Seeing a show a second time when you hated it the first time.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 8:39pm

Actual conversation between me & my scenic design teacher a few weeks ago.

Me: I'm actually going to see Legally Blonde for the third time this weekend.
Him: Oh, is it good?
Me: It's ok. The first time I went to see it, I was lukewarm about it. But I saw it again and kind of loved it.
Him: ... why did you see it the second time?

And I was stumped.
Anyone want to pyschoanalyze me?

I don't think there's ever been a show that I haven't enjoyed more the second time around. Either broadway shows benefit from familiarization or I just know what to expect the second time.

[lesmisforever]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 9:01pm

Because maybe you were just in a bad mood/skeptical/the cast was off/you weren't in the mood for it... and you wanted to give it a second chance when you were in a better mood/not so skeptical since you've seen it already/the cast could be better now/you are now in the mood for it.

[Anakela]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 9:03pm

I've only done that once, going to see something again when I did not enjoy it the first time. I hated Wedding Singer the first time I saw it- as in debated leaving during intermission hated it. (I have never left a show during intermission- not even Lestat :)) Since I did see it duing previews and I did know people who loved it I went back to see it again with some total fans of the show, and I did hate it less the second time I saw it. But not enough to say that I liked it or anything, (or to see it a third time), I just didn't hate it again. Maybe it's just because expectations are lower on the second go round?

[courtnyj]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 9:07pm

It's all about expectations...I've lway been disappointed when I have any expectations for a show. Now I try to go to every show as a blank slate ready and willing to love it. This doesn't mean I end up loving everything I see (far from it) but I usually have more fun.

[fachedaluna]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 9:55pm

I believe seeing a show a second time allows the viewer to concentrate on the characters more. In the first time viewing, our eyes and mind are darting in all directions. Seeing something a second time (or be it third) allows the minds eye to appreciate what it missed the first time.

I can understand, due to the cost factor, that it isn't always possible to go and see a show multiple times...but if you can I suggest it. You will always find a more positive outlook when you are focused on the story line. The second time things just seem to pop into place.

[liotte]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 10:04pm

I thought I might have misjudged a show, or missed something the first time, because everyone else seemed to love it and I thought it was the dumbest thing I had ever seen. I went a second time after hating it the first time, but unfortunately, was right and hated it even more the second time.

[BroadwayBound86]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 10:27pm

I've done that before.....went to a show...completely hated it...then returned. For example: I saw Lestat opening night of previews, didn't understand it and didn't like it. I figured that over the course of previews it would get better...it didn't. Although I did end up seeing it more than a few times, don't ask me why....I possibly counldn't explain.

[HumATune]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 10:33pm

I have a good story to share about this. One of my second viewings of a show actually involved some personal growth, if you can bare with the length.

I grew up very sheltered and my mother’s side of the family was fairly religious. (My great-grandmother preached—and let’s just say that it was unusual for a woman of her generation to preach—much less a black woman in the south in the 1930’s) Anyway, I grew up believing homosexuality was wrong. Well I saw RENT in San Francisco in 1999, and didn’t like it, at all. I suspect my views on gays and my very sheltered upbringing had a lot to do with this. Well after this I went off to my second year of college, and my first year out of the dorms. My roommate and I were friends with the four guys who lived next door. They were two guys in each bedroom Well as the school year passed, one of the guys came out and brought his boyfriend for all of us meet. Well, the guy he was sharing a room with had a fit and it got very ugly. Basically the guy who came out moved out. And the two guys in the other room stopped speaking to the homophobic guy. If not for the lease, I’m sure they would have been out of there, too. Well I observed all this and how hateful the jerk was being. And it was then I realized there was nothing wrong with being gay, and I had always thought hate was wrong anyway. So I supported my friend and his boyfriend.

