Worst Worst Musical- Page 3

[phantom_tenor]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 5:26am

Does anyone know anything about The Ten Commandments in Hollywood, starring Val Kilmer?

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 5:40am

Notre Dame de Paris. Just awful. And it's just as trite and inconsequential in French as well

Tess of the d'Urbervilles - London 1999. Never let a second-rate opera composer compose for musical theatre. The score was a dirge that just went on . . . and on . . . and on . . .
Updated On: 11/8/05 at 05:40 AM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 6:01am

We are all, of course, entitled to our opinions, but I would never voice my opinion in mixed company if I thought that a set classic like Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, The Music Man, or Kiss Me Kate was the worst musical. It would only serve to show how limited my exposure to musicals is and my absolute disregard for what are considered without question the classics of the musical theatre canon.

Just some good advice! :)

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 6:03am

Also, the question was worst worst musical---not worst production of a musical. Knowing the distinction between a musical and the production of a musical is important.

Another valuable distinction: like and good/dislike and bad.

Updated On: 11/8/05 at 06:03 AM

[amperage]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 7:39am

Shogun
Rage of the Heart
Angel

[Esparzafan]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 11:57am

Definitely In My Life but let's not forget The Blonde In the Thunderbird (ok, not a musical, but Suzanne Somers did sing).

[crazyfangirl]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 12:20pm

Ok... wait... is the questions Worst Musical Ever or Musicals We've Hated? Cause I think those are two totally different questions.

So ok, musicals that are probably some of the worst in (recent) history (although I haven't seen them)
- Dance of the Vampires
- Carrie
- Urban Cowboy
- Dracula

Musicals I have hated (in no particular order)

- Wonderful Town. Oh good god, I hated it. HATED. IT. I think at one point I even fell asleep. Granted, Donna Murphy is funny, talented, but... what the hell was the point of Wonderful Town? Why were we supposed to care about these characters? It struck me as silly and boring and incredibly stupid.

- AIDA. Oh, Disney. Don't ever do anything like this again. Please. I beg of you. Just...don't. The book was silly, the lyrics were silly, and that's fine if you're GOING FOR silly. But here is this musical trying to be serious with these doomed lovers and all I can think of is... why are these people dancing with bamboo sticks?

- BKLYN. Where do I even begin? The book? The lyrics? The direction? I don't know. That poor, poor cast. They're all talented, but... this was just a train wreck. And at times, it was an embarrassing train wreck because it wasn't like just a regular train wrech where it was a bunch of crap on stage--it was a bunch of crap on stage with a hugely talented cast. Especially that one scene, where....no. Nevermind. All bad. Can't even pick out a good one.

- OKLAHOMA/MUSIC MAN. I am lumping these together because I know they're both old-school favorites, but I am just not a fan. I don't like the lyrics, I don't like the characters, I don't care for the story, both of them bore me to tears. The Music Man, specifically, I have only seen one version of--the updated Disney version, with Chenoweth and Broderick. And Chenoweth and Debra Monk were the only good things about it, in my opinion. But then again, I am not a fan of the Disney remakes in general. I imagine the original is better.

[theatreboi11]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 12:26pm

Lennon
Good Vibrations
All Shook Up
Brooklyn
Phantom of the Opera
Aida- Very very disappointed!!!

[cathywellerstein]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 12:32pm

should i be concerned that i love tons of these so-called "worst worst" musicals?

but maybe it's just because i love broadway in general. i rarely see a show that i totally hate. i don't think i could ever see Brooklyn ever again, but i don't think it was the worst thing i had ever seen.

maybe i'm just an optimist and can find the good things about a show.

but i love: dracula, dance of the vampires, lennon, all shook up, phantom, aida....

i haven't seen In My Life, but i bet there are things that i would like about it.
Updated On: 11/8/05 at 12:32 PM

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 12:40pm

I think the most painful experience I have ever encountered on Broadway was TITANIC.

Posted: 11/8/05 at 12:51pm

Um, have you all forgotten about CARRIE, THE MUSICAL? Poor Betty Buckley. It closed in a week. As did LEGS DIAMOND (altho we'll be kind and not blame Peter Allen on that)

[WonderBoy]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 1:14pm

LEGS DIAMOND ran for 64 performances and was actually a good show. The book needed help though.

[Wicked_fan]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 1:41pm

I'm gonna have to agree with anyone who said Kiss Me Kate or Titanic...

both are so terrible.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 1:44pm

crazyfangirl--the tv movie of The Music Man was DREADFUL. Not a place to form a definitive opinion. I am thinking that some of you have made definitive opinions based on bad productions of said classic.

And in the end, what you should all know as a student of/lover of theatre is that despite your opinion, shows like Oklahoma!, The Music Man and Kiss Me Kate are considered GREAT writing. So, despite your opinion, know this for your own good.

