what is the most overrated musical of all time- Page 5

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/6/13 at 3:57am

After reading this entire thread, it basically comes down to
"one man's overrated show is another's masterpiece."

[chewy5000]

Posted: 1/6/13 at 4:25am

Oliver!

[alterego]

Posted: 1/6/13 at 7:14am

Overated? It has to be Les Miserables...or Rent, no Les Miserables.

[michellek45]

Posted: 1/6/13 at 11:11am

There are the commercial shows I feel are overrated (Wicked, Phantom) and then the more serious shows I think are overrated (Once, Company). I don't mind the vastly overrated commercial ones as much, because they usually either fail hilariously a la Phantom or manage to produce some sort of entertainment, whether through songs or spectacle, like Wicked. But the serious, art shows just put me to sleep. Once bored me; I wouldn't call the action and song subtextual, but more abstract, which just doesn't tend to move me as much. Company is what I call a "point" show: one that exists to tell you a lesson rather than to tell you a story. That sort of thing tends to annoy me, and without characters I can connect to/care about, my attention starts to wander.

[wonkit]

Posted: 1/6/13 at 7:17pm

OLIVER? Ever seen it performed by a good cast? It is touching and impressive. Lots of memorable songs, but, more importantly, if well performed, the Dickens characters are worth watching.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 11:54am

Wicked, Mamma Mia, Cats.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 12:14pm

“Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Mis,” and “The Book of Mormon.”

“Phantom” is dull and uninspired. I am always surprised that this is a tourist favorite and one of the shows “non-theatre people” will actually attend.

I adore much of the music from “Les Mis,” but the show is overwrought and much too long. However, the thing that turns me off the most is that I have a hard time caring for any of the characters. I only ever TRULY care about Fantine. I want good for Jean Valjean (and, occasionally Eponine, if played well), but really could take them or leave them. If I was more invested in these character’s lives I think I would be able to swallow the excess of emotion, but, because I don’t, the songs feel less like characters expressing themselves and more like a place for composers to insert some beautifully written works.

The hype surrounding “The Book of Mormon” is insane. It’s a fine show, but not the “Best Musical of the Century.” I think that quote and their constant use of it (not that I blame their marketing team for using it!) and the money people are willing to spend to see it makes “The Book of Mormon” number one in most overrated musical for me.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 1:31pm

because they usually either fail hilariously a la Phantom

I wish I could write a "failure" such as that. I bet most musical theatre composers do. Sounds like its only failure was not impressing a very small minority. Otherwise, it's been one of the most successful musicals ever. Was its failure hilarious because it wasn't a failure?

[newintown]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 1:50pm

"Failure" can mean things other than $$ (although in America, we're taught that money is the only measure of success). You do know that many people mock Phantom of the Opera as amateurish low-brow nonsense posing as high art, don't you? Not just a "very small minority."

[Hank]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 6:49pm

Once, Book of Mormon, Memphis (do we see a patern here?) all deserve dishonerable mention, but for all time:
CATS

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 7:14pm

Sorry , Newintown, I'm not buying it. There isn't a single show in existence that a group of people cannot fault. We see it here every single day. That does not make Phantom a "failure".

It's been running for over 20 years, people flock to it, it's made oodles of money -- how do YOU define "success"?

However, may god strike me with some of the failure you claim it to be.

(and please note: I can't stand Phantom. I think it's pretentious and over-rated, but in no reality does that equal FAILURE.)

[chewy5000]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 7:18pm

Memphis is barely even rated, let alone over.

[broadwayfever]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 7:55pm

How can Wicked and Next to Normal be overrated when neither of them won the Tony Award for Best Musical?

In fact, most critics said Wicked would never make it on Broadway. It just goes to show that critics and haters are usually wrong.

[binau]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 7:57pm

next to normal won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, is very popular on this forum in terms of word of mouth and is currently one of the most performed shows regionally. It is highly rated, so it can be overrated. The Tony Award for Best Musical is only one criterion in which a show is rated by others.

Updated On: 1/7/13 at 07:57 PM

[broadwayfever]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 8:10pm

Overrated is a term that is used by haters and critics who have personal issues.

[Pauly3]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 8:59pm

Quite a number of people mock Phantom of the Opera, but whatever that number is it is completely inconsequential in comparison to the number that laud their approval of the show. The sustained support isn't because of a fad....it has been going on for more than a quarter century. Its success is unprecedented. How many countries (not just America) have "delighted" their audiences with Phantom productions and outsold anything before or since Phantom came along? It's not just about money...millions of people simply love it and find great joy in experiencing it. What other stage show (or any entertainment vehicle) has been as successful globally?

