BROADWAY SECRETS: Wherein we confess our controversial opinions- Page 20

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 8/4/15 at 2:51am

I think the House Manager Woman at the Imperial is Hot and I am not a woman! Go figure! She is wonderfully nasty to people and I love it!

 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 8/4/15 at 12:03pm

This isn't technically about Broadway itself, but:

While I understand that Phillypinto legitimately annoys many people, the hair-trigger reaction to every little thing he says has gotten way out of hand. At this point, the dozens of daily anti-Philly posts are far, far more intrusive than his posts are.

[MVintheheartland]

Posted: 8/4/15 at 3:51pm

"This isn't technically about Broadway itself, but:
While I understand that Phillypinto legitimately annoys many people, the hair-trigger reaction to every little thing he says has gotten way out of hand. At this point, the dozens of daily anti-Philly posts are far, far more intrusive than his posts are."

Thank you. I agree. I don't understand why the folks he annoys don't just block him.  It's like a bunch of schoolyard bullies. Give it a rest.

Updated On: 8/4/15 at 03:51 PM

[lunch]

Posted: 8/8/15 at 8:49pm

Also, Julie Andrews has the best voice of any Broadway performer I've ever heard. And I base this not on ever seeing her on Broadway but just on YouTube clips from her performances, especially My Fair Lady.

Audra McDonald can do no wrong.

A CONFESSION; I sat a few seats away from someone at Book of Mormon (fourth row, center orchestra) who took out his phone and started videotaping in the middle of Act 2.  I stuck my foot out slightly to trip him as he left the row at the end of the show.  I'm not proud of this.

I think posing for selfies with performers at the Stage Door is undignified. 

Updated On: 8/8/15 at 08:49 PM

[steven22]

Posted: 8/8/15 at 9:30pm

I think Heights is better than Hamilton...

[AppleSunday]

Posted: 8/8/15 at 10:25pm

I've never liked the original young Nala's voice but I've always felt bad about it because she was just a child 

[theatremelvin94]

Posted: 8/8/15 at 10:28pm

I look forward to London transfers.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 8/9/15 at 9:54am

I not only hated If/Then, I hated Idina Menzel in If/Then. Not only her lack of professionalism (breaking character twice) but I thought she sounded shrill and annoying. The rest of the audience around me was raving afterwards and I thought I'd crossed into a parallel universe. 

I liked bring it on waaaay more than kinky boots. (Saw both in Chicago previews). I don't get why people love the latter so much. 

Though I liked both shows, I actually enjoyed honeymoon in Vegas more than on the twentieth century. 

I cry at almost every musical I like. I even cried during Jenny's blues in ISBY even though it really doesn't make sense to cry there. (Don't even get me started on my crying Hamilton in which I was dangerously dehydrated...)

[jkstheatrescene]

Posted: 8/9/15 at 11:27am

I guess, since several people have mentioned some of these, these may not be all that "controversial" but...

 

* Standing ovations are mostly meaningless these days, especially the recent spate of mid-show ovations. This latest phenomenon reeks of doing what needs to be done to seem "in the know" and current.

 

* I don't give a sh** what you wear to the theatre, as long as you don't smell.

 

* Your "job" as a paying customer is to sit down, be respectful of the performers and the rest of the audience, and stay off your f'ing phone.  If anything in your life is so pressing or life-changing important that it hinges on a phone call or e-mail that may come during the 3 hours you are at a show, then you really need to reconsider your priorities and NOT  be at a show.

 

* I loved Finding Neverland, and can't wait to see it again.

 

* Shows that have a lot of unrealized potential make me sad... Amazing Grace is a great, current example.

 

* I am so tired of hearing how every show is "flawed" and every score is "derivative." So what? There is little in life - worth thinking about, anyway - that is perfect. Why aren't all these arm chair critics writing, directing or performing perfect shows that they clearly know how to create?

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 8/9/15 at 4:40pm

"I cry at almost every musical I like."

Same.  I'm a crier when it comes to theatre.  Being so in the present and so into shows while they are happening drains me of my emotions and mental state immensely.  

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 2:28pm

I feel like sharing a few more...

1. Anjelica Huston's character alone made Smash worth watching.

2. Stephen Schwartz's work on film soundtracks blows away his Broadway scores. (That's NOT to say I am not a fan of his musical theatre work, but I do think his film lyrics border on the brilliant.)

