Yes it's funny, and makes fun of Broadway; but thats no reason for it to win more Tony's than anything else. And I don't think the score is that memorable at all.
Almost all of the longer-running shows with a rabid fan base, are certain to make some theater goers scratch their heads and wonder what all of the fuss is about.
You can't sling a dead cat without hitting SOMEONE who thinks that Wicked, RENT, The Producers, Phantom, Cats or many other shows, are wildly overrated.
And since it's all just a matter of opinion, everyone is right.
without a shadow of a doubt, my opinions is that.....
SPAMALOT
is terribly overrated. it drives me insane. as a glorified piece of re-used cabaret and cliche, it's marvellous but to recognised as broadways best musical of the 2005 season? ah, WRONG.
i have to slightly agree with people saying CATS too. i enjoy some of the numbers, but there are enough in there as well to break even.
"...But Kungurtseva reels off multiple fouettes and the tape is stopped so she can take a bow. The Jester, an abomination introduced to Swan Lake in Soviet times, extorts applause from the audience. The cuts don't help the storytelling, the production is bare bones and they go for the '50s-style happy ending.
The audience cheers like mad at the end. It's the Russian ballet, after all..."
I'd have to go with "The Producers". I see I am not alone in the opinion that this show is:
BORING
I couldn't believe how little I liked the show. I was expecting a Tony award winning show and instead got a show with two hams cavorting onstage between overblown, "look at me, I can use props in my choreography" dance numbers that were in no way original or amusing.
Well, the bratwurst hat was amusing. But that's IT!!
"My dreams, watching me said, one to the other...this life has let us down."
i don't agree with your analysis of the producers, but neverthe less i found it hilarious
very, very funny, i can see where you're coming from. i feel much the same about spamalot
oh...i'm still laughing. thank you, you made my day!
"...But Kungurtseva reels off multiple fouettes and the tape is stopped so she can take a bow. The Jester, an abomination introduced to Swan Lake in Soviet times, extorts applause from the audience. The cuts don't help the storytelling, the production is bare bones and they go for the '50s-style happy ending.
The audience cheers like mad at the end. It's the Russian ballet, after all..."
(Martha Graham from a letter to Agnes de Mille) "There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening That is translated through you into action, And because there is only one of you in all time, This expression is unique. If you block it, It will never exist through any other medium And be lost. The world will never have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, Nor how valuable it is, Nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours, clearly and directly, To keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware Directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, A blessed unrest that keeps us marching And makes us more alive than others."
Anyone who has listened to the CD of "The Producers" has virtually no surprises awaiting upon attending the show. And, by the way, is there anyone who gets the urge to play that CD to uncover the elusive riches of Brooks' score after having heard it a couple of times? In retrospect, I find the other three musicals that were up for the Tony that year -- "Jane Eyre," "Full Monty," and "Class Act" -- were all more rewarding shows.
------- "We Drink Your Blood And Then We Eat Your Soul, Nothings Gonna Stop Us Let The Bad Times Roll"
-------"Past The Point Of No Return, No Backward Glances, Abandon Thought And Let The Dream Begin"
my first trip to the city (when I was 12, and many of you were not yet born) included the hot ticket Phantom, and I was so excited I couldn't sleep the night before. Well, I made up for it by sleeping through half the show. I was so let down I honestly cried to my parents, "I thought Broadway was going to be so much better!"
Now, about The Producers: I don't think it's overrated! I think it is the funniest show I've ever seen! (5 times, including the London production) Even better than the original film!
Anyone who has listened to the CD of "The Producers" has virtually no surprises awaiting upon attending the show. And, by the way, is there anyone who gets the urge to play that CD to uncover the elusive riches of Brooks' score after having heard it a couple of times?
I agree completely - after all the hype, I was let down by a dreadfully boring score (albeit orchestrated to perfection) and a script that only just stop short of screaming "Look, isn't all this funny!" I don't think it was a bad show and I enjoyed it, but IMO it didn't warrent such lavish praise.
Rent. Saw some of the OBC in London. Still don't get it. Sorry
Yes, I agree with all of the obligatory responses, most notably PHANTOM
I can't believe someone listed THE GRAPES OF WRATH! That was one (actually two, because I went back to see it again) of my most favorite experiences of seeing a Broadway show. The acting (Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney, Lois Smith, Sally Murphy) was phenomenal. Amazing ensemble cast. Wonderful direction, set design, lighting, etc. The final sequence with Rose of Shar'n breast feeding the dying man in the barn knocked my socks off with one of the slowest fades to black ever! It made me (and the entire audience) leap to its feet.
Fortunately, PBS recorded this Tony-winning production, but on the same note, it's unfortunate that the direction of the televised version lost a lot of the magic of seeing it live. The way it was shot, you couldn't see the set and how cleverly it was designed.
Oh, one more completely overrated show... SUNSET BOULEVARD (also known as "The Worst BEST MUSICAL Ever!)
Itty Bitty Geisha?
Toyland?
Gypsy Pasadoble?
Just a few popular favorites...