Biggest disapointments or surprises...- Page 3

[goldenboy]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 11:34am

Did not like the following over hyped shows:

Phantom of the Opera... dull dull dull. I just don t get it
Jersey Boys-it was okay.
The Revival of La Cage with Douglas Hodge.. Hated this. Love the original.
Newsies - great dancing. great Jeremy. Thats about it.
Peter and the Starcatchers a snoozefest.
Rent


I had low expectations for Leap of Faith and had a good time.
Also ended up loving The Columnist, Toxic Avenger,
Loved Wicked. Did not expect to like it being an original Wizard of Oz Fanatic.

[BwayEqs]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 11:42am

I was quite disappointed by Shrek the Musical. I loved the movie, but the musical just wasn't very memorable at all. I listened to the music for a long time before seeing the show and loved the score, but the show just wasn't my thing.

[aaronb]

Posted: 7/6/12 at 5:05pm

Recently, I was disappointed with Harvey. I reviewed it here: http://scribicide.com/2012/05/30/wrestling-with-reality-harvey-at-studio-54/

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 2:46am

Big disappointments:

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Wicked

To be fair, I wasn't quite myself and was sleep deprived. Even worse, the audiences at both were extremely obnoxious. I still don't hold out much hope for both, this coming from a person who is so sensitive to the theatre experience and what it has to offer that I can find something of value in just about anything. I was so let down by Spelling Bee, I spent a couple of hours after the show Googling reviews, just to see WHAT ABOUT IT PEOPLE ENJOYED.

It's not that I didn't "get it." How can anyone NOT get it? I just found it gratingly EAGER to please. Waaay too forced. Maybe it was the cast phoning it in? I saw most of the original cast in Los Angeles and they all seemed to be over it, and so was I.

Wicked took itself way too seriously and when it didn't, it attempted to cue laughs by way of ditzy Glinda. I had enough and was rolling my eyes heavily toward the back of my head, when that uber-serious plot-point about the animal abuse made everyone pull out their hanky on-cue. I was like, whhhhhhatttteeeeevvvvverrr.

Biggest Mutha-effin' Surprises:

A CHORUS LINE

FOLLIES

Holy Jesus, sister Mary, and the three kings! Those two shows captivated me...I kid you not, I felt like a 5 year old discovering the world anew, except, I understood it as an adult. Anything that could do that, is a gem. Interestingly, I've only had those types of incredibly moving experiences at the theatre.

And, of course, there's that one show with the lazy susan that tickles my fancy.

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 2:59am

Biggest Surprise - probably the Finian's Rainbow revival, Kate Baldwin was absolutely lovely and the production was nothing but wonderful. Not too overstated, not too bare. It was done just right.

Biggest disappointment - Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. We all heard of this new musical with all of our favorites in one show, which I thought was going to be a load of awesome. However, the story (which was a movie) just didn't translate into a Broadway musical well and just shouldn't have happened in the first place. Not to mention, the awful, sloppy score didn't help the show one bit. I know it was supposed to be a limited engagement, but it just did not work and it was quite a let-down.

[broadwayrob]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 5:33am

My Oh My, it's funny you mention ACL. Growing up, my entire body would cringe whenever I would hear "One". That show NEVER held any interest to me. *probably because I never took the time to go any deeper than "One". Then on Sirius in 2007, I heard the original cast doing At The Ballet. I was immediately transfixed by it, and started uncontrollably sobbing in my car. Needless to say I have now seen the show 5 times and have been fairly lucky to see many stellar casts. But that show owns me in a way that I'll never be able to explain. So I guess that would be my biggest surprise too, but I already knew going in that I would adore every second I spent in the Schoenfeld that afternoon.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 10:35am

I like Book of Mormon. I think it's a very good show. But great, let alone a milestone, - no. And while it's funny, I don't think it's terrifically funny. But I'm glad everyone else is beside themselves.

[PianoMann]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 4:49pm

Most recently, I'd say I was very pleasantly surprised by The Columnist. I went in expecting to enjoy Lithgow's and Gaines' performances if nothing else, but I left completely invested and satisfied.

