Dopers who love musical theater: what are your LEAST favorite shows (and faves)

Cafe Society
1

Self explanatory title. Just to get an idea of who has similar tastes or where your own faves/least faves rank among other Dopers, name a smattering of your all-time favorite shows and your all time least favorite.

My favorites are many and if I wrote this a week ago or again a week from now there’d be other options probably, but to mention a few just to give an idea of my taste:

Ragtime- wheeeee!

Sunset Blvd- I know it’s blasphemy, but in some ways I like this better than the movie. The way Norma almost orgasms when the spotlight hits her for the first time in 20 years is better than the same scene with Swanson. (Currently in pre-production for a movie- Streisand, Streep, and B’way’s Close are all interested in the role.)

Les Mis of course and even Miss Saigon- not as good as its full brother Les Mis, but I love the engineer’s role and the Bangkok scenes, and the Fall of Saigon has all the music that should have been at the real event. :cool:

The Producers- I just wanted to throw something frilly and silly that I like into the mix

1776- if I have to finance a production myself, I will play John Adams before I die. Oh yes, I will…

Fiddler on the Roof- if I have to finance a production myself, I will play Tevye before I die. Oh yes, I will…

My least favorites are far more resistant to change.

Sweeney Todd- I like some Sondheim and he’s undeniably a genius, but he’s hit and miss and to me this is a total miss. It’s not because it’s dark, it’s not because there are no likable characters, it’s not because there’s no really memorable song, it’s just… a miss for me, does nothing for me, one of the few musicals that I could watch in a theater and mentally balance my checkbook during the climax.

Cats- I’ve tried. I LOVE the song Memory. I like the poetry of T.S. Eliot (which, yes I know, does not include Memory). I like some of ALW’s stuff (especially the Tim Rice years) and Sunset Blvd is above, but I just can’t stand this musical. IT’S PEOPLE SINGING AND DANCING IN CAT SUITS!!!

The Return of Martin Guerre- totally the weak link in the chain of Miss S and Les Mis. Nothing memorable except the story and that I already knew.

Rent- I love some of the songs (La Vie Boheme, Glory) and I particularly love the staging, but the story and the characters sink it for me. I’ve gone into depth over it on the boards before so I won’t again, but I’ll summarise by saying they’re a bunch of whining entitled slackers that I wouldn’t want to live anywhere near and the most likable one of the bunch is Benny, the villain.

Steel Pier- I don’t detest it with any passion, but it’s just a big “Meh”, and coming from Kander & Ebb I expected a lot better.

Enough of me, what are some of your least favorites (and your favorites if you’d like to add them for contrast)?

2

PS- I’m actually more interested in your Least Favorites than your favorites, but the latter are there to give an idea of what you do like (and because I didn’t want it to be a totally critical thread).

3

I hate Guys n Dolls. I have worked on that show two different times, and I just don’t like it.

The passing of Robert Goulet reminded me of how much I love the show Camelot.

4

I love Sweeney Todd and I’m interested to see what ends up happening in the movie theater with it.

Les Mis is a favorite, for sure.

I know a lot of people will disagree, but I really liked Mamma Mia. It just is such a happy kind of show.


Definitely a no for *Cats*.  How on earth did it run for so long?  Oh well, to each their own.

I never figured out the big deal in *Rent* either.  One of my good friends has seen it over 20 times, and I was thoroughly unimpressed.

I saw a production of *The Lion King* after hearing so many good things about it.  I was really excited and was sure I would love it.  I really didn't, and I was so disappointed.

Anyone out there ever see *Taboo*??  I know it got terrible reviews, but I've never talked to anyone who actually saw it.  Anyone?
5

I haven’t seen it, but my understanding was it got great reviews and great box office in London before flopping on Broadway. I’ve wondered what the difference was (could it be Rosie O’Donnell?).

6

Least favorites:

Sunday in the Park with George. Unwatchably boring. Nothing but overwrought cliches.
Carousel. The fact that it glorifies spousal abuse is a big strike against it. But the characters are just plain stupid and unappealling and the score is one of R&H’s weakest (other than the Carousel Waltz).

Favorites:
Kiss Me Kate. Cole Porter and Shakespeare. What could be better?
A Chorus Line. The best modern musical.
The Music Man. For pure entertainment.
My Fair Lady.
Damn Yankees. Adler and Ross are the most underrated songwriting team on Broadway (now, I mean, not when they were working). The Pajama Game has a slightly better score, but probably the weakest plot in modern musicals, alas.
Chicago. Another great one, with Kander and Ebb at their best.
Annie Get Your Gun. Irving Berlin at his best.

