I'm afraid nobody mentioned the marvellous "Bring Back Birdie" yet. Neither "A Broadway Musical". Or "Dance a little closer". All of these have got fine scores by Charles Strouse (even though the rest was a mess)
GOLDILOCKS (1958 with Elaine Stritch) It had a great score by Leroy Anderson and wonderful dances by Agnes DeMille.
BAJOUR (1964 with Chita Rivera) Michael Bennett was a chorus gypsy. Conducted by the always wonderful Lehman Engel.
THE GIRL WHO CAME TO SUPPER (1963 with Florence Henderson and Jose Ferrer) The radiant Florence Henderson had some wonderful numbers and was nothing like the sugary Brady Bunch mother. Tessie O'Shea brought down the house with her 15 minute collection of Cockney songs. I saw the complete show many times and 2nd acted the show some 6 times during my drinking days!
When I was 14 I saw The Red Shoes and Cyrano in the same week. That began a lifelong love of flops, the floppier the better. Unfortunately my financial situation throughout most of my adult life has meant that I have missed many flops that I couldn't get comps to or see for less than $30, and some where I was working out of town and missed their entire runs.
My favorites of the ones I've seen have to be (in order of preference): The Red Shoes Thou Shalt Not In My Life Side Show
Margo's list is almost exactly what mine would be minus Pacific Overtures and Follies. I like them alot, listen to them often but they aren't my favorite.
Sunday In The Park with George Ragtime Caroline or Change Sweeney Todd OBC
Say what you want, but if it means anything, I had more fun at Ring of Fire than I did at Lestat and Tarzan.
I love America. Just because I think gay dudes should be allowed to adopt kids and we should all have hybrid cars doesn't mean I don't love America.
[turns and winks directly into the camera]
- Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) on 30 Rock
Sometimes you listen to a cast album and wonder hopw a show could have possibly flopped: DEAR WORLD is a perfect example. Then you see the show on stage and see instantly why it DID flop. Still, that doesn't detract from the luster of the album.
Here are some flops (Financial flops that ran less than a year...some less than a month) that I have never seen but dealy love the cast recordings:
PAINT YOUR WAGON A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN FLAHOOLEY THE GOLDEN APPLE SEVENTH HEAVEN GOLDILOCKS JUNO SUBWAYS ARE FOR SLEEPING THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD ANYA ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER (a production of this opens in Toronto this week!) MACK AND MABEL (A prod will be done at Shaw festival next summer)
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks." Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
LEGS DIAMOND. Tres Gay Peter Allen as a womanizing gangster. A total mess but fun to listen to. The opening, "When I Get My Name in Lights" show promise but it's all downhill from there.