[ComingUpRoses2]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 5:44pm

I was pretty disappointed with the Gypsy revival starring Patti LuPone. I just didn't see what the fuss was all about. While LuPone was nowhere near as terrible as Midler in the role, I felt she was sort of one note. She just shrieked her way through it.I will give her credit for a vicious and terrifying "Everything's Coming Up Roses" though. She really sold that song and scene before it fairly well. I just found a lot of her performance to be odd, especially her seemingly drunken version of "Rose's Turn." Laura Benanti and Boyd Gaines, however, were phenomenal and reason enough to see it.

Biggest Surprise - Follies! I showed up for Sondheim and Bernadette Peters and left with an unexpected surprise. I thought Jan Maxwell and Danny Burstein were simply brilliant and fleshed out Phyllis and Buddy better than anyone ever has. Phyllis was no longer just the emotionless ice queen and Buddy was no longer the poor sap in the background. They stole the show. It was Bernadette's odd, uneven performance and Ron Raines' wooden bellowing that left me cold. A lot of people have said this production was structured more around Sally, but, somehow, my attention only went to Phyllis and Buddy whenever they were on stage.

[Citygirl.grace]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 7:26pm

Biggest Disappointment: LION KING. Everyone I ever talked to said this was the most amazing show they had ever seen. After "Circle of Life" I was bored to tears. Nothing special at all. Music and whole show is just completely boring. MAMMA MIA.. worst show on Broadway and have no idea why it is even still running after all this time. Jersey Boys.. ehhhh.

Biggest Surprise: Follies, Bonnie & Clyde, and Addams Family. Follies I went into not really knowing what to expect, and it is now one of my favorite musicals. Sondheim's music is PHENOMENAL. Bonnie & Clyde, Obviously I had heard all the horrible reviews, but being an Osnes/Jordan fan I went and was absolutly blown away! I actually really loved the music and the story line. I think it was awesome!! Addams Family, I went to only because my Mom wanted to see it, and I was pleasantly surprised. I normally am not a fan of movie/TV show adaptations to the stage, but I actually enjoyed it!

[Citygirl.grace]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 7:26pm

Biggest Disappointment: LION KING. Everyone I ever talked to said this was the most amazing show they had ever seen. After "Circle of Life" I was bored to tears. Nothing special at all. Music and whole show is just completely boring. MAMMA MIA.. worst show on Broadway and have no idea why it is even still running after all this time. Jersey Boys.. ehhhh.

Biggest Surprise: Follies, Bonnie & Clyde, and Addams Family. Follies I went into not really knowing what to expect, and it is now one of my favorite musicals. Sondheim's music is PHENOMENAL. Bonnie & Clyde, Obviously I had heard all the horrible reviews, but being an Osnes/Jordan fan I went and was absolutly blown away! I actually really loved the music and the story line. I think it was awesome!! Addams Family, I went to only because my Mom wanted to see it, and I was pleasantly surprised. I normally am not a fan of movie/TV show adaptations to the stage, but I actually enjoyed it!

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 8:28pm

Disappointments:
Mamma Mia!
Young Frankenstein


Surprises:
Billy Elliot (I went to see it because Emily Skinner had recently joined the cast...I didn't think I would like the show. Emily was out, but I LOVED the show so much more than I thought I would).
Bonnie & Clyde (I just wanted to see Laura Osnes perform and had low expectations for the show...REALLY, really enjoyed it and I'm glad I caught it right before it closed).
The Blue Flower (I decided the night before to make a 4-hour journey to see Teal Wicks perform in a show I knew little about...Teal was fantastic, but I really enjoyed the whole show. It was much more like a performance art piece than a musical and I've never seen anything quite like it)

[wiggum2]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 8:55pm

disapointment: the current Evita; I thought Ricky would be MUCH better than he was. I read much about how good ELena was IN PERSON but... well you know

surprise: the recent South PAcific

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 9:00pm

Not biggest, but recent --

Disappointments:
EVITA, PRIVATE LIVES, The Public's LEAR, CLYBOURNE PARK

Surprises:
HARVEY
NICE WORK

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 11:04pm

I wish to pull your whiskers.

Random, I know.

