Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
krispy kreme
Chorus Member Joined: 7/11/05
BroadwayNerd24601
Swing Joined: 12/29/14
#2Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/29/14 at 10:48pmI only saw one tour this year, Annie, which I hated, but I heard very good things about the tours for Cinderella and Newsies.
#2Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/29/14 at 10:54pm
#3Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/29/14 at 10:58pmI do not know if you would call it a national tour-- The best show this year was Side Show.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
#4Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:02pmThe 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.
"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop
Fantod
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/3/14
#5Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:30pm
Best: Buyer and Cellar
Worst: Motown
JohnyBroadway
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/12
#6Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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.
#7Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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)
#8Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:55pm
Best: The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess and Pippin
Worst: Peter and the Starcatcher and Once
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
Phantom4ever
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/17/07
#9Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/29/14 at 11:58pmBest: Cinderella, Book of Mormon, Chicago and Newsies
#10Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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.
Audrey, the Phantom Phanatic, who nonetheless would rather be Jean Valjean, who knew how to make lemonade out of lemons.
#11Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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
Broadway Star Joined: 12/12/11
#12Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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.
#13Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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.
"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire
#14Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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.
"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop
#15Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/30/09
#16Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/30/14 at 3:28amI saw only two tours this year: Buyer & Cellar (which was thoroughly enjoyable) and Newsies (which was thoroughly middling).
#17Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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
Chorus Member Joined: 11/3/13
#18Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#19Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/31/14 at 1:50amAnyone seen Guys & Dolls yet? How was the Sister Act physical production?
#20Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/31/14 at 2:40am
best
Pippin (Andrea Martin)
Buyer & Cellar
worst
Joseph & The Amazing
OperaBwayLover
Broadway Star Joined: 5/17/07
#21Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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
#22Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
Posted: 12/31/14 at 1:52pmOOH 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.
"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop
#23Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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
#24Best & Worst National Tours of 2014
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?
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