Phantom and Notre Dame de Paris did not disappoint me because I basically knew what to expect. It doesn't mean I liked them, though.
Disappointments:
Aida - Was shocked at some of the tacky set designs (I laughed out loud at the "prison" optical art backdrop with the little sad men painted inside), the lack of a cohesive concept for the show (is it modern? is it ancient? is there anything Egyptian about it?) and the uneven performances of Pascal and Headley (both sang well, but that was it).
Closer to Heaven - Was really pumped about seeing a gay-themed musical with a score by the Pet Shop Boys. Major disappointment! The sets were mostly cheap and tacky. Not at all what you'd imagine when paying the same price as for the Mackintosh revival of My Fair Lady. The score was mostly monotonous and dull. The characters were all despicable and unworthy of any compassion or even pity. The staging and choreography were second-rate semiprofessional regional theatre at best. Sandra Bernhard and her girlfriend Sarah told me they liked it, though.
Plum - When did you see Rent? I think the right cast and early in the run made a WORLD of difference. When I saw the show again last summer, I couldn't believe how much I disliked a show that at one time had so profoundly moved me.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian