What were your biggest theatrical disappointments of the season... — Page 2

GeorgeandDot said: "Sounds like you all saw Benanti when she was sick because her voice was in immaculate shape when I saw it. As far as I know, Benanti was not sick when I saw it. I wouldn't assume that. People can have different opinions on how good someones voice is without having to make excuses like saying they were sick.

Lear was a massive disappointment. Especially Jackson who I've just decided I'm not much of a fan of. The design was odd, but surprisingly aesthetically pleasing however.

Tootsie was also a disappointment. The score was bad, the dessign was bad, the choreography was bad, and the book was fine. The performances, however, were phenomenal all around, which I think is the only thing keeping it afloat." I can't tell you a single song in Tootsie that stood out in my mind.

King Lear and Laura Benanti in My Fair Lady

My biggest disappointment was King Lear, for many of the reasons already stated in this thread. My biggest pleasant surprise was Head Over Heels, which was only my third favorite musical of the season, but which I enjoyed immensely despite not being that much of a Go-Go's fan.

Burn This for the surprising lack of nuance by Mr. Driver, and the lack of general stagecraft by Ms. Russell.

Network for turning Chayefsky's cracking screenplay into a stultifying night of theatre, outside of Mr. Cranston's performance. I hope that Ms. Maslany's next stage role yields more positive results.

I can't say that Beetlejuice was a disappointment, because I wasn't expecting much. Having said, aside from a couple dynamo performances (Caruso, Kritzer) and the astonishing technical aspects, I was surprised by how hollow and unfunny it was.

Updated On: 6/6/19 at 09:43 AM

magictodo123 said: "Don't jump down my throat, but...Kiss Me, Kate! I just couldn't get into it. I loved some of the songs and there were standout performances, of course, but I didn't enjoy it. "



I didnt mention this but I knew it wouldnt match any expectation going in It’s directed by Scott Ellis - a major musicals assassin

Definitely agree that This Ain't No Disco was a huge disappointment I expected so much better. Also disappointments: Tootsie and Superhero. For Superhero, I was expecting Tom Kitt to blow me out of the water with his songs, but the show just didn't come together. That book by John Logan was surprisingly weak. With Tootsie, I was skeptical about the premise but hopeful because of David Yazbek. Ugh. What a letdown.

Beetlejuice, The Prom, and The Cher Show were the biggest surprises for me. I went in expecting to hate/tolerate them, and ended up loving them.

There were productions I liked far, far less, but given my love of Van Hove, Cranston, and the source material, I expected Network to be brilliant, and I ended up finding it flat, boring, and not all that well acted. Maslany was way off. Goldwyn was flat. And Cranston...yes, he was very good. But by the word on the street, I was expecting to be blown away. Maybe my expectations were just set too high.



And then even though I had very low expectations as it was, that first preview of Pretty Woman was stultifying. I can't believe it made it to NY. I can't believe it's still running. I can't believe poor Eric Andersen has to rap. It's one thing to go in thinking something won't be good and having your expectations matched (King Kong). But when you don't think it's going to be good, and it STILL manages to shock you with its awfulness. That's some extra level bad!

Broadway-The Cher Show. There's a reason it got so few nods. It was better in Chicago and that isn't saying much. The book is atrocious. When you find yourself bored in a show about Cher, you screwed the pooch. The costumes, choreo are divine and SJB is giving a master class. Aside from that, a snooze. You can even tell the ensemble is tired, bored and over it from their Instagram posts. A totally lost opportunity. They should have waited until she passed so she wasn't sticking her nose in it. They tacked on that tacky Mamma Mia finale because Cher demanded it.

Off-Broadway. Daddy. What a steaming turd. It sold out the run prior to opening based on Cumming, promised nudity and a pool. The set was best part. A convoluted mess. They need to stop giving that kid so much money and let his words speak for themselves without all the bells and whistles. We'll see what he does next.

Alex Kulak2 said: "I cannot understand why The Prom is so successful. Is it just one of those shows where the songs suck? I have tried to listen to the soundtrack 5 times now, and I can't get past It's Not About Me. The songs with the actors are so over the top and pretentious, and the songs with the teenagers are so inorganic and insipid."

Yes, I am going there.... The show does not have a soundtrack but it does have an Original Broadway Cast Recording (OBCR)

Updated On: 6/7/19 at 11:30 PM

bandit964 said: "Disappointed by:
-Ink
-The B Side...


Far exceeded my expectations:
-Octet
-Frankie & Johnny..."

Act I of "Ink" exceeded my expectations, but Act II disappointed (it got so preachy)

Going to "Octet" end of June with great expectations...hope I'm not disappointed.

Updated On: 6/7/19 at 12:57 PM