2011 Theatrical Confessions
2011 Theatrical Confessions
#12011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 7:55pm
So now that the year is almost up, let's hear what you REALLY thought about all those shows.
I thoroughly hated Death Takes a Holiday.
I know you.
I know you.
I know you.
#22011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 7:59pmEveryone hated Good Writing Takes a Holiday!!!
"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
#22011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 8:16pmI DESPISED Patti and Mandy's show.
"Life in theater is give and take...but you need to be ready to give more then you take..."
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#32011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 8:17pmI'm not sure of the purpose of this thread: are you under the illusion that folks here DON'T normally speak their minds???
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.
#42011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 10:33pm
I thought HIGH was the greatest play of the year.
I think GODSPELL was good partly because my ticket was only $41...I would've felt robbed if I paid any more.
I wish I never won free tickets to BABY, IT'S YOU
Bernadette Peters fell short of my expectations in FOLLIES...Shame.
Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater were the best part of SEMINAR
I loved LYSISTRATA JONES (and think BONNIE & CLYDE got a raw deal)
Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!!
www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm
Updated On: 12/29/11 at 10:33 PM
#52011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 10:41pmI fell asleep at Knickerbocker and The People in the Picture.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
emilyfaye48
Broadway Star Joined: 3/19/09
#62011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 10:48pmI love Lysistrata Jones!
Without bread we'd just be hungry
but without theatre we'd be dead
bwayalltheway
Chorus Member Joined: 10/22/08
#72011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 10:52pm
I second the post about winning free tickets to Baby It's You. What a waste of time.
I absolutley loved Catch Me If You Can and Lysistrata Jones.
Mattbrain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/23/05
#82011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 11:09pm
I loved Sister Act
Bernadette Peters was actually my least favorite in Follies.
As much as I loved War Horse, those gunshots are too damn loud!
It's been a year since its brief run and I don't miss The Scottsboro Boys!
Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you.
--Cartman: South Park
ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."
Updated On: 12/29/11 at 11:09 PM
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
#92011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 11:23pmI really think Mother...Hat was the vilest thing I've endured in a long lifetime of theatregoing.
#102011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 11:31pmI really didn't enjoy Anything Goes. To a certain extent, it's just not my kind of show, and that's fine. But there's no getting around the racist depiction of Asian characters, something that really put me off.
#122011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 11:45pmI liked Porgy & Bess. I did not really like Priscilla. I would have been fine with Sister Act beating out "Book of Mormon" for Best musical. For some reason I find Book of Mormon's ad campaigns annoying.
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder
willep
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/08
#132011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/29/11 at 11:50pm
I didn't hate Spider-man as much as most others seem to. That said, I thought Once and Jerusalem were the best musical and play respectively that I have seen in a long time, possibly ever.
Also, I really, really enjoyed Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Second favorite play of the year.
#142011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 12:06am
Broadway needs some new design blood. From a production point of view, this season was positively lame.
(And yes, that includes FOLLIES. What a wasted design opportunity.)
http://docandraider.com
#152011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 2:03am
I finally saw Phantom of the Opera - and I fell asleep (thankfully I basically saw it for free). I also might have zoned out a couple of times during Mary Poppins.
I rushed Mother****** with the Hat - and I still feel I paid too much for the show.
I saw Baby It's You for free, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Bonnie & Clyde is one of the best shows I've ever seen, and I don't care what anyone thinks - I've never been so inspired before, and that's something I'm thankful for.
I saw Anything Goes 18 times, and I don't regret it at all!
#162011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 2:19am
Thoughts I LITERALLY had to hold in all year... and even longer because I know the producers/cast etc....
HATED Sons of the Prophet
HATED Catch Me if You Can
HATED Anything Goes
HATED Lysistrata Jones
HATED Mother effer with the hat
HATE HATE HATE the blue/white/orange curtain in Lyssy Jones
HATE the costumes in Lyssy Jones
Hate the set/book/music of Catch Me if You Can
Hate the last note of Bernadette's Losing My Mind
Hate black and white playbills (been holding that one in for years)
HATED the direction of Arcadia (even though I love the play)
now on to the love....
