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[alex814]

Posted: 5/22/19 at 1:48am

rattleNwoolypenguin said: "A lot in Legally Blonde falls flat to me.

Paulette has a few duds “I’m like All State but for hair”

“You drink a lot of Red Bull!” “IT GIVES ME ENERGY!”
Pretty lame low hanging fruit joke."

I recently saw a regional production of Legally Blonde that for the most part stuck to the original script (one interesting change was instead of using a CD player, Paulette uses Alexa to cue up her playlist at the salon - this got some laughs). Some of these jokes definitely don’t hit the way they did back in 2007.

Two instances when I realized this: When Vivienne insults Elle (who’s wearing a sexy bunny outfit) and says “You’re not going to make it through the semester [...] even if you keep going ... and going ... and going” and then shortly after Emmett running into Elle saying “What’s up... doc?”. The Energizer and Bugs Bunny references were lost on the younger people in the audience.

I left the show that night thinking the book could surely benefit from some revisions. Statistically speaking, with today’s youth consuming less content on TV: Callahan’s joke “I don’t speak MTV” seems dated as well. “Off the hizzle, G” also falls really flat now.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 5/22/19 at 8:20am

I was just about to post about Legally Blonde! Especially when they rephrase the funny ones in the movie to somehow make them... less funny ("Whoever said tangerine is the new pink was seriously disturbed!" And let's not forget the punchlines of a foreigner having a funny-sounding name. Haha.

Pretty much all of the jokes in Something Rotten fell flat for me, but the rest of the audience loved them so Idk.

[VivianDarkbloom2]

Posted: 5/22/19 at 8:44am

Nothing is a more low-hanging fruit line than “She’ll be THURSDAY before ya know it” from The Addams Famiy. Also the whole “squid” thing was clearly intended to be somewhat funny, but...yeah, there’s a reason it’s not around anymore. Also, every political joke in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Finally, I was in a production of Follies recently and Phyllis’s line “we even have a chauffeur who’s articulate” is rather jarring, despite the play being set in 1971 and written in said year.

[mxfish1313]

Posted: 5/22/19 at 7:04pm

Valentina3 said: "GavestonPS said: "Valentina3 said: "InTheBathroom1 said: "First, I think everyone’s over analyzing the N2N joke a little too much.

Second, I saw Gentleman’s Guide on tour about a year ago and was surprised how much of that fell flat. Especially “Better With A Man” which now comes off as a little homophobic"

It was always homophobic, on paper. Jefferson Mays has the exceptional talent of pulling it off while seeming genuine and coy."

John Rapson, who took over Mays' part for the tour, wasn't remotely up to the task. Most of his jokes fell flat. It was a shame because it was a great cast otherwise, but the play hinges on that one, needs-to-be-bravura performance. Rapson may be talented, but under the pressure of that part, he reminded me of character actors cast in non-union summer stock."

Oh I completely agree. I couldn't believe how flat that tour was. I saw it on Broadway, thought it was fun (what I'd do to sit on Bryce Pinkham's lap like Phoebe and have him look at me with those endearing eyes for even just a minute), and then it won the Tonys which was like.. yeah okay nothing better was up that year. And then I saw it on tour with Rapson and simply couldn't understand how they expected him to fill in Mays' shoes. It is almost too much to ask for."

I saw the tour with James Taylor Odom as the D'Ysquiths and was blown away by his performance. Never got a chance to see JM live, but have seen clips, and although I agree that he is just perfection as every character, I'd see James Taylor Odom again in a heartbeat.

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 5/22/19 at 11:49pm

While I am a part of the minority on this board that really enjoyed BEETLEJUICE, I’m more than willing to say that the entirely of the Netherworld Song (“If I Knew Then”, I’d assume it’s called?) fell flat on its face. The song itself already feels like a placeholder so the lack of good humor in it really makes it drag—I think the only part that got an audible reaction from the audience was the Shrunken Head gag, and that’s likely because it was a reference to the film.

Frankly, that’s probably why it didn’t work: the musical has such a different energy from the film that having a scene meant to call back to the iconic waiting room moment from the movie just felt out of place.

Otherwise? It’s gotten pretty uproarious laughter from the audience both times I’ve attended.

Updated On: 5/22/19 at 11:49 PM

[Here I Am]

Posted: 5/23/19 at 4:21am

runaways said: "There are several in Shrek:

"...called me a hot and tranny mess" from "Story of my Life"

The Scientologist line from "Freak Flag."

That said, I love that show."

Not nuts not about the Scientologist line either, but the hot and tranny mess is one of the most amazing rhyme schemes I’ve ever heard! Absolute brilliance!!

[Danielle49]

Posted: 5/23/19 at 4:48am

The entire “white slavery” subplot of Thoroughly Modern Millie and the characters of Ching Ho, Bun Foo, and Mrs. Meers. Every song and scene with them onstage is written and played out as a jab at Chinese culture. I hadn’t seen the show until going to the Millie 15-year reunion, but when so saw it played out, I realized how extremely dated that material is.

[Fan123]

Posted: 5/23/19 at 6:39am

IIRC, in the 'On The Town' libretto, one of the female leads makes an offhand rape joke which is pretty cringeworthy today, even just to read.