Most surprisingly good/most disappointing show?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 3:14pm

I decided to change the title/topic.

What show or shows stick out in your mind that you saw with extremely low expectations or not knowing what to expect at all and were absolutely floored by?

And...

What show or shows stick out in your mind that you saw with the highest of expectations and were truly disappointed by?
Updated On: 9/13/08 at 03:14 PM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 3:19pm

<--

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 3:22pm

I have a feeling it would've made my list if I had seen it...I regret not going to see it so much.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 3:28pm

I'd heard nothing but bad things about "Little Mermaid," but I went anyway because I'm a huge fan of Norm Lewis. Surprisingly, I loved it. The set, staging, and costumes were, yes, very cheesy, but I thought the cast was phenomenal, and I found the added songs a lot better than I would have expected. I ended up buying the cast recording.

Of course, I'm sure this has more to do with my bad taste than with how good the show was.

Updated On: 9/13/08 at 03:28 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 3:44pm

I have a very odd repsonse...
The most disappointing show I've seen in a while was the City Center production of GYPSY...the most surprisingly good show I've seen in a while was the current revival of GYPSY. Seriously...

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 3:52pm

surprisingly good: Thurgood
most disappointing: The Lion King, Passing Strange

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:04pm

I would have Lion King on my most disappointing, too. Along with RENT.

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:17pm

I heard wonderful things about Wicked, so I went in with very high expectations. I was very disappointed.

The show that was surprisingly good for me would be The 39 Steps.

[jennyish]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:49pm

Good: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Disappointing: Chicago

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:51pm

Good: SITPWG Revival and PASSING STRANGE

Disappointing: IN THE HEIGHTS and WICKED

[notyourmomma]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:53pm

Adding Machine. Had no clue what it was about, but it was the last performance and I thought "Oh, why not?"

[SweeneyPhanatic]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:10pm

Surprisingly Good: "Mary Poppins." I went on a school trip to NYC, and this was one of the three shows we saw. I was expecting to hate it b/c it was just the new Disney show, but I ended up really enjoying it. Sure, the book sucks, but everything else is great! Especially that set!

Disappointing: "Les Misérables." This was on that same trip. I had really high hopes for this one, and though I enjoyed it, in retrospect it was the low point of that trip. I guess I had just had it hyped up so much for so long, that to actually see how SMALL it was surprised me, and not in a good way. still, a good show, and I got to meet Ann Harada and Chip Zien, so why complain?

The other show we saw, "Curtains," was my favorite, and I went in knowing I'd love it. I'm proud to say that I got to see the Original Broadway Cast of that show.

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:11pm

I was pretty disappointed by Curtains. I went in expecting exceptional considerig the pedigree of pretty much everyone invovlved, and come out going "well... it was good." I really wanted to be blown away and instead had a pleasant night at the theater. Which isn't a bad thing by any means.

Hmm a show that was suprisingly good.... Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I was really excited to see it, but was expecting Norbert to be great and the show to just be good, and I found the wgole thing to be WONDERFUL. It was absolutely hilarious, I think it has an extremely underrated comedic score, anf the performances were wonderful. I saw the tour by the way. Before it went Non-Equity.

[gypsyrose2]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:23pm

Surprisingly good - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Wicked

Surprisingly Bad - Title of Show and Spring Awakening

[bossbear062]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 5:26pm

good: the 39 steps

Bad; Xanadu

[broadwaygirl99]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:09pm

Good: Legally Blonde

Bad: Wicked, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia and Chicago

Wicked wasn't so much bad but it didn't live up to all the hipe I was hearing about from EVERYONE!

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:13pm

Disappointed:
- Chicago (at least the current production; the score is so amazing but I was just underwhelmed by the minimalist approach of this show)

[Gobstopper]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:32pm

I was surprisingly disappointed by "Seussical."

[Weez]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:05pm

I was absolutely stunned by the RSC's recent 'Henry V'. I never really clicked with Shakespeare, so there was no sensible reason for me to go see the play, and when I learned it wasn't even a Comedy or a Tragedy and would last over three hours, I was in absolute despair at the thought of the evening ahead of me.

I have NEVER been so glad to be proved wrong, and now I'm literally a card-carrying Shakespeare fangirl (associate member of the RSC) who thinks nothing of watching three three-hour-plus History plays in a single day.

I was also pleasantly surprised by Tony Harrison's 'Fram' at the National Theatre, although I still haven't worked out if it really was that good, or if I was just so overjoyed that it wasn't anywhere near as bad as 'Gone With The Wind' which I'd seen immediately prior.

And 'Zorro' turned out infinitely better than I was expecting too. I must make my mother take me back to see it again some time.

'Marguerite' was very disappointing, but at least it tried.

Updated On: 9/13/08 at 08:05 PM

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:28pm

Biggest disappointment by far was "The Lion King." So much hype and ad admittedly amazing opening, but after that, sheer boredom.

The biggest surprise was "Metamorphoses." I thought it would be dry as pitch but I was really moved and astounded by it.

[jake6970]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:37pm

Surprise: 110 in the shade and gypsy
Disappointment: Passing Strange

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:39pm

Surprisingly good: A Catered Affair. It was charming and nice way to spend 90 minutes.

Surprisingly bad: Rent c. 2004. I've only seen it live that time, and I was really disappointed.

[Elphaba43]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:52pm

I was surprised that "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I actually was one of the audience volunteers for that show so that was pretty cool!!!

[Elphaba43]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:52pm

I was surprised that "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I actually was one of the audience volunteers for that show so that was pretty cool!!!

[dlass727]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 9:49pm

I was very surprised with Xanadu. I went kicking and screaming with my best friend and ended up loving it. I was also not expecting to like In The Heights but I loved that one too.

I have to say I thought that I would enjoy The Lion King but was very disappointed. I have to agree with broadwayjim42 after the opening number it just goes flat. I also had high expectations (though not sure why) for Titanic but that was just horrible.