Much Anticipated Musicals That Crashed & Burned - Big Time- Page 4

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 3:37am

I would absolutely count Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark. Even if it didn't have concrete anticipation behind it ala "Wow, I'm sure this show will be great!..", it most certainly had massive names (Taymor, Bono & The Edge) behind it and was being heavily publicized as (one of) the most expensive shows to ever open on Broadway. It certainly had a unique path to NYC, but it's most definitely made a name for itself as being the 21st Century Broadway-sh*tshow. Even if it ran for months on end, I wouldn't particularly count it as a successful show. I suppose the industry just had lots to learn from it's run.

Also had a moderately fair run, but the recent Charlie and the Chocolate Factory transfer from the West End sticks out in my mind. I use the word "transfer" lightly, it felt like a completely different production. I will never understand why the creative team took as many artistic liberties to dumb the show down to the point that they did- and why the producers let so many changes happen.

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 4:43am

GYPSY1527 said: "Yes! Mambo Kings! Thanks for the reminder. Yeah, I remember the reviews for the out of town tryouts being really good and people on this board raving about the choreography and music. I was really really intreged by the whole concept but it never came. Closed during the out of town tryouts if I recall correctly."

I wasn't on the chat board when Mambo Kings had a Broadwayworld thread, but I can tell you from the San Francisco performances that it inhaled big time.  Choreography was okay from what I recall, but the book, score and direction were all sub-par.  Not surprised at all that it died.

[The Other One]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 6:37am

Shuffle Along shuffled along in an unexpected hurry.

Updated On: 6/22/19 at 06:37 AM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 8:35am

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown was the first thing to pop into my mind.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 8:50am

I feel like maybe Be More Chill counts?  It was the first test of a social experiment to see if viral-ness translated into ticket sales, and it's closing before Labor Day.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 10:04am

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S
KELLY
IN MY LIFE
THOU SHALT NOT

[ACL2006]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 10:12am

The Addams Family. An All-Star cast with a lot of buzz before it's out of town tryout. They had a lot of material to pull from that should have made it a guaranteed hit. Yet it bombed big time. Such a weak book and terrible music.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 10:39am

kdogg36 said: "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdownwas the first thing to pop into my mind."

I love the cast recording with all my heart, but I’ve never left a theatre so disappointed.

[massofmen]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 11:17am

Bullets over Broadway. EVERYONE thought it would be the next huge hit. Like Producers big. 
It lost its whole investment. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 11:20am

massofmen said: "Bullets over Broadway. EVERYONE thought it would be the next huge hit. Like Producers big.
It lost its whole investment."

It was wretched.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 11:32am

massofmen said: "Bullets over Broadway. EVERYONE thought it would be the next huge hit. Like Producers big.
It lost its whole investment."

I know I am in the VAST VAST minority here, but I LOVED Bullets Over Broadway.

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 11:45am

Be More Chill!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 12:27pm

The musical adaptation of Cluless this last winter had the potential to follow in the footsteps of Mean Girls, Heathers, etc. but it was such a massive misfire. Fingers crossed that someone else can get the rights to adapt it someday.

I wouldn’t say it was “much anticipated” in the way some of these others were, but it was a high-profile adaption of an iconic film, and I think many of us who follow Off-Broadway thought that, on paper, it had “pre-Broadway” written over it. Or at least, “next cult-favorite musical,” but that didn’t happen either.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 12:44pm

bwayphreak234 said: "massofmen said: "Bullets over Broadway. EVERYONE thought it would be the next huge hit. Like Producers big.
It lost its whole investment."

I know I am in the VAST VAST minority here, but I LOVED Bullets Over Broadway."

Me too!

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 12:59pm

100% Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Saw the tour and disappointed to see it was just as bad as BWW forums said earlier

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 7:00pm

Sho-Tunes-R-Us said: "GYPSY1527 said: "Yes! Mambo Kings! Thanks for the reminder. Yeah, I remember the reviews for the out of town tryouts being really good and people on this board raving about the choreography and music. I was really really intreged by the whole concept but it never came. Closed during the out of town tryouts if I recall correctly."

I wasn't on the chat board when Mambo Kings had a Broadwayworld thread, but I can tell you from the San Francisco performances that it inhaled big time. Choreography was okay from what I recall, but the book, score and direction were all sub-par. Not surprised at all that it died."

And Lestat should have been put out of its misery in San Francisco as well.  I'm sorry, but that set looked like a gynecological close-up of a Judy Chicago work.  Seriously.

 

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 8:29pm

Spider-Man
Ghost
Evita revival
Jcs revival
Be more chill
Catch me if you can
King Kong

[Joshua Kilimnik]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 8:49pm

It’s my honour to be the inaugural Love Never Dies mention. It finally found its footing on the touring circuit eight years after it premiered, but holy crap you can’t define too many crash and burns that were bigger than that was.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 6/22/19 at 9:54pm

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Groundhog Day, Catch Me If You Can, Bullets Over Broadway. Big screen-to-stage adaptations of beloved IP with prestigious creative teams that looked like big hits on paper but didn't last a year in NY.

I really don't think Be More Chill belongs on this list. Sure, it's a big flop, but I wouldn't say it was "much anticipated": It was a first-time Broadway creative team, it got awful reviews off-Broadway, the producers and theatre owners took a risk to transfer it, and it tanked, but is only a $9mil loss compared to the much higher budgets for the shows above. It's more in line with shows like Bright Star, Bloody Bloody AJ, Head Over Heels, and Amelie.

Re: the Addams Family post --- yes it got awful reviews and wasn't profitable on Broadway, but it came close to recouping in NY, the tour did well, and it eventually made profit with international productions and stock/amateur licensing. Not a juggernaut, but also not a King Kong.

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 3:29pm

i kinda liked GHOST.  I caught it in London before it came to NYC.

 

[A Canadian in NYC]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 5:16pm

I’d add American Psycho to the list. Sadly it closed a couple of days before my planned attendance. It was the first show that closed on me. Still bummed about it.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

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

Maybe Superhero?  Good cast, good songwriters, lots of potential - but it just didn't live up.

[HelloDanny]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 12:46am

bwayphreak234 said: "massofmen said: "Bullets over Broadway. EVERYONE thought it would be the next huge hit. Like Producers big.
It lost its whole investment."

I know I am in the VAST VAST minority here, but I LOVED Bullets Over Broadway."

Me three!

[VivianDarkbloom2]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 11:21am

Groundhog Day: Lots of people liked the source, Tim Minchin, and Andy Karl. It was not the success many wanted for it.

My personal disappointments were the Addams Family (as many have said, it is big regionally and it made money, but what a dull book and score) and good lord, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When you ADD body horror and murder to something by Roald Dahl, and STILL aim it at children, maybe it’s time to rethink things.

[gregnyc2]

Posted: 6/24/19 at 11:52am

Ohhh Chess. Trampled by Phantom and Into the Woods. Judy Kuhn, David Carroll : it doesn’t get better. I saw it the Saturday matinee Tony weekend. The mezzanine/ balcony audience were all seated at the sides (was the show hoping for group sales?), the lights dimmed and everyone ran to better seats. I still remember the “bravos” in the house for Quintet. Regardless of the swirling monoliths and the brown costumes, David Carroll And Judy, Judy Judy: once she’s on stage, she sang and sang and sang and sang, for my money, one of the most challenging roles ever. I just cherish it so much.

Updated On: 6/24/19 at 11:52 AM