LOVED Bonnie & Clyde
LOVED High (most people hated it because it was too gay for the religious folks, and too preachy for the non-religious folks.... so it was just right for me.)
LOVED Seminar
LOVED Bengal Tiger
LOVED Born Yesterday (2nd Best show I saw all year)
LOVED Normal Heart (Best Show)
only liked then forgot about them....
Book of Mormon
Sister Act
H2$
People in the picture (it needed a lot of work)
#172011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 2:28am
Book of Mormon only got a few chuckles out of me.
Sister Act deserved so many more awards.
Of course, the Obligatory "B&C was mistreated" (which it was ) post
Nina Arianda deserved the Tony.
Anything Goes had pedestrian performances and choreography.
#182011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 3:10am
I think Catch Me if You Can had an absolutely dreadful score and one of the ugliest sets I have ever seen
I think Andrew Rannells should had gotten the Tony over Norbert Butz
I really enjoyed Spider-Man
I really enjoyed Prisiclla
Absolutely LOVED Book of Mormon and Anything Goes. I thought Sutton Foster's performance was absolutely incredible.
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
#192011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 6:02amIn June 2011, I went to Fort Worth, Texas to see the touring production of "Chicago", with the beautifully talented Terra C McLeod as "Velma Kelly." During that same weekend, I looked for a show in Dallas (next to Ft. Worth). I purchased an inexpensive ticket to "Spamalot." The person behind me was quite annoying as he quoted line after line about the show. For me, I was underwhelmed, for the most part. The actress who played the "Lady of the Lake" was briliant in her singing. But as far as the rest of the material, frankly I was bored. I've always found "Monty Python" and that type of British humor to be tedious and uninteresting....to me. Obviously, it has a legion of fans all over the world. (Just not me.) I left during intermission, as I couldn't see any reason to say any further. The cast was a talented group of people, to be sure. I felt kind of bad leaving during intermission (was the only one who did that), but felt it was necessary. Oh well. from RC in Austin, Texas
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
#202011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 10:30amI will add that I too enjoyed "Spiderman..". While the music wasn't really anything to write home about, it, for me, was hands down the most stunning thing, visualy, that I have seen on Broadway. I don't care for their ad campaign either. It says "The most popular show on Broadway". Wouldn't that be Book of Mormon?
Just give the world Love. - S. Wonder
#212011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 12:04pmLYSISTRATA JONES, a more miserable night in the theatre I would not know.
Markecib
Featured Actor Joined: 4/13/11
#222011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 12:13pm
Despite the book, I enjoyed the performances in Wonderland.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed Priscilla.
I left Catch Me if you Can, and Felt "meh" about it.
Born Yesterday was my favorite Play I saw.
I really liked Spiderman.
I loved Bonnie & Clyde.
I was bored at Follies.
I liked Lysistrata Jones for the mindless fun.
#232011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 12:17pm
I'm really upset Bonnie & Clyde is closing. It should have had a longer life. Laura and Jeremy are excellent in their roles, and while they'll both go VERY far, they should have been allowed to shine here. Also loved the set design.
I've been anxiously awaiting the chance to get back to Spiderman. Saw it at the beginning of January when it was still a complete mess, I'm curious about the changes. I think I've listened to the overture on repeat too many times.
::bust a move::
#242011 Theatrical Confessions
Posted: 12/30/11 at 12:18pm
I liked RELATIVELY SPEAKING, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON, and CLOSE UP SPACE.
I didn't care for THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, or Tyne Daly's perfomance in MASTER CLASS.
I hated JERUSALEM and will never see another show starring Mark Rylance as long as I live.
I thought Nina Arianda was better in BORN YESTERDAY than VENUS IN FUR.
I've seen SISTER ACT three times.
I find Sutton Foster insufferable and will never understand the praise she received for ANYTHING GOES.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
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