Because I am only able to see 15 - 18 shows a year in NYC, I generally avoid shows which receive bad reviews or generally bad reviews on this board (unless I purchased them in advance because of a star actor or author). So, you won't see China Doll or Getting the Band Back Together or Amazing Grace or etc. on my list...cuz I didn't see them.
I am taking a different approach: what shows did I dislike the most in the past decade, regardless of awards, rave reviews, etc.
They include:
-- Bullets Over Broadway. IMO nothing worked in this show, and I got angrier as the performance went on. The character that was played in the movie by Jennifer Tilly gave (not in a good way as was Jennifer) one of the two or three most annoying performances I have ever seen. I have assumed that was entirely Woody Allen's fault. They just ruined a delightful movie, and committed the ultimate sin of making it a total bore.
-- Spiderman. I liked the sets, costumes, and the limited flying. There was one gorgeous visual with women on swings. Can't remember precisely, but I assume they were weaving a web. Liked nothing else.
-- Fun Home...liked the album, really disliked the show. I do not think CITS did this show a favor. I felt like I was always looking at people's backs.
-- Hadestown...bored out of my mind for the the latter 2/3 of the show. The only thing I liked about it was Andre de Shields and some of the direction, which was at times beautiful. I have always truly hated bass voices, so I wanted to scream every time Patrick Page opened his mouth. FOR ME, it was just unrelentlessly dreary.
-- Catch Me if You Can. Poor design approach, crummy score. I thought NLB was too over the top, despite the Tony (in a weak year) and I thought Aaron Tveit had no charisma. (I still don't think Tveit has much charisma, but enjoyed him much better in Moulin Rouge.
-- Tootsie. Great book and terrific performances, undone by a rotten score, lousy choreography (hard to choreograph to lousy music), poor direction and really cheesy sets. May have been the worst overture I have heard since seeing some stinkers in the late sixties. I barely remembered it 15 minutes after the performance, beyond reflecting on just how bad the Act 1 closing number was. I suspect it would be very high on my list of 'worst Act 1 closing numbers ever.'
-- ADH Part 2...IMO an outline for a potentially great play, but produced as a Cliff Notes version of what that great play might have been. No, not even a Cliff Notes version...there should have been more meat in the script from which to create additional Cliff Notes. I wonder if Hnath is capable of writing a real, 'full-length' play.
-- Gary...I wanted to leave 10 minutes into the show. I thought the concept was great, but the execution went for too many cheap laughs. Plus, I didn't understand a word Julie White said the entire night. I did like the sets and Kristin Nielsen, but you can only be entertained by the sets for so long, and Neilsen -- who made me laugh more than once -- was not enough to save it. It is impossible to dislike a Nathan Lane performances and this was no exception.
-- Single White Men. I thought there was material for a much better show about a father and his sons, one of whom was desperately in need of help, etc.. I never really understood the point of the 2 'commenters', other than to make us feel either uncomfortable or self-congratulatory for 'accepting them' as they are.
-- Romeo and Juliet. I simply do not get the appeal of Condola Rashad. I was unimpressed with her in Trip to Bountiful, ADHP2 (I actually thought she was bad), and R&J. If neither Romeo or Juliet are particularly good in their roles, it is really hard to get beyond that.
Gary and Bullets are tied for the worst for me. I kept on thinking what other shows I could be seeing instead of them. My wife enjoyed both of them...mildly.
PS -- I loved Enron
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