The Mispronunciation of Broadway Shows

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 1/26/04 at 10:50pm

Does anyone else get annoyed when people constantly say names with the wrong pronunciation or the wrong name completely?

My mom constantly says: "Little ShopS of Horrors and it drives me insane. I always tell her: "There's only one shop!"

And Les Miserables? Please, I just tell her to say "les mis".

Hm, what else. I've heard: "Wicked Witch" in place of "Wicked"

Any others that bother you people or am I just obsessive?

[Craig]

Posted: 1/26/04 at 10:55pm

I've heard quite a few versions of Aida that would make skin crawl

Beauty Queen...

Dancing at...

the list goes on...

[PJ]

Posted: 1/26/04 at 10:56pm

Les Mis and Aida are two that come to mind.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 1/26/04 at 11:07pm

Let's not forget the bright lightbulb that called DOTV " do TV". I swear it! Yet, my favorite is less-miserables, followed closely by "lay-bo-heema"

[Mattio98]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 12:59am

I've heard some interesting pronunciations of Salome.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 1:19am

Oh there are so many...
but it is not a muscial but my mom always wants to call BEACHES --Sand Dunes

and she calls Steel Magnolias... That Hard Flower Movie.

[alterego]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 8:12am

I know someone that constantly refers to Sweet Charity as Sweet Chariot. I once had a conversation with a cab driver who referred to something called La Cage aux Miserables.

[emmamia]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 1:53pm

how bout misspelling??? maMMa mia. my favorite is on ebay with people that sell programs/cds and the name is right there and yet they spell it mama mia ... gggrrrr

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 2:08pm

lol Those are great. But I especially love when I say anything about Gigi, and people always say things like, "Ewww!! That movie with Bennifer?! How gross!" Or at a theater in Canada where people called in asking for tickets to Gigli instead of Gigi.

Another Les Mis one, a person called in to the theater where I live asking for tickets to it. The person working there said that Les Mis wasn't coming but something called less miserables was coming (saying it like it looks). That made me crack up!!

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 2:38pm

I hate it when people mispronounce RENT. I guess they say it too quickly and pronounce it as "REH." We all know the title is short, but do you have to make it shorter by dropping the N and T?

[Elphie]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 3:51pm

I as well have heard a lot of names for Aida. Well that is a tricky one for people who dont know Broadway.
I as well have the parents who mix everything up.
My mom said Avenue K.
Kill me. I can say it one hundred times and next week she will say it again.
We're only seeing it next week!

Updated On: 1/27/04 at 03:51 PM

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 4:01pm

when my dad and i were planning our nyc trip last year, he kept on saying thoroughly modern millie as thoroughly modernDAY. it annoyed me so much. hah one of those pet pevvees.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 4:10pm

I have heard Aida botches soooo many times.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 5:07pm

I have a friend who calls the play WAIT UNTIL DARK "Wait Until It Gets Dark Outside"--heck, she's 82.

And there's the local radio announcer who mentioned the musical MAN OF LA JOLLA--I'm not kidding!

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 5:51pm

Haha!

[wickedfan]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 6:00pm

Man of La mancha. some people i know say "la manch" others say "la man of mancha."

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 11:10pm

"Maimed". That is what I call the movie musical based on Jerry Herman's "Mame". Nothing can move me off that pronounciation because that's what it was.

I once heard Carousel pronounced as if it rhymed with arousal. Freudian slip? I think not.

[zannafan]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 11:16pm

this might be the FUNNIEST thread I have ever seen. Thanks for the laughs folks, I really needed them tonight.
Nick :)
PS: AVENUE K is the BEST.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/27/04 at 11:29pm

Joizey. Thanks for starting this. I laughed so hard at some of these so far. I can't stop.

We couldn't make this up. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Bulldog.

[Alix]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 12:12am

This kid at my school saw a CABARET flyer in my locker and said it pronouncing the T. I mean come on, you don't have to know anything about theater to know what a cabaret is! Thats just common sense!

[alterego]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 8:38am

In all other English speaking countries the musical Man of La Mancha, is pronounced as man-cha, yet in the U.S. you pronounce it as marn-cha. I wonder why?

I remember hearing of a story during the 80's of someone at TKTS asking for tickets for Barefoot in the Park with George.

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 8:47am

My favorites I've heard:

*"Joseph and the Amazing Coat Thingy"
*(anything involving Les Mis...always gets pronounced wrong)
*(anything AIDA, obviously)
*"Gospel" (Godspell)
*OE: When I saw Cupid and Psyche Off-Bway, my mother came to one of the shows and kept saying "So, when's Cupid and Psycho going to start?" And she was serious.
*I was talking with someone about Hello Dolly (not saying the title) and they responded, "oh...Hello....Barbra Streisand?" I totally passed out after that.

Meh...can't think of anymore. Updated On: 1/28/04 at 08:47 AM

[jesseeinstein]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 11:50am

Here's an Off-B'way one:
I was in Bat Boy over the summer, and almost everyone that I told outside of camp about it would ask the next time we spoke, "How's that Bat Man musical coming along?" After a whie it just made me groan!

[BudFrump23]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 6:12pm

The ones I've heard:

Hedwig and the Angry Inch became: Hedgewig and the Angry Itch.

Then there was: A Funny Thing Happened In The Forum.

And finally: The Scarlet Pimp

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/28/04 at 7:13pm

wow these are too funny! My dad actually said Cabaret with a T a while ago. I got really mad. He hates Cabaret, but still. No excuse.