONNA DANCE. The same goes for PLATINUM, Charles Strouse's A BROADWAY MUSICAL and THOU SHALL NOT. 

[GavestonPS]

I "third" BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY,
the best score of this century so far. I have
no idea why it closed so quickly on Broadway,
The OBCR is amazing and the national tour
was so moving, I couldn't even talk about the
show for several days.

* Yes, I was alive well before 1990. About 35
years in fact.

** I had purposely avoided the book and film,
assuming them to be chick lit and flick,
respectively. So I was no fan of the "property",
just somebody who was given free tickets
to the musical.

[mrmushnik]

Wait... nobody wants a Thou Shalt Not revival?  Next thing you know people will be clamoring for a Kelly revival.

[ShowToonz]

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

[amaklo]

Having suffered through the Doyle version at Classic Stage, I'd love to see what Bartlett Sher and his big budget at Lincoln Center could do with Pacific Overtures.

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

amaklo said: "Having suffered through the Doyle version at Classic Stage, I'd love to see what Bartlett Sher and his big budget at Lincoln Center could do with Pacific Overture

 

i am praying to the Theatre Gods to make this happen!!

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Totting things up from this thread, a theoretical "flop rehab" facility would allegedly do great business if it presented (leaving out the one-vote charlies):

American Psycho (13 votes)
Merrily We Roll Along (5 votes)
Groundhog Day, Carrie (tied for 4 votes)
Bright Star, Chess, Dance of the Vampires, The Bridges of Madison County, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (tied for 3 votes)
Caroline, or Change, Catch Me If You Can, Steel Pier, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, The Rink, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, Bonnie and Clyde, Pacific Overtures (tied for 2 votes)

...that's one interesting group of shows to assemble into seasons. I can spot some "holiday" / seasonal placements (i.e., American Psycho, Carrie, and Vampires would make great Halloween fare, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is obvious Independence Day programming, Groundhog Day speaks for itself, Madison County would be good for Valentine's Day) right off the bat, and at least two seasons could sustain a "one Sondheim per" rule, but otherwise, it's a tough nut to crack.

[Tapping23]

Demitri2 said: "Trust me. There's no reason to ever revive NEVER GONNA DANCE. The same goes for PLATINUM, Charles Strouse's A BROADWAY MUSICAL and THOU SHALL NOT."

Demitri: shut up! Lol. I saw it twice in previews and with a new female lead I think there is something there.Noah was great and choreographically it is some of Jerry’s most honest work. At least it didn’t look like what a closeted sophomore in High school is secretly pleasuring himself to. 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

It really is like, a legitimate national artistic tragedy that 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue survives only in neutered (and vocally inappropriate) "cantata" form. Much like Candide it does suffer from the usual dramatic shortfalls of a pageant-style show, but so much of it is so absolutely phenomenal that I can't imagine some flop rehab couldn't fix it up to be narratively robust enough to support the magnificent score. It's also politically ahead of its time (no surprise given Bernstein's fierce leftism), and does a fairly good job of muddling the first wives' roles to prevent outright white saviorness. Someone, somewhere, on this forum at one point messaged me that they had the original script for the show, but sadly I think they've disappeared - if anyone has it I would just die to be able to read it, because it's so close to being a masterpiece.

[ND_2000]

Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.

I just wanna see what it's actually about and hear that score since it is never done.

[QueenAlice]

I saw CARRIE in Los Angeles at a special midnight performance. It was indeed right around Halloween and was a total gas. I wonder if they would ever do something like that on Broadway. That revival
wouldindeed be a great fit for Circle in the Square.

[Miles2Go2]

QueenAlice said: "I saw CARRIE in Los Angeles at a special midnight performance. It was indeed right around Halloween and was a total gas. I wonder if they would ever do something like that on Broadway. That revival
wouldindeed be a great fit for Circle in the Square."

I’ve never seen any stage production of Carrie, but this has me wondering how this would work as a fully immersive Sleep No More take or semi-immersive Sweeney Todd production. 

[EthelMae]

Amen to a big budget production of Pacific Overtures. I wish Broadway would do an old fashion thriller again like they used to. I guess Misery counted but that wasn’t a flop show that was revived. I wish they would bring back Don’t Call Back (check out my Profile pic to the left!). This thriller starred the late Arlene Francis about some burglars breaking into an actress’s ritzy apartment. Night Watch starred the great late Joan Hackett. Lasted about 3 months. Great set. Great thriller. We Interupt This Prigram about the hijacking of a Broadway Theatre. It was great fun. Lasted about a week I think. A regular sex comedy begins and suddenly snipers took over the Ambassador Theatre. Children! Children! starred the late great Gwen Verdon. Lasted 1 performance. There was room on Broadway for thrillers years ago. Some made it: Deathtrap and Sleuth but most flopped. Thought of another good one: Veronica’s Room with another late great, Eileen Heckart.

[Tapping23]

EthelMae said: "Amen to a big budget production of Pacific Overtures. I wish Broadway would do an old fashion thriller again like they used to. I guess Misery counted but that wasn’t a flop show that was revived. I wish they would bring back Don’t Call Back (check out my Profile pic to the left!). This thriller starred the late Arlene Francis about some burglars breaking into an actress’s ritzy apartment. Night Watch starred the great late Joan Hackett. Lasted about 3 months. Great set. Great thriller. We Interupt This Prigram about the hijacking of a Broadway Theatre. It was great fun. Lasted about a week I think. A regular sex comedy begins and suddenly snipers took over the Ambassador Theatre. Children! Children! starred the late great Gwen Verdon. Lasted 1 performance. There was room on Broadway for thrillers years ago. Some made it: Deathtrap and Sleuth but most flopped. Thought of another good one: Veronica’s Room with another late great, Eileen Heckart. "

Misery for me wasn’t a thriller in the sense that I knew what was coming. So I was sitting there more amazed at the performances and what they were able to pull off, However,I was jusy having this conversation a couple days ago and fully agree with you. A new original thriller would be amazing. Mide you i hate being scared lol. I think a good thriller would sell like crazy.