Worst Best Musical? — Page 4

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE.

Followed closely by

THE PRODUCERS and THE LION KING.

I agree with everyone it has to be Thoroughly Modern Millie. I was so disappointed after I saw that and then to give the Tony award to Sutton Foster whose character was something out or a bad rerun of Get Smart. Mamma Mia! I though deserved the tony that year and so did Louise Petre for best actress.

I really think that The Producers is the most overrated, but I cant say it is the worst to ever win.

My least favorite was definitely Will Rogers Follies. I hated every minute of it and wanted to smack the eye patch off the guy in the balcony...Keith Carradine was wonderful, tho. Once on this Island or Secret Garden shouldve won that year.

Also terrible is Applause, but only saw the television version so dont feel right voting for it...Purlie should've won the Tony.

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I'm still surprised at how many people list Pajama Game as a "worst show." That doesn't make sense to me.

...And no, not everything old is fantastic or brilliant or "automatically good" (as someone alluded to). But not everything new or recent is "the best thing ever" either.

It's a very successful show that spawned several pop hits and Broadway standards (Hey There, Steam Heat, Hernando's Hideaway), it told a simple but entertaining story, and was the first time that an entire stage show was choreographed by Fosse using his "new" unorthodox defining style. People found it charming and entertaining. You'd be hard pressed to find ANYONE around back then that thought it was a BAD choice for Best Musical, let alone one of the worst choices EVER.

The upcoming revival will have its work cut out for it, though... I mean, Babe is hardly Norma Rae, fighting for a 7.5 cent raise (per hour) for her fellow workers as head of the "grievance committee." Sally Field & co. kinda blew that story out of the water for all time. It does feel like a giant step backwards to visit the plot of Pajama Game. But that's NOW... not THEN.

I would just encourage all of you to think about the history of the era when a show debuted. Artistic "timing" is crucial for theatre and a particular show's success or failure. Many old shows would be laughed at if they made their debut now "as is," and in turn, many of today's "modern" shows would be boo'ed off the stage for their weak or badly constructed storylines or (especially) inferior lyrics.

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Updated On: 11/7/05 at 10:46 AM

Fosse, hands down...I saw in previews, granted, but it wasn't even performed well, much less conceived well.

I really enjoyed Titanic....except the cheesy first act curtain with the tiny boat.
Hated The Life and Steel Pier.

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I would have to say Spamalot. It was up against: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels which was amazing and Light in the Piazza which won best book and best score, how can something that didn't win either win Best Musical??????

Spelling Bee won Best Book, remember?
And yes, that show is miles better than Spamalot too.

And another yes to The Producers being overrated.
I enjoyed it more than Spamalot, though.

~Steven

'Contact' - Very energetic and the music was familiar but it wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination, a musical.

"I agree with everyone it has to be Thoroughly Modern Millie. I was so disappointed after I saw that and then to give the Tony award to Sutton Foster whose character was something out or a bad rerun of Get Smart. Mamma Mia! I though deserved the tony that year and so did Louise Petre for best actress."

That is one of the scariest things I have ever read...