BROADWAY SECRETS: Wherein we confess our controversial opinions- Page 12

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 6:22am

Evolved? No it hasn't. I will say anything I feel needs saying at any time. Maybe you shouldn't be so damn sensitive.

[mc1227]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 9:08am

A Christmas Story production should be on Broadway every single year.
Once put me to sleep.
In the Heights was totally overrated.
If Rob McClure was taller and better looking, he would the the toast of Broadway. No current male actor comes close to his talent on stage.
No one should see Matthew Broderick in his first six weeks of a production. If you do, go back and see it again later.
Megan Mullally should only do musicals.
NPH cannot sing and is officially overexposed.
Hugh Jackman's voice makes my skin crawl but the rest of him makes me tingle.
Nathan Lane should try playing a quiet, reserved character for a change.
I loved the current production of Le Miz.
I thought Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was much better an Spamalot.
The only reason the Producers was such a hit was NL & MB. Otherwise it was mediocre material.
Aida was the best Disney productIon ever.
I would take Kelli O'Hara' and Laura Osnes over Patti Lupone or Ethel Mermen any day of the week.
There is a serious shortage of male triple threats on Broadway.
Long running musicals like Phantom, Mamma Mia, the Lion King should close to allow for newer shows to survive. They should be brought back as revivals .

[LarryD2]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 9:19am

The Book of Mormon is unfunny and musically uninteresting.

Chicago should have closed somewhere around 2002.

The Jones/Quinto Glass Menagerie is one of the worst productions of a classic play I've ever seen.

Kelli O'Hara has a lovely voice, but she's not much of an actress.

Mark Rylance is overrated and has a limited bag of tricks.

Tracy Letts is a mediocre playwright, at best, but a good actor.

Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater should stay away from Shakespeare.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 9:35am

Glee ruined Lea Michelle's reputation

Lea Michele ruined Lea Michele's reputation. She didn't need help from anyone or anything.

Ragtime is a hot mess with an astounding opening number (I only realized recently that this is a controversial opinion)

That's an intriguing opinion. I disagree, but I'm curious if you're willing to say more. The musical, like the novel, keeps a lot of balls in the air, but I think they both do so with great skill.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 1:15pm

"I will say anything I feel needs saying at any time."

Yet, you judge other posts and tell them they need to learn a DEFINITION because what they are saying apparently isn't up to your STANDARDS. Controversial means different things to different people. This is a non judgmental thread where people can share their true opinions, it's ridiculous that you would contribute nothing but snark.

[Fantod]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 1:27pm

"The Jones/Quinto Glass Menagerie is one of the worst productions of a classic play I've ever seen."

....I don't even comprehend that statement

As for Ragtime, I saw the recent revival and thought that the whole show had no distinctive tone. It couldn't decide if it wanted to parody early 20th century America, celebrate it, or criticize it. The show felt bloated and overlong and the plot was confusing and messy. It had some beautiful moments and a few nice songs, though many songs felt exactly the same, so it just felt like a hot mess.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 1:28pm

I'm fascinated by all these different opinions and views. Keep them coming.

[smallworld]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 1:46pm

I cannot stand Jason Robert Brown.

[Fantod]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 2:06pm

Me neither. His personality and music.

Same goes for Adam Guettel, though I don't know his personality

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 2:09pm

Tesori, LaChuisa, and Guettel are going to shape the future of musical theatre as it continues to evolve.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 2:10pm

Fantod - I can assure you that Adam is a kind and gentle soul, full of humility and warmth. Nothing like JRB. Out of full disclosure, I know Adam but I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a 'close friend.' Just speaking the truth.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 2:10pm

"I cannot stand Jason Robert Brown."

Well now you have GONE TOO FAR!

[Fantod]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 2:12pm

Liza's Headband, thanks for letting me know. I was just referring to his music, and I am glad to hear he is a good person.

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 2:22pm

Angela Lansbury is an awful singer.
John Doyle is my favorite director.
Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin should have won Tony awards for Sunday in the park
I freaking hate almost everything that ALW has written.
Tesori is a wonderful composer.
The Les Miserables film is my favorite movie.
I like the Les Mis movie more than the actual musical.
Book of Mormon is a wonderful musical.
The Producers, Spamalot, and In The Heights are some of the worst and most overrated musicals ever written.
Matilda should've won the Tony.
Bertie Carvel should have won the Tony over Billy Porter.
NPH has an Underrated singing voice.
Tracy Letts is an amazing playwright.
Sweeney Todd is a perfect musical.
Bernadette Peters was great in Follies.
Mandy Patinkin is an incredible performer.

