People Who Saw Shows That Now Live In Infamy, What Was Your Experience At Said Show?

Show that live in infamy will always be remembered. That show is not one of them.

Stephen Ward was obviously a subject that was particularly interesting to Andrew Lloyd Webber but had limited commercial appeal to West End audiences, and virtually zero commercial appeal outside the UK. It's hard to build a hit show from that. Most people, particularly in America, likely don't know who Stephen Ward was and likely just don't care either. Having said that, there are some lovely tunes. "This Side of the Sky" is a favorite.

CATSNYrevival said: "Stephen Ward was obviously a subject that was particularly interesting to Andrew Lloyd Webber but had limitedcommercial appeal to West End audiences, and virtually zero commercial appeal outside the UK.It's hard to build a hit show from that. Most people, particularly in America, likely don't know who Stephen Ward was and likelyjustdon't care either. Having said that, there are some lovely tunes. "This Side of the Sky" is a favorite."

Except, who would have thought a musical about Eva Peron would have any appeal to West End audiences or US audiences? Richard Eyre may not be Hal Prince - but he was no hack director. And Christopher Hampton is not a hack book writer. Stephen Ward could have worked - it just didn't.

So many… Dude, Via Galactica, Carrie, Merrily We Roll Along, Something's Afoot, Got Tu Go Disco, Marilyn, A History of the American Film, Brooklyn, In My Life, Big Deal, Chess… the wild part is some of them were really good, or had very interesting aspects.

ARTc3 said: "So many… Dude, Via Galactica, Carrie, Merrily We Roll Along, Something's Afoot, Got Tu Go Disco, Marilyn, A History of the American Film, Brooklyn, In My Life, Big Deal, Chess… the wild part is some of them were really good, or had very interesting aspects."

You got to see these? If so you HAVE to tell me more!! I’d love to hear About one’s true experience with these shows. Via Galactica is an inter sing Ike considering it was apparently so complex and confusing, they had plot synopses Inserted in the playbill.

Soul Doctor. I don't even know where to begin. First of all, it was in Circle in the Square, but in proscenium (with the audience still in the typical Circle in the Square thrust setup, but added seats on what would normally be the stage floor). Then the budget was so low they had clearly painted styrofoam books instead of buying real ones. And finally, it gave us lines that included the rabbi getting fired and a woman turning to the audience "yep, and another rabbi gets nailed". Although the show did at least give us Eric Anderson and Amber Iman, both of whom are clearly a thousand times better than the material.

I saw the original production of Merrily and hated the show so much that I did not even notice that the score was a great one. I have always considered George Furth a hack with the right friends (IMO the weak spot in Company is the book). Here, we had hack work from Furth competing with the worst direction I have ever seen in a Harold Prince show (the second worst direction I ever saw in a HP show still had moments of brilliance), a super ugly set, annoying costumes (how often have you been annoyed by costumes?), and some really mediocre performances (starting with Jim Walton as Franklin J Shepherd), all competing for the worst component of the show. The audience was actually angry as it left the theatre.

Second, I would have to say was Mack and Mabel. Many terrific components, all doomed by an atrociously unworkable story line and a horrible book trying to make that story line viable. The show did not work from the outset, but having the heroine die from a heroin overdose in a show that had lavish sets and costumes, lavish production numbers including dancing Keystone cops, a bright Jerry Herman score with 'Jerry Herman score orchestrations', not a single defined character other than the title roles, made for a hopelessly listless mess. The audience was truly bored, and the applause at the curtain call were quieter than I have heard in an off-Broadway theatre with 100 people in it.

