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Worst 'Best Musical'

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JudyDenmark
#50Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/7/16 at 4:40pm

Kinky Boots. The book makes me cringe so much. Show, don't tell. 

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TFMH18
#51Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/7/16 at 5:34pm

I cannot believe how little love (well, hate) Gentleman's Guide has gotten! Oh my god, that show was wretched and exemplified how truly, truly weak a season that was. Imagine that show in the running for a single award this year-- ha!

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yankeefan7
#52Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/7/16 at 6:50pm

"Also, why on earth would a beautiful and talented young woman fall for an illiterate man? It was insulting to me as a woman to imply that any man will do. If I were African-American, I would probably be insulted by the probably unintended implication that an illiterate white man is good enough for a black woman."

 

Huey was not illiterate and maybe she "fell" for him because he jump started her career. If my memory is correct, she left him and was to marry another man in the end of the show.

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ljay889
#53Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/7/16 at 6:54pm

I was bored out of my mind at Gentleman's Guide, but it wasn't cringeworthy like Memphis. 

Ranger Tom
#54Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/7/16 at 7:23pm

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Phantom

Kinky Boots

BroadwayMan5
#55Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/7/16 at 9:30pm

Contact

Kinky Boots

And I will always hate Rent though I recognize its impact

KnewItWhenIWasInFron
#56Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/7/16 at 10:26pm

Add me to Team Memphis. Yuck.

Fosse76
#57Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/7/16 at 11:18pm

yankeefan7 said: "Huey was not illiterate"

 

Did you even see the show? He is absolutely illiterate. 

Jarethan
#58Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/7/16 at 11:26pm

In order of my dislike / hatred:

CATS

Two Gentlemen From Verona -- The biggest joke ever.  Against the historic production of Follies.  I hated this show before it beat Follies.

Fun Home -- Dreary!  Dreary!  Dreary!  Sad, since I loved Finding Neverland, AAIP, Something Different and The Visit.

Big River -- won in what was probably the single worst year ever for musicals

FOSSE -- Maybe the most pretentious show I have ever seen.  Won in a very mediocre year.

City of Angels -- I was bored out of my mind.  And this beat Grand Hotel!!

Once -- I liked some parts quite a bit, but overall was pretty bored.  Of course, I didn't like Newsies, either.

 

There is probably something that I am forgetting, but I can't think of it.  I think Memphis' win was due primarily to being in a poor season (Clearly, here were a lot of people who loved FELA...I was not one of them).  I enjoyed Sunset Blvd. and thought the score was among ALW's best.  I loved Will Rogers Follies and thought its win was appropriate, although I enjoyed Miss Saigon immensely.

 

 

Wayman_Wong
#59Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/8/16 at 12:51am

"Memphis" deserves much more credit than it's getting here. The 2009-2010 Broadway season featured about a dozen new musicals. Among them: "American Idiot," "Come Fly Away" and "Fela!" - all of which got raves from the N.Y. Times. "Memphis" also got its share of raves. Michael Kuchwara of Associated Press called it "exhilarating ... the very essence of what a Broadway musical should be." John Simon of Bloomberg News: "I guarantee you a rambunctious good time, highlighted by rousing music and singing, spectacular dancing, and a witty, moving story."

"Memphis" won the Triple Crown of Best Musical awards from the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama Desk and the Tonys. It ran for nearly 1,200 performances, outlasting all of its competitors from that year. "Memphis" also was filmed for national showings (Fathom Events), and after it aired on PBS as part of the "Great Performances" series, it earned an Emmy. When it was produced in London, it received 8 Olivier nominations, matching its 8 Tony nominations, and it won 2 of them. It also won Best New Musical from WhatsOnStage (aka Theatregoers' Choice Awards).

You may not like "Memphis," but a lotta audiences loved it. That's not the track record of a Worst musical, but a Best one.

Updated On: 6/8/16 at 12:51 AM

Pauly3
#60Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/8/16 at 1:48am

AHLiebross said: "Here's another vote for "Memphis." The dancing and choreography were great, but I agree that everything was predictable. Also, why on earth would a beautiful and talented young woman fall for an illiterate man? It was insulting to me as a woman to imply that any man will do. If I were African-American, I would probably be insulted by the probably unintended implication that an illiterate white man is good enough for a black woman."

 

The answer to your question comes very easily.  A beautiful and talented woman might fall for an illiterate man who she did not define based solely on the man's lack of literacy.