7

I think Grease is completely annoying. It can go sit in the corner with Phantom.

It’s difficult to come up with musicals I completely hate. There are some really vile numbers in otherwise worthy shows. Anyone ever heard “The Boston Merger” in Grand Hotel? It wrested the Suckiest Musical Number Ever trophy from the previous champion, “Real Nice Clambake,” in the troubled but magnificent Carousel.

On the topic of legendarily bad shows, I’ve seen both Dance of the Vampires and Dracula: The Musical. . .and survived. I’m not saying Tanz was good, exactly, but at least it was intentionally funny and Dracula made it look even better.

I’m a Sondheim fan, but I could savor a couple of songs from Company and toss out the rest of the show. Meh.

Shows I love: Sweeney, Les Mis, 1776, Urinetown, and many, many more.

8

I will help foot the bill, if I get to play Golde

9

I didn’t know much about Cats other than its insane popularity, so I was excited when I was offered a free ticket. All I could say for the next three days was “What the fuck was that? What the hell happened? What the fuck is a genital cat?!”

I was unimpressed.

10

But, do you love me? (please watch- you’ll love it)

11

I’m not going to try to argue that setting a Molnar play into R&H World could *ever * have worked, but I can’t let that comment pass!

Weakest score ever?!?!

You’ve acknowledged the amazing Carousel Waltz, but how can you ignore “What’s the Use of Wondrin’” and “If I Loved You”? Heck, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” is still richer than chocolate, although extremely overused.

Don’t forget the park bench scene, the pinnacle of musical theatre achievement. No one has come close since.

I think Carousel was Rodgers’ best score. Hands down.

I’m ignoring the existence of Clambake. Rodgers never wrote a song about Clams. Ever.

12

Sorry for the double post, but I hd to get that comment in before anyone else jumped on Sampiro’s band wagon.

My favorite musicals include (but are not limited to) (and in no particular order)
Pippin
Little Shop Of Horrors
Fiorello
1776
Godspell
Chicago
Company (in fact, just about anything Sondheim has written with very few exceptions)
Mame
Spamalot
Hairspray
Gypsy
Promises, Promises
Candide (all 3 incarnations)
Rent
Hair
Most of the Gilbert and Sullivan ouvres (tho, technically, I suppose that doesn’t count since only Pirates ever made it to Broadway)

Least favorites include (but are not limited to) (and in no particular order)
Into the Woods
Pacific Overtures (those are the two exceptions to my Sondheim rule)
Carousel
Kismet
Most Happy Fella
Musicals I can take or leave
Oklahoma!
Kiss Me, Kate
Damn Yankees
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Spring Awakenings
South Pacific
Showboat
Cats

Roles I would give my last penny to play
Mame Dennis (or Vera Charles) (Mame)
Dolly Levy (Hello, Dolly)
Mrs Lovett (Sweeney Todd)
Rose Hovac (Gypsy)
Mama Morton (Chicago)
Joanne (Company)
“Old Woman” (Candide)
among others

13

I liked Sweeney Todd, but you’re right, there are no memorable songs. I can’t remember a single one. The mood, the look, the story–all good. But I can’t remember anything of the music.

I’m going to be a heretic and say I don’t care much for Les Miz. It’s a little too serious/heavy handed. The individual songs–I like. It’s just…I don’t know. Too much.

14

That was amazingly wonderful! :smiley: Thanks for the link!
eta: but how sad that who ever wrote the blurb thought the song originated in Dirty Dancing

15

Also great, in fact better in places, but about 5 minutes too long (and Fruma Sara in a cemetery with crosses? Excuse me?)

16

yeah, :dubious: not so much. credit, however, to the filmaker and actors.

17

I am avoiding seeing any of the Disney productions just on principle.

18

Faves:

Miss Saigon. I’ve seen the show ~20 times. I’ve listened to the soundtrack a zillion times, give or take. And I still tear up when Kim… you know… at the end.

King of Hearts: I know, you’ve never heard of it. It’s am amazing and touching musical, and it only ran for a month in 1978 before closing, and I’m one of the eight people that saw it. Don’t care. It was great.