Fast forward to 2006, where I fully support gay marriage and, have experienced a bit of the world. I decided to see the movie RENT on DVD and enjoyed it. So when the non-equity tour came through I saw it and appreciated the musical this time around. It’s still not a favorite show of mine, but that has more to do with the STYLE of the show and the music than the content.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 10:41pm

I saw WEDDING SINGER a second time after hating it the first. The CD came out and I wanted to give it another shot. Needless to say, by the time it closed, my count was at 5.

I hated WICKED the first time, I saw it again. Hated it more. Partially because of the Glinda.

[lesmisforever]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 10:43pm

Wow, what wonderful growth!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 10:44pm

If I saw a show once & hated it, I trust my judgment the first time around & stay away

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 10:47pm

Well, my story is somewhat on topic, but I'll say it anyway. :P

I watched the DRS opening night video and Broadway.com, and it didn't thrill me. I tried to get into in, but I just wasn't excited for it at all. Then, I saw the number done on the Tonys that year, and I had a little interest. When I went up to NY that summer, I took a gamble and saw the show on TKTS, and I loved it.

[James885]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 11:00pm

My view on the subject is this: If I saw a show once and hated it, generally I'm really not keen on spending more money to see a show that I didn't like the first time (especially since I'm a college student, money is always tight). I don't go to see a show again if I didn't like it before because if I hated it before, chances are I'm still not going to like it.

Updated On: 3/7/07 at 11:00 PM

[Mrs.LinkLarkin2]

Posted: 3/7/07 at 11:49pm

The first time I saw Spring Awakening I was kind of shocked. The sex scene and the beating scene kind of left me with a bad taste, but I loved the music. While leaving the theater I said, "I appreciate it as an art." My sister, who loved it, downloaded a lot of the music. The more I listened to it, the more I wanted to see it again. I did, and now I love it. It's probably my 3rd fave show.

The first time I saw Hairspray it was my family and my grandma, who is very opinionated. I thought it was cute and I thought Link (Aaron) was even cuter, but her comments and my dad's were negative and I'm not gonna lie, maybe it rubbed off a little on me. I went back a month later and saw it again cause I wanted to see Aaron and I FEEL IN LOVE WITH IT!!! It was like an entirely new show! I thought it was the best entertainment I've ever seen. I went from thinking it was ok to fabulous! I've seen it 5 times now in 4 months.

[kyle.]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 4:49pm

The first time I saw Piazza in Chicago I left not really knowing what to think of it. As the days went on I found myself thinking about it more. Then TINY bits of music would get stuck in my head, and I couldn't figure out what they were from. Eventually I realized they were tiny bits of Piazza songs. Needless to say I went back and saw it again, and thats when I really got it. It really hit me.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 5:24pm

Actually, I sometimes make a point to see a show again if I didn't care for it the first time. Granted, I usually find a way to see it cheaper, but still. I just like to give shows a second chance, I guess, and sometimes, it's a matter of who's in the cast that can make all the difference.

For example...the first time I saw Miss Saigon, a late Broadway cast, I was disappointed. I had known and loved the show for years, but was bored by the lead actors. As a result, I just didn't feel like the show worked very well. I saw the tour in SF not long after, and finally felt like I "got it."

[worrell4077]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 5:28pm

I went to see Wicked, and I was so-so about it. I found it enjoyable. The second time I went, I almost fell asleep. Well, it might be because it was late and I was up early that day.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 5:36pm

watched WiW London with OLC - bored to death ~
watched it again when Ruthie n Simon joined... cast was perfection but the show was SO bad that the only thing that kept me awake was looking/concentrating on Ruthie (to be honest, there's not reali anything I can put my eyes on apart frmo the actors! Not much/no set there!)

[pab]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 5:47pm

I went to see "Phantom" when it first came out. I saw it during a Wednesday Matinee performance. Earlier that day I had had an argument with a friend. After seeing the show I was not too impressed.

A few yeas later I decided that I would give it another chance since I assumed that so many people could not be wrong and maybe I did not give the show a fair chance or it might have been my mood that day. Nope, still bad.

