Drood Overrated?

I was wondering how Drood originally won Best Musical in 1986. I looked it up & found out it had an incredibly week field of nominees to contend against.

I never saw the original but did see it Sunday. The production is polished & looks as if it has been up & running for awhile. The sets were amazing & should be remembered at Tony time. The costumes were first rate . The cast was wonderful including Rivera and Edelman & Norton. The score was OK but nothing really memorable.

To me the show was overrated. It is pleasant but nothing spectacular.The whole premise is OK but falls apart at the end. I am not talking about the multiple suspects. I refer to the ending involving the show title. It builds to a climax and you scratch your head wondering why . I gave it an 8 out of ten. It is a polished but unltimately confusing show

Anyone else feel the same way?

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I was confused by the number rating, too. I know some people have said that part of the reason it was embraced at the time, was precisely that it wasn't the type of (British) megamusical some in the community had started to resent by the mid 80s. I find the show charming on CD, but I can see why someone might find it slight (but I've never seen it--and I'm not sure it really aspires to be more than a fun night out).

It is hugely overrated

I saw the show tonight and thought it was ok. I didn't know this show AT ALL so went in completely excited to see it. I thought Act one was incredibly confusing at times and really dragged in some parts. Act two was much much better but that has a lot to do with the audience getting involved. Overall, I certainly won't be running back to see it again anytime soon. I'm glad I went and heard a couple nice tunes but I honestly don't get the enormous amount of love it's being shown.

I definitely agree that it's hugely overrated. I don't know why people are raving about it on the boards. Act One was sooooo boring and you couldn't follow along because there wasn't anything to follow along with.

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I saw the show on Sunday and it was my first encounter with Drood. I knew the basic outline, that it was a show within a show and that the audience would choose the murderer at the end. I found a lot to like in this production. It is a silly, light, frothy confection that is very entertaining. First off, the singing was wonderful. Costumes, the sets, the staging, are all first-rate. There wasn't much dancing, but the scene in the opium den was choreographed beautifully, very dreamlike. I didn't find Act 1 confusing or hard to follow at all. The only thing I would say is subpar in Drood is the actual music. The songs are just not that memorable, sad to say. Overall I would recommend seeing this if you're looking for some fun and harmless escapism.

Overrated by whom? It wasn't a mega-success, it did 'well'. Yes, it won in a year that was lacking in great shows. I never saw people upset that it closed or mourning its absence.

Were some folks excited it was coming back? Yes, but likely because its been so long since anyone's seen it. I remember seeing the original and enjoying (but not loving) it. I'm still looking forward to seeing it, not because I've been yearning for it, just because it would me nice to re-visit.

I always thought overrated would refer to scads of people thinking it was undeservedly better than sliced bread. I've never seen that attitude about Drood.

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The whole premise is OK but falls apart at the end.

Roxy! That's the whole point of the entire evening!

Dickens DIED and left the novel unfinished.

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This show is, was and always will be one of my (sentimental) favorites. I would LOVE a chance to play Drood on a stage and not only in my living room LOL

It is fun and one of the few shows ever that involves the audience.

Does it have flaws? Yes. Are there better (overall) musicals? Of course.

But is it "overrated" (by those who love it?) No.

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Updated On: 10/24/12 at 08:49 AM

I agree with the last couple of posters. I don't think it's overrated because people aren't calling it the best musical ever, just a very enjoyable, fun time that is flawed, but endearing.

carousel94- You are not alone in your love for the score. It may not always greatly advance plot and character, but it is so insanely and damnably catchy that it truly could drive a man mad trying to drive the tunes from one's brain.

Good luck if you start humming A Man Could Go Quite Mad, Two Kinsmen, Perfect Strangers, Don't Quit While You're Ahead, Never the Luck, No Good Can Come From Bad, Ceylon or Wages of Sin in the morning, because you won't be able to stop all day!

Part of the thrill for me personally was finally getting to see a production live onstage. After loving a cast recording it was fun to see how it all fit with the action, and since this production is so expertly sung it was hard to find complaints. It fulfilled what I was looking for in Drood- but we all come to shows with different stories and desires.

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