Why wasn't Wonderland nominated for anything!?

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 5:43pm

I read that Wonderland wasn't nominated for a single award ... why!? Was it because it lasted a month? Aren't Broadway shows still eligible to be nominated even if they're only open 5 weeks?
I think the music is terrific and the costumes are quite kick ass.

[broadway guy]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 5:44pm

Cause it sucked?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 5:49pm

It was trash. Pure trash. This is coming from a Wildhorn fan too... I would have given it a nod for orchestrations, but that's it. The set, costumes, and lighting were absolutely horrendous beyond belief.

[RENT_is_Wicked2]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:00pm

I remember seeing the world premier and Tampa 2011 productions and they were wonderful. When the show transferred to Broadway it went down the drain. Some of the most enjoyable songs became trash, and the plot was twisted around to where it was so weird and the story was hard to enjoy. The orchestrations were good and some songs did improve but that's it. Besides, out of all the costumes I liked The Hatters Act 2 costume, and Janet looked better in a dress than she did in her costume for the Bway production.

[binau]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:01pm

I still enjoy "I will prevail", even though I have no idea what it is about and sounds like a some ungodly cross between Queen and Evanescence.

[jagfkb]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:03pm

I will say though, after a recent rewatch on the site that must not be named, it's kind of a lot of ridiculous fun; you know, like in a "Rocky Horror" meets "Plan 9 from OuterSpace" type way. it's so bad, it ends up being ****ing hysterical lol

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:05pm

Janet Dacal looked like a modern day Dora the Explorer in ther Broadway costume.

[RENT_is_Wicked2]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:08pm

^^^ Yes!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:08pm

It was one of the worst shows I'd ever endured. It was right beside BROOKLYN and THOU SHALT NOT.

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:10pm

That's a real shame.
The music is amazing, I really do love it.
It should be given another chance, maybe in London - it does have HUGE potential.

[RENT_is_Wicked2]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:11pm

Well there's a production in Japan if that counts.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:32pm

Mrs R and I enjoyed it.Wildhorn gave us totally different music than he normally did but he still got ripped.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:51pm

It was a pretty bad show but it wasn't the abomination some make it out to be so that they can appear cool and "on the Wildhorn hating bandwagon".

[Kad]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 6:54pm

If there was a theatrical equivalent to the Razzies, it would've gotten a few nods.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 8:31pm

The sound design was excellent. I wasn't surprised Wonderland didn't get that nomination, but I genuinely thought it deserved the win in the category. The mix was crystal clear, balanced a lot of really fun sound effects for the various environments, and even tweaked the sound of the orchestra to match all the different genres in act one as the characters were introduced. If the whole show was a well-planned as the sound design, it would have been a hit.

Otherwise, the songs were good but didn't really do anything to advance the story. The book was strong in act one (I thought it was an adorable kids show and was excited to let my teacher friends know about a new field trip they could take) and a total mess in act two (woof). The actors did what they could to varying degrees of success (like, why cast Janet Dacal to star a musical with big dance numbers and then not have her dance? missed opportunities all over the place). The projection effects were great (the end of act one where they broke through the looking glass was great theater) but the physical sets looked cheap (cubes of bushes for various Wonderland locations and flats for rooms).

It just wasn't a very good show on Broadway.

Updated On: 6/16/13 at 08:31 PM

[philly03]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 8:47pm

The producers (rookies) got cold feet when a few reviewers reviewed the 2011 Tampa "production"/tech and decided to bring in an overhaul team (Scott Ellis & Rupert Holmes - who had been supposed working on another Wildhorn musical that has yet to happen yet).

The 2011 production was promising but would've been ripped to shreds regardless - it simply was not ready.

I am (obviously) partially biased, but how the show failed to receive a nomination for Best Choreography (it was nominated for an Astaire Award - the ONLY "award" nomination it received) or Best Orchestrations baffles me. All those different styles that came across - a shame.

Janet Dacal was the only role that could've received a nomination based on the Broadway production - and the way it was written no one could've liked that character. Yikes - all the reasons they hired her and crafted the character around being a quirky, "modern Lucille Ball" type went to sassy, self-loathing tendencies with divorced parents who get back together at the show's end. Just not realistic.

A shame - that should been Wildhorn's best received score, considering he tends to write in a "modern" style and that is his ONLY MODERN piece.

The score was excellent, I still listen to it frequently (despite on of the worst quality cast recordings ever). I will still attest to many songs getting mid-song applause, the songs really showcased the voices.

[jackieoh]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 9:00pm

It was horrendous but I thought Shindle was great.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 10:12pm

It was a different take on Alice. Seeing the story done the same way is boring. Steve Allen did one on TV years back (a musical)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 10:21pm

It was the worst musical I have ever seen on Broadway. And I saw many losers. WONDERLAND still haunts me in my dreams.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 10:22pm

To each his own

[philly03]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 10:26pm

Perhaps maybe unambitious, but I'd hardly call it the worst musical ever.

Leap of Faith, Baby It's You, and several others from recent years were much worse...

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 10:41pm

No, I saw both LEAP OF FAITH and BABY, IT'S YOU! and I'd rather see them both again over WONDERLAND. I'd rather see THE PIRATE QUEEN or SCANDALOUS. Or JEKYLL & HYDE or BONNIE & CLYDE. Or TARZAN.

[RENT_is_Wicked2]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 10:53pm

The plot just set me off. Like the scene where the Hatter and Chloe meet, or the whole Underworld conversation towards the end of the show. I hated how they changed those scenes from the originals.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 10:54pm

What happened to Darren and Janet?

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 6/16/13 at 10:54pm

philly -- with all due respect, your posts regarding Wildhorn lack any sort of credibility. Opinions can't be wrong, but they can be manipulative and delusional and warped. Yours regarding Wildhorn are just that. You're a self professed fangirl.