What Was The Worst Musical You Saw- Page 6
What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
#125What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/10/20 at 8:46pm
clowchan said: "Overall story: Carousel. I can't get pass the fact this show tries to redeem an abuser."
Who is redemption for, if not those who have transgressed? People who haven't done anything particularly bad are hardly in need of redemption.
#126What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/10/20 at 9:00pm
My 1st runner-up, next to the previously mentioned Band in Berlin:
Late Night Comic, 1987; with Robert LuPone.
theatreguy12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/20/15
#127What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/11/20 at 1:16am
Urinetown. The only musical I’ve left at intermission. The friends I was with concurred.
Jekyll and Hyde. Cuccioli and Eder great. The rest of the musical, no.
Two-way tie for third, Book of Mormon and Kinky Boots.
#128What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/11/20 at 1:57am
Now I rather liked URINETOWN, and THE BANDS VISIT and PASSION. I did not like SUNSET BLVD. The performance I atttended in Toronto starred Diahann Carroll who appeared bored and uninterested in giving any kind of star performance.
The classic film is still a favorite, but Lloyd Webber used too much of the film dialogue as recitative and brought nothing new or innovative to the stage adaptation. According to an article in SHOW MUSIC magazine he chose to recycle a number of trunk songs which explains why the score is so wildly uneven.
I also felt that keeping the original setting of the story in 1950's Hollywood when a silent screen star would believably been a forgotten relic did away with a chance to update the piece: Norma as a fading star who made her name in 1950s musical films. It would have opened the door to casting a number of actual stars of that era/genre... Debbie Reynolds, Mitzi Gaynor, Doris Day (Who were still around at the time the musical premiered) and given the composer a crack at writing pastiche numbers in that style of M-g-M.. Instead we got an overblown pop-opera with screaming arias none of which were memorable. Too bad. Such a waste of a strong property.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
#129What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/11/20 at 5:51am
Not a fan of the show, either, though I can blame Carroll for appearing bored.
However the suggestion of updating the show so Norma was a star of the 50's is just bizarre. There's nothing about 1950's stardom that connotes the sort of rococo persona implicit in the idea of a silent screen star. All a from-the-50's Norma would be is an older woman, not a gothic eccentric.
#130What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/11/20 at 7:02am
The Lightening Thief
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Summer
Amelie
Flashdance (National tour)
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
tmdonahue
Understudy Joined: 2/15/18
#131What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/11/20 at 9:11am
I just read all the posts and I can say, I agree with all of them. Even the ones that directly disagree. ("Worst" "Favorite"
if you have to
Swing Joined: 11/14/06
#132What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/11/20 at 10:02am
Sutton Ross said: "Lestat and Scandalous."
While not great shows, they at least had Carolee Carmello in them. And she was/is incredible.
Worst musical I think I’ve seen... The Little Mermaid. Maybe the Guys and Dolls revival in 09.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#133What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/11/20 at 1:00pm
Book of Mormon
Woman in front of us said she was a psychologist and she would kill her son who got her the tickets as a gift. She hated it. Those around us hated it as well
Minor one was Stones in my pocket. Foot was in a cast and we sat last row balcony and I hobbled down mid show to escape
!
Poster Emeritus
nycesq
Understudy Joined: 4/30/05
nycesq
Understudy Joined: 4/30/05
#135What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/11/20 at 7:06pm
Also Bat out of Hell at City Center
never saw before so many people laughing at numerous straight scenes
henrikegerman
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/29/05
#136What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/11/20 at 8:02pm
I have only left at intermission twice in my life, both times at musicals,
SHOGUN and THE CIVIL WAR
somecheapfrenchthing
Understudy Joined: 9/14/17
#137What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/12/20 at 11:38am
Getting the Band Back Together and Amazing Grace. Allegiance is up there too :/
#138What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/12/20 at 11:48am
I have not yet seen a "Worst" musical. Each has had its merits, some moreso than others. Nothing I have seen warranted walking out on it. But in the category of "I Just Did Not Like It," I place RENT at the top of the list.
Non sibi sed patriae
16 Years Later
Swing Joined: 4/12/20
#139What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/12/20 at 1:02pm
Oh man, some of these just don’t come close to truly terrible shows.
I’m on the In My Life bandwagon. I always tell friends and cousins about it and most of them don’t believe that it was actually a musical. My summary usually consists of: “it’s a romance about a guy with Tourette’s Syndrome and a girl with OCD, and then the guy gets cancer, and there’s amazing lyrics such as “There’s a rumor someone’s got a tumor” except maybe the whole story is an angel creating an opera for god? And god writes commercial jingles. And there’s huge lemons on stage at the end. The End.” Man, I wish I saw it more than once. They just don’t make them like that anymore.
Other dishonorable mentions:
Ring Of Fire (surprised that hasn’t been mentioned yet)
Brooklyn
Baby It’s You
Mamma Mia
mamaleh
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/04
#140What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/13/20 at 2:06am
HOT FEET
SCANDALOUS
GETTIN' THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME
TooTiredForThis
Chorus Member Joined: 6/9/19
#141What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/13/20 at 4:45am
This is hard cause there's so many aspects of bad.
Aspects of Love is kind of redeemed by its last 30 minutes, but by God i would die before sitting through the rest of that slog.
Matilda isn't a bad show but oh boy does it have some of the worst adaptational decisions. Final song by a mafia only mentioned in a running gag? Matilda only getting her powers halfway through the second act?
