Oh, and another... 'Good Vibrations'. I saw this in previews and actually had high expectations. Let's just say that -I- could write a better book for a musical using the Beach Boys' music, and leave it at that.
Urinetown, I expected to hate it. My friend had gotten the tickets, it wasn't on my radar, the title...I hadn't heard anything about it. Saw it, loved it, haven't stopped listening to the soundtrack ever since.
If you really want to help the American theater, don't be an actress, dahling. Be an audience.....
Don't be taken in by the guff that critics are killing the theater. Commonly they sin on the side of enthusiasm. Too often they give their blessing to trash...
Tallulah Bankhead
Expected not to like and LOVED: Hairpray. Can't stop listening to it. Expected to like and really didn't: Urinetown (maybe it was just the tour that was bad?
I agree with Good Vibrations. I walked in thinking I would see the worst show ever and boy was I wrong. It was 1,000,000 times worse than I ever imagined.
All Shook Up! I originally bought tickets as "ah well not feeling Sweet Charity with Xtina injured, so we'll watch this other bad one" and ended up really loving it.
"Observe how bravely I conceal this dreadful dreadful shame I feel."
I wasn't wild about seeing Seussical, but in the end, it turned out to be a pleasant evening. Still not my favorite show, but really more enjoyable than expected.
All Shook Up - I bought the $20 just to see if it was like the crap at the Eugene O'Neill, but it was MUCH better! :)
Little Women - It was better then I thought it would be, but still boring.
WICKED. After hearing all the great buzz about it, I got really excited.. and then it good but not amazing.
Brooklyn. I bought tix just because it was on TDF.. I looked it up on google pictures and found this horrible picture:
under "BROOKLYN: THE MUSICAL" (which I thought was from the show). The official website wasn't up yet. So I was like Oh no.. what did I do?!? But then, everything cleared out when I got the sampler in the mail and found some REAL pictures from it.. and.. you know what happened :)
I thought "Movin' Out" would be kind of a bore, but I adored it immensley. That, and "Altar Boyz" changed my life. The other big surprise was "Chitty", excellent production.
After the Tony performance which was so-so...and some of the reviews I was expecting it to only be a "special-effect" show, but I fell head over heals for it! Def. the best thing I've ever seen (imo)!!
I was pleasantly surprised by Jane Eyre, Contact, The Full Monty, Millie, All You Need is Love (London) and Movin' Out, which I did not expect to enjoy half as much as I did. I saw Piazza in Chicago knowing nothing about it and not really sure if I would like it, but walked really moved by the show and couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks. But one of my biggest surprises was Bombay Dreams. I had so much fun watching that show. I wish I could see it again.
I think one of my biggest disappointments was Fosse. Great dancing, but nothing worthy of Best Musical by a long shot.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Don't Laugh. I saw it a few performances before opening night so there was minimal buzz about the show at that time (or at least less than there is now) and I and had heard mixed things, particularly about it's "dissonant" score. I had imagined a Philip Glass type score and completely hating it. Boy was I wrong. I'm glad to see the support this show has garnered.
"Some of us have it worse, you know, Dana. Some of us are dating lesbian men. Okay? C'mon."
Fiddler on the Roof. I had no intention of seeing Fiddler, then my aunt dragged me to it...and i superisingly enjoyed it. Maybe it was just cuz Harvey Fierstien was in it but nevertheless is was still enjoyable.