Updated On: 11/8/05 at 01:44 PM

[StageManager2]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 1:49pm

I agree with those who listed PASSION. I recently discovered Sondheim and after having seen the DVDs of SWEENEY TODD and INTO THE WOODS, I naturally wanted to see PASSION. My GOd! What a bore! The music was dreadful! I realize that Sondheim's music is an acquired taste, but I just couldn't get into it. It seemed as if the actors were given lines and told to make up the tune as they go along... kind of like when I irritate my family by respoding everything in a sing-song voice.

[Ruth Sherwood]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 1:51pm

Crazyfangirl- I think the point of "Wonderful Town" was merely to escape reality and have fun for a few hours. There is nothing deep about it, and there wasn't supposed to be. It's a typical old-fashioned musical that is meant as escapist entertainment and nothing more.

As for my worst worst musical, I would have to say "Dracula". This doesn't count, because it has been successful, but I think one of the worst times I've had in a Theatre recently, was "Wicked," though it was not as bad as "Dracula."

[crazyfangirl]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 1:53pm

Thanks, jrb. I know it was awful. My mother walked in as I was watching it, (one of her favorite movie musicals is the original) saw 10 minutes, said, "this is dreck and I will not stand for it," and walked out of the room. I still don't care for the music, though. I mean, in any sense.

And hey, KerrieS, I mentioned CARRIE! lol.

I always wondered about TITANIC but I never saw it. But this was way before I had moved to NYC, and I remember seeing the OCR in the music store and thinking, "they made a musical about WHAT? Wrong. Just WRONG all over."

So. Years later, when I moved here, one of my house managers said he'd seen TITANIC and said what he decided afterwards was that the orchestrations were pretty, but that it was just impossible to compose any kind of musical about something so tragic like that. it would be like, 9/11: The Musical! It's just too much sadness, too much needless loss, and how do you convey the enormity and brevity of that on a Broadway stage? He said something about how, at the end, everyone comes back to sing (or something,) and there is this lovely white gauzy curtain to represent that these people have died, and my house manager turned to his friend and said, in an ironic tone, "Oh, how tragic. 11 people died on the Titanic."

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 1:57pm

That just makes me want to weep hearing anyone refer to the score to The Music Man in the negative.

What's that song from Bye Bye Birdie?

Updated On: 11/8/05 at 01:57 PM

[crazyfangirl]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 2:07pm

Oh, poor JRB. Ok, Ok, uhh.... I like "Goodnight My Someone," but only the version Chenoweth sung (ironic, because the remake is otherwise just rubbish.) I just prefer her voice to any other version of the song I've heard. On the OTHER hand, you can give me "Easy Street" as sung by Bernadette Peters, Tim Curry, and Carol Burnett ANY day over the one Chenoweth sung with Cummings and Kathy Bates in the remake. :: shudders thinking of the ANNIE remake ::

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 2:10pm

If you are saying that you did not like Shirley Jones' rendition from the original film, I am tearing my eyes out!!!!

[Broadway_Boy]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 2:28pm

DRACULA

[musicalmjk]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 2:28pm

Camelot, it seems like it is too long. It's just a dry musical. it's front loaded with songs and then you have dialogue for a hour and then the next song, intermission, a song, dialogue for 3 hours and then a song.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 2:30pm

This thread makes me cry...

Some of my favourite shows, STAPLES of musical theatre, up there with the likes of Brooklyn and Good Vibrations.

What the hell is wrong with people that listed The Music Man, Kiss Me, Kate, Oklahoma, Phantom, Passion...

Some of these aren't my favourite shows, and I don't much like Phantom at all, but none of them are NEAR the top of a list of worst musicals...

And I think PASSION is one of Sondheim's finest scores. There is such intense beauty in it, and Fosca is one of the best characters in Musical Theatre. I cried when I saw this the first time...cried...

[mcphan19]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 2:45pm

The Civil War - interesting concept, bad staging; it did have some good songs though

Brooklyn - couldn't stand Eden's shrill voice in the commercials, and the concept was awful. I originally thought it might be about the borough, not a person

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - does anyone remember this show? The marquee was up longer than the show was running!

Good Vibrations, Lennon - "jukebox" musicals that should have not been made

In My Life - bizarre story, not so memorable songs (despite what the radio ads tell you), but gets points for being an "original" story (I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing)

[MoonOnAstring]

Posted: 11/8/05 at 2:46pm

Paradox, I too think Passion is one of Sondheim's best scores. That show is so emotionally rich and beautiful, and I loved every second of it.

Camelot is also a fantastic show, in my opinion. It is deceptively simple, but if you really listen to the lyrics and the music, it is really multi-layered and complex.

Makes me very sad that these would be on any "worst" list