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What musicals do you consider to be "cult musicals?"

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#1

What musicals do you consider to be "cult musicals?"

Posted: 1/15/10 at 12:19pm

Signature Theatre in Virginia is considering doing a "cult musical" next year. That led to a discussion of what is considered to be a cult musical. Hedwig and Rocky Horror come imediately to mind, and Chess always seems to be identified as a cult musical. What musicals do you consider to be cult musicals?
#7

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 1:58pm

To me, a "cult" musical is one that may have things to recommend it, usually a good score, but the show did not achieve success. The book or the staging or both may have been fatal and caused the show to come up short.

Often it becomes a "cult" show by having not been actually seen by very many people who know it only through a recording or hearsay.

Anyone Can Whistle is a perfect example.



"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable." --Carrie Fisher
#8

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 2:03pm

[title of show]!
The last vampire is the mother of all vampires and that is the vampire of despair. It'll wake you up at 4am to say things like: Who do you think you are kidding? You look like a fool! No matter how hard you try, you'll never be good enough! Why is it that if some dude walked up to me on the subway platform and said these things, I'd think he was a mentally ill as-h-le, but if the vampire inside my head says it,It's the voice of reason! DIE VAMPIRE, DIE--[SUSAN in tos]
#13

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 3:16pm

Flight of the Lawnchair Man.

I also think of "cult" as being "off" of "different" and thus not appreciated in original incarnation, but has developed a rabid following who actually revel in the original's flaws. I don't know that Return to Forbidden Planet would count as "cult" if you consider its British Theatre awards, but in the US, maybe it does.



#14

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 3:22pm

...oh my god if they did CARRIE I think I would just die and go to heaven...

I love the Signature (I live in Washington, DC) and wish I could see everything they do...
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
#15

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 3:51pm

I doubt that Signature is considering Carrie, since there was just recently the reading in New York with Sutton Foster, Marin Mazzi and Molly Ranson.
#16

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 4:01pm

Actually.. that is why I would think that they would consider it. Signature has done some major "cult" stuff. They did the amazing Wicked of Eastwick. They have done other world premiers. And we all know Eric is the darling of the GWW right now (Great White Way) and the TONY AWARDS (having just won one).... It would be pretty awesome.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
#19

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 5:13pm

Ooh, Carrie is perfect.

Especially since it's rumored that the producers behind the current workshop have backed out.

Eric Schaeffer is known to be a show doctor (Big national tour, revisions to The Fix, etc). It'd be right up his alley.
#20

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 5:34pm

See, the thing with Carrie is the rights are unavailable and have not been given to anyone (except for Emerson College, and Stage Door did their production illegally, but the creators got wind of the production and actually showed up and okayed it), but both Emerson and Stage Door are very regarded performing arts venues and their chances of getting the rights were okay.

But community and regional theatres are screwed-unless they have a REALLY good reputation. Many a theatre have been denied to do Carrie: The Musical. Some have gotten away with it, others haven't.

If the theatre wants to even bother writing (although there's a 95% chance they'll get denied) they should keep a first second and third idea down and not get too dead-set on the idea.

For more information about rights for Carrie, you can PM me on it, as I am pretty knowledgeable on the subject.
Recent Broadway and Off-Broadway:: Carrie, Merrily, Ionescopade
Next On The List :: Clybourne Park, Once, Streetcar, BOM
#22

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 7:02pm

I still think they could/should CARRIE. I would pee myself! And see the show every night. And the Signature in VA is a VERY well respected theater, romgitsean. They won the TONY this year and they have had a show that went to Broadway (albeit it was a flop)
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
#23

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 7:22pm

Yeah, the Signature isn't a normal regional house. And Eric Schaeffer isn't a normal director.

He was brought in to fix Big for the national tour. Which became successful. And then Cameron Mackintosh let him fix "The Fix" for the US premiere AT the Signature which got rave reviews. He even convinced the authors of The Witches Of Eastwick to let him tinker some more (he was the original director in London) for a US premiere, and the rights weren't available here.

I feel like given current circumstances, the authors seem willing to visit the material again, why not Carrie?
#24

What musicals do you consider to be 'cult musicals?'

Posted: 1/15/10 at 8:33pm

I can't believe someone just ranked Stage Door Manor summer camp for spoiled pubescent theatre geeks as a more "well regarded performing arts venue" than the Tony winning Signature Theatre.
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

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