Shows you disliked the first time, and ended up liking the second time. — Page 2

Saw "Once" just before it won the Tony for Best Musical, and didn't get it. Saw it again later in the Toronto sit-down production...still nothing.

Saw the original cast of Grey Gardens, liked it, but was bored. Listened to the score again, watched clips of Christine Ebersole after, and saw a regional production, and realized I witnessed pure talent and awe when seeing her and the OBC.

I saw a non-Equity tour of Spring Awakening back in 2011 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. I honestly hated the whole "rock concert"-esque original staging and the cast just whipping microphones out of their jackets was so anachronistic that it actually pissed me off. Additionally, the cast had absolutely zero chemistry so I couldn't really feel anything for the characters.

When the Deaf West revival came around in 2015, I decided to give it another shot since it got some great reviews and I was simply captivated because I was able to feel the essence of the story, and I thought the additional layer of "disability in sexuality" (which was something I was studying in college at the time), was absolutely brilliant and I cried my eyes out.

The Great Comet. I don't know that I'd say I hated it, but I certainly didn't like it and thought it was totally weird. I saw it only because I was in NYC for work and it was Election Night, so some shows were closed that day. It was open and I was curious about Josh Groban.

Although War and Peace is obviously famous, I wasn't familiar with the story and I remember texting my sister at intermission to say that I thought it was really strange and that I wasn't sure I liked it. I remember Sonya Alone blew me away and despite not being crazy about it, I felt the need to download the off-Broadway album, fell in love with it, and went 5 more times.

blm2323 said: "The Color Purple - couldn’t stand the original production. The revival I saw three times."

This is exactly what I was going to post. Down to having seen the revival three times (four if you count the current tour).

A number of Sondheim shows. I found that I enjoyed them much more when I was familiar with the score.

-- ALNM is one of my favorite 5 Sondheim...I was bored out of my mind the first time.

-- Company...maybe not hated, but I was just major disappointed the first time. The second time, I was familiar with the score, and I was able to block out the book by George Furth (which I always thought was a piece of crap), and have a wonderful time.

-- SITPWG...this may be cheating. I only saw the original production once with BP and MP, and I hated it. Couldn't even get into the score for a long time. Fast forward close to 30 years and the Roundabout revival did it for me. I particularly loved the second act in the Roundabout production, whereas I thought it was drivel in the original.

-- Merrily We Roll Along...this may also be cheating. I HATED HATED HATED the original Broadway production...I now realize that it was 100% Harold Prince's fault (and I think he is absolutely the greatest director of musicals in my lifetime). I saw the revival in Boston this past season -- now very familiar with the score -- and can't convey how much I loved it.

-- Annie...I was very disappointed the first time, at the last preview before it opened. Imagine my shock when the reviews came out. I have never loved it, but I have since enjoyed it six or seven times.

-- The Apple Tree. The first time I saw it, I was very young, and the first act was really hard to get through. Too little happened...and it was only three characters, at a time when I thought every musical was BIG. Subsequent trips -- several times showing up for Acts 2 and 3 only, and several times seeing the entire show -- I grew to love it.

-- Billy Elliott...again, I was major disappointed the first time, because the score is pretty third rate. I only saw it twice after that, but enjoyed it much more, because I managed my expectations...also, in subsequent viewings the Bill was better than the first. I still think it was a very flawed show -- ouch, that score -- but I enjoyed it a lot more.

-- Fiddler on the Roof...the expectation bar was simply too high when I saw this at a young age. I was not mature enough to appreciate it, I have always assumed; also, I probably didn't understand a lot of the Jewish humor. I love it now.

-- Once...hated it on broadway, when I was sitting around the 10th - 12th row center. I loved it from the second row in a small theatre in Sarasota, FL, where I felt I was part of the action almost. The performance was excellent...only gap was that the male lead, who was otherwise excellent and charismatic, didn't even try to hit some of the notes Steve Kazee hit when I saw it.

-- Spamalot...interestingly, I saw it on broadway with the original cast and was totally underwhelmed (admit it, the score stinks). In that same Sarasota theatre, I saw essentially the same production and loved it...think the small surroundings made the silliness much more enjoyable.

-- Don't know if this counts: really disliked Newsies on Broadway, with the original cast. Thought it reminded me of a mediocre show from the early 60s (which is pretty true). When I saw it on Netflix, I really enjoyed it. It probably helped that I watched it over three viewings, since the choreography didn't bother me as much as it did live. (I know it won the Tony, but it wasn't a great year AND it was so repetitive).

Updated On: 1/16/18 at 01:54 PM

When I saw Something Rotten on Broadway, I didn't hate it, but I definitely felt my evening could have been spent at a better production. When I saw it on tour (admittedly with several more drinks in me) I could appreciate it for what it was without wishing it were something else.

Hate is a strong word, but I saw a touring production of Wicked and was less than impressed. Later saw the resident production in London and absolutely loved it.

The first professional stage show I ever saw was a touring production of Phantom of the Opera, back in the early 90s. I did not enjoy it because I couldn't understand a lot of the lyrics and therefore couldn't follow the plot. I later read the book and then saw the Broadway production and fell in love.

Jarethan stated -- "The Apple Tree. The first time I saw it, I was very young, and the first act was really hard to get through. Too little happened...and it was only three characters, at a time when I thought every musical was BIG. Subsequent trips -- several times showing up for Acts 2 and 3 only, and several times seeing the entire show -- I grew to love it.
Too little happened...and it was only three characters, at a time when I thought every musical was BIG. Subsequent trips -- several times showing up for Acts 2 and 3 only, and several times seeing the entire show -- I grew to love it."


I had to laugh at your statement and haven't thought of a personal moment I had seeing the show decades ago until I read yours. After having seen Barbara Harris twice in the show, I decided to catch a Wednesday afternoon performance with Phyllis Newman who I really liked on the "Subways Are For Sleeping" cast album and was covering Harris' matinees.. Seated behind me were a busload of young children on a theatre field trip. At first I was impressed at how well they reacted to the story of Adam and Eve, laughing appropriately at the comedic moments and being truly invested in the sweet script. But then after about the second or third song (and note once again the first act's songs contain little Broadway pizzazz and are predominantly small character numbers) the children started softly moaning from boredom. They resented the story line being interrupted by yet another song.Then I couldn't stop laughing because with each new song I'd hear them getting louder and louder voicing in unison, "Oh no, not ANOTHER song." So Jarethan, you weren't alone that first day. And like yourself they definitely perked up for the 2nd and 3rd acts.