Giving a Bye to Bad Shows

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 7:51am

Interesting---depressing, really --- how many middling shows --- or worse -- have been gives byes, or even raves, by the critics this spring season: Lucky Guy, Kinky Boots, The Nance, The Assembled Parties, Vanya... And when something like Matilda is spoken of in the same breath as Oklahoma!, then we know things are seriously out of whack. The critical masses have reached critical mass.

Perhaps critics think they are doing a service to the theatre. Bored and irritated audiences know otherwise.




Updated On: 4/20/13 at 07:51 AM

[Huss417]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 8:04am

I actually thought you were saying "byes" to the board.

Updated On: 4/20/13 at 08:04 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 8:29am

Yes, wouldn't that have been nice?


OUt of your list, only Matilda received RAVES. All others rec'd mostly positive reviews. I don't agree with the reviews for Matilda...but many other do.

Just because they don't agree with you, doesn't mean they are wrong. (But you already knew that, you just want to instigate people.)

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 8:37am

^
I'm not instigating anyone.

Just pointing out something we all know to be true: giving byes to seriously flawed works does the theatre no good.

[MusicalBoy]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 8:45am

^ There are some serious flaws in Oklahoma, too, but some people still believe that the purpose of theatre critics should be to encourage new work, encouraging people to go to the theatre and celebrate, wherever possible, the great things about a show, rather than fixate on flaws.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 9:03am

Sorry the purpose of critic was never to encourage new work. It has always been to CRITIQUE the work, good and bad.

But I don't see how A8's comments hold water as nearly every one he lists did not get across the board raves.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 9:18am

I didn't say they ALL got raves.

I said they all were given byes. To give a positive review to a mediocre or outright bad work is to give it a bye.

And Oklahoma! has "serious flaws?" That's a good one. All musicals should have such "serious flaws," especially gems like Book of Mormon, Once, and Matilda.

What did I say earlier? The world is seriously out of whack? Here's proof if ever you needed any.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 9:39am

I don't find it depressing at all that the critics are not catering to After Eight. Proof that theatre is alive and well and continuing to flourish.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 9:52am

Never mind that thousands of theater goers have fallen in love with Book of Mormon, Once, or Matilda. They're suckers and they're wrong.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 10:26am

But we wouldn't have thought any of that if the critics hadn't told us to.

(BTW...I saw most of these shows before the critics released reviews, but even if I didn't, I'm perfectly capable of forming my own opinions.)

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 12:06pm

dramamama, if you don't like the poster why do you keep posting on his/her threads? Maybe you're the instigator...?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 12:11pm

No. And you're wrong.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 12:18pm

dramamama, if you don't like the poster why do you keep posting on his/her threads? Maybe you're the instigator...?

If only the people who like what After Eight has to say posted on this thread, it would have died already.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 12:30pm

Those who keep pining for the older musicals have my sympathy. OKLAHOMA! (1943), PAJAMA GAME (1954) and MAME (1966) are all highly entertaining shows filled with what one wag used to call "take home tunes." While I would never label any of these three musicals as "masterpieces" they do what good theatre should do, entertain and delight audiences even now 70, 59, and 47 years after their premieres.

Will any of this season's musicals be able to make that same claim?

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 12:44pm

we will have to wait 70, 59 and 47 years respectively to find out, won't we?

[theaterfan862]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 12:56pm

Damn Snafu you beat me to it! But it is true. We don't know which musicals will be considered classics. Who knows, maybe Kinky Boots will be our generation's Oklahoma!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 1:02pm

SCANDALOUS will be this generation's CAROUSEL. Trust me.

[undercoveractor]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 1:04pm

Of the shows you mentioned, I have only seen KINKY BOOTS and MATILDA. In both cases 'bored' would be the last adjective I used to describe the audience reactions. If you were bored by them that is your experience, but I think it is a major stretch to say audiences in general were.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 1:15pm

While I agree with you, most of the audience finds Rock of Ages to be terrific and that's a monumental piece of dung.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 1:24pm

I thought Rock of Ages was loads of fun. Saw it three times. Sometimes, fun is all I need or exactly what I need. Had significantly less fun at Kinky Boots.

[John Adams]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 1:34pm

Maybe I'm just stoopid (with two 'O's...), but why are we using a sports term (that to my knowledge doesn't really apply) to describe critics and critiques of musicals?

Maybe I'm just too Gay... 8^o

[maxximumvolume2]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 2:43pm

The key element that you seem to be missing, Mr. Eight, is that of subjectivity. You assume that because you find a show "middling" or "worse" that others feel the same way. The only issue I see here is that you do not appreciate or respect the fact that others - professional critics included - could have legitimate differing opinions than your own. It strikes of an uncomfortable and strongly misguided air of superiority.

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 2:55pm

I'll give you a bye, After Eight.

[oasisjeff]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 3:00pm

"Maybe I'm just stoopid (with two 'O's...), but why are we using a sports term (that to my knowledge doesn't really apply) to describe critics and critiques of musicals? "

Glad I'm not the only one who didn't know WTF he was talking about...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/20/13 at 3:11pm

Leave AfterLife alone. It's called sundowners and its a real problem.