BROADWAY SECRETS: Wherein we confess our controversial opinions- Page 9

[Parsley]

Posted: 12/21/13 at 2:18pm

Bernadette peters is a marvellous actress but not a singer whose voice sounds great on a recording

I liked katherine McPhee in Smash but Jeremy Jordan was barely one dimensional


"Those" theatre luvvies who you end up sitting near at theatres who go on and on and on to anyone who will listen about what they know about such and such - you know the type: not much going on in their lives that they have to be the centre if attention and make evetyone try to be impressed by them. Well they should shut up once in a while and then not leave the house until they have listened to at least 3 weeks worth of Sarah Palin propoganda as punishment

[sierrariel]

Posted: 12/21/13 at 9:37pm

I might as well join in. I can tell you my opinions are vastly different from people my age.

- I don't understand the appeal of "rock" musicals. Musical theater was defined as big orchestras and dance numbers (demonstrated by Oklahoma!). While shows like Once as great in their own way, I wish we saw more of the past than 4 piece orchestras blaring out notes.

- That being said, I do not get the fascination my generation has with shows like Rent or Next to Normal. They're completely overrated.

- I wish high schoolers had more of an appreciation for classic musicals like The Music Man and Carousel. We're actually doing Carousel at my school right now and at first, our director called it off because people complained that it was "too old" and nobody would come to see it.

- I love Phantom of the Opera

- I hate Sarah Brightman and her phlemy, chipmunk-like voice.

- I find ALW's obsession with Sierra Boggess creepy.

- I wish Sierra Boggess would tie herself to bigger vehicles here on Broadway rather than the West End. I'd love to see her as Eliza in the rumored 'My Fair Lady' revival.

- I find Idina Menzel incredibly overrated.

Updated On: 12/21/13 at 09:37 PM

[Emma White]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 12:54am

Evita is ALW's only good musical - but it's really, really good.

[Pippin]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 1:09am

"I don't care for Stritch, Liza, Channing, or any other singer that used to have a voice, but now sound like a rickety old barrel rattling with the wind. Please stop putting people on the stage for maudlin sentimental reasons or just "to watch them crash and burn"."

You do realize that both Stritch and Channing never had a nice voice, right? They were hired because they were amazing actors and could deliver a song and a performance like none other. Back then, personalities were hired, not just bloodless good voices. Half of the job of a musical theatre actor is to DELIVER the song, not just stand there and look pretty, which is what we have alot of today: attractive actors with American Idol style voices that wouldn't know how to deliver a song if Dorothy Loudon herself gave them a master class. And if you don't know who Dorothy Loudon is don't bother googling her, becuase you'll just blindly put her in that same category of amazing actresses that you just mentioned.

Updated On: 12/22/13 at 01:09 AM

[The Glenbuck Laird]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 3:36am

'Evita is ALW's only good musical'

So close Emma, fixed it for you. ALW has never been involved in a good musical.

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 9:17am

"ALW has never been involved in a good musical."

Glenbuck Laird,

You didn't like By Jeeves?

By Jove!

[forgetmenotnyc]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 10:05am

I, too, find something unappealing about Neil Patrick Harris (Hedwig=EEK!)

Rebecca Luker sang sooo flat in an evening prod. of Mary Poppins - I couldn't believe it!

Jane Krakowski irritated me with always playing the same 'sexy' character - reminds me of the boring women who play "whore/slut" for Halloween every yr.

I am able to like shows that most love to hate but some of my least favs have been Next to Normal, Passing Strange, Rent, Godspell,

Billy Porter/Kinky Boots seems so unappealing to me - raspy voice, ugly woman.

Gothampc nailed this thread

Had a bad experience with groups of kids eating candy loudly around me at Matilda causing me to feel that eating/drinking should not be allowed. Seats are just too close together to allow clinking ice, chomping nuts/crinkling packaging.

I liked IN THE HEIGHTS except for Prisilla Lopez's voice

[JayG 2]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 10:07am

I think Cherry Jones and Company's The Glass Menagerie is an over praised piece of nothing set in Peewee's Playhouse. The Judith Ivy production (although taking too many liberties at times with Williams' original) was far superior and more emotionally charged.

I also think everyone was taken in by the adoration from the critics and is awakening to the truth. Word of mouth must be ho-hum. See grosses.

[The Glenbuck Laird]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 4:36pm

I'll be honest with you After Eight, and my honesty is only because you are my favourite poster on this board.

I have never seen an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, can't be doing with Tory pricks

[cknick]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 5:49pm

JayG 2, what didn't you like about this new Glass Menagerie? I seems pretty incredible to me, though I haven't seen it yet. Going in early January. Would love to have seen the Judith Light one...I just love the play.

[Caring Soul]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 7:19pm

Oh, thank you, self-appointed "legend" of an anonymous comments section, for dispensing your wonderful "insider" (lol) knowledge of Broadway. And here's a merry Christmas tip for all of the never-weres (most likely glorified ushers - again lol): that's just your opinion, it carries no more weight than anyone else's. So please, all of the unduly arrogant losers that seem to live 24/7 on this site - get off of your extremely high horses.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 9:41pm

Did you self appoint to be an understudy? Those titles are pre-determined by BWW simply based on the number of posts you have made. Sheesh.

If you don't like the majority of posters here, then why bother coming by? You certainly won't change things by chastising people. That only makes you look bad.

