The Most overrated and underrated musicals — Page 5

icecreambenjamin said: "I think everything on that list is idiotic, but Book of Mormon. It may be goofy and vulgar, but it still has a great score. I also think it's one of the best modern mega musicals.
The producers on the other hand, was pretty bad. As was the god awful Spamalot and Young Frankenstein.
"

Yeah, I have no idea how Spamalot beat out both Spelling Bee and The Light in the Piazza

theatreguy12 said: "I know I've mentioned it before, but Urinetown is the only musical I have ever left at intermission. In a musical rich with messages, I just didn't care what they were.

I wasn't all that impressed with Jekyll and Hyde either. Beautiful music with great performances. The story, as I recall, left us with no real sympathetic characters to be honest, so I just didn't care what happened to any of them. :L(

I have friends who loved both of them, and I know they both ran for a healthy period.



"

Really? I mean, even if you didn't like the book of Urinetown, the direction of the original in my opinion is enough to make anyone stay for the second act.

Overrated: RENT, Cats, Phantom, Wicked

Underrated: The Producers (this was never meant to be the next great American musical, just because it was not a cultural masterpiece doesn't mean it wasn't a fun show with a fun score and an outstanding book), The Light in the Piazza, Legally Blonde, Assassins

Nope. Just didn't do it for me. In fact, I was there with three friends and we all decided we didn't care to stay for the second act and decided to go grab dinner instead. Needless to say those weren't the friends who liked it. I did have others who did though.

Randomlink1 said: "theatreguy12 said: "I know I've mentioned it before, but Urinetown is the only musical I have ever left at intermission. In a musical rich with messages, I just didn't care what they were.

I wasn't all that impressed with Jekyll and Hyde either. Beautiful music with great performances. The story, as I recall, left us with no real sympathetic characters to be honest, so I just didn't care what happened to any of them. :L(

I have friends who loved both of them, and I know they both ran for a healthy period.



"

Really? I mean, even if you didn't like the book of Urinetown, the direction of the original in my opinion is enough to make anyone stay for the second act.



"

I have to wonder how The Producers could be considered "underrated".

I think Elf is too cutesy-pie and the characters are cardboard. Yet, because it is a Christmas show, it gets revived year after year. I'd therefore have to call Elf overrated.

I'm getting ready to duck the people throwing rotten tomatoes at me, but I found Hedwig incomprehensible and boring -- overrated.

I'd call Jekyll & Hyde and Flashdance overrated, except that I haven't heard too many people say they like them. However, I will give "Once Upon a Dream" credit for being a beautiful ballad.

As far as underrated shows go, I'd have to say the Yeston & Kopit Phantom. It could use some pruning, but the score is lovely. Also, when Tony winners can't get their show to Broadway, even though many people review it favorably in regional productions, that's got to mean it's underrated.

Overrated: Dear Evan Hansen, The music is really bland and boring imo. Sunday in the Park with George is also really boring to me.

Underrated: Xanadu

Updated On: 12/27/16 at 09:35 PM

I take "underrated/overrated" to mean nothing more than that I enjoyed a show more or less than most people seemed to. In that respect, I think Kinky Boots is overrated and Lysistrata Jones was underrated. The truth is, I enjoyed both shows quite a bit. Between the two of them, Kinky Boots has the better score, but Lysistrata Jones had a better, more original book (Kinky Boots is somewhat predictable Fierstein).

I consider both shows to be in the same league - enjoyable, even meaningful, but not fully satisfying. However, Kinky Boots won much acclaim and many awards, while Lysistrata Jones was widely condemned on this board and died a quick death on Broadway, which is why I consider the former "overrated" and the latter "underrated."

I forgot to mention "Cats" (the original production) as overrated.



So I'm sitting in the audience, fading in and out of consciousness, when I hear the guy behind me softly snoring. I'm thinking, "I know just how you feel, pal." I guess his friend must have poked him, because he stopped soon after. So I poke Jane next to me, whispering, "Did you hear the guy behind me snoring?"



And Jane goes, "Huh? What??"



I'd woken her up(!)



So if you count, say, the 6 people closest to you, the ones you are most aware of in a theatre, fully HALF (counting me) were asleep during the show.



Sounds about right to me.

icecreambenjamin said: "Reading this thread, some people have freaking terrible taste.

Whoever said that DEH and Sunday are overrated and bland and then proceeded to say that Xanadu is underrated, thanks for a good laugh. I've realized that some people are just hopeless. Some people would rather stuff themselves with commercial junk. It's sad and not a good sign for the future of theatre.



You know, it's possible for people to enjoy stuff that isn't commercial junk, but simply not enjoy those two particular examples. Do you like every non-commercial show?

Updated On: 1/8/17 at 03:53 PM

I can read, yes. If there's some kind of hidden message there, then no, I'm afraid I couldn't crack your code. Seems pretty straightforward to me, though. You're saying you love DEH and Sunday and anyone who would prefer to watch Xanadu is an unwashed philistine. That is what you're saying, isn't it? I just want to be clear that you're as much of an elitist snob as you come across.

No, don't block me! How will I ever learn the difference between good and bad theatre without you?!!!!!