The Underrated Thread

I know there've been posts about the individual topics, but I had just been thinking about underrated shows and had the idea for the thread. I'd do overrated, but I figured it'd be nice to have more of a positive thread. :)

Most Underrated Recent Broadway Actor: Aaron Lazar. (He was so wonderful in Piazza.)
Most Underrated All-Time Broadway Actor: hmm. not sure.

Most Underrated Recent Broadway Actress: Lisa Brescia
Most Underrated All-Time Broadway Actress: Michele Lee

Most Underrated Recent Musical Score: (Dramatic)- The Woman In White; (Comedic)- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Most Underrated All-Time Musical Score: Baby. (In the sense that because the book is so bad, the show is forgotten and not often produced so people don't know about it. But that score is pure gold in my opinion)

Most Underrated Recent Broadway Show: Legally Blonde, Side Show, Steel Pier
Most Underrated All-Time Broadway Show: Sweet Charity


And I'm using "All-Time" loosely. Clearly, I don't think Baby has the best score in the history of theater. I just wanted to include recent shows/performers and ones from the past.

Feel free to add more categories (Directors, Composers, Scenic Design... etc.) if you have opinions on them and to explain your choices if you want, I'd love to hear what everyone thinks. :)

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SWEET CHARITY was not an under-rated show. This musical, starring the beloved Gwen Verdon, received 2 rave reviews, 3 favorable reviews and only 1 unfavorable review from the NY daily newspapers. The show was helped tremendously by Bob Fosse as the director and choreographer and he won the Tony for Best Choreographer. SWEET CHARITY ran for 608 performances and recouped its investment. Today 608 performances does not seem like much, but in the 1960's it was considered to be a moderate success.

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I always thought Ragtime was grossly underrated. The score is practically perfect.

Edit: Forgot to mention Grey Gardens. If ever a show closed too soon, it's that one.

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Updated On: 12/28/08 at 01:39 PM

Unless Leigh Ann was pinching your arm or kicking your shins at the time, it was Laura Benanti who made you cry listening to "Little Lamb".

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LOL Smaxie


I have to agree with Grey Gardens.

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I totally agree with The Secret Garden. Fantastic score!

I think Katie Rose Clarke is absolutely fantastic and definitely underrated.

I'll just do recent because I don't want to think that much:

Most Underrated Recent Broadway Actor: Brian d'Arcy James

Most Underrated Recent Broadway Actress: Megan McGinnis/Brynn O'Malley

Most Underrated Recent Musical Score(Dramatic): Parade

Most Underrated Recent Musical Score(Comedic): Bat Boy

Most Underrated Recent Broadway Show: Side Show

Most Underrated Recent Off-Broadway Show: A New Brain

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Updated On: 10/3/09 at 09:42 PM

Woman in White is certainly in my top list for many things that are underrated, especially score. The production as a whole was overshadowed by Andrew Lloyd Webber being Andrew Lloyd Webber and sickness which is also a shame!

Let's not forget that Woman in White was practically the first major production (with obvious help from Jane Eyre ~ The Musical if I'm not mistaken) to depend almost entirely on projection-scenic backdrops, in which it was bashed and the recent SUNDAY inthe PARK with GEORGE got almost entirely praised upon for them(which was more than deserving!).

And I too feel that LB is underrated...many people over look it (I certainly did until I finally saw it!) and shouldn't!

McGinnis and Jill Paice are so underrated! Maybe with a new Paice project she won't be,...but still many people didn't "recognize" her for her work in WiW or Curtains! She's a terrific performer though so I'm sure I'll be changing my words one day :)! And McGinnis was just so sadly underlooked with the Les Mis revival but she was a great Eponine!

ashley0139-

How is Legally Blonde overrated? Just because it's not a "serious" musical?

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I LOVE The Woman In White's score. I just find it to be really beautiful. So we'll just have to disagree there.

But I couldn't agree more about Brescia. Not to overlook the astounding work done by Maria Friedman in the show, but Lisa Brescia was captivating. And I'm obsessed with her voice.

And I agree with you about Little Women. Over time, and repeat cast album listenings, its slowly become one of my favorites.

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^Or at least nominated... I think it's ridiculous that Chita Rivera was nominated for her revue performance, while Friedman was completely overlooked. I don't know why no one really points that out.

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