The show did not open with Hasselhoff in the role. The role was done on Broadway first by Robert Cuccioli, who was amazing. The versatility of his transformations between J and H was out of this world. In contrast, Hasselhoff seemed to feel that fliiping his head from one side to the other and getting a different color key and fill light scheme on him constituted “a new character.”
Other greats in the original Broadway production were George Merritt (of “Big River” fame, who signed my Playbook!) and Christiane Noll, who was also an amazing Ellen in Miss Saigon.
So while it’s not perhaps an “all time” great, I think it deserves a bit more praise.
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I’m perfectly willing to believe that David Hasselhoff was a black hole of talent, sucking all that was good from that musical.
For the Glory: This is the Frank Wildhorn musical about the Civil War (it used to be called “The Civil War”). A lot of Wildhorn’s stuff is pretty bad, but this is not.
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Thanks for this info. I’ve actually tried to find the soundtrack to this for a listen and was almost convinced I’d imagined it- they changed the name then. If it’s the one I’m thinking of it features one of the actors from Our American Cousin on the night Lincoln was shot as the narrator.
[QUOTE=Sampiro]
Thanks for this info. I’ve actually tried to find the soundtrack to this for a listen and was almost convinced I’d imagined it- they changed the name then. If it’s the one I’m thinking of it features one of the actors from Our American Cousin on the night Lincoln was shot as the narrator.
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Brief musical theatre geek digression:
It’s possible that at one time, it did… I know the Wildhorn version has been rewritten and reconceived about a thousand times. The version that played on Broadway bombed pretty quickly. Two summers ago, they cut it down, took out some songs and added a few others, and put the whole thing up under the title For the Glory at a theatre in Gettysburg, PA.
The cast recording is hard to find because it doesn’t exist; the Broadway show closed too quickly, I guess. There is a studio recording of songs from the show, with, like Trisha Yearwood and Hootie & the Blowfish and Deana Carter singing, but it’s not so much good.
Since almost all the musicals I’ve really liked and disliked have already been mentioned, I’ll just add one that hasn’t - and it’s definitely in the ‘least favorite’ category:
I used to go to the theater all the time, but I’ve moved from near NYC, and, with our daughter, I don’t get out to Movies often, let alone shows. Still:
Faves:
1776, which I’m surprised to see so well represented here. It’s not as famous as many of the others. I like it because we haven’t been saturated with the songs. You never hear Muzak renditions of “For God’s Sake, John, Sit Down!” Fiddler on the Roof – so sue me. seen it onstage many times (including the original Broadway run, and a revival with Zero Mostel) and heard the music many more times than I can count.
Phantom of the Opera – Pepper Mill’s fave, so I’ve seen and eard it a lot.
Pippin
Man of la Mancha
Least faves (of ones I’ve seen):
Celebration. Those of you who thought The Fantasticks was bad should see this offering from the same creative team.
Sweeney Todd – I just couldn’t get into it at all. Again, so sue me.
On the Twentieth Century I couldn’t call it a snoozefest, but I can’t recall a single song from it. The one good thing was that I got to see Imogene Coca in it, on stage.
[QUOTE=Miss Purl McKnittington]
I’m perfectly willing to believe that David Hasselhoff was a black hole of talent, sucking all that was good from that musical.
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My wife and I watched that show, looking at each other with expressions of stunned disbelief on our faces and mumbling “Hasselhoff? HASSELHOFF?” at odd moments.
No one here has listed “Drowsy Chaperone” as either the worst or best. I’m thinking of seeing it soon, and have heard mostly good things about it elsewhere. No strong feelings?
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] The Fantasticks. Seriously, fuck that show. It is my parents’ favorite musical, and they played the original cast recording (a record album, of course) constantly when I was a kid. Parts of it really freaked me out, and it’s just dated and boring and cringeworthy with all the rape references.
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Having done this show about 74 jillion times, I feel I should point out that El Gallo makes it very clear he’s using “rape” in the classical sense, like “The Rape of the Sabine Women” or “The Rape of the Lock.” Obviously there’s a certain measure of classical understanding necessary to get that… and The Fantasticks suffers from a problem that Alexander