3. I enjoyed the recorded Broadway production of Jekyll and Hyde. Coleen Sexton is dynamite as Lucy, and David Hasselhoff (while laughable as Henry) was just creepy enough to make for a believable Edward.

4. Speaking of the musical theatre Edward, I think Bat Boy should be made into a movie. With the right director and a kick-butt cast, I think it could become something we've never seen before from the Hollywood musical.

5. Finally, I love Patina Miller but I still don't quite get why her arms have their own fanbase (I am not kidding).

[Showface]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 2:30pm

^Christain Borle's arms have a larger fanbase!

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 2:31pm

"This isn't technically about Broadway itself, but:
While I understand that Phillypinto legitimately annoys many people, the hair-trigger reaction to every little thing he says has gotten way out of hand. At this point, the dozens of daily anti-Philly posts are far, far more intrusive than his posts are."

 YES!!!! :)

[cglaid]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 2:32pm

I think Wicked is terribly overrated. The songs/characters outside of Elphie and Glinda are painful.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 4:44pm

"I think Wicked is terribly overrated. The songs/characters outside of Elphie and Glinda are painful."

 Conversely, I think that Wicked, in its immense commercial success, is terribly underrated. People go for the spectacle of it and fail to soak up its brilliance. 

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 4:55pm

I love the score of Doctor Zhivago. Not just the songs are beautiful the orchestrations too. 

[Tateh]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 6:10pm

I hate Neil Patrick Harris acting and singing

I loved Dr Zhivago

Matthew Morrison ruined Finding Neverland

I love everything about Wildhorn

I dont think Ramin Karimloo is the best singer on earth

 

[wish i were here2]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 6:21pm

I can't fathom someone saying any other actor (or actress) portrayed Hedwig better that John Cameron Mitchell. 

[JRybka]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 8:25pm

I totally loved 

Saturday Night Fever & Footloose. 

I also really enjoyed Thou Shalt Not. 

 

[brdway411]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 8:40pm

I think In the Heights  is better than Hamilton.

I hated Fun Home

 

[hork]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 8:42pm

I think Into the Woods is incredibly irritating, especially the opening number ("I want to go to the festival! The festival!" STFU about the damn festival!).

I don't think Sweeney Todd is any good, either.

I hate when productions of Jesus Christ Superstar add a resurrection at the end, thereby changing the entire meaning of the show.

I think jointly nominating the three boys from Billy Elliot cheapened the Tonys (so, anyone who played that role would have won a Tony?). But not as much as nominating all of the Von Trapp children (including the two boys) jointly for Best Featured Actress (WTF?).

Asking people for autographs is a bizarre practice that I'll never understand.

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 10:33pm

"

"I think Wicked is terribly overrated. The songs/characters outside of Elphie and Glinda are painful."

 Conversely, I think that Wicked, in its immense commercial success, is terribly underrated. People go for the spectacle of it and fail to soak up its brilliance. "

 I completely agree! I was reading "Changed for Good" which is a book about feminism in musicals! It is so fascinating!! In "What Is This Feeling" how in the beginning they are saying "what is this feeling" and "my face is flushing" and you think they are in love until  they say LOATHING! It is sung in the style of a long song, but is actually about how they hate each other. and all of the Wizard of Oz shout outs Schwartz put in it!! so brilliant!! (I would only know this if i read the book though. I wasn't thinking about this when I've seen the show)

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 10:55pm

Beth Malone deserved to win the Tony this year, and a part of me thinks it's unfair that a main reason Kelli O'Hara likely won was to "make up" for her past nominations that didn't end in wins; Tony wins should be for the performance you're nominated for that season, not for your past work.

 
Darren Criss was a great Hedwig, and I'm saying that as someone who can't stand Glee and is generally not a Darren Criss "fangirl."


I still don't understand the ruthless hate that Finding Neverland is getting. The show has many crowd-pleasing elements, and yet people are still baffled as to how it's selling tickets.


Sarah Brightman wasn't the best Christine vocally, but if we were to bring the Sarah from the 80's to the present day, she could still sing the Phantom score in circles around Sierra Boggess.

[hork]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 10:57pm

Oh, and I also think Wicked is really dumb.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 8/10/15 at 11:08pm

I thoroughly enjoyed the revisal of FLOWER DRUM SONG and have had a mad crush on Telly Leung ever since. I can't wait to see ALLEGIANCE.