"...The HELL?!" moments in productions- Page 3

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 12/17/06 at 10:45am

Man... where to start...

Possibly the all-black-leather-and-studs-and S&M-gear approach to Richard III, directed by Richard Ball at ACT in San Francisco in the early 80s. The hero was, if course, in white leather. The whole thing was amazingly awful.

Barbary Coast, which in the prologue number alone had six full-stage set changes. WTF?

A production of La Traviata in Anchorage that featured a lead soprano about the size of a Mac truck and who died not of consumption but clearly the sheer exhaustion of just walking across the stage.

A Dallas production of The Fantasticks that seemed to need detailed scenery for every scene. Every scene.

I could go on, but I think I'd better stop. It's starting to get depressing out. :)

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 12/3/07 at 9:42pm

I recently saw a production of South Pacific that my cousin was in. They weren't necessarily "What the Hell" moments but they were odd choices. I ended up enjoying the production very much (it was the first live version of South Pacific I've ever seen. All I've seen are the Glenn Close version and clips of the Carnegie Hall concert on THAT site.)

So here's what they did:

The first scene started with Lieutenant Cable arriving on the island/ Then they went into "There Is Nothing Like A Dame" Along with Commander Harbison, Captain Brackett was given a secretary named Vivienne. The scene basically progressed as is written in the show. Then it segued to that shindig where Emile and Nettie met. And yes, there's a whole scene like that especially what I think was some dialogue that was not in the show where the Nurses are asking Nellie if she ever wants to settle down with a family. I dunno, was this in the ABC version?

Now comes the Bloody Mary scene (sans There Is Nothing Like a Dame). Since it was a kid show, the line was changed to "Stingy stinker."

Scene changes to Emile's house where his two DAUGHTERS, Ngana and Maeva sing Dites Moi.

They cut Cockeyed Optimist. The rest of the act stayed faithful to the show except they turned I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair and A Wonderful Guy into much more of an ensemble number. Long story short, the girls were doing a lot more singing than Nellie. Then, to cover a costume change, they had Nellie and two nurses named Dinah and Janet sing "A Grand Night for Singing" from State Fair. And the first act ended with This Nearly Was Mine.

Happy Talk was also turned into an ensemble number. But it also included Emile and his daughters and Captain Brackett and Commander Harbison. It reminded me of Mary Jane/Mary Lane in the movie version of Reefer Madness when they cut to the different characters (and the clams). The USO show added various comedic sketches and the ENTIRE male ensemble was in drag and not just Billis. You've Got To Be Carefully Taught was sung by Emile, Cable, Brackett and Harbison.

But apart from the presence of Vivienne, the show progressed faithfully.

Overall, it was an enjoyable evening. But the changes they made...yeah. But if any of this stuff is in the show, let me know.

Also, does Emile give the full story of how he killed that man?

Updated On: 12/3/07 at 09:42 PM

[Dre2387]

Posted: 12/3/07 at 11:05pm

I saw a production of Measure For Measure. It was set in the Wild West with all the original dialogue. And there was underscoring under some dialogue. I swear to God I thought Angelo was going to break out into song during his speech before Isabella came to see him. It was kinda freaky.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 12/3/07 at 11:16pm

I saw a production of Rigoletto in Edinburgh in 1980 where the court of the duke was portrayed as an S/M bordello, and everyone (male and female) wore high silk top hats and carried whips. And all the walls were chain link fencing. It was the high silk hats, though, that put it into WTF territory.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 12/3/07 at 11:44pm

The entire excruciating running time of the unspeakable horror known as CORAM BOY qualifies as not as a "the HELL?!" moment but as a "the F**K?!?!?!?!" moment.

[singtopher]

Posted: 12/3/07 at 11:57pm

There was once a production of WSS where Chino (is that the character's name?) forgot to bring the gun onstage at the end, and instead threw his shoe at Tony, which then killed him. The actress playing Maria then had rework the whole monologue to incorporate the shoe.

[Dre2387]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 12:32am

I think I heard about that. Didn't he say "poisoned shoe!" and threw it at him?

[nygrl23]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 12:40am

Holy crap, Joelbeans. Truly psychadelic Dickens, there. XD Thank you for sharing.

I'd say the court/bathroom scene in Legally Blonde. I thought it was weird and unnecessary, not to mention really, really crappily done.

[Trap-Door Lover]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 1:12am

Dance of the Vampires. Especially when Michael Crawford enters in the huge flying coffin with his super long fingernails. Very wtf.

[buffyactsing]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 1:30am

"There was once a production of WSS where Chino (is that the character's name?) forgot to bring the gun onstage at the end, and instead threw his shoe at Tony, which then killed him. The actress playing Maria then had rework the whole monologue to incorporate the shoe."

Ok, literally laughed out loud.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 1:37am

"There was once a production of WSS where Chino (is that the character's name?) forgot to bring the gun onstage at the end, and instead threw his shoe at Tony, which then killed him. The actress playing Maria then had rework the whole monologue to incorporate the shoe."

Oh good lord. A) How long did the audience laugh and B) I can just imagine the director tearing into the guy after the show.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 3:13am

OoOokay...

