Got Tu Go Disco

I saw it. It was one of those so-bad-it's-funny shows. In fact, it holds a secure place in the pantheon of the genre. Accordingly, I laughed a lot and had quite a merry time. In the end I savored the experience. At the show's end, people were invited to go up on stage and dance. I myself declined that invitation.

The songs were not great, but they were tuneful and enjoyable in their own way. After having suffered through a veritable funeral march of parched, tuneless horrrors through the decades, I would take those songs any day over the dreary, dismal specimens (Sunday, Passion, Parade, Floyd Collins, Piazza, Bridges, etc,) that win accolades and awards and are torture to listen to and sit through.

So here's a toast to Got Tu Go Disco! Do we ever need its like now!

I saw Got Tu Go Disco and if you do a search you'll probably find some posts - including some of mine - which discuss this show.

Basically, it was Cinderella told from a contemporary perspective. Cassette (Cinderella) worked in a clothing store that sold "high fashion" for the disco - Studio 45 - that sat above it. More than anything, she wanted to go to Studio 45, but for whatever reason, class, economics, etc. she was uninvited. She had a wicked step-mother and sisters who had perhaps the singular worst scene of dialogue I have ever seen on a Broadway - heck, any - stage. It was so bad, it was hysterically funny: the scene was between the sisters and went something like this... "Well, I never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never..." [Other sister] "No, I never, never, never, never, never, never, never..." This went back and forth for quite some time. The audience was first shocked with mouths agape, then rolling in the aisle.

The set was interesting as it was to feature this amazing new technology: the stage deck was to have swirling colored water woosh through it. It was also capable of increasing its rake quite substantially. They actually had to do some major construction at the Minskoff Theatre installing a pool to contain the water. The price tag was alleged to be enormous. (It was later rumored that the show was actually a money laundering scheme, but I don't know the truth about that piece of gossip.) The effect never worked.

There were some very interesting moments though. One such spectacular moment was the open number which had the cast appearing what seemed to be nude (it was very dark, black light lit and the dancers wore flesh colored body suits) and they got dressed in the trendy "disco fashion" which consisted of wildly colored and shaped pieces of stretch fabric that were attached by the dancers literally leaping into them. It was actually visually quite stunning.

There are lots more I could type, but I think this gives you the idea.

---

Updated On: 6/6/14 at 11:07 AM

Philip Michael Thomas wasn't in GOT TU GO DISCO. He did however star with Irene Cara in the 1976 cult film, SPARKLE.

At the bottom it reads: Cast Album on Casablanca Records and FilmWorks. A cast album was planned and obviously scrapped when the show folded.

Updated On: 6/6/14 at 01:47 PM

Wasn't Casablanca to do the cast album of that mega Turkey Rachel Lily Rosenbloom?

---

What I found distressing about this show, aside from the material, was that the audiences made fun of it as it was happening. The poor actors were in flop sweat from the opening number on. It was like the early stages of American Idol, when they trot out some inept, pathetic girl from the sticks so the television audience can riidule her. I don't believe laughing *at* a failed attempt, however lame, is good theater etiquette. Save it for the bar where you can really rip it apart, but not during the performance, please.

Sounds fascinating to say the least. Seriously, what were they thinking?

In the cast list, you'll notice the character Marc, played by Marc Benecke. Benecke was the real-life Studio 54 doorman, playing himself. Badly.

Just bumping this thread from five years ago to say:

Happy 40th Anniversary of Opening Night of GOT TU GO DISCO!

Updated On: 6/25/19 at 03:19 PM

Awe, thanks! I've always been here lurking, still seeing tons and tons of shows and loving the theater just as much as 23 years ago when I saw my first Broadway show.

As I said on a similar thread on All That Chat,I was the attorney for the production. It was one of my more interesting experiences in the theatre. Happy to discuss it with anyone interested.

tbonesbr said: "As I said on a similar thread on All That Chat,I was the attorney for the production. It was one of my more interesting experiences in the theatre. Happy to discuss it with anyone interested."

I would love to know. Honestly, this recording of Bad, Glad, Good and Had is what made me fall in love with Ali Stroker. Man I wish I couldve seen how this show looked. Sounds wild.