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

[regnad kcin]

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?

[robinycus2]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 12:30pm

Prettybelle

[jpbran]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 12:49pm

Bat Boy and (newly) Toxic Avenger perhaps.

[Dantes]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 12:50pm

Carrie
Taboo
Hedwig

[philly03]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 1:05pm

Jekyll & HYDE, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Carrie

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 1:47pm

Side Show

[WOSQ]

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.

[Pocketsquared Fanadu]

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

[title of show]!

[once a month]

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

Starmites

anything with Charles Busch-musical or not

[romgitsean]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 2:04pm

All those above, plus Anyone Can Whistle.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 2:22pm

Rocky Horror
Dance of the Vampires

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 2:25pm

Evil Dead: The Musical

[ggersten]

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.

[JRybka]

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...

[regnad kcin]

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.

[JRybka]

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.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 4:40pm

RACHEL LILY ROSENBLUM AND DON'T YOU EVER FORGET IT

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 4:51pm

Isn't Signature already doing [title of show] this year? Or is that Arena?

[Disneyland Magic Man]

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.

[romgitsean]

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.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 6:24pm

The original Follies

Than you have the dogs like

Dude
Senator Joe
Via Galactica

[JRybka]

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)

[Disneyland Magic Man]

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?

[orangeskittles]

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.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 1/15/10 at 8:35pm

1. THE FIRST WIVES CLUB
2. SPRING AWAKENING


















3. [title of show]
4. Wicked
5. Mamma Mia

Updated On: 1/15/10 at 08:35 PM