Depressing endings- Page 3

Posted: 7/9/06 at 10:26pm

Rent?! Seriously?! Maybe if Mimi had stayed dead, but I think her "leap of moo" negates any potential Rent has for a truly depressing ending.

Chess is pretty depressing, especially the Broadway version, although Cabaret was the first show that popped into my mind.

[MrSweetNAwful]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 10:52pm

I think Sweeney is completely depressing.
Everytime I listen to the cast recording and the finale ends I have to take a second before I can even move cuz it drains me.

Assassins is even more depressing with Something Just Broke in it.

Of course Cabaret is a big one. *spoiler* All these misfits who want love/a better life so bad, and just when they might have it everything goes wrong and they all split up. Emcee dies, Shultz most definatley dies, Sally probably lives but keeps getting into the same terrible relationships, Schnieder lives the rest of her life watching the Nazis take over and she probably dies alone.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 10:56pm

I completely second A BEAUTIFUL GAME! It is severely depressing, but yet has a glimmer of hope for the new generation.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 11:16pm

Titanic i bawled everytime with the way it was staged.
Side Show..

i have never found Sweet Charity's sad it is uplifting atleast the Christina version.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 1:33am

I agree with bwaybaby18, Charity comes out of it so strong and assured of how capable she is of overcoming the sorrow. Aida, they have timeless love and how is that sad? They die, but find each other again!

I find there to be few sad ending with absolutely no happiness. Cabaret, Bernarda Alba, Sweeney Todd, Jekyll & Hyde for the mostpart, Kiss of the Spiderwoman. I would also guess Titanic, Sideshow, and Parade. One could even argue Caroline, or Change too right? Things just go back to before and nothing really changes much, please correct me if that is wrong

[gustof777]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 1:40am

ok well if Sweet Charity's ending is uplifting than RENT's ending is definitley uplifting...I think for shows that just are bricks in the stomach Miss Saigon, BARE, Parade (don't know for sure b/c I never saw it but the cast recordings a sad ending), Marie Christine, Bernarda Alba, Sweet Smell of Success.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 1:44am

Good choices gustof

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 1:51am

The Drowsy Chaperone. Think about it. *SPOILERS* The power goes out, the moment is ruined, and for a minute, the MIC looks like he's about to be in tears. Granted, it then turns out happy, but still... it's pretty dang depressing.

[FlappinTappin22]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 1:45pm

Yes, Parade most certainly takes the cake in my book.

And as to the Steel Pier reference, I agree. I cry everytime! But it is also kind of uplifting at the same time, ya know?

[xxnewgirlxx]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 2:00pm

I agree with the Last Five Years. The excitement and hope in Cathy's voice singing "Goodbye until tomorrow" mixed with Jamie's sad final goodbye is heartbreaking.

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 2:44pm

Side Show--explain to me the ending?
Grey Gardens-explain to me this as well

[SweeneyPhanatic]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 3:17pm

Titanic. Not so much in the music, but just how the whole end (from the actual sinking to the curtain) was put together makes me want to cry.

[achancetofly]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 4:20pm

Hahah yes, thank you guys who are also mentioning Cabaret.


As I said before, it ends in an abortion and Nazis.

Although all these other shows people are mentioning tend to have tragic moments, or sad overtones...you can't really say they're depressing. Something like Rent really has an uplifting message to it. And though you may bawl and cry and be sad, it doesn't usually have you leaving the theatre in a depressed mood.


But when the ENDING of a show is the fact that the world is about to be taken over by Nazis....that just is the definition of depressing. You think, oh god...THAT'S what's coming next?


So, yeah. It's most definitely Cabaret for me.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 4:20pm

Joke: DRS because it's over

Serious: Rent (yeah, Mimi and Roger have another day together but that won't last long, hence "No Day But Today"), Phantom (the musical version's bittersweetness ending is well done but is ruined somewhat by the movie's final scene which makes no sense - there is no way the Phantom could have survived to that old age especially since the movie establishes he is older than both Raoul and Christine) and L5Y.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 6:12pm

As I have said elsewhere, I find myself sad at the end of Drowsy because Man In Chair reminds me of so many of my fellow musical theater buffs who succumed to AIDS. And Blood Brothers is no golden sunset.

I've always thought West Side Story is such an amazing ending. To keep it sombre, the three times I've directed the show, I've always follwed the procession and blackout with curtain calls consisting of the entire cast, frozen in position behind the scrim and had the lights raised on the three groups one at a time (Jets, Sharks and Adults) with absolutely not one movement.
I must admit I got the idea from reading about the Windmill Theatre in London and their nude "Living Tableaux" which was done to turn nudity into art and avoid the censor).

The final result is so damn arresting and the total lack of movement (Tony looking at Maria, Riff addressing the Jets, etc.) really blows out the house.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 3:10pm

Cabaret - there isn't much that could be more depressing than the gas chamber of a concentration camp.

AIDA

[Katurian2]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 3:16pm

Kiss of the Spiderwoman


I cry for so long after I finish listening to it. I was in hysterics the entire night I saw it live.


Cats- You realize you've just wasted $100

[Iscariot2]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 3:21pm

The Beautiful Game

[broadwayjules]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 3:28pm

Wicked...oh wait...no...they changed the entire story for the musical...

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 3:31pm

First thing that came to mind was Fiddler.

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 4:04pm

FALSETTOS

[GClef2]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 4:11pm

Passion.

Parade.

Marie Christine.

The Last Five Years.

Aida.

Sweeney Todd.

Chess.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 4:12pm

Passion. I cried, a lot. If you didn't cry you have no soul.

Aida
Updated On: 7/20/06 at 04:12 PM

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 4:46pm

I'm glad I wasn't the only one that found Drowsy kind of depressing...

[[e-mail]]

Posted: 7/20/06 at 4:52pm

Miss Saigon is tragic and you're torn.

I think Sunset is certainly quite depressing too.

I enjoy Phantom's ending... Maybe that's just me.

As for CATS, I happen to feel that it's one of the most uplifting experiences, to realize you're finally done with that miserable 3 hours.