Unpopular opinions you hold — Page 45

Ragtime is very much a product if its time, coming after the overstuffed 80's extravaganzas.

The Les Mis tour has been in Vancouver the last couple weeks and I won a lottery ticket for last Sunday night. ($80CAD for a lottery seat!)  I've only seen it once before.  I fell asleep then & I fell asleep in the second act again this time.  How is any of that show realistic.  But people love it.

As for why Mother marries Tateh:

Updated On: 3/30/26 at 09:17 AM

I think Audra McDonald as Rose was one of the worst performances I have seen in my life. Overacted , horribly sung and needed a straight jacket. 

I love bootlegs and to the Bootleggers I say thanks!

I hate Les Mix...boring , dreary long and slow..

I loved Starlight express

Tyne Daly was the best Rose ever!!

 

Although I understand why everyone gets very irritated with the intrusions of a particular BWW poster who keeps on changing user names, I often find the two or three or four posts reacting to him to be more obtrusive then the original offending post.

For Starters:

I think Lin Manuel Miranda is completely overrated, and won't go see anything he's in or created

That this online hate for Laura Osnes is completely unwarranted and is hypocritical of a liberal accepting position.

That Cats: The Jellicle Ball is a terrible piece of trash, and to me comes across as some sort of dress up that kids would put on.

That Beauty and the Beast should not have closed for Little Mermaid.

That the quality of Broadway has been rushed in the last 5 Ish years and needs more development before coming to Broadway.

That the boycott of Scott Rudin only prevented audiences from experiencing some major Broadway "events"

She escaped again, your honor.

theatrekid3302 said: "I have a lot

Cats: the Jellicle Ball looks terrible and should not even be considered a Broadway Show

Diana: the Musical WAS FANTASTIC

I LOVED Queen of Versailles

Lin Manuel Miranda is OVERRATED

Aladdin is Meh and never should have shut down Mary Poppins which SHOULD BE REVIVED

Two Strangers was AWFUL

Lost Boys should win Best Musical

Broadway has been going downhill and downhill fast the first couple of years and shows like Cats: Jellicle Ball, In Transit, Two Strangers, and Strange Loop are the reason why. Big Orchestras, extravagant sets, and a level of SOPHISTICATION is what Broadway needs. Ragtime what a breath of fresh air!!

Kinky Boots should come back Off-Broadway what a fun show!!

Jersey Boys is HORRIBLE

The Little Mermaid Original Broadway Production is FAR SUPERIOR to the cheap looking won done at Papermill and other regional theaters nowadays

They should make a Titanic Musical based on the movie (Titanique does not count)"

Besides these takes largely being bad (because what do you mean a musical playing on Broadway shouldn't even be considered a Broadway show??? what do you mean Strange Loop isn't sophisticated and is the problem with Broadway????), most here will remember that they tried to bring Kinky Boots back Off-Broadway just a few years ago and it flopped majorly.

Updated On: 5/9/26 at 01:36 AM

Unpopular to those above: I thought Cats:Jellicle Ball was as dramaturgically successful as any piece of theater. 
 

Titanique, however, was unsuccessful to me as theater, comedy, or musical revue. 

bwayphreak234 said: "While I appreciate Cats: The Jellicle Ball and respect and admire the approach taken, it was not for me. I found it to be chaotic, and, at the end of the day, it's still Cats."

bwayphreak234 said: "While I appreciate Cats: The Jellicle Ball and respect and admire the approach taken, it was not for me. I found it to be chaotic, and, at the end of the day, it's still Cats."

Your opinion may not be as "unpopular" as you think. I've never appreciated "Cats". I believe there is substance behind the long-standing sarcasm of the phrase, "better than 'Cats'".

Although I can, and will always support drag queens, my preferences lie completely outside of, and away from that world.

I can't imagine a more repellent idea to me than combining "Cats" with the world of drag.

If there is any enjoyment to be had for me, it's only in seeing the joy it brings to those who do appreciate it. 

Updated On: 5/9/26 at 09:09 AM

John Adams said: "Although I can, and will always support drag queens, my preferences lie completelyoutside of, and away from that world.

I can't imagine a more repellent idea to me than combining "Cats" with the world of drag.

If there is any enjoyment to be had for me, it's only in seeing the joy it brings to those whodoappreciate it."

Just for clarification, there are no (well maybe 1 w/ Jennyanydots) Drag Queens in Jellicle Ball. 

John Adams said: "
P.S.If there are no drag queens in Jellicle Ball, doesn't that make the show an example of cultural appropriation?

In keeping with the theme of this thread, here's an additional, unpopular opinion:

If the show shouldn't be mistaken as an example of cultural appropriation, and wants to respect the "queer lens and Ball culture", shouldn't all those cats be performing "in dog"?"

Drag is not synonymous with Ballroom. There are Drag Queens who perform in Ballroom, but they are not required. It's majority Black/Brown/Queer/Trans and that is what you see on that stage. Its directed, choreographed, costumed, performed (about a third of the cast) by Ballroom Performers.

TheatreFan4 said: "Drag is not synonymous with Ballroom. There are Drag Queens who perform in Ballroom, but they are not required. It's majority Black/Brown/Queer/Trans and that is what you see on that stage. Its directed, choreographed, costumed, performed (about a third of the cast) by Ballroom Performers."

Although I'm still not a fan, I'm very grateful to be more educated about Ballroom culture than I was before this conversation. Thanks so much!!

P.S.: Prior to our conversation, my introductory "history lesson" re: Ballroom culture was the documentary, "Paris is Burning" which featured drag, and drag performers more heavily than (apparently) Jellicle Ball does. E.g., PiB's Wikipedia page mentions the judging criteria to include: "Contestants are judged on criteria including their dance talent, the aesthetic beauty of their clothing, and the "realness" of their drag - i.e., their ability to pass as a member of the stereotype, gender, or sex they are portraying."

Additionally, the Wikipedia page on "Ball culture" cites: "The Ballroom scene (also known as the Ballroom community, Ballroom culture, or just Ballroom) is an African-American and Latin underground LGBTQ+ subculture. The scene traces its origins to the drag balls of the mid-19th century United States, such as those hosted by William Dorsey Swann, a formerly enslaved Black man in Washington D.C.. By the early 20th century, integrated drag balls were popular in cities such as New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Philadelphia."

Granted, there's been an evolution in understanding the differences and definitions for, and between drag, transgender, and gender roles since the mid-80s, but doesn't the persistent and decidedly specific inclusion of the adjective "drag" imply that drag has (at very least, in the past) played a more significant role than it currently holds in the Jellicle Ball production?

Your thoughts? (Thanks in advance!)

Updated On: 5/14/26 at 09:39 AM

John Adams said: "TheatreFan4 said: "Drag is not synonymous with Ballroom. There are Drag Queens who perform in Ballroom, but they are not required. It's majority Black/Brown/Queer/Trans and that is what you see on that stage. Its directed, choreographed, costumed, performed (about a third of the cast) by Ballroom Performers."

Although I'm still not a fan, I'm very grateful to be more educated about Ballroom culture than I was before this conversation. Thanks so much!!"

Can one fairly describe themselves as not being a fan if they don't really know what ballroom is?