What Shows Do You Think Closed Before It's Prime

I really think The Last Five Years was a gem that should have been around for a long time.
I also miss The Full Monty.
Why did the Last Five Years close so soon. I own the cd now and the music is wonderful.
Bring back The Last Five Years!

Updated On: 10/23/03 at 10:20 PM

I'm sorry you felt that way. I loved The Last Five Years.

I own the soundtrack to AMOUR, and the music is just enchanting. I can't imagine why the show closed after so few performances.

Two words:

Hollywood Arms

I loved that show. Damn the fact that more people weren't interested in it.

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I own the soundtrack to AMOUR

I did not see that film. I am surprised it made it to the big screen since it did not do too well on Broadway.

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Man Of La Mancha!!! That show was fabulous.

Well, aside from the obvious beloved flops (Side Show anyone?!), I have to say Reefer Madness closed way to early.

Last Five Years was one of the worst productions of a musical I've ever seen. Loved the music, story was fine, but the direction...

Hmm...

The Last Five Years was slow to get the word out, and the physical production did not serve the show as well as it could have. Norbert and Sherie were phenomenal in the show, but the premise and the score were given short shrift in the reviews and people didn't exactly flock to see it. (The abuse levied against it now should not be dignified with a response.) I think the direction of the show really kept a certain distance between the characters and many in the audience, even though I loved it. My opinion of L5Y actually skyrocketed in the sense that it became one of my favorite shows ever after seeing a much better directed production in Philadelphia this past March. I think it's just now finding its real life.

Amour was a lovely little show. It never had the appeal of a Broadway show, and I don't know why it was mounted there instead of in a little theatre Off-Broadway where it would've seemed right. The biggest problem was how astoundingly tacky and non-special the show's chief special effect seemed. The cast was wonderful. I have to pick up the OBCR sometime soon...

I missed tick, tick...BOOM! to my great sadness; it's one of my favorite scores. I have a feeling it'll live on in new productions, though - it's in the spirit of the piece.

Interestingly, these shows all have a lot of promise for many productions after their big closings. Maybe that's the way of the new innovative musicals? I kind of hope so, if it means that artists can still make money without worrying about bowing and scraping to the commercial Broadway machine.

-Wayne

The Witches of Eastwick, although struggled just into its second year, closed before its prime. It's another one of those shows, like The Last Five Years, that everyone who likes musical theater listens to and recognises its hit potential, but sadly out of theatre circles it didn't do well.

The CIVIL WAR... now that is a show to remember. I have been telling some of my theater friends we need to open a theater in Gettysburg and do The Civil War there. I think it would be a great great idea.
I love the music from that show and get misty everytime I heard the ending...

Ah THE LAST 5 YEARS. I saw the show and HATED it. With a passion. Was incredibly disappointed. The next day, a friend (who loved the show) gave me the cd and I adored the material. I think it's a very difficult show to produce. Although many people loved the two leads Off-Broadway, I did not. Don't get me wrong, I think they are both frighteningly talented, but I felt very important things were missing from their performances. Did anyone really buy that Sherie Renee Scott is meek? And did anyone really see the charmer in Norbert Leo Butz? I did not. The show doesn't need a clever design...it kinda needs no design. It doesn't need complex staging. It needs simple, straightforward direction to get to the heart of the matter. Yes, these are neurotic, self-indulgent New Yorkers whose marriage is falling apart. Big f*cking deal. With heart and warmth, the show could be very moving. The off-Broadway production had none of that.

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There was a wonderful musical in the mid 80's called The Human Comedy. They had transfered it from the public theater to Broadway where it quickly folded. There were also things about Paul Simons Graceleand that I loved. I wish it had had a out of town tryout.

I saw THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK in London shortly after it opened. It was one of the most entertaining shows I've seen. A great showcase for all 3 women plus Ian McShane as Darryl. I was sad to hear that it closed after little more than a year. I did think, though, that it was a fairly "American" show. Not the British didn't get it, just that Americans might've enjoyed it more. I don't know . . . I've heard about the readings they've done of it though. Hopefully something will come of it and we can get a Broadway production. Or at least a major regional one at Paper Mill or something.