May 15 - On This Day (and Broadway Flops)

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 5/16/13 at 12:17am

While taking my daily look at Playbill Vault today, I noticed that both Carrie and Wonderland closed on May 15! Granted one was in 1988 and the other was 2011! Interesting that two infamous flops share the same closing date! Did anyone get to see both of these shows? This also just got me thinking about flops in general. I think they are one of the most interesting aspects of Broadway. I love trying to figure out WHY and HOW a particular production failed. What are some of your favorite and/or least favorite flops? Every devout Broadway fan has some guilty pleasure flops that they adore for one reason or another!

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 5/16/13 at 5:48pm

Both of the above, Bonnie & Clyde, and Carrie (again in 2012).

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 5/16/13 at 6:07pm

Bonnie and Clyde and Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown are not only just two of my favorite flops, but they are two of my favorite shows and scores ever!

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/16/13 at 6:25pm

There are only 365 or 366 days in a year and shows are more likely to close during some months as opposed to others.

Go back far enough and almost any date during the "closing months" will be one when several shows closed.

One thing that seems to have changed, if I'm reading posts here correctly, is that summer used to be Broadway's "slow period" and a lot of shows closed in May or early June (right after the Tony Awards). Nowadays, it appears that summer tourist traffic keeps shows open during the summer months, so I assume more shows are closing in September and October. No?

[ARTc]

Posted: 5/17/13 at 9:26am

First, I did see both Carrie and Wonderland.

Over the years, I have seen many musicals that I thought should have a successful run. Big Deal and the Broadway production of Chess are two that immediately come to mind. Not a musical, but I loved, End of the World and saw it twice.

Actually, there are a lot of shows that didn't "make it" that I thought wonderful theater. I may just have to make a list and return here after I've comprised that list.

[groucho797]

Posted: 5/17/13 at 9:50am

Didn't see Carrie the Train Wreck live, but saw it on bootleg. I did see Carrie the Reboot and Wonderland. IMHO, I think I liked the original Carrie better. Wonderland was so diva-heavy that I walked out of the theatre dripping of estrogen.

I second that Women on the Verge mention, ended up seeing it three times. It captured the manic tone of the movie, but I guess audiences just weren't into it.

Still shaking my head over why Scottsboro Boys didn't last....