What Shows That Failed Do You Think Deserve A Second Chance?

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 4:44pm

My pick would be PRETTYBELLE.

PRETTYBELLE opened in Boston in 1971 with a Jule Styne/Bob Merrill score.

Angela Lansbury played a troubled housewife in the Deep South whose redneck husband locked her up in a mental instituion.

Lansbury received rave notices (as always) but critics panned the show (subject matter bothered a lot of them) and it closed out of town.

It has been recorded on CD; I do not know if it is still available.

My PRETTYBELLE personal highlight: Lansbury singing "You Never Looked Better" to dead husband at his funeral.

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 4:46pm

Dance of the Vampires DEFINITELY deserves another chance! it was so good! it's too bad it closed so quickly!

[BroadwayDiva]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 4:47pm

TABOO!

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 4:55pm

Parade, of course.

[Spooky]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 4:57pm

Urinetown
Steel Pier

[TabooWickedFan]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 4:59pm

Taboo

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:01pm

Urinetown didn't fail. It ran for nearly 1000 performances and turned a very healthy profit.

Updated On: 10/9/04 at 05:01 PM

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:04pm

Spooky,

I agree. I have only LISTENED to STEEL PIER, but it SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT SHOW.

Did you ever see it?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:08pm

I saw Steel Pier -- it made two and a half hours feel like a 6 month dance marathon....... bored me to tears.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:12pm

Taboo, Tom Sawyer, and Romance, Romance (just because I would love to have seen them)

[Matt_G]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:12pm

You really didn't miss much with TOM SAWYER. Believe me.

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:15pm

Taboo, no question. Saddens me to this day that it is gone.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:18pm

Tom Sawyer was painful to sit through.

[mominator]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:19pm

Cats and Les Miz (LOL!).... No really Taboo needed a bit more time

[Al Dente]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:19pm

My usual answer to this question, Fascinating Rhythm. If only to re-assemble that stunning and inspired cast, most of which have gone on to much success. As a matter of fact, I think every lead in the show (Michael Berresse, Darius De Haas, Adrien Lenox, Orfeh, Sara Ramirez, Patrick Wilson), has been doing rather well ever since, most notably board favorite, Patrick Wilson.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:26pm

Carrie
Chess
Tenderloin
Goldilocks
Parade
Jane Eyre
The Human Comedy
Dance of the Vampires
Hallelujah, Baby! (biggest Tony-winning flop)
The Most Happy Fella
Pipe Dream
Flora, the Red Menace
The Rink
Rags

[Chris537]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 5:59pm

Frankenstein. Does anyone remember?

[magruder]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 6:01pm

The cast recording of Prettybelle doesn't reflect exactly what was heard in Boston. The show opened with "Prettybelle" and that Overture was written for the album. "I'm In A Tree" was cut in Boston. There is an extensive "John Sweet Ballet" and an incidental song for Charlotte Rae's character that were not recorded.

I've studied that show pretty extensively and have a full tape of a performance and I'm pretty confident that "You Never Looked Better" never actually made it into the production. It was going to go in in New York, but it was never actually performed. Because it was never finished, Styne actually wrote the lyrics for the male chorus that opens the song ("Poor Leroy's gone to heaven..." etc.) expressly for the album.

Also, it's not quite accurate that the critics praised Lansbury while hating the show. Prettybelle surprised Bostonians when the normally conservative Elliot Norton raved for the production, and Kevin Kelley panned it.

[DickonDefysGravity]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 6:15pm

Hands Down:
PARADE
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 6:21pm

GOLDILOCKS! Yes!!!

Elaine Strich and Don Ameche trading one-liners (they had that nonlovesong, "No One Will Ever Love You Like You Do")

Margaret Hamilton!

Last scene: EGYPT ON THE HUDSON!

And how can you forget Russell Nype's plaintive, "Shall I Take My Heart and Go?"

Do you think Stritch is too old to give it another go?

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 6:26pm

The Wild Party (Lippa)

[Mary_Ethel]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 6:29pm

What is THE WILD PARTY? :)

[LindsayAnne]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 6:35pm

Taboo. I was all hyped up to see that one, & then it closed before I had a chance to get down to the city. *shakes fist*

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 6:49pm

I would like to have seen Thoroughly Modern Millie with a longer run. Also the revival of Gypsy and Little Shop of Horrors. I am not sure if Gypsy recouped their initial investment.

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 10/8/04 at 7:17pm

I think Taboo just needed a better, more experienced producer.