Worst broadway shows you've seen- Page 6

[JQuad882]

Posted: 8/16/14 at 5:45pm

I usually get some serious side eye for these but either Anything Goes (boring except for the tap numbers) or Bring it On (entertaining but an overall train wreck).

[Addison D.]

Posted: 8/16/14 at 6:18pm

I agree strongly with Newintown, who said:

"I think every play I've seen...has had something interesting to offer, even if they're so ridiculous as to offer unintended laughter (Prymate); and there are those musicals that are also bad in ways that let you laugh at them (Dance of the Vampires)."

Surely, one man's poison is another man's cure. My reaction to the shows listed thus far has ranged from agreement to mild perplexity to slack-jawed bewilderment.

My personal least enjoyable nights at the theater:

Frogs
Prymate (I had forgotten about it until this thread. I hope it will disappear again)
Conversations with my Father

I've only ever walked out of one show, however--the unforgivable, inexcusable Starlight Express

Updated On: 8/16/14 at 06:18 PM

[The Josh]

Posted: 8/17/14 at 2:34am

The Addams Family, and the recent revival of Car on a Hot Tin Roof.

[Gmerchant123]

Posted: 8/17/14 at 3:35pm

Cinderella! The Book was horrid and the rude audience didn't make it much better.

[Karen Cartwright]

Posted: 8/18/14 at 11:11pm

Recently, I'll go with "Gentleman's Guide". I thought the staging, the set, the acting and the book were fine - but the music was SUCH a snooze for me. I couldn't remember a single song when I left the theatre.

Take the music out of it, and it would have been a stellar play. But as a musical? Yawn.

I'll throw in "Titanic" and "Martin Guerre". That said, I did like "Side Show" and "The Life", so what do I know?

[Corine2]

Posted: 8/19/14 at 12:25am

I have seen many but here are the worst:
1. Prymate
2.Bklyn The Musical
3.J and Hyde ( Both versions)
4.IF Then
5. Thou Shalt Not
6. Suzanne Somers one woman show.
7. In My Life.

Updated On: 8/19/14 at 12:25 AM

[IndyTheatreGeek]

Posted: 8/19/14 at 12:28am

Karen Cartwright said, "I'll throw in "Titanic" and "Martin Guerre""

The way Martin Guerre was bastardized for the US made it unwatchable. I thoroughly enjoyed the show when I saw it in London. I've seen a number of shows that were much better before being doctored for American audiences. But the Brits sometimes also take a good show and turn it into dreck a la Rent Remixed.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 8/19/14 at 12:34am

Gmerchant, I hope you're joking because there is plenty of shows that are FAR WORSE than CINDERELLA, and when someone calls it "the worst show ever" my head will spin rapidly in a 360 causing it to fly and will join the choir invisible.

JK

[Timmer]

Posted: 8/19/14 at 5:50pm

Baby and Pacific Overtures, for starters.

[MrFerriero]

Posted: 8/19/14 at 7:41pm

Revival of Jekyll & Hyde. Was the only show I've ever seen that I wanted to leave at intermission and didn't because I love the confrontation so much. Then to see what they did to it ... UGG!
The audible laughs from throughout the audience.
BTW: I love Rocky, Lysistrata Jones and a few others on this list :)
Also - didn't care for Leap of Faith yet, it is one of my most played on my iPod. Go figure!

[theatredk]

Posted: 8/19/14 at 8:19pm

Street Corner Symphony [OB]
Five Guys named Moe [OL]
Grease [90s & 2008 Revivals]
Jekyll & Hyde [OB]

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 8/19/14 at 9:14pm

I'm surprised at how often PASSION appears on these lists. Not that people dislike the show; I know that all too well as my husband hates it so badly he has asked me not to play the OBC album when he is home!

But surely the track record of its creators is enough to prove they knew and did exactly what they wanted to do. And, personally, I can't help but admire the sheer audacity of creating a work in which the characters, sets and even the leading lady's costumes are so unattractive.

To me, a "bad" show, is one that aims far beyond the abilities of its creators or aims too low and fails to achieve even that:

THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1970s version)
MARTIN GUERRE (though I laughed all through it at the unintended homoeroticism)
A DOLL'S LIFE (what WERE they thinking?! I even asked!)
ME AND JULIET (Hammerstein tries to be Hart and fails miserably)
KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN (I am offended by what it does to the brilliant source material).

But like it or not, PASSION is exactly what it wants to be. Nobody has to "enjoy" it (I'm not sure it's meant to be enjoyed in the traditional sense of the word), but we should all appreciate the effort.