EW's 10 worst in theater

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EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/30/11 at 3:51pm

Spidey did not make the cut. Maybe they can use that in their marketing:

"Not one of the 10 worst shows in 2011!"
Anyhoo, here's the list

....but the world goes 'round

Haha, Taz, that's a great pull-out quote!
I have to say there's no way in hell that THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE was worse than BABY, IT'S YOU! which was just appalling in every way possible and embarrassing for everyone involved, I still laugh when I look at the Song List on the Playbill for Act II (there's like 30 songs!). THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE--which I saw on the same weekend--was too bland and inoffensive to be the worst show of the year and it featured a fully committed Donna Murphy.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/30/11 at 4:51pm

They were both awful, but what made People in the Picture worse to me was that they all thought they were putting on some serious, high-brow Holocaust drama. No one involved in that production seemed to have a clue just how awful it was.

Updated On: 12/30/11 at 04:51 PM

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/30/11 at 4:59pm

The only one I agree with I did see was On A Clear Day

Poster Emeritus

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/30/11 at 6:12pm

They forgot Lysistrata Jones.

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/30/11 at 6:24pm

I thoroughly enjoyed HIGH. I still don't understand the hate that show received.

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/30/11 at 6:35pm

Wow, Wildhorn has a double feature on this list. Ouch.

Formerly SirNotAppearing - Joined 3/08

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/30/11 at 6:39pm

Wow, Wildhorn has a double feature on this list. Ouch.

Why wouldn't he? Did you not know that ALL critics are against him?

Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/30/11 at 6:52pm

Adamgreer, I get that. I mean, they were 1 and 2, so they might as well have shared the spot for number 1. I still think that Murphy's performance makes it better than BABY, IT'S YOU! but Murphy is also my favorite musical theater actress so I can't be very objective on that front.

#10

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/30/11 at 7:30pm

BABY and PICTURE were both trainwrecks. But BABY was fun to laugh at, whereas I felt like I was being suffocated by horror while sitting at PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE. Just so bad.

#11

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 12:42am

I honestly can't articulate how wrong I think they are by picking THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE as the worst show. It had a lot of heart, which cannot be said for some of the other shows; and like others have said, Donna Murphy's performance alone means it can't be the worst. As someone who is very connected to the Holocaust and have researched it for years, I felt it presented a really honest depiction of a survivor who isn't always likeable but is always genuine.

And I LOVE the cast recording and have been listening to it nonstop since I got the cd. I really don't get the hate.

"Years from now, when you talk about this - And you will - Be kind. "

#12

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 12:48am

I don't get the hate for PEOPLE... either. What? - because it dealt with the Holocaust? It's old news, or something?

But that's show biz. To each his own.

It was one of the better shows I saw last year. Tender, human, sentimental, touching, great perf by Murphy. What's not to like?

#13

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 12:56am

It was one of the better shows I saw last year. Tender, human, sentimental, touching, great perf by Murphy. What's not to like?

A trite, cliche-ridden book, a horrible score that wasn't even fully orchestrated at the performance I attended, a second act that dragged on FOREVER (and a death scene that went on for a good 20 minutes), an embarrassingly bad number about dancing dibbyks, choreography that looked stolen the Community Players' production of Fiddler on the Roof, and an ugly set.

#14

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 12:58am

^ Exactly. Absolutely dreadful and boring. I still want those 2.5 hours of my life back!

#15

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 1:06am

What I've heard of People in the Picture makes me never want to hear more (and even the BWW highlights clip was so dull I couldn't finish it), but I do grumble when I see the complaint is "They made a musical about the HOLOCAUST??" I dunno, I wish we'd have gotten past the "How dare they try to musicalize THAT" attitude...

Every review of Measure for MEasure I read felt it was misguided and missed the point of the play but I never saw one that made it sound THAT bad to make the list.

#16

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 1:11am

"I thoroughly enjoyed HIGH. I still don't understand the hate that show received."

I didn't hate it, I just thought it was unbelievably bad. A terribly overwrought book badly directed. Great cast, but they let Turner off the leash, and that wasn't a good thing.

The People in the Picture had its moments (I loved the dancing dybbuk number), but yeah, that death scene, oy! Also the number everyone kvelled about, Selective Memory, just went on forever.

#17

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 1:17am

And I thought BOOK OF MORMON was interminable and not funny.

Everyone's a little bit biased (in their own way)...

#18

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 1:20am

I do grumble when I see the complaint is "They made a musical about the HOLOCAUST??" I dunno, I wish we'd have gotten past the "How dare they try to musicalize THAT" attitude...

There's a good musical to be made about the Holocaust. This wasn't it.

#19

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 1:45am

Didn't London also have a "Holocaust musical" a year or two (or three) back that was seen as an utter flop?

#20

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 11:00am

I loved the “Dybbuk” number...but that aside, overall, I also don't feel "The People in The Picture" deserved the top spot.

Formerly: WishingOnlyWounds2 - Broadway Legend - Joined: 9/25/08

#21

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 12:11pm

EricMontreal22,

EW's 10 worst in theater

#22

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 12:15pm

>> And I thought BOOK OF MORMON was interminable and not funny.

Join the club. SOUTH PARK is cute, but BOOK OF MORMON was a big ol' dressed-up college show.

http://docandraider.com

#23

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 12:59pm

Didn't EW give Baby, It's You a B?

#24

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 1:01pm

I guess hindsight is 20/20.

#25

EW's 10 worst in theater

Posted: 12/31/11 at 9:33pm

I think they did and there's another problem with EW's theatre coverage. At least for movies you kinda know where both of their major critics come from to balance their reviews (and both get to make their own lists). EW seems to just have whoever is available or in New york do their random theatre reviews (including both movie critics) and then someone completely different made this list.

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