Best 3 - Worst 3

#1

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/2/11 at 3:50pm

I was just wondering what the best 3 and the worst 3 productions of a musical you have seen! This isn't which musicals are the best or worse....rather the productions!

My Best 3 Are (In order):

Hair (Broadway Revival - London Production 2010)
Evita (2006 London Revival)
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Donmar Warehouse 2011)

Worst 3 (In Order From Most Worse):

Hamlet (Nation Theatre On Tour 2011)
The Witches Of Eastwick (UK Tour)
Aspects Of Love (UK Tour)

#2

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:07pm

A Hamlet musical? That does sound bad...

#3

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:09pm

No it was the play - soooo awful!

#4

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:27pm

I couldn't disagree more...I loved the NT production of Hamlet :)

Updated On: 4/2/11 at 04:27 PM

#5

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:31pm

I think you mean disagree - it was on my Worse list!

#6

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:32pm

Best:
- Phantom of the Opera
- Spring Awakening (most recent tour)
- Chicago or Jersey Boys
Worst:
- Annie
- Beauty and the Beast (most recent tour)
- Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life

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"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "

#7

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:35pm

Apologies, that is what I meant!

#8

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/2/11 at 4:38pm

I also loved the NT production of Hamlet, even if I had a few issues with some of the liberties they took (Ophelia's death). But it was generally a very exciting production, I remember Sondheim (when he was there for all the Donmar ceelbrations) said it was the one thing in London that everyone who can should see.

#9

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 5:43pm

Best 3:
1) HIGH
2) SOUTH PACIFIC (2008 Revival)
3) Tie: AMERICAN IDIOT/BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON

Worst 3:
1) SPRING AWAKENING (current tour)
2) COLIN QUINN: LONG STORY SHORT
3) A LIFE IN THE THEATRE (2010 Revival)

*Note: "Colin Quinn..." and "A Life..." aren't necessarily the worst shows I've seen, others were just better.

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#10

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 5:48pm

BEST:
- The Phantom of the Opera
- Chicago
- Rebecca / Avenue Q / The King And I

WORST:
- Notre Dame de Paris
- Mary Poppins
- Mamma Mia!

#11

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 6:00pm

BEST:
Hairspray (OBC)
Rent
Sweet Charity (Applegate. For realz. I loved it.)

WORST:
American Idiot
Cry-Baby
Beauty and the Beast

#12

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 6:03pm

*Note: "Colin Quinn..." and "A Life..." aren't necessarily the worst shows I've seen, others were just better.

then WHY include them on your worst list?!?!? Pretty sure this thread is pretty straight forward....

my WORST:

WE WILL ROCK YOU
ELLING
DIRTY DANCING

#13

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 6:11pm

Best:

SWEENEY TODD (Original Broadway Production)
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN (Original Broadway Production)
LES MISERABLES (Original London Production)

Worst:

WICKED (Tour in Los Angeles)
NEXT TO NORMAL (Tour in Los Angeles)
A CHORUS LINE (Las Vegas Production... and I mean, BAD)

#14

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 6:14pm

BEST:

High
Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark
American Idiot

WORST:

Mamma Mia!
The Motherf**ker With the Hat
Wonderful Town (the production that toured a few years back)

#15

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 7:28pm

Best:
South Pacific Revival (hands down the closest thing to perfection.)
Les Miserables
Next to Normal

Worst:
Curtains (I know I'm in a tiny minority)
All Shook Up
Story of My Life

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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.

#16

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 7:30pm

BEST:

West Side Story (revival with Karen Olivo) - Broadway
In The Heights - Broadway
next to normal - Broadway

WORST:

Jesus Christ Superstar - Syracuse Production
Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark - Broadway
Mamma Mia - Broadway

#17

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 7:37pm

@lightguy06222

I just needed to arbitrarily fill in two spaces.

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Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!! www.ebay.com/usr/missvirginiahamm

#18

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 7:38pm

Best:
The Bombitty of Errors, 11th Hour Theatre Company, Philadelphia, PA
Billy Elliot, Original Cast, Imperial Theatre
Sweeney Todd, Eugene O'Neill Theatre

Worst:
Jamaica, Prince Music Theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar, at Carlynton High School
Finian's Rainbow, Walnut Street Theatre

#19

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 9:33pm

Just three is so hard, but off the top of my head I'd say:

BEST:
1. Elegies - Lincoln Center
2. Caroline, or Change - Public Theater (saw it on Broadway too, but liked the smaller space better)
3. Drowsy Chaperone - Broadway

WORST:
1. Dracula, the Musical - Broadway(hands down the worst show - musical or play - I've ever seen)
2. The Look of Love - Broadway
3. Brooklyn - Broadway

Updated On: 4/4/11 at 09:33 PM

#20

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 9:55pm

MOST MEMORABLE (all Original Broadway Productions)

Dreamgirls
Les Miserables
Rent

MOST PAINFUL (all Original Broadway Productions)

Cry baby
Xanadu
Addams Family

I feel compelled to mention BLACK WATCH, although it isn't a musical per se. Personally the most sublime, artistic, and transcendental theatrical experience to date.

Updated On: 4/4/11 at 09:55 PM

#21

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/4/11 at 11:06pm

BEST
- The Book of Mormon
- Ragtime('09 revival)
- A Chorus Line('06 revival)

WORST
- A Class Act
- Beauty & The Beast
- Mamma Mia!

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A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.

#22

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/5/11 at 3:06am

BEST
Follies (Shaftesbury Theatre)
Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Chita)
She Loves Me (revival)

WORST
We Will Rock You
Gone With the Wind
Anything Goes (Elaine Paige)

#23

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/5/11 at 8:51am

In random order...

BEST
South Pacific (LCT reivial)
Ragtime (Broadway revival)
Next To Normal (Broadway)

WORST
Mrs. Warren's Profession (Broadway 2010)
The Philanthropist (Broadway 2009)
Lord Of The Rings (London production, 2008 I think)

#24

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/5/11 at 9:02am

BEST
La Cage Aux Folles (2008 London Revival/2010 Broadway)
Les Miserables (25th Anniversary Tour)
Next to Normal (Booth Theatre)

WORST
Wicked (Broadway, however for some reason, I loved the show in London, total different vibe!)
West Side Story (Palace Theatre, Broadway)
Zorro (West End)

#25

Best 3 - Worst 3

Posted: 4/5/11 at 9:24am

For plays & musicals:

BEST
A Chorus Line (Original Broadway cast)
Les Miserables (Original Broadway cast)
Noises Off (Broadway Revival)

WORST
Suessical (Original Broadway)
Side Show (Original Broadway)
Gypsy (Peters)

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