Updated On: 12/21/14 at 02:22 PM

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 2:51pm

This thread has been going on so long that I may be repeating someone else's or my own previous posts, but here goes:

1) I think "West Side Story" is too cacophonous.
2) "Oklahoma" is hopelessly dated -- too cutesy-pie. A serious Romeo and Juliet musical about the cowboys versus the farmers would better fit our more cynical times, rather than a musical about who will eat whose food.
3) The Phantom should be a baritone, instead of a tenor. (Yay, Norm Lewis).
4) The much-touted method of singing live in the movie version of Les Mis resulted in wobbly, weak results, and did not work well with a cast made up of actors who are not primarily singers. Even Colm Wilkinson couldn't pull it off.
5) Ramin Karimloo's first album is boring. There is insufficient variation among the songs' rhythms, and his Speedy-Gonzalez version of MOTN is a disaster. Where's the fire?
6) Norm Lewis blows most of the other Phantoms away in terms of both his singing and his acting (not a particularly controversial opinion) but, aside from his, one of the best-acted interpretations of the Phantom belongs to Gerard Butler in the 2004 movie.
7) Russell Crowe couldn't handle Javert in the Les Miz movie (again not a controversial opinion) but if the producers were going for charisma and acting skill and not mellifluous baritone singing, Gerard Butler would have pulled it off. (OK, I'll admit it -- I have a mad crush on the guy).
My Fair Lady does NOT need a fantastic singer in the role of Higgins, thanks to Rex Harrison's accustomizing (is that a word?) everyone to speak-singing, but it DOES need a handsome, youngish, charismatic actor with a beautiful and sexy speaking voice. Most productions fail to recognize the attraction between Higgins and Eliza that Alan Jay Lerner added to GBS's "Pygmalion."
9) Les Miz has a split personality -- the male roles and some of the female roles are written in almost an operatic style, but other female roles (especially Eponine) are written for a rock-style singer, to the overall detriment of the show.

Cue the rotten tomatoes.

Audrey

[theminutepast]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 2:55pm

I don't understand what is so special about Norm Lewis' voice. I've seen him in Les Miz and Phantom, and have been underwhelmed both times.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 3:27pm

Fantod, I didn't catch the 2009 production of RAGTIME, but I can't imagine any incarnation in which the material would possibly come off as parodic. What, exactly, felt like parody to you?

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 3:44pm

I honestly liked the more realistic style of singing live. Due to the fact that Les mis is sung through it really needed to be live. Remember how awful the lip syncing was in Evita. It looked corny and fake and allowed for nearly 0 acting.
Movie Musicals that should have live singing:
Les Miserables
parts of Phantom of the Opera
Sweeney Todd
Parts of Rent (god the singing looked fake)
Cabaret (only for the scenes that take place in the Kit Kat Klub)
Any kind of sung through musical, or else it looks like a long, bad music video.

[Fantod]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 3:54pm

Satirical would be a better word, and it applied to the whole thing with Evelyn Nesbit

[SweetLips]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 3:56pm

I just wish that Idina Menzel would take a VERY long holiday.

[Fantod]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 5:04pm

Tom Kitt is the best composer working today

The London cast recording of Gypsy comes nowhere near the OBC

Happy Hunting has a delightful score

ALW's best score is By Jeeves

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 5:14pm

Theminutepast writes:
"I don't understand what is so special about Norm Lewis' voice. I've seen him in Les Miz and Phantom, and have been underwhelmed both times."

Hmmm, Minute, I agree that this is a controversial opinion. Question: What is it about Norm Lewis's voice that you don't like? Are there particular performers that you think sing better in those roles? If so, what is there about their performances or voices that you prefer?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 5:15pm

Most of the posters on this board labor under the delusion that they represent the majority opinion.

[steven22]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 5:22pm

Fantod- totally agree with you about Tom Kitt.

On another note, I feel like most people rave about Cabaret- Saw it today and was completely underwhelmed. Although Emma Stone is incredible whenever she's on stage.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 5:54pm

I was never wild about Cabaret as a show.

I like Idina Menzel a lot, but I still find her really overrated.

I loved John Travolta's Hairspray.

I also really like most things about the Phantom film- my one issue being Minnie Driver as Carlotta (Bleargh).

Sia Furler did great work on the soundtrack of this year's Annie.

Spring Awakening is terrible.

Fred Astaire > Gene Kelly

Merrily We Roll Along is one of the most depressing Sondheim shows. Which is saying something. Lol.

Anne Hathaway was still woefully miscast as Fantine.