It was the opposite to me: the cast was wonderful. A tad too eager and with vibrato to spare but wonderful nonetheless.
The new reedy orchestration; the "this happened stage right in the original, so let's do it stage left" butthead direction; the huge lies saying it is reinvented when more than half of it is a rehashed original staged with far less innovation and relying on century old scene changes by lowering a curtain to cover it as someone performs in front.
Not since Show Boat in 1927 and that's more modern than the brilliant revolve and suggestive settings of John Napier and the paint-by-light glow of David Hersey? OK, I better stop.
Blood pressure.
Recreation of original John Cameron orchestration to "On My Own" by yours truly. Click player below to hear.
"youth has nothing to do with not appreciating Follies. Lack of intelligence does. There's nothing about anyone can't relate to if they have an ounce of depth."
What a butthole statement, sir/miss/whatever you are.
Not so much anymore but there was a time people would use this argument to make themselves out to look like geniuses. In reality, it only works to alienate people from his works and give his fanbase a bad name.
Even I began to believe some of this silly hype that kept me from getting into Follies sooner. Now I regret not ignoring everyone about how boring it is and how tuneless the music is because the final Los Angeles performance I attended, I haven't been able to get out of my mind. It was the best thing I've seen in a long, long time. Too bad the pretentious jerks continue to promote the lies that Sondheim is not very accessible and that there's a mysterious quality only perceivable by geniuses. Baloney.
Recreation of original John Cameron orchestration to "On My Own" by yours truly. Click player below to hear.
CATS...ugh. I think I am the only person in this world that despises this show. Guys and Dolls!!! The worst, most boring thing I've ever had to sit through. Lion King... awful.
I don't care if I insult idiots. I'd say the same for the people calling Sunday in the Park boring. Just cause it shot over your head, don't condemn the genius of the work. Go back to your Mamma Mia crap.
Shows I've seen in person that were a bore: Peter Pan (first show but I got so sleepy) Catch Me If You Can (boring) The Beatles Rain (I actually went to sleep) War Horse (slow) Porgy and Bess (soooo slow)
Oklahoma, hands down. Every time they crocus on Ado Annie and Ali Hamim / Will Parker, it is agony. Once saw it with two friends on Christmas week... We had to take singles . At one pint in Act 2, I couldn't stand it anymore...went to the lobby...one of my friends was there...beyond boring.
Others (recent):
Once -- I just didn't get it Newsies -- every song sounded the same, every dance looked the same. Felt like a Mediocre Musical from 1961 Catch Me If You Can -- basic concept did not work for me
Others (older):
Grind -- I don't know why it was so painful Big River -- won the tony in the worst season EVER for musicals Jimmy -- first show I ever walked out of at intermission Dr. Jazz -- first show I ever let before intermission...sooooooo bad in all respects and what a bore Copper field -- first show I ever saw where I left thinking how did they ever get someone to invest in this? Come Summer -- gorgeous scenery and nothing else Smoky Joes Cafe -- forced to sit though it three times and always totally bored Alice -- went to see it a the Public because of Meryl Streep. She was amazing, but in all other respects a Cpmplete snooze
Prefacing this list by saying even brilliant musicals can be excruciatingly boring. Goes without saying that truly bad musicals are almost automatically boring. All are based on seeing the OBC (or west end):
PACIFIC OVERTURES (one of the brilliant ones) BALLROOM THE GRAND TOUR DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER BIG DEAL INTO THE WOODS (see note above, although Act 2 goes on forever) STARLIGHT EXPRESS CHESS LEGS DIAMOND PASSION SUNSET BOULEVARD STEEL PIER MARIE CHRISTINE MAMA MIA THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE JERRY SPRINGER:THE OPERA CAROLINE, OR CHANGE (heresy, I know-- see note above) THE WOMAN IN WHITE SPAMALOT CURTAINS SPRING AWAKENING (Act 2 was agony) THE GLORIOUS ONES 9 TO 5 LEAP OF FAITH ONCE KINKY BOOTS
Forgot to mention Chicago. Chicago needs to be done BRILLIANTLY in order for it to not be boring. The songs and book are far from boring, but if the cast isn't talented/has no energy, it's like watching paint dry.
Re Kinky Boots-- it's easy. As soon as I could predict every single line or song beat before they opened their mouths, I was bored silly. Realizing halfway through Act I that the finale would involve the whole cast parading downstage in thigh-highs did not bode well for the rest of the evening. Doesn't matter how much scurrying about is going on down onstage. Once it failed to engage me, it made for a long boring evening.
Agree on Cats...can't believe I forgot it. Other than the endings of both Acts 1 and 2 (both with Memory), I was bored out of my mind. I was also very close in the orchestra and did not know about the cats cuddling up to you...at least they did in London, where I saw it for the only time...which made me hate it that much mire
Cats was the second show my parents ever took me to. Even aged 9 I was embarrassed/uncomfortable for grown adults having to dress up and rub themselves up against the audience like that! Was bored by everything that wasn't an oversized piece of litter decorating the set or the trapdoor.
TBF dance really isn't my thing. Though Fosse was a hell of a lot more enjoyable. Updated On: 6/1/14 at 06:04 PM
A Doll's Life definitely. And CATS- both from the audience and being in it! That stupid Peeks and Pollicles and Siamese Opera thing were absolute torture as well as just about every other number in it.