Also, what part of the story stated or implied that any man will do?

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AHLiebross
#61Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/8/16 at 2:16am

Pauly3 writes: What part of the story stated or implied that any man will do?

It's not stated explicitly that "any man will do," but it goes back to Huey's illiteracy. I don't recall if he was uneducated or dyslexic (a term that was probably unknown at that time), but not being able to read would seem to be a deal breaker for most educated women.I saw nothing in him to make up for this serious flaw.

If a desirable woman gets together with an undesirable man in any fictitious story, without an explanation of why, I take that as a subliminal message that women should and will grab any man who wants them. It's the same message I get from male-oriented movies where the 60-year-old alcoholic ex-cop sleeps with a 20-year-old girl. Me Tarzan, you piece of property.

Audrey


Audrey, the Phantom Phanatic, who nonetheless would rather be Jean Valjean, who knew how to make lemonade out of lemons.

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gypsy101
#62Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/8/16 at 2:26am

AHLiebross said: "Also, why on earth would a beautiful and talented young woman fall for an illiterate man? It was insulting to me as a woman to imply that any man will do. If I were African-American, I would probably be insulted by the probably unintended implication that an illiterate white man is good enough for a black woman."

Maybe it's actually possible to fall in love with someone even if they're illiterate?


"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."

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RippedMan
#63Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/8/16 at 2:49am

Memphis has some of the most insulting lyrics. And all else was aight. But it's a bad show. 

Pauly3
#64Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/8/16 at 3:48am

AHLiebross reply:

"It's not stated explicitly that "any man will do," but it goes back to Huey's illiteracy. I don't recall if he was uneducated or dyslexic (a term that was probably unknown at that time), but not being able to read would seem to be a deal breaker for most educated women.I saw nothing in him to make up for this serious flaw."

I don't recall any indication Felicia was educated.  But even if she was, the story unfolded showing she found Huey to be kind, caring, funny, hard working and a very decent human being who didn't care one bit about her skin color (when most everyone else in the 1950's did).  That those qualities can't overcome a lack of education for you, perhaps it is not too much of a stretch that someone else, even someone educated, could.



"If a desirable woman gets together with an undesirable man in any fictitious story, without an explanation of why, I take that as a subliminal message that women should and will grab any man who wants them. It's the same message I get from male-oriented movies where the 60-year-old alcoholic ex-cop sleeps with a 20-year-old girl. Me Tarzan, you piece of property."

But with the story told in Memphis, there is plenty of explanation as to why Felicia falls for Huey.  Or am I wrong that Felicia finds Huey to be kind, caring, funny, hard working and a very decent human being?

 

 

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bandit964
#65Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/8/16 at 8:47am

Fela was FAR superior to Memphis.  It was original, entertaining, and powerful.

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BobBenson
#66Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/10/16 at 2:05am

CONTACT - That was nothing more than a glorified dance recital

 

MEMPHIS - That was just dreadful. I was embarrassed watching that bile

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BobBenson
#67Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/10/16 at 2:05am

CONTACT - That was nothing more than a glorified dance recital

 

MEMPHIS - That was just dreadful. I was embarrassed watching that bile

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BobBenson
#68Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/10/16 at 2:05am

CONTACT - That was nothing more than a glorified dance recital

 

MEMPHIS - That was just dreadful. I was embarrassed watching that bile

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ABB2357
#69Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/10/16 at 2:27am

MEMPHIS owns this thread. Putrid.

"NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA..."

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JoseLee_
#70Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/10/16 at 2:51am

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Contact

Aint Misbehavin

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BakerWilliams
#71Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/10/16 at 3:44am

Ever? Cats

Of those that I saw on Broadway with the original cast? Memphis

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rosscoe(au)
#72Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/10/16 at 6:40am

Top of the list reNt


Well I didn't want to get into it, but he's a Satanist. Every full moon he sacrifices 4 puppies to the Dark Lord and smears their blood on his paino. This should help you understand the score for Wicked a little bit more. Tazber's: Reply to Is Stephen Schwartz a Practicing Christian

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buhbuhbilly
#73Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/10/16 at 9:43am

hands down Memphis closely followed by Gentleman's Guide 

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Patash
#74Worst 'Best Musical'
Posted: 6/10/16 at 9:45am

Contact

Memphis

Once

 


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