Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Sondheim_Geek
Broadway Star Joined: 2/20/07
#1Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 5:32pm
What shows have we been wrong about? When they were announced we all expected strong ticket sales and lengthy runs but found the opposite.
Company Revival - Many of us expected it to be a huge success with tickets difficult to find even in the winter. Raul was said to easily win the Tony and people began speculating replacement casts before it opened.
9 to 5 - Coming out of LA people who saw the show were saying that this show was bound to last and was going to be real competition for Billy Elliot.
#2re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 5:34pmthe revival of company was critically acclaimed and raul esparza's loss that year at the tonys was the biggest shocker of the night.
...everyone was doing the mambo and drinking golden cadillacs...
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#2re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 5:38pm
There were gads of people that were POSITIVE that neither ROA nor N2N would be critical OR public successes.
Edit: oops -- didn't read the thread title just the thread. My bad.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
Updated On: 8/5/09 at 05:38 PM
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#4re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 5:50pm
"raul esparza's loss that year at the tonys was the biggest shocker of the night."
No, it wasn't.
#5re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 5:53pmThen what was..
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#6re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 5:57pmO I believe it was the biggest surprise that night.
Genius lasts longer than beauty.
#7re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 6:06pmno question that his loss was the biggest shocker.
...everyone was doing the mambo and drinking golden cadillacs...
philly03
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/07
#8re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 6:10pm
Tons of people said Natalie Toro would win/atleast get nominated for Tale out of Sarasota; didn't happen. Also: Christopher Sieber was a lock for a win for Best Featured Actor this year, didn't happen.
EDIT: I guess those actually aren't shows? Oops, well they were still overestimated!
Updated On: 8/5/09 at 06:10 PM
bwayfan7000
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/28/09
#9re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 6:38pm
The first one that comes to mind is, as stated before, 9 to 5. I bought tickets for the Broadway run after reading the excellent reviews on this board when the show was in LA. Then it came to Broadway, and even most of the posts on here were positive then. The show opened, was reviewed by critics, then died, and people sort of stopped championing it...I still liked it, and didn't regret buying tickets, but it was certainly overestimated.
Other things I can think of are Cry-Baby, A Catered Affair, etc.
Also not exactly overestimated by posters here, but I remember the first time I heard about Glory Days was in an article (on braodway.com, I believe) entitled something like "New Musical Glory Days announced- could it be a surprise Best Musical Winner?" or something like that. That is the biggest overestimization ever, I would think...
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
AndAllThatJazz22
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/8/08
#10re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 6:40pm
Back when Broadway.com had a blog, the blogger had said that 'Glory Days' could shake up the Tony's. Little did he know...
ETA: Bwayfan7000 beat me to it.
"There's nothing good on. The media hates Christmas. The media loves vampires, though. Maybe they will show a Twilight Christmas."
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.
Updated On: 8/5/09 at 06:40 PM
-Danmeg's 10 year old son.
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#11re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 6:46pmRaul's Tony loss was definitely the biggest shocker of that Tony ceremony.
#12re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 7:08pmI'm going to go out on a limb here and say The First Wives Club.
ggersten
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/06
#13re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 7:34pmPeople were handing LoveMusik and A Catered Affair many Tony awards before the shows were seen by any paying audience.
#14re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:09pm
Raul's loss had me screaming at the TV, so it was definitely MY biggest shocker of the evening. All of the other nominees deserved it over Pierce, really.
I'm sure we all thought Little Mermaid was going to be a huge commercial smash, despite the reviews.
A Catered Affair was wildly anticipated here.
Updated On: 8/5/09 at 08:09 PM
#15re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 8:48pm
I loved it when LoveMusik flopped massively, and all the broadway legends who thought they knew everything looked so stupid with LoveMusik scattered throughout their tony predictions.
A little known fact is that in the original screenplay, Pan's Labyrinth was Pan's FLAByrinth. Hmmmmmmm...glad they changed it.
Updated On: 8/5/09 at 08:48 PM
TulitaPepsi
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/13/04
#16re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 9:57pm
EQUUS. Everyone thought it would be a sellout smash for its entire run, but enthusiasm (sadly) quickly evaporated and it was readily available on TDF for weeks.
It probably would be a huge hit NOW.
"Hurry up and get into your conga clothes - we've got to do something to save this show!"
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
#17re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 11:07pmIf it wasn't a hit last fall, why do you think "Equus" would be a huge hit now?
#18re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/5/09 at 11:22pmA lot of folks thought that Cheno in The Apple Tree was a terrific idea. They were wrong.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
#19re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/6/09 at 8:12amHindsight is a wonderful thing. Every flop hopes to find its' niche, and every flop is over estimated.
Trekkie2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/7/06
#20re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/6/09 at 10:27amGlory Days was also on a lot of Tony Prediction threads... Which is just amazing.
"I think of avant-garde as downtown shows where you rub waffles and chocolate on yourself."- Hunter Bell
#21re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/6/09 at 10:48am
If it wasn't a hit last fall, why do you think "Equus" would be a huge hit now?
Cross-promotion with Harry Potter.
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how
Wanting life but never knowing how
#22re: Shows that We (BWW) has Overestimated
Posted: 8/6/09 at 10:54am
I definitely thought LoveMusik was going to be amazing based on what I was reading on here. I wanted to put papercuts on my eyelids with my playbill throughout though.
Cry-Baby was a mess as well.
::bust a move::
