OUR Worst of 2013 Lists

Sauja was nice enough to start a thread about Best Of lists. I didn't necessarily want to start a similar one but wasn't sure if there should be negativity in that one so I've separated them out.

We all see a lot of theatre and I'm sure plenty of it is bad but what's the WORST of the year for you? Here's my personal list for 2013 (#1 being the worst of the year).

10. A Night With Janis Joplin; 9. The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin; 8. Let It Be; 7. Feeling; 6. Homo: The Musical (NYMF); 5. The Landing; 4. Bad Jews; 3. Julian Po (NYMF); 2. The Big Knife; 1. The Preacher and the Shrink

Not surprisingly a lot of this list is comprised of Roundabout shows. Their seasons become weaker as the years go by. Hopefully 2014 will be better with the arrival of Cabaret and some pretty decent high profile actors.

One note about The Preacher and the Shrink, DON'T EVER SEE THAT PLAY. Even if it's free or even if you're paid to go see it. It's probably one of the worst I've seen in my life.

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Updated On: 12/6/13 at 12:42 PM

A Night with Janis Joplin
Big Fish
The Explorers Club
I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan
Lady Day
Little Miss Sunshine
Orphans
Romeo and Juliet (Broadway and Off-Broadway--they were both awful)
The Snow Geese
The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin

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Only 3:

Big Fish
Big Knife
Hands on a Hardbody

Edit: In the cases of Big Fish and Big Knife, it's really about the production (in the case of Big Fish, the score was just not my cup of tea). Big Knife was directed at a very slow pace so it was difficult to watch. (The actors were very good in both cases-in all cases, in fact. But, there was no getting around the fact that I really didn't care for these three shows at all.)

Updated On: 12/6/13 at 04:12 PM

I can only speak of productions in Chicago, but it would easily be Big Fish.

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The Snow Geese, Belleville, both Romeo and Juliets, Big Fish, A Time to Kill Yourself, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Jekyll & Hyde. No particular order.

NBC's THE SOUND OF MUsic (with the exception of Godra).

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I actually think Clive was the worst.

"The Roundabout has always had a knack for bad productions. They get stars who are all wrong for the parts they are playing and pair them with crappy directors."

Yeah, "Cabaret" with Richardson and Cumming, "...Joe Egg" with Stockard Channing and Jim Dale, "A View From the Bridge," "Nine," "Side Man," "Intimate Apparel,"Anna Christie," Anything Goes, "She Loves Me," "The 39 Steps,"Twelve Angry Men," the Deaf West production of "Big River," "Drood"... Truly, a lousy track record.

Updated On: 12/8/13 at 11:41 PM

^ My bad.

I think Roundabout has a pretty promising season this year, but your examples are really reaching back in time. The only examples you've given from the past 8 years are Anything Goes and Drood, both of which I loved, and The 39 Steps, which was a London import.

My worst of 2013 was Annie. My most overrated was Lucky Guy, which wasn't horrible but didn't deserve 6 Tony nominations.

Big Fish & Jekyll and Hyde. The Productions - not necessarily the shows.

Scarlett Johansson in Cat on a Hot tin Roof

Agree on "The Snow Geese"...recently adds: "Patron Saint of Sea Monsters" & "Cheri"