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#101

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 9:51am

Okay. If you say so.

I'm glad you have it all figured out, contrary to just about everything that was written about it at the time.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

Updated On: 7/16/10 at 09:51 AM

#103

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 9:54am

I very much enjoyed it in a highly perplexed way. If they cut some of the extended dance sequences (I'm looking at you Battle of the Pekes and Pollicles) it would be far more effective in 'wowing' the audience.
#104

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 9:58am

The show definitely declined after its original cast left. It relies on three things: the T.S. Elliott poetry, the dancing/choreography, and the personalities and commitment of the performers. If they're lacking, the show won't stand up. It's not structured like a conventional musical.

But seeing the OBC remains a highlight for me.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#105

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 1:15pm

The reason Cats was such an immediate success was its unconventional nature. TooDarnnewintown may not believe so, but that doesn't change anything. Perhaps newintown was confusing the word "uncoventional" with "unique" or "original", which isn't the same thing. The reason Cats was unconventional is because it didn't follow the standard conventions of Broadway musicals. It wasn't like other book shows, reviews OR children shows. The show was about creating an environmental experience out of a book of poems using a collaborative artistic vision, which completely worked. One of the reasons theatre folks hate it so much is that it didn't fulfill their expectations of what should be a Broadway musical, which would be conventions of a sort.

While certain aspects of the show were not wholly unique to Broadway, the show in its entirety was. And it was a massive runaway hit, something very few shows are able to reconcile with musical theatre enthusiasts.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#106

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 1:26pm

Ahhh, little Mister Matt's rrhoids are acting up again. I was wondering how long that might take.

Unconventional: "not conforming to accepted rules or standards."
Unconventional: "not part of the established or conventional mainstream of something such as the movie industry, theater, or medicine"
Unconventional: "Not adhering to convention or accepted standards"

Now, I can understand that you might want to think of yourself as discerning and cutting edge and all that, but, honestly - to say that the kitty show did anything that "broke the rules" (whatever you might think the "rules" were) is just silly. Remember "Story Theatre?" "Hair?" Do you really believe there was never an episodic "environmental" show before this? Children's theatre (in addition to many other commercial pieces) had been creating environmental episodic pieces based upon poetry for ages prior to Cats.

You may not have experienced it yourself, my sweetnesses, but it really had all been done before.
#107

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 2:57pm

I'm not old enough to have seen the original company of CATS, but CATS remains one of my favorite theatrical experiences of all time.

I think everything about it is great, it's one of my favorite shows.


It's the show that really got me into theatre, and I think that's the case for a lot of people.
"If you are going to do something, do it well. And leave something witchy." -Charlie Manson
#108

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 3:09pm

Do you really believe there was never an episodic "environmental" show before this?

I didn't infer anything of the sort. Nor did I mention any "rules", or considered myself "discerning" or "cutting edge". Putting words in my mouth doesn't make them mine.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#109

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 7:07pm

Best: In the Heights, Sweeney Todd Revival

Worst:Urban Cowboy, Martin Short Fame Becomes Me (Chicago preview), and Spamalot
#110

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 7:15pm

Best: Avenue Q
Worst: White Christmas

Edit: I completely forgot that I already posted on this thread. :) My choices are still the same, though.
"Rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love." -Neil Patrick Harris

Updated On: 7/16/10 at 07:15 PM

#111

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/16/10 at 9:11pm

Broadway

Best
Hairspray
The Producers
The Phantom of the Opera

Worst
Hair (2009 revival)
Wicked
Little Mermaid

West End

Best
Aspects of Love
Les Miserable
La Cage Aux Folles

Worst
Chicago
The Fantasticks
Return to the Forbidden Planet

Updated On: 7/16/10 at 09:11 PM

#112

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/17/10 at 3:38am

Best: Next to Normal
Worst: Chicago
2011: In The Heights Tour 1/16/11, The Color Purple Tour 2/11/11, West Side Story Tour 3/18/11
#116

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/18/10 at 12:46am

Unforunately, not been to New York yet, but have had the chance to see many shows here in NC at the North Carolina Theatre. So, here it goes.

Best: The Secret Garden

Worst: Smokey Joe's Cafe (I love this revue! It's just that this cast was terrible)

#117

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/18/10 at 1:37am

i too am not going to be the most informed as most people on this website but, from what I've seen come through Atlanta and on my 2 trips I've made to NYC I'll vote for these

BEST:
Movin' Out
Next to Normal
Wicked
Chicago

WORST:
Cats
Memphis
A Chorus Line (revival)

#118

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/18/10 at 1:44am

"Best: Billy Elliot (Kiril Kulish as Billy)
Worst: Billy Elliot (Trent Kowalik as Billy)"

LittlePriest, that was kinda cruel. those kids can't be older than 13 and the fact that anyone of that age trying to carry an entire show is quite astounding.

#119

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/18/10 at 1:50am

BEST:

A Chorus Line (OBC) (saved my paper route money to go)

WORST:

The Ten Commandments starring Val Kilmer as Moses (holy balls, that was bad)
#120

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/18/10 at 8:03pm

Best: School for Scandal 1966 at the APA Repertory with Will Geer, Rosemary Harris, and Helen Hayes.

Worst: Wow, that's a tough one, but falling asleep as they screamed their way through Pirate Queen might put that at the top of the list.

#121

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/31/11 at 5:20pm

time to bring this thread back

Best- Wicked, How to Succeed, West Side Story(revival),Into the Woods(revival)
Worst- AMERICAN IDIOT
#122

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/31/11 at 5:38pm

Best
The Normal Heart (2011 revival)
Long Day's Journey Into Night (2003 revival)
Sweeney Todd (John Doyle production)
The Light in the Piazza
Proof

Worst
Cats (ironically, the first show I ever saw--it's a miracle I became a theatre nerd after that initial experience!)
Little Women
The 39 Steps
A Moon For the Misbegotten (Kevin Spacey production)
Deuce
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body
#124

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/31/11 at 6:07pm

Best:
Rent Off Broadway
Billy Elliot
A Little Night Music Revival with Peters
Next to Normal Tour
The Book of Mormon
American Idiot
WOTV

Worst:
Cats Tour. Walked out during Gus. I hate this show so much, possibly more than Patti LuPone's hate for ALW.
#125

Best and Worst Show You've Ever Seen

Posted: 7/31/11 at 6:19pm

Best: Next to Normal, Avenue Q, Wicked, Anything Goes
Worst: The Lion King (Although I though "He lives in you reprise" was incredible, not many high points in that show.

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