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 12/22/13 at 10:12pm

-I'll never get over that Matilda didn't get Best Score. Reading/listening to the lyrics, wow, my blood boils. Absolutely robbed.
-The score to Guys & Dolls is the most forgettable musical score I've ever listen to. I only remember a few songs (My grandmother sang the "I Love You" one all of the time to me as a little kid) . The rest? Can't remember a thing.
-One more score confession: The music to "Into the Woods" is okay. I did a soundtrack preview on iTunes the other day and most of them sounded the same and they were bland. I can see why it won though, but from what I have heard so far, I would have chosen Phantom.
-I just watched the first act of Book of Mormon on YouTube. It's an okay show, just okay. The first 30 minutes are really tasteless and offensive. I barely laughed too. I would have definitely given the "Best Musical" Tony to something else. But, Josh Gad and Andrew R. are really phenomenal from what I have seen. I would definitely have voted for Josh for Best Actor over Andrew.



Updated On: 12/22/13 at 10:12 PM

Posted: 12/22/13 at 11:45pm

I staunchly believe the A CHRISTMAS STORY should have won best score over both KINKY BOOTS and MATILDA.

I cannot stand GUYS AND DOLLS. I don't know why but I just don't like it.

[mamaleh]

Posted: 12/23/13 at 12:07am

Neil Patrick Harris is the darling of a certain large subset of theatergoers, I know. But to me he is all energy and no nuance. I cannot stand his smug persona. Fortyish and trying to come across as the perennial bad-boy juvenile? Yucchh. Please, no more hosting, no more anything. Well, OK, SMURF movies--because I don't watch them.

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/23/13 at 1:02am

"I think Sondheim die-hards are the most obnoxious people to walk this planet."

Well, some of them are. Perhaps many of them are. But there are some nice Sondheim fans as well. I even know a few. I wouldn't try discussing his work with them in anything but a flattering light, however, or one risks having hell to pay.

For my part, I would say I'm thoroughly put off by Sondheim's work, but, that not's really a controversial opinion. It's a majority opinion. Perhaps not here among his most blaringly intolerant adulators, but certainly among the theatregoing public at large.

Again, an opinion that would be considered controversial here, and here only: I can't abide the etiolated, whiny, dreary music and shows that receive raves from the oh-so-hip "critics" of today.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 12/23/13 at 1:03am

I was really disappointed with the costumes in ‘Cinderella’. Maybe because I am most familiar with the Brandy/Whitney Houston version in which the costumes, sets and everything were soo bright, over the top and incredible (in my eyes at least). I found the costumes in this version of Cinderella to be a lot simpler and less detailed. It also bothered me that although there are TWO balls, the women wear the same dresses to both (At least the Ensemble)- This seems like something that the wealthy would never do, be seen in the same dress at two different balls. Also, some of the costumes are worn more than once. Take the Stepmother for example- Harriet only has two Dresses, the one she wears to the ball, and the one that she wears for the rest of the show. I mean, this felt like a missed opportunity. Maybe I’m just being nitpicky… am I alone?

[After Eight]

Posted: 12/23/13 at 1:10am

Darrey,

You raise some very good points. Personally, I thought Victoria Clark's get-up was as ugly as sin.

[Outoftowner2]

Posted: 12/23/13 at 1:11am

I saw all three of them last week. The scores for A Christmas Story and Matilda are both way better than that of Kinky Boots.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 12/23/13 at 1:32am

I LOVED the dress that Victoria wore for Macy’s Thanksgivings Parade. I really wish they had stuck with that dress or refined it then settling on the Pink one they have her in, as the new one is a lot less detailed and more boring.

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 12/23/13 at 7:20am

Loved the 2003 LSOH revival
Carrie- the musical is one of my favorite shows
Hate the King and I
Cannot stand NPH at all
The Evita revival was absolutely brilliant
Absolutely LOVED the 2012 ANNIE revival
Sutton Foster's Reno Sweeney was one of the best performances I've ever seen
LOVE Legally Blonde
Though Bernadette Peters should have one over Joanna Gleason
Also should have though Bernadette should have one a Tony for GYPSY

[getatme]

Posted: 12/25/13 at 2:23am

I think Annaleigh Ashford is a one trick pony who's been playing the same character for several years and her shtick has both gotten old quickly and also only works about 40% of the time. Recently when I've seen her onstage, it seems like she'll do anything for a cheap laugh at the detriment of the show and her scene partners. She's talented, sure, I just don't find her nearly as interesting a performer as many seem to. Her Tony nomination to me seemed ridiculous to me, especially over Rachel Bay Jones.

[Tom 2]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 9:25am

Theatre is the thinking person's media
I wish, with all my heart that I will someday meet Sally Murphy–whom I think is the most talented and the most beautiful of any actress to ever appear on stage.
To have Sally Murphy star as Elphaba and Bryn Dowling to appear as Galinda in the musical "Wicked"

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 9:54am

"I think Annaleigh Ashford is a one trick pony who's been playing the same character for several years and her shtick has both gotten old quickly and also only works about 40% of the time. Recently when I've seen her onstage, it seems like she'll do anything for a cheap laugh at the detriment of the show and her scene partners. She's talented, sure, I just don't find her nearly as interesting a performer as many seem to. Her Tony nomination to me seemed ridiculous to me, especially over Rachel Bay Jones."

I actually thought that for awhile too, especially looking back at her Wicked clips on Youtube.
But after I saw her act in Masters of Sex, she totally changed my mind. I honestly think she belongs on TV!

[Mark-o]

Posted: 12/26/13 at 10:02am

Patti Lupone can ONLY play Patti Lupone.