Overrated? Yeah, OK, maybe. But you want to associate failure with this show? Good luck with that.

[PTOPhan]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 9:00pm

Most overrated? As in undeserved critical acclaim? As in huge publicity and ticket demand, despite lack of critical acclaim or despite story, script, or musical problems? As in staying power for a long run or a revival despite similar problems? Overrated as in being pretentious or simplistic or shallow, but people don’t notice? (Gosh, I’m giving away the fact that I’m a lawyer based on my insistence on parsing the word. )

Depending on which form of being overrated someone means, here are my nominations: “Spiderman, Turn off the Dark,” which I haven’t seen. I’m nominating it because it cost a fortune to stage, and appears to have been designed as a spectacle to showcase gee-whiz effects.

The Sound of Music, Anything Goes, and Annie, because they’re so darned CORNY.

Oklahoma and Annie Get Your Gun, because they’re hopelessly dated.

Jekyll and Hyde because the story is too unsophisticated for modern audiences, although it would be fine with some clever tweaking.

Grease and Bye-Bye Birdie, because, even though they’re a lot of fun, they’re shallow.

Love Never Dies, because, even though the music, singing, and staging (at least in the Australian version) were amazing, it failed to live up to its hype, probably because it managed to infuriate a bunch of Phans by contradicting their Phan-Phic Phantasies.

Rebecca, because it’s a hit in Europe and fancies itself the next Les Mis or Phantom, but can’t even manage to open on Broadway after selling a bunch of tickets.

Recent revivals of My Fair Lady, because, no matter how good the singing and dancing, the story loses much of its richness when an overweight “alte kaker” is cast as Higgins, taking away the sexual tension that pervades the original.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 9:44pm

You do know that many people mock Phantom of the Opera as amateurish low-brow nonsense posing as high art, don't you? Not just a "very small minority."

I do know that many people mock Phantom of the Opera. They are a very small minority. Especially if they refer to it as amateurish low-brow nonsense posing as high art.

[michellek45]

Posted: 1/7/13 at 10:42pm

Mister Matt, I'm more referring to the numerous plot holes and logical flaws than the music itself. Though the "DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN" gets kid of funny after the thirtieth time it's played.

[newintown]

Posted: 1/8/13 at 10:01am

"It's been running for over 20 years, people flock to it, it's made oodles of money -- how do YOU define "success"?"

I wasn't talking about my definition of anything. Matt scoffed that anyone would call Phantom a failure, simply because it's financially successful and has lots of fans.

If I have to repeat myself, I guess I have to: I said, "Failure can mean things other than $$ (although in America, we're taught that money is the only measure of success)" and that's exactly what I meant.

Another definition of success would be "artistic integrity," which is, admittedly, subjective. There are some who think paintings of cats on velvet have artistic integrity (free from irony). And there are some smart, sophisticated people who think Phantom is amateurish low-brow nonsense posing as high art.

If you love Phantom and think it's an achievement of the first rank, those others' opinions don't make you wrong; conversely, your love of the show doesn't make others wrong, either.

We can all disagree, and state our disagreements; we can also stop short before crying, "you're wrong and I'm right!" (Although many people seem to feel that any disagreement with their opinion is an automatic accusation of being wrong.)

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 1/8/13 at 2:55pm

NINE...and this piece of **** beat out Dreamgirls?...(seen here just shaking my head in amazement)...and then the movie was one of the biggest turkey's of all time...

[holdmetouchme]

Posted: 1/8/13 at 3:24pm

Cats
Spring Awakening
Light in the Piazza

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/8/13 at 5:58pm

One thing I have noticed is that most of the shows that are mentioned numerous times in this thread, are shows that have had a run of over 5+ years.
There's a trend on these boards, if the show reaches a large audience, it's crap. If it flops but gains critical acclaim, it's art.

[NewYorkPulse24]

Posted: 1/8/13 at 7:16pm

Cats, Lion King, & Chicago.
Theyre lives were/are too long for what they are

[PTOPhan]

Posted: 1/8/13 at 9:08pm

Fingerlakessinger says: One thing I have noticed is that most of the shows that are mentioned numerous times in this thread, are shows that have had a run of over 5+ years.

Quite seriously, that's probably because, if they flop, those of us outside NY are unlikely to have seen them. The touring shows are the ones that don't flop, and many of us put out the fortune required for a trip to NY to see a Broadway musical only after it turns out to be a hit.