Saturday Night Fever was... terrible but in a cheesy, can't look away kinda way.
Oh wait no never mind this is actually easy.
I just remembered I sat through Love Story: The Musical
MrsSallyAdams
Broadway Star Joined: 11/12/13
#142What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/13/20 at 8:39am
I'll second #88's vote for THE FIRST WIVES CLUB. Chicago. 2015.
Take one cute movie. Add three likeable actresses (Faith Prince, Carmen Cusack and Christine Sherril). Drown them in interchangeable ballads. And then saddle them with a garbage book. They took the movie's plot but added crass jokes about thongs, genitalia and bodily fluids.
The sassy gay friend got an ugly blonde wig and some bland patter songs. Morgan Weed, in the Sarah Jessica Parker role, was the only one allowed to have fun. The writers let her deliver the film's jokes rather than... I dunno... projectile vomit on the stage.
My guest left at intermission but I stayed to cackle at the mess and to weep for Faith Prince.
threepanelmusicals.blogspot.com
#143What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/13/20 at 10:07am
MrsSallyAdams said: "I'll second #88's vote for THE FIRST WIVES CLUB. Chicago. 2015.
Take one cute movie. Add three likeable actresses (Faith Prince, Carmen Cusack and Christine Sherril). Drown them in interchangeable ballads. And then saddle them with a garbage book. They took the movie's plot but added crass jokes about thongs, genitalia and bodily fluids.
The sassy gay friend got an ugly blonde wig and some bland patter songs. Morgan Weed, in the Sarah Jessica Parker role, was the only one allowed to have fun. The writers let her deliver the film's jokes rather than... I dunno... projectile vomit on the stage.
My guest left at intermission but I stayed to cackle at the mess and to weep for Faith Prince."
For me, the low point was the one husband's TV commercial.
#144What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/13/20 at 10:24am
Finding Neverland.
I have never felt so personally insulted and assaulted by lyrics.
#145What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/13/20 at 11:19am
markypoo said: "MrsSallyAdams said: "I'll second #88's vote for THE FIRST WIVES CLUB. Chicago. 2015.
Take one cute movie. Add three likeable actresses (Faith Prince, Carmen Cusack and Christine Sherril). Drown them in interchangeable ballads. And then saddle them with a garbage book. They took the movie's plot but added crass jokes about thongs, genitalia and bodily fluids.
The sassy gay friend got an ugly blonde wig and some bland patter songs. Morgan Weed, in the Sarah Jessica Parker role, was the only one allowed to have fun. The writers let her deliver the film's jokes rather than... I dunno... projectile vomit on the stage.
My guest left at intermission but I stayed to cackle at the mess and to weep for Faith Prince."
For me, the low point was the one husband's TV commercial."
I saw the show later on in the run, I believe because there was a song at the son's Bar Mitzvah in the Playbill that was cut on stage. However, the only memorable song in the show was from the gay friend, "Payback's a Bitch" where they're at an auction. Why even bother working on the musical if you cannot get the rights from Lesley Gore for "You Don't Owe Me." I remember seeing the show the week after Gore passed away.
#146What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/13/20 at 11:40am
Bat Out of Hell and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Though I respected the hell out of both casts!
Lestat was also TERRIBLE but I've gotten so much enjoyment and laughter out of it in the ensuing years just thinking about it that I can't possibly put it in a box with those two.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
bryan2
Broadway Star Joined: 12/19/06
#147What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/13/20 at 11:51am
King Kong.....only show in 40 years I walked out at intermission...the Puppet was interesting for about 2 minutes ...the ship at the beginning was also for about 2 minutes...lead actress was just bad and the music .and the growling....awful...…….very strange that everybody hates CATS but it ran forever...mmmm I think people are afraid to admit they liked it or some of it....I know I loved seeing Betty Buckley belt out Memory also Lauri Beechman in the first National tour...it was worth the price of admission....
jwsel
Featured Actor Joined: 8/2/05
#148What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/14/20 at 2:15am
No question. The Tom Waits/Robert Wilson musical Black Rider at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles in 2006. At the time, local restaurants had shuttle vans that ran from the restaurants to the theater. Before the show, the shuttle driver made a point of telling us that, not only would he be at the theater at intermission, but we might have to wait for a ride because the shuttles filled up quickly. AT INTERMISSION.
This is part of what I wrote here shortly after seeing it: "[I]magine a production in which every character appears like the Joel Grey emcee from Cabaret, but even more grotesque and exaggerated. Wilhelm, the character who makes the pact with the devil, does not walk, but steps sideways into a crouch as he moves across the stage. The father, who bears a strong resemblance to Beetlejuice, stutters half his lines. Some characters seem to exist only to cackle and shriek. The music is deliberately dissonant (and headache-inducing). The plot, a Faustian tale, is so thin that, at one point, they tell the story of Georg -- who went insane because of the Magic Bullets -- twice. The first time is recited by one character and then, as if you didn't catch it that time, they have another character play Georg while repeating the exact same lines. And then there is a number where characters dance on the stage with the corpses of deer, with their entrails exposed."
Honorable mention to Passion and Aspects of Love.
sorano916
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/6/08
#149What Was The Worst Musical You Saw
Posted: 4/14/20 at 3:01am
Mary Poppins is my worst.
Runners-up:
Chicago
Be More Chill
Women on a Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
