WORST Directed Musicals You've Ever Seen

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:36pm

What musicals have you seen on Broadway that might not necessarily have been the worst or had the worst performers, but were just directed badly? Tonal problems, bad pacing, awkward blocking, roughly shaped performances...I would definitely say the recent trainwreck of a Bye Bye Birdie revival is a good example. Robert Longbottom may be great at coming up with fun, peppy dance steps for chorus boys, but when it comes to honing the performances of his mostly talented actors or making a concrete decision on whether the show should be spoof or serious, he's seriously lacking. Only a novice director would have let Bill Irwin's downright confusing traffic accident of a performance or Gina Gershon's self-conscious, cautious performance stand.

[singtopher]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:41pm

Shrek

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:43pm

WICKED!!!!! The staging doesn't even match Winnie's book. Don't even get me started on the crapfest directing of Movin' Out. Movin' Out has a thicker plot than people give it credit for, and I partially blame Twyla for making the plot seem so thin by her lack of Direction.

[lmw8880]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:54pm

The most recent revival of Jesus Christ Superstar (early 2000's). It's the only show I have ever walked out of.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 10:58pm

Singtopher, I know you have your own opinion in all but I disagree. While I don't love the show the direction is not bad. I think the main reason you are saying Shrek is simply because it's Shrek.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:00pm

Nothing in the staging of Shrek was innovative, creative, or even that interesting. The most interesting staging, from the bridge to the original finale "I Smell A Happy Ending" was cut out of town along with the song.

Updated On: 10/26/09 at 11:00 PM

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:04pm

Sure it wasn't a masterpiece but I still think many people are very unfair to the show just because of it's name. You don't think the way the stage came up and down and turned was cool at all? Or that any of the sets and costumes were creative? Sure those aren't exactly the director in charge but he certainly has a huge say in that. Personally I don't think it belongs on the WORST direction list. This is the same director as Avenue Q which most of us loved.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:07pm

This is the same director as Avenue Q which most of us loved.

I don't think Arthur Laurents did nearly as good a job directing West Side Story (which I don't even dislike as much as some people on the board did) as he did Gypsy. Good directors make mistakes, too.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:11pm

Personally, I think Moore did a fine job. He did the right thing for the production, which was clearly a "put this movie on stage" approach. I don't think it was one of the worst-directed shows ever, but it wasn't great. And I feel like you're defending it because you like it, not because you objectively feel that it is an artistic achievement.

"This is the same director as Avenue Q which most of us loved."

Yeah, and Joe Mantello directed Frankie and Johnny as well as 9 to 5. Every show is a different show, you can't give a writer or director slack in one project because a previous project was superb.

Just sayin', gurl.

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:12pm

9 to 5.

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:15pm

I didn't see it on Broadway but just before it got there. Three Penny Opera with Sting. Ugh.

[James885]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:16pm

The Little Mermaid
Little Women

Joe Mantello's direction for Wicked is pretty bad, but I don't think it's the worst I've seen. I thought his direction for the recent Odd Couple revival was much worse.

[philly03]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:18pm

A Tale of Two Cities
Shrek
Jekyll & HYDE on Broadway

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:28pm

LITTLE ME (Roundabout revival some year ago),THE MAGIC SHOW,
REX,BRING BACK BIRDIE, AIN'T BROADWAY GRANT,3 PENNY OPERA (Richard Foreman),and (SORRY) RENT.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:28pm

That musical about the guy who had Tourette's Syndrome by the guy who wrote "You Light Up My Life"

[B3TA07]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:31pm

In My Life! Yesssss lemon musical

[willrogers2008]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:32pm

Oh yes ! I've forget to put in the list this one !

[Gothampc]

Posted: 10/26/09 at 11:58pm

Nick and Nora (Arthur Laurents was directing and writing so it's really a combination of both). But you know something's wrong when you have a cast of Barry Bostwick, Joanna Gleason, Christine Baranski, Debra Monk, Faith Prince, Remak Ramsey and Chris Sarandon but the dog and the motorized furniture get the biggest applause.

Steel Pier (aka They Shoot Musicals Don't They?) - Watching Karen Ziemba was like watching paint dry. The faster she moved those gams, the worse it got. It was really only watchable for Debra Monk and Kristin Chenoweth. Act 1 closed with the entire cast running around in a circle. Think of all the thrilling Act 1 endings: "A New Argentina" in Evita, "Everything's Coming Up Roses" in Gypsy, "One" in A Chorus Line and then think of Karen Ziemba, Debra Monk and Kristin Chenoweth running around in a circle.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 12:02am

"Watching Karen Ziemba was like watching paint dry. The faster she moved those gams, the worse it got. It was really only watchable for Debra Monk and Kristin Chenoweth. Act 1 closed with the entire cast running around in a circle. Think of all the thrilling Act 1 endings: "A New Argentina" in Evita, "Everything's Coming Up Roses" in Gypsy, "One" in A Chorus Line and then think of Karen Ziemba, Debra Monk and Kristin Chenoweth running around in a circle."

... well, you COULD be watching Karen Ziemba, Barbra Walsh and Sheryl Lee Ralph getting outrageous/contagious, if that's any consolation...

P
Updated On: 10/27/09 at 12:02 AM

[matineeidol2013]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 12:06am

hahahahhaahhaah hilarious!

so why do people say little women was so awful? i was the show when cincinatti's mt program did it last year, yes the book was pretty much in shambles, but what was so bad about its direction on broadway?

[Tsao5]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 12:09am

Without a doubt the London production of Batboy. Never have I seen a show with such misguided and unfocused direction. One just left the theater thinking.....................CRAP! I should have seen Blood Brothers again.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 12:23am

Lestat

[jonmbway4652]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 12:47am

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake and Wicked

[tommigyrl5]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 1:04am

As much as I LOOOOVED the music and th performances....and as much I related personally to one of the characters, I thought Next to Normal was directed HORRIBLY!!!

I know people will attack this, but the simple fact that I couldn't see ANYTHING from my rush seat in the front row - makes it horrible direction. There were no diagonals. No strength in stage pictures....it was all on straight lines. All you saw were the actors in profile..IF YOU SAW THEM AT ALL! A show can't be directed to ONLY be viewed from the middle orch. Michael got lucky with Rent. In my opinion. I think he is HORRIBLE!


Also...I know its off-bway, but I thought RUINED was horribly directed. Kate Whorisky (sp) can only craft moments. Not arcs which is more than a tad necessary.

[dayao]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 1:05am

Anything misdirected by John Doyle, especially COMPANY.