Aspects of Love: adore the music, and the book is squicky but doesn’t hurt the experience. I mean, c’mon, 30 year old nearly sleeps with his fifteen year old cousin. What’s not to love?

Working: maybe Broadway lets me explore my hidden Leftist? Studs Terkel, set to music. It works.

Rent: Isn’t old yet. Maybe because I was a fan of La Boheme’s Mimi before Mimi Marquez was born, but the story still resonates, and damnitall, I might just go gay for Wilson Jermaine Heredia.

Whistle Down the Wind: I was one of seven poeple who liked the DC version. NOt so much the fan of the reworked Londonversion, but the main theme – searching desperately for Jesus and finding Him in a barn in the person of an almost irredeemable convict works wonders for me.

And speaking of redemption…

Les Mis: Does this even need comment?

Least faves:
I am going to omit many shows that were good in their day but simply haven’t aged well. (“A Secretary is Not a Toy,” right?)

Flower Drum Song: at one time I was a fan. But even seeing the amazing Lea Salonga in the revivial couldn’t save the show’s hackeyed “surprise” ending from falling flat. Bleh.

Cabaret: Another “I used to be a fan” experience, but this starkly depressing view of humanity just wore thin.

The Boy Friend: I Couldn’t Be Happy With You, Julie Andrews.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood: Rupert, stick to piña coladas.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold: good example of why every great novel cannot become a musical.

Cats: Shut. Up. You. Stupid. Freakin. Cats.

My One and Only: not everyone can be Anything Goes.
Truly petty and irrational dislikes:

Will Rogers Follies and Avenue Q. Because they both stole the Tony for Best Musical from its rightful winner in that year. Bastards. I hate them and their ass faces.

19

I cracked up at the cheery Fruma-Sarah singing…

20

Oooh! I love this topic!

Taboo was great! I think it was unfairly panned because of the whole Rosie thing. The music really is beautiful (“Stranger in This World,” “Petrified”) and catchy (“Freak/Ode to Attention Seekers,” “Sexual Confusion.”) Plus the cast included Euan Morton & Raul Esparza, who are both always great.

Yeah, Tanz Der Vampire is a great show, it is way different than the American adaptation Dance of the Vampires. The German version is not played for laughs and is very dark and haunting.

Speaking of shows that I feel were unjustly snubbed, both Carrie & Lestat were not actually bad shows, they each had some great music & actors, they just had horrible books and needed a lot of work. But I can honestly say that I did enjoy them.

Favorite shows of mine include:
Phantom of the Opera, I’ve seen it 14 times and still love it.
Sweeney Todd, Sondheim is a genius and this is his masterpiece.
Company, a brilliant show with some great songs.
Les Miserables, strong sweeping melodies & a powerful story.
Side Show. I just adore this little known show from 1997. The music is fun to listen to and it featured one of the most perfect casts I’ve ever seen together: Alice Ripley, Emily Skinner, Norm Lewis, Jeff McCarthy, Hugh Panaro & Ken Jennings. Every one of them a consummate professional with a beautiful voice. It’s a shame the show ran for so few performances.
Assassins
Urinetown
tick…tick… BOOM!
Martin Guerre (the 1999 version)
West Side Story
Falsettoland/March of the Falsettos
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Light in the Piazza
Little Fish
She Loves Me
A Chorus Line
Barnum

Least favorite shows:
Grease. We did it in high school and it is boring, hate the music, hate the story, can’t stand the movie.
The Most Happy Fella
Fiddler on the Roof
Xanadu. Sorry, I know it got good reviews and has quite a rabid fanbase, but it just seemed kinda stupid to me. I’ve never seen the original movie, so I guess I just don’t get the appeal.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. OK it’s cute the first time but gets old really fast.
Grey Gardens. Blasphemy, I know! The story was great, but I just did not get caught up in the music, and in my opinion, a musical succeeds or fails on the strength of the music. (Other people may feel differently.)
Frankenstein. This Off-Broadway musical just opened last week and it was so incredibly boring. I remember nothing of the songs and the story was rushed and convoluted. The actors were great though, pity they did not have strong material to work with.
The Pirate Queen
The Red Shoes. Ran for only 5 performances. Had some nice songs by Jule Styne but way too many ballet sequence and was quite boring when the actors were not singing.
Spamalot. Funny, but I’m not a Monty Python fan so it was just so/so.

I’m also not really a fan of a lot of the “classical” shows like The Sound of Music & Oklahoma! and things like that.