Overrated Musicals?- Page 3

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:17am

"And as for RENT, yeah it did receive a ton of praise and "ratings". But, you really have to judge from a 1996 perspective, and at that time, it really was something special"

Let the hate begin.

The only thing that made Rent a hit was Larson died, if on that night nothing happened. The show would have closed Off Broadway. Really quite simple!

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:21am

The Lion King for sure.

[Mealz1042]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:29am

Hairspray... don't get me wrong, I love that show. But I still think it's overrated. Spelling Bee too.

[EvanK]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:33am

Spring Awakening.

[Baiseur82]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:41am

"The Producers"
This show, I mean I just don't get what people saw in it. There was nothing I liked about it when I saw it ( mind you I did see it a few years into its run)It was the only show I ever considered leaving at intermission. I was just totally bored.

"Mamma Mia"
The music is really good (I do love me some Abba) but I just didn't enjoy the story at all.

[george95]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:42am

I dont think it is logical to say that hordes of theater-goers cared one bit about Larson's death. I think that only affected the RENT-heads with the whole first-2-rows-for-20-bucks thing. If I did not get hooked on Rent immediately in 1996, and I was recently exposed to it, I'm not sure I'd get into it (other than for 90's nostalgia) but, it holds a very special place in my heart and every time I see it I'm instantly transported back to those years, and so many of the songs and lyrics just make me remember how the art of Rent got me through my late teens and early 20's just like the characters in the show.

now as for HAIRSPRAY.........I have some deep-seated, serious problems with that show..........I am militantly against that show and I would like nothing more than for it to close down immediately for the damage it is doing.

Updated On: 1/4/08 at 12:42 AM

[Mbmusic]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:43am

I think everyone is mistaking longevity and success for overrated. For example, Cats is the second longest running Broadway musical, but most savvy theatergoers think its crap.

[outdamnwench]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 1:11am

I find it really interesting that basically all of the biggest shows in the past 20 years are up here.

I'm adding Avenue Q. It's kinda funny, for a few minutes, but I find I can't get past the first song or two. It feels like they're trying to make a full musical out of a concept that is really only funny enough for a few youtube video's. It's like the exact same joke going on and on and on. Granted, I haven't seen the show on stage and I know that cast recordings and youtube video's aren't always a reflection of the show, I really don't think I want to see it on stage. It seems like a waste of time.

I don't think shows like Legally Blonde are overrated at all. Everyone knows exactly what they're geting before they step foot in the theatre: Mindless Fluff. You're not getting a riveting storyline or fantastic score, nobody's denying that.

[jeniferrenepatricia]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 1:11am

Rent
Guys and Dolls (why ANOTHER revival of this?)
Mamma Mia
The Producers

[patti+bettysgirl]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 1:20am

Wicked. Definitely.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 1:35am

Granted, I haven't seen the show on stage and I know that cast recordings and youtube video's aren't always a reflection of the show, I really don't think I want to see it on stage. It seems like a waste of time.

So was reading your post.

Anyway, add my votes to Wicked and Phantom of the Opera.

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:33am

Spring Awakening!

[JumpJumpJumpSoHigh]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 4:12am

Of current shows? Spring Awakening and Wicked, for sure.

And Mamma Mia, but for a different reason. Let's face it -- that show doesn't exactly have a reputation for being artistically brilliant anyway. But it has a reputation for being fun, and I was bored out of my mind. Hence, overrated.

And up until I saw the PBS concert recently, I'd've said South Pacific too. Congratulations to Reba for being the first actress EVER to make me enjoy Nellie as a character, and actually care about what happens to her.

~JJJ

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 11:48am

Curtains
Rent
Phantom

All Shook Up... never mind...that just sucked cheez whiz

[icantbelive]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 11:48am

Wicked
Miss Saigon
Les Miserables
Phantom
Mamma Mia
Cats Updated On: 1/5/08 at 11:48 AM

[sanda]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 11:57am

I think we should differentiate between "overrated" and "popular but mediore".
My understanding of "overrate" is the show that earned all raves and awards but is not that good in your eyes.
Grey Gardens and Wicked did not win many awards thus they cannot be said as overrated.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:02pm

I don't think Miss Saigon is overrated. People who aren't theatre fans barely know about it, from my experience.

JumpJumpJumpSoHigh: I agree! That was the only time I really liked Nellie.

Oh... and Phantom is definitely overrated, but I mostly hate it because it gives the insinuation that pop is better than opera.

[dshnookie]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:04pm

Mamma Mia! - music is great, but story really lacks
RENT

I list those two because out of all the ones I've seen those are the only two that I probably wouldnt pay to see again. I'd include Legally Blonde, but I think I would pay to see it again when someone new took over the title role, not that I dont love Laura Bell Bundy, but I'd like to see what someone else would do with the part.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:06pm

Wicked
Spring Awakening
Phantom of the Opera and almost all ALW musicals are..I guess except Sunset Boulevard-which i like..

Jekyll & Hyde - by the fans (not critics)

I like Rent & Grey Gardens -so I dont think its overrated at all. Miss Saigon was my first musical.. so I guess... I am pretty much a blind bat on that one.

J*

[HumATune]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 12:27pm

Jersey Boys. I had no interest in The Four Seasons before I saw it and still don't. I think in order for my to enjoy a biographical musical, I need to actually have some interest in the subject(s).

The Color Purple. Just no. It was sort of abstract cliff-notes version of the story that didn't work (the movie is great and the book is one of my favorites). And it seemed to say at moments "hey let's laugh at the poor black country folks who like to have lots of sex". I was cringing inwardly when Harpo and Sofia were making out in act two and everyone was cracking up.

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:19pm

I think that Grey Gardens is the most overrated musical.

I agree. I liked it a lot, but don't see what was so ingenious or masterful about it.

Let me add Xanadu.

[DancerGirl16]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:24pm

Rent
Legally Blonde (I found it overwhelming)
The Phantom of the Opera
Annie!

[worrell4077]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:27pm

Cats- I saw it on tour at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ and I just hated it. I almost fell asleep during the second act. It was just too long and dull.

Seussical- Saw this at the State Theatre too and just didn't care for it. It could probably work as an animated movie, but on stage, not so much.

Wicked- I liked it, I'm not crazy about it though. It's a good show, but it really doesn't deserve alot of the hype it got and I'm glad that Avenue Q won the Tony for Best Musical that year and not Wicked. The first time I saw it was with the original cast and Idina was out and so was Joel Grey and Randy Harrison was in as Boq and I was sitting next to a guy who was cracking up the entire time and laughing really hard at alot of the jokes(basically he was me when I first saw Avenue Q, The Producers, SpamAlot, and Jersey Boys) and there I was just kinda laughing and thinking, It wasn't that funny." Second time I almost fell asleep, probably because I was up early seeing that it was a school day.

Chicago- Just not thrilled with it, the music is alright, but just not absolutely thrilled with.

Rent- I didn't see the stage show, but I saw the movie and I just didn't care for it.

[henryt]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:32pm

I thought that Grey Gardens was totally overrated. I may be the only person who actually preferred the first act to the second!

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 4:31pm

Okay, I don't think you can say RENT is out of date and then praise anything by Sondheim or any other show set in the past. RENT, other than Legally Blonde, still has the most modern setting of any show on Broadway. I'm not saying that being modern makes you great, but it's not a flaw to be older.
Secondly, I suppose you could say that Larson's dying did give a lot of publicity early on, but that doesn't explain how it's lasted 11+ years, and continued to bring in new fans each year. If a great show didn't back up all that PR, it would have been nothing more than a flash in the pan thing. But it's STILL around.