"Little Shop" v "Moulin Rouge"

[SisterGeorge]

Hadn't been to NYC since last June so needed to catch up on these two musicals. 

Of the five shows I saw, Little Shop" turned out to be the most satisfying. Deliriously so. I can't imagine another staging making a better case for the material. Mayer, Groff, and especially Borle are brilliant. 

"Moulin Rouge"  on the other hand...what a waste of time, talent and money. I liked pretty much everyone on stage, particularly Olivo, but I was so depressed by how aggressively lowbrow the show is. Best thing I can say about it is that I caught it on a Thursday matinee.

[IHeartNY2]

Truly feel sorry for anyone who can’t, at the very least, be entertained by MR.

[broadway86]

IHeartNY2 said: "Truly feel sorry for anyone who can’t, at the very least, be entertained by MR."

Oh please don't. It was visually stunning, but didn't do much for me at all.

[Broadway Bob*]

broadway86 said: "Oh please don't. It was visually stunning, but didn't do much for me at all."

I agree with 1000%! It's also how I felt about the movie. A lot of flash and style but NO substance whatsoever. I found myself bored, even, in different parts of the show. For a trip that included Christmas Carol, Derren Brown, Jagged Little Pill, Little Shop, and The Inheritance - ending with Moulin Rouge! was a severe let down and by far my least favorite of the trip. (Though I've seen worse in the past. LOL!)

[IHeartNY2]

I'd love to reply but I'm too busy re-watching the riveting Hadestown performances from the Tonys and Thanksgiving parade.

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

SisterGeorge said: "Hadn't been to NYC since last June so needed to catch up on these two musicals.

Of the five shows I saw, Little Shop" turned out to be the most satisfying. Deliriously so. I can't imagine another staging making a better case for the material. Mayer, Groff, and especially Borle are brilliant.

"Moulin Rouge"on the other hand...what a waste of time, talent and money. I liked pretty much everyone on stage, particularly Olivo, but I was so depressed by how aggressively lowbrow the show is. Best thing I can say about it is that I caught it on a Thursday matinee."

I agree about both. LS was wonderful. MR just made we want to hear the original singers do it without the awful story.

[mpkie]

Nothing to repeat, just commenting to echo all the "yeas" for Little Shop and all the "nays" for Moulin Rouge (including the movie comment, the cast comment). This thread gets me! Lol.

[BWAY Baby2]

Interesting to me because I loved MR- and everyone I know who has seen it has loved it- the grosses are beyond great- the prices are sky high to the max- and the good seats are sold out for months and months in advance- obviously, judging by this board- lots of people do not love it as well- but you would never know it judging by most objective standards- and the proof is in the box office numbers- word of mouth I assume is excellent for this show. But, of course, you can't please everyone- but if you please a vast majority- that is a real achievement.

[TooTiredForThis]

I don't get the live for Moulin Rouge. I have never struggled through a song the way I did Satine's Entrance even they dropped it. I didn't make it halfway through the album. It's just, hollow Wall of Noise. It had a large fanbase that waited a long time for a show that never died down, and now it's a spectacle to see, but we'll see where it's at in a year.

[BWAY Baby2]

You do not have to understand the love for MR- it is there- and that is that.

Top 5 by This Week Gross

HAMILTON$3,060,685

MOULIN ROUGE!$2,335,550

THE LION KING$2,180,133

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD$1,937,216

WICKED$1,929,278

[SisterGeorge]

You can't really interpret that figure as $2,335,550 worth of love for Moulin Rouge as all those who bought tickets and despised the show  also contributed to the GROSS. 

[BWAY Baby2]

That is a given for any show- what is your point? My point is that the show is very popular by any standard- and great word of mouth is fueling its continued success. 

[IHeartNY2]

BWAY Baby2 said: "That is a given for any show- what is your point? My point is that the show is very popular by any standard- and great word of mouth is fueling its continued success."

Honestly, don't bother. 

[BWAY Baby2]

Honestly, don't bother.
 

You are so right IHeartNY2- so I won't- all the data speaks for itself.

[SS3]

Another Yay for LS - beautifully done and Groff has such a sweet mellifluous voice.  And another Nay for MR - overhyped and over produced glitz with no substance. Adding songs for spectacle rather than any dramatic intent.. most importantly, Danny B is such a brilliant actor and he had so little to do. The leads had zero chemistry.

[Bill Snibson]

Are we honestly trying to compare Little Shop and Moulin Rouge? It’s apples and oranges, folks. I’ve seen both and I enjoyed both, thoroughly, but it’s kinda unfair to pin them against each other and try and compare/contrast them.

[Wayman_Wong]

''Are we honestly trying to compare Little Shop and Moulin Rouge? It’s apples and oranges, folks. I’ve seen both and I enjoyed both, thoroughly, but it’s kinda unfair to pin them against each other and try and compare/contrast them.''

Bravo! It's possible to enjoy one show without tearing down another one. And especially when they have such different aims and objectives. Enjoy what your like and be grateful for the variety.

[SisterGeorge]

Wayman_Wong said: "''Are we honestly trying to compare Little Shop and Moulin Rouge? It’s apples and oranges, folks. I’ve seen both and I enjoyed both, thoroughly, but it’s kinda unfair to pin them against each other and try and compare/contrast them.''

Bravo! It's possible to enjoy one show without tearing down another one. And especially when they have such different aims and objectives. Enjoy what your like and be grateful for the variety."

It's also possible to like one musical and dislike another, and one of the principle purposes of this board is to provide a place where people can express opinions about shows they've seen. It's also pretty natural to compare and contrast two new musical productions playing a few blocks from each other that you  happen  to see -- not months or years apart -- but on the same day. I assume the ultimate aim and objective of  both shows, regardless of scale and style, was to be good and entertain, and in my opinion one succeeded and the other one didn't.

Maybe the "v" in "LS v MR" is what's annoying some people -- sorry about that.

 

 

[Miles2Go2]

On my September 27 - October 5 trip, I saw 8 Broadway/off-Broadway shows (including Moulin Rouge, Hadestown, TKAM, LSOH, Oklahoma!, and Tootsie as well as two other plays) plus three concerts. Moulin Rouge was my favorite of all the Broadway/off-Broadway shows I saw. Hadestown was my second favorite and TKAM was probably third. I loved LSOH, but it was probably my fourth favorite of the trip. Absolutely didn’t hate it. It was great. MR just had more of an emotional affect on me.

Conversely, my friend who joined me on my trip for the first three shows, liked Hadestown the most, followed probably by TKAM then MR last. And we’ve not had one argument about it. It’s okay to like some shows better than others and for others to not agree. It’s when we dictate that our opinions are facts everyone has to agree on, that we get into trouble.

[IHeartNY2]

@SisterGeorge, I've got 2 tickets to Tootsie I'd like to sell u. DM me.