BROADWAY SECRETS: Wherein we confess our controversial opinions

[HorseTears]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 3:37am

While I think Angela Lansbury is a national treasure, I think she was an awful Tony Awards host. I know it was more the style, but she was so presentational, careful and scripted. Her introduction of numbers on the Tonys back then was almost as overcooked as her portrayal of Jessica Fletcher. (Oddly enough, these days she seems so much more unguarded and genuine when speaking on stage)

I think Sutton Foster was miscast in Anything Goes. I also think she walks and dances like a surprisingly athletic hunchback. (Though when she's cast right she's dynamite)

I LOVED Bernadette Peters in Follies -- without reservation.

I love Cats and I won't apologize.

I think Audra McDonald's singing is often strident and shrill.

I think Adam Guettel is wildly overpraised for his limited talent. He's written some gorgeous songs, but I don't think he's written a great score all the way through - yes - Piazza included.

I thought Doubt was so-so and was shocked that it won the Pulitzer.

I can't stand Ethel Merman's voice.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 5:19am

I adore Frank Wildhorn.

I don't like Chita Rivera. At all.

I thought Rachel York was godawful and completely miscast in the Anything Goes tour.

The 2012 revival of Evita is (IMO) one of the most flawless and breathtaking revivals in history. I loved everything about it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 5:44am

There is a thread entitled: Unpopular Opinions You Hold (or something very close to that) that does this very thing.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 5:53am

Here:

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1034860

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 6:05am

Hey! I remembered the title right! Pretty amazing for my advanced years.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 8:36am

And there's an old livejournal with similar thoughts... no, I'm not linking it.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 8:49am

^ Because that place went to hell in a handbasket.

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 9:05am

I don't have a problem with starting a new thread if you don't know an old long one exists somewhere.

[egghumor]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 9:15am

Congrats dramamama! Should we start a thread where we challenge your memory?

[tazber]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 9:19am

In The Heights is overrated and should have lost to Passing Strange.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 9:37am

2 demerits from dramamama, Horsetears!

I thought Tracey Letts was a woman for longer than I care to admit.

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 9:37am

I'm not a big Sondheim fan.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 9:44am

Jane you don't mean that.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 9:46am

I don't like Neil Patrick Harris.

I thought Laura Osnes was far and away a better Nellie Forbush than Kelli O'Hara.

I loved Elena Roger as Evita.

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 9:54am

"Jane you don't mean that."

oy. um, ok I don't.

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 9:55am

Sitting through PHANTOM was excruciating.

ALW is a hack who writes 4 melodies for a show and then repeats them endlessly to fill an entire score.

While COMPANY is one of my favorite shows, I get frustrated with the repetitiveness of SWEENEY and INTO THE WOODS.

I enjoyed Megan Hilty in WICKED more than I enjoyed Kristin Chenoweth. Though I thought she was wonderfully charming in PROMISES, PROMISES.

Even though the book was ridiculously misguided, I absolutely loved watching LEAP OF FAITH.

Rob McClure in CHAPLIN was one of the best performances I've ever seen on stage.

I love Idina Menzel's performance in the CHESS concert.

Jason Robert Brown is brilliant. Enough said.

Leonard Bernstein was the greatest composer of musical theatre.

Julie Andrews is the greatest female vocalist of all time.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 10:05am

"oy. um, ok I don't."

Thank goodness!

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 10:16am

Yeah right? I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that. whew.

[tazber]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 10:19am

It's ok Jane, you just had an After Eight moment.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 10:22am

I liked BROOKLYN.

I've grown bored with most of Sondheim's scores. (Sorry, Namo!)

I saw THE WOMAN IN WHITE six times.

I fell asleep at THE HOMECOMING.

Sutton Foster can't act. Or sing. And she sort of looks like Archibald Craven when she taps.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 10:23am

Next to Normal...loath it
Rent...found it stupid
[Title of Show]...hated it

Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster...ready for new leading ladies to have an opportunity to win awards and rise to stardom.

I like Andrew Lloyd Webber: Phantom, Cats, Starlight Express

[tazber]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 10:25am

Also hate [title of show]

I like the score to Little Women (Broadway version)

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 10:32am

@ all of you: I don't care.

[bpr515]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 10:43am

I've never understood the appeal of Adam Pascal, although I'll look forward to his rant about this post on Facebook...

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 6/14/13 at 10:55am

bpr515 wins Post of the Day.