[JMPlayer6]

Posted: 7/7/12 at 11:49pm

An off-Broadway show called "The Road to Qatar" comes to mind. The two guys involved in this real-life story had killer source material that could have yielded an incredible musical, but it was squandered away.

[egghumor]

Posted: 7/8/12 at 6:03am

I usually don't like Andrew Lloyd Webber-esque, heavily melodramatic shows or scores, and so JANE EYRE was very pleasant and unexpected surprise. A fine performance by Marla Shaffel and company.

I always found Carrie Fisher's writings to be hysterically funny, but I thought WISHFUL DRINKING on stage was dreadful. I was embarrassed at times for Ms. Fisher. A shocking disappointment.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 7/9/12 at 6:16pm

Recent Disappointments - God of Carnage - saw it with the 3rd cast - Jeff Daniels, Lucy Liu etc. Thought it would be great and it was just blah. The cast did their best but the content was just weak. Also agree with the comments on Clybourne Park. Saw it last week and with the Tony and Pulitzer thought it would be powerful and it just wasn't.

Surprises: Anything Goes, Venus in Fur and Rock of Ages. Went into them not expecting much and came out with a great, memorable night of theater from each (for different reasons).

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 7/9/12 at 6:22pm

Oh, and VENUS IN FUR to my list of disappointments.

And SONS OF THE PROPHET was probably the biggest shocker of last season for me. I was hoping to enjoy it, but I wasn't prepared to be bowled over.

[Zoot]

Posted: 7/9/12 at 6:52pm

The Scottsboro Boys has been my most recent surprise. I saw it in San Francisco and knew I would enjoy it but I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. I had little problems with little things but overall it was amazing and that finale left me in awe.

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 7/9/12 at 10:31pm

Biggest disappointment was definitely SISTER ACT. I wasn't expecting Noel Coward but everytime the nuns were off stage I wanted to kill whoever wrote the crappy "jokes" for the male characters.

Biggest surprise came the same day when I saw LEAP OF FAITH. With the word of mouth and my feelings on SISTER ACT earlier that day, I had severely low expectations yet had a blast!! The energy of the cast was contagious and despite the paper thin storyline, the show ended up being one of the most fun I've seen.

[HumATune]

Posted: 7/10/12 at 1:52pm

The biggest surprise for me was ROCKS OF AGES. I thought it was going to be cheesy and too 80s. (I was a little kid in the 80s and didn't listen to rock music.) Well, the show was cheesy and 80s, but in a completely fun way. It didn't take itself too seriously and had heart.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 7/26/12 at 11:24am

Finally saw Clybourne Park last night. I liked it. No more, no less. It made me appreciate God of Carnage, which, while also not a masterpiece, is a far better and funnier play about how civilized boundaries in the modern world can break down. And while God of Carnage isn't about race, I was expecting Clybourne to go even further in unleashing a real discussion on that topic.

A good play. But not a great one. And the fact that it has been so lauded only underscores my conclusion that, generally speaking quality writing for television - of the Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mad Men, Homeland, Game of Thrones, Nurse Jackie variety - is far superior nowadays to what is considered the best playwrighting (as it is from big screen writing).

Updated On: 7/26/12 at 11:24 AM

[JRybka]

Posted: 7/26/12 at 11:45am

Two recent big surprises for me was:
Curtains & Mary Poppins.

Major Disappointment was "The Little Mermaid" (I wanted to like it so much 'cause it was my husbands favorite movie)

[Marianne2]

Posted: 7/26/12 at 12:21pm

I'm preparing to have rocks thrown at me for mine.

Disappointment-Hairspray
I don't know if I just saw the movie way too many times before seeing it or what. It was pretty late into the run if that makes a difference. But, it just didn't live up to the hype. A couple of things didn't make sense to me either, in comparison to the original movie and the musical movie. I thought the movie soundtrack was better than the cast recording. *ducks* I did't hate it, but it was just a bit disappointing to what I was expecting.

Surprise-Shrek
Not earth shattering theater, but it was a cute show. The only reason I decided to see it was because Christopher Sieber performing on Regis and Kelly looked interesting. Plus the rest of the cast was really good. I'm surprised I liked it because the movie wasn't that interesting to me.