A number of years later I was introducing a friend of mine to Broadway and they wanted to see it. I did not want to go back but they had heard so much about it and I did not want to go against their wishes so I went. No difference. It was still a very highly overrated show.

Being a sucker for punishment, I then purchased the movie on DVD. I actually preferred it to the show.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 6:05pm

I hated Chicago when I first saw it in 2003. It took some time for me to appreciate the fantastic choreography and the dynamics of simplicity.

I think I was looking for spectacle and didn't get it, but have gone back two times since and it is one of my favorite theatrical experiences.

[broadwayjoe476]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 6:09pm

the first time i saw Tarzan, i didn't know what i thought about the show (more hated it than loved it). But the second time i saw it, i saw beyond the huge DISNEY signs and saw a great show that really grabs your heart...if you get into it, with great acting and a great story line.
Go ahead, make fun of me for liking Tarzan; I don't care, you have to admit it was a cool concept and their are some great actors/actresses and singers in the cast...

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 7:57pm

First of all, yay, Broadway Joe :) Y'all know how I feel about Tarzan, but might feel differently if I were paying $110 every time like I did the first time. I hated the book, got lost in analyzing the sets and effects, and didn't take in the show as a whole. After listening to the CD, I thought it would be a good first student rush show (I'm taking 18 credits on top of a full time job, this is the only perk). The second time, I stopped trying to figure out the counterweights, fell in love with Shuler and Merle, realized what an absolutely difficult ensemble piece this is, and well, you all know the rest.

I've seen most shows twice, usually full price then again from TKTS. I'ma little obsessive about theatre and I need to love a show. Not liking it just drives me to go back to pinpoint why. I can always find something good (except for Harold Pinter plays/old joke). Case in point, the current run of Company. I went in, nose out of joint as an old pit player (yeah, I've done it all) and found myself rating 'musicians' instead of the show. After slapping myuself silly, I went back and watched the show and it worked for me. Sometimes we just need another look. Even the Pirate Queen (next week), case in point. I'm praying for a change of heart. My God, am I a cheerleader?

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 8:17pm

My first experience with "Sweeney Todd" was the recent Broadway revival. In fact, it was the first show I ever saw on Broadway. I had very little knowledge of the show that first time and have to say I was underwhelmed. After seeing it I bought the revival recording and studied up on the show. I was able to see it a second time and must say it is one of my favorite shows now.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 8:29pm

I've done this a few times. I hated the following shows, but saw them multiple times: In My Life (4), The Times They Are A-Changin' (3), The Wedding Singer (2), Hot Feet (2). It is rare when I hate a musical so much that I absolutely refuse to sit through it again (Spelling Bee, Spring Awakening), but I usually gives shows a second chance. I'm sure I will give The Pirate Queen at least four chances...

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/8/07 at 8:36pm

Well, "hate" is a strong word, but I was terribly disappointed with Les Mis when I first saw it. It should have been a perfect scenario. Hot new import show. The 4th performance of it with the OBC. I knew someone in the cast, and we were going out for drinks after the show with her parents who were in town for the opening. My father was also visiting, so he joined us for the show and the drinks.

And I thought it was DREADFULLY boring and uninvolving. In all fairness, the cast was tired. My friend (in the show) told me that they had been recording the cast album all day that day before doing the evening performance. In any case, that was my impression of the show. "Dull as dirt."

I didn't see it again until the mid '90s, when the national tour came through the L.A. area. Again, a different friend was with the show, so I had free tix to see it. The cast was younger, fresher, and definitely more awake than the OBC, and it made a huge difference.

While Les Mis will NEVER be one of my favorite shows, the difference was remarkable. I went from strongly disliking it to definitely enjoying it. (Not from "hate" to "love" or any such dramatic opposites.)

But what a difference a day makes! And a cast, and a decade...