When I went to see a high school production of Les Miz a couple of years ago, everything was, y'know, "okay" and all of the sudden after "The Bargain", the houselights came up and my friend and I were like, "...Ummm." I later checked my program and it read: "INTERMISSION 1" and I was like, "Awkward much?" In that same production, during "ONE DAY MORE", the ensemble used the aisles to "sing and box-step" to the song" -- I WISH I WAS JOKING! -- Then, during "Javert's Suicide", THERE WAS NO BRIDGE (just so you know!) and so he's attempting to hold "There is no way to go oooooonnnn---" aaaaannnnd he kinda-sorta just ... lept out of the sight, into the wings. I laughed out loud, not even joking. THAT SAME PRODUCTION (oh, I love it!), during the "Finale", Valjean came on with this Hugh Hefner, majestic, bright red bathrobe (WTF!?), and finally, during the finale, they brought up the houselights and had the audience rise to their feet and join in on the last 2 verses (WWWTTTTFFF!?!?!?!?) And yes, they were printed on the back of the program (for reference!?) GO FIGURE.

[James885]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 9:36am

3 years ago, I saw a production of Little Shop of Horrors at my friend's high school that somehow (don't ask me how) included the song Mean Green Mother From Outer Space and also had the happy ending from the movie. The Somewhere That's Green reprise was sung by the entire cast as the finale. That was one moment where I was seriously like WTF??!!

Updated On: 12/4/07 at 09:36 AM

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 10:10am

As much as i loved Carrie

Out for Blood was like springtime for hitler

The moment the topless boys started smearing themselves in blood and Chris jumped on a guys back spinning a machete around whilst some of the loudest Oinks in theatre history bellowed over the sound system, i thought to myself "hmmm this shows in trouble"

[another_reprise]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 12:59pm

ETA: I'm stupid.

Updated On: 12/6/07 at 12:59 PM

[LeaGirl]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 1:21pm

Times they are A'changin'

I could list a lot of them from that show but there was this one sequence where Cleo kills... a guy... with a yoga ball. Just by beating him with it repeatedly. People don't believe me sometimes when I bring it up.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 1:28pm

How about the giant baby in the cemetery from Dracula a few years ago?

Posted: 12/4/07 at 2:19pm

Tony Randall going on for George C. Scott in Inherit the Wind -- just a draw-droppingly bad idea. In fact, most of the National Disaster Theatre's choices....

And Euan Morton showing up with bright blue hair the last week (was it the last show? I don't remember) of Taboo. Granted, that wasn't a casting or directorial choice, I think Euan just got drunk one night! But it was weird.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 2:32pm

The finale from Spring Awakening. My boyfriend and I looked at each other and I said, "What the f*ck are they talking about?" and we burst into a fit of giggles.

Then there was a recent tour of The Boy Friend in which one of the numbers a young woman and an elder man dance and flirt and sing a number about giving an older man a try and whatnot. It would have been cute if the costuming wasn't such that they rather alarmingly resembled Annie and Daddy Warbucks. Luckily, the theatre was mostly empty and my friend and I had the rear orchestra to ourselves because we were crying from laughing so hard. It was like To Catch a Predator: THE MUSICAL! I bet she offered him sweet tea...(my joke before Kathy Griffin started using it in her show, thank you very much!)

[sanda]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 2:43pm

Brian Darcy James in a concert version of Chess playing Freddy.

He sang "Pity the child", at the end of the song, he suddenly turned it into the ending of "Hey Jude"

[sanda]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 2:46pm

Talking about cheap opera. I saw a tour production of "Don Giovanni".

At the end, when the statue of the dead captain appeared , he didnot look like a stone at all. Basically he just put up a white coat like a doctor or something. How can they let that happen is beyond me.

[EganFan2]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 3:47pm

To the original poster: this sounds like a horrific production. I can't believe they actually thought that would seem GOOD.

[AKDPerformer]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 5:40pm

"When I went to see a high school production of Les Miz a couple of years ago, everything was, y'know, "okay" and all of the sudden after "The Bargain", the houselights came up and my friend and I were like, "...Ummm." I later checked my program and it read: "INTERMISSION 1" and I was like, "Awkward much?" In that same production, during "ONE DAY MORE", the ensemble used the aisles to "sing and box-step" to the song" -- I WISH I WAS JOKING! -- Then, during "Javert's Suicide", THERE WAS NO BRIDGE (just so you know!) and so he's attempting to hold "There is no way to go oooooonnnn---" aaaaannnnd he kinda-sorta just ... lept out of the sight, into the wings. I laughed out loud, not even joking. THAT SAME PRODUCTION (oh, I love it!), during the "Finale", Valjean came on with this Hugh Hefner, majestic, bright red bathrobe (WTF!?), and finally, during the finale, they brought up the houselights and had the audience rise to their feet and join in on the last 2 verses (WWWTTTTFFF!?!?!?!?) And yes, they were printed on the back of the program (for reference!?) GO FIGURE."

I had a clear, vivid imagery of all that.

I laughed my ass off.

That post made my night :)

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 7:25pm

CORAM BOY, end of Act 1 when they unearth all the baby skeletons. Just WTF!? And I was sitting in the front row for that.

[James2]

Posted: 12/4/07 at 7:35pm

"The Illusion Wedding Show" in LoveMusik