Ben B's Look at 2006

A Look at the 2006 Broadway Musical Season
By BEN BRANTLEY
A LIVING ghost walks on Broadway. Colorless and thin to the point of transparency, it is far scarier than the make-believe ghouls — the vampires and phantoms in opera cloaks — who sometimes occupy the stages around Times Square. Though its guises are many, it always exudes the same damp aura of unconvincing jollity, like that of a superannuated party girl who lost her confidence with her youth and has taken to wearing her daughter's trendy clothes. Such is the face of the American musical in the year 2006.

Updated On: 5/19/06 at 04:48 PM

What shows have won the Tony for Best Musical that didn't get great reviews? Besides like Sunset, that's one of the only ones I can think of.


I'm not really crazy about any of the musical nominees. Well, I love Purple and Wedding Singer, but neither will win. I just don't find Drowsy all that great and Jersey Boys doesn't really interest me because it seems more of play with music since the songs don't really help the plot.

Phantom of the Opera and Evita also had a pretty mixed reception from critics, but went on to win Best Musical.
Company got a stinko notice from Clive Barnes in the NY Times, but went on to win Best Musical. The same is true with Bye Bye Birdie, which received a negative review from Brooks Atkinson (one of his last). I don't think critics liked Redhead much, apart from its star Gwen Verdon, and the Fosse staging.

I did think reviews for Two Gentlemen of Verona were fairly good. I was surprised to see it on Munk's list.

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This story wasn't written by a thatre enthusiastic, it was written by an old bitter man. Since the season is over and he can't cast his venom at anyone in particular, he atacks everyone.

Maybe a job as a used car salesman is in the offeing for him. I cant stand this negativity any longer. I'm going to call the TIMES and cancel my subscription and tell them its due to BB. I'll just read articles on-line for free when I want too.

Oh, how I hope that comment was wholly facetious.

Did not see Ring of Fire but agree (really) with other 3 choices

There are those out there who hated The producers while 98% loved it. If something does not appeal to you, great. Do not put down what other people like even though you may hate it

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Actually, Ben Brantley was born in 1954. I wouldn't exactly call a 52 or 53-year-old man "old".

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In general, does everyone agree with Ben B's basic premise that it is a poor season for musicals?

Thanks

The Season
Drowsy Chaperone - original, fun
Wedding Singer - laughs and toe tapping good time
Chita - a history lesson from an icon
plus
Sweeny Todd
Color Purple
Barefoot
Jersey Boys

good solid entertainment

Actually, all four of last year's Tony nominees received mixed reviews, with Spamalot getting several downright negative reviews, Piazza getting quite a lukewarm response to its book and score (some critics called it "unmelodic"), and DRS getting criticized for its book and design (Brantley was particularly dismissive of it). Spelling Bee got mostly positive notices, but Barnes of the Post and Kissell of the Daily News (among others) both notably HATED it calling it infantile and too cute and precious for its own good (Barnes gave it One Star).

Drowsy actually got a much better slate of reviews than all four and Jersey Boys's reviews were roughly on a par with them, if not slightly better. Color Purple's were Mixed, Wedding Singer a little less than that, and the rest were mostly negative. So overall, the reviews for last year's four nominees were better than this year's, but not by as much as everyone seems to remember. And in some ways, the season seems worse because we've had so many critically lambasted flops (or soon-to-be-flops) in rapid succession -- Lennon, In My Life, Lestat, Ring of Fire, Hot Feet, Tarzan ........ People have already forgotten last season's fiascos such as Brooklyn, Good Vibrations, Dracula etc.....

And much has been made over the fact that all four of last years Tony nominees are still running, though clearly at least three of the four nominees this year -- Drowsy, Jersey Boys and Color Purple -- will almost certainly still be running a year from now (and if Piazza were running in a regular commercial house rather than in a not-for-profit venue, it would have closed long ago given its generally weak box office numbers).

Last season was probably a better one overall than this year, but not by as much as some people are claiming.

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???
The box office is very good, and is getting better every week.

Not THE worst, but certainly not a good season for new musicals.
I used to hate Brantley, I mean after he failed to agknowledge Piazza and DRS as last years the bests of the season, however this year I agree with him much more and after reading his previous reviews from other years, I agree with him even more.

Updated On: 5/21/06 at 10:18 AM

I also read that article yesterday and couldn't agree more, and Brantley and I don't usually find common ground about anything! Reading his article helped me realize that I honestly don't care about the Tony race this year, and it's the first time since I started watching the awards almost ten years ago that I feel this way. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed everything I saw this season, there's just nothing I feel particularly strongly about. Eh.

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