Lastly, I would point to the Boston engagement of Prettybelle. Gower Champion direction / choreography, Jules Styne score (I can still hum 2 of the songs 50 years later, based on one hearing), and Angela Lansbury. Lansbury played and mentally disturbed person (depression? bi-polar? schizophrenia? I don't remember, but you get the idea) person who became aware of the horror around here in a deeply racist South (AS I REMEMBER). Two things I remember: (1) Lansbury gave a brilliant performance, carrying the entire show on her shoulders, and making it eminently watchable, if bad. She had a solo number, When I'm Drunk, that was as good as anything she ever did, with the exception of Rose's Turn. She had a dance in that number that was astounding in its complexity, and she pulled it off brilliantly); and (2) it was an intimate story dressed with a large Gower Champion production. Scheduled to open in the Majestic Theatre, it was a show that should have scaled to play at the Booth or the Music Box. I think the book could have been fixed, but the production was enever going to do the intimate story justice. Unlike the other two, I actually enjoyed this one, but only because of Lansbury's 'gofer broke' performance.

Sure I have seen other shows that might meet that definition; I have focused on disasters created by theatre geniuses.

When I was 12, I saw the third performance of Drat! The Cat! with Elliott Gould and Lesley Ann Warren- it lasted 4 performances- does that show qualify as living on in infamy- probably not. BTW- I loved it.

I saw the original cast of Evita and while even as a theater newbie at the time, I recognized the stellar performances and the crowds excitement. However, I didn’t enjoy the production overall ( I know, horror!) but I can’t remember why I didn’t enjoy it only that I didn’t and especially when comparing it to the two iconic productions I saw before this, Chicago (Gwen and Chita) and Annie (original cast).

Joshua, I have seen all of these shows and many many more…

Via Galactica was dreadful. I don't remember it being so complicated though. Just silly and poorly realized with some really interesting elements…

It took place in a future where Earth had been taken over by an authoritarian dictatorship. Some of the main characters were garbage collectors who at the start of the show escape earth to travel to a free society currently safe by their distance from Earth. They are able to accomplish this because garbage is dumped in space. They use their 'garbage spaceship' to escape and travel to this new land.

To complicate things, the Earthlings wear hats that resembled dunce caps and painted similar to barbershop poles. These hats keep the population under control. When there is disobedience the dunce caps revolve similar to a barbershop pole.

They were a ridiculous costume choice and was far more comical than oppressive as intended.

The new land, where our protagonists escape to, was interesting as when they were on this distant planet, the stage floor was a series of 6 trampolines. (The choreography took great advantage of the trampolines and was sort of cool.)

The free planet is mentored by a scientist who appears throughout the show as just a head on top of a box that travels on a wagon between the trampolines. I remember thinking that the actor must be a paraplegic as the effect was impressive and it seemed impossible that the actor had limbs. (Years later, I question if the effect was similar to Chip from Beauty and the Beast.)

The plot takes us back and forth between both planets. While on Earth, the floor ceases to be trampolines.

Eventually, Earth discovers the renegade planet and plans on attacking and bringing the population back into their oppressive fold. At the end, when they all have to escape. A big spaceship comes down and the free folk escape by climbing a stair up into the ship while singing the final song. The head only scientist also escapes as the box disconnects from the wagon, and cables from above, are attached to the sides of the box lifting the scientist's head up into the flies next to the spaceship.

The cast was interesting as quite talented. Raul Julia was the male lead. Virginia Vestoff, Irene Cara and Ralph Carter were all in the cast.

It was also the first show to open the new Uris theater, now The Gershwin (Wicked).

The composer was Galt MacDermott (Hair) and it was directed by Peter Hall (Royal Shakespeare).

Mostly, it was a mess. The dunce cap hats were just terrible and broke any ability to take what was going on, onstage seriously.

BWAY Baby2 said: "When I was 12, I saw the third performance of Drat! The Cat! with Elliott Gould and Lesley Ann Warren- it lasted 4 performances- does that show qualify as living on in infamy- probably not. BTW- I loved it."

It actually lasted 8 performances. I personally loved it and think it has a terrific score. It had great production design, a witty book, good roles for 5 - 6 people, and Lesley Ann Warren and Ellkott Gould were delightful (at least from this 15 or 16 year old's perspective). I read decades ago that they had no advance sales (no name attractions were associated with any aspect of the show) and had not budgeted any money to get them through the early run to see if it would catch on. The only thing that would have saved them was rave reviews, which it did not get (although Walter Kerr did give it an excellent review). I think this deserves an asterisk for a really short run, but does not warrant infamy.