Best & Worst National Tours of 2014

[krispy kreme]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 10:18pm

Would love to hear your thoughts!

[BroadwayNerd24601]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 10:48pm

I only saw one tour this year, Annie, which I hated, but I heard very good things about the tours for Cinderella and Newsies.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 10:54pm

You can read my (National Tour) reviews right here!

[JRybka]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 10:58pm

I do not know if you would call it a national tour-- The best show this year was Side Show.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:02pm

The tours of Pippin and Kinky Boots were fantastic. However, the tour of Ghost might be one of the worst theatrical experiences I have ever had.

[Fantod]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:30pm

Best: Buyer and Cellar
Worst: Motown

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:44pm

My ranking of what I saw in 2014.

1. Book Of Mormon (Jumamosi)
2. Kinky Boots
3. Sister Act (closed now)
4. Hello, Dolly with Sally Struthers (closed)
5. Evita (closed)
6. Once

In 2015 I will see Dirty Dancing, Cinderella, Guys and Dolls, I Love Lucy, and Phantom. While most of the tours on the road are very strong, some of the best theatre that I saw this past year were at the regional theatre's in my area.

[JoseLee_]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:53pm

Best: The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, Ghost (yes..i enjoyed it), Buyer & Cellar, We Will Rock You, Jersey Boys, Pippin, Kinky Boots, & Wicked

Worst: Porgy and Bess & Once

L.A. Shows- Best: Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike, Hair (hollywood bowl), A Trip to Bountiful, What the Butler Saw, & Luna Gale

Okay shows: Peter and the Starcatcher, American Idiot (non-equity tour.. the cheaper set was horrible), Joseph and the Amazing..., & Blithe Spirit (isn't good but isn't bad.. just go for the star)

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:55pm

Best: The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess and Pippin
Worst: Peter and the Starcatcher and Once

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:58pm

Best: Cinderella, Book of Mormon, Chicago and Newsies

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 12/30/14 at 12:05am

Best Broadway Touring Show: Phantom. This was no cheap imitation. The new production is different from the original, but every bit as engaging. Believe it or not, it's even darker, figuratively, than the original.

Best non-Broadway touring show: Menopause the Musical -- even the guys in the theater were howling with laughter.

I won't call it the worst, but I will call it the most disappointing: Elf, the Musical, western tour. I enjoyed its sweetness, but I didn't think the actor playing Buddy was up to the task.

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 12/30/14 at 12:17am

Best: BOM
Worst: Motown

Tours have been frustrating for me the past few seasons. I live 30 minutes from a city that's considered a major touring stop (we used to even get real sit down engagements) and within 90 minutes of two tier 2 touring locations--the type of place where you get the 2nd or 3rd NT, but still have a good time. We had BOM, Motown, and Wicked this season with various non-eq tours popping in for a night (Yep, I saw the infamous Godspell tour). KB is coming in around MLK day, but Pippin and Cinderella will not be within any reasonable distance to see. Once is coming to one of the tier 2 cities near me next season per a special announcement, but I don't think I'll be getting my subscription's worth yet again.

[Pauly3]

Posted: 12/30/14 at 12:19am

Excellent: Book of Mormon, Pippin
Good: Evita, American Idiot (non equity), We Will Rock You

Not tours but worth mentioning because they were very good regional shows: La Mirada's Les Miserables with James Barbour was exceptional and 3D Theatrical's Ragtime (played in Fullerton and Redondo Beach, CA) was excellent if not exceptional.

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 12/30/14 at 12:25am

I really did enjoy the Evita tour; loved the set.

Jekyll & Hyde, while severely low-key and also non-equity, was also a fun little production to watch.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 12/30/14 at 12:55am

I saw the Evita tour in 2013 and thought it was phenomenal. Caroline Bowman was giving a star making performance (which is why her current stint as Elphaba's audio and reviews have me puzzled).

"Not tours but worth mentioning because they were very good regional shows: La Mirada's Les Miserables with James Barbour was exceptional and 3D Theatrical's Ragtime (played in Fullerton and Redondo Beach, CA) was excellent if not exceptional. "

Ragtime was phenomenal, as was La Mirada's production of "Floyd Collins." A theatrical experience I will never forget.

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 12/30/14 at 3:28am

Best: Pippin, Buyer and Cellar,and BOM
Fine: Kinky Boots
Worst: Ghost. (makes me sad cuz I loved it on Broadway)

Updated On: 12/30/14 at 03:28 AM

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 12/30/14 at 3:28am

I saw only two tours this year: Buyer & Cellar (which was thoroughly enjoyable) and Newsies (which was thoroughly middling).

[gleek4114]

Posted: 12/30/14 at 4:00am

Best (that I saw):
- Sister Act
- Book of Mormon
- A Christmas Story (Non - Equity)

The one I enjoyed least was Newsies. I still really liked it, but I guess I don't see what all the hubbub was about. Enjoyable, but not groundbreaking as some make it out to be. If Newsies was the worst I saw I'd say I had a pretty good year :)

[girlonbroadway]

Posted: 12/30/14 at 10:18am

I saw the Cinderella tour in Philly & LOVED it. An all-around great show with a phenomenal cast!
I also saw the Sister Act tour (which I believe is non-equity) and enjoyed it as well. The acting & singing was strong and the cast seemed very happy to be performing it.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 12/31/14 at 1:50am

Anyone seen Guys & Dolls yet? How was the Sister Act physical production?

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 12/31/14 at 2:40am

best
Pippin (Andrea Martin)
Buyer & Cellar

worst
Joseph & The Amazing

[OperaBwayLover]

Posted: 12/31/14 at 12:14pm

This is just going by what came to my city. Here goes:

Best: War Horse, Memphis, Rain

In between: Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, Dirty Dancing

Worst: Chicago

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 12/31/14 at 1:52pm

OOH I forgot that I saw Chicago at the Segerstrom. Now that I remember it, I wish I had forgotten about it. I wanted to leave at intermission.

[bwayrose7]

Posted: 12/31/14 at 3:07pm

In no particular orders:
Best: Peter and the Starcatcher, Once, Pippin
Worst: ALW's Wizard of Oz
In between: Porgy & Bess, Jersey Boys

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 12/31/14 at 4:51pm

I deeply enjoyed Phantom and BOM.
I have tickets for Newsies next month and I'm wondering what people thought of it. I don't care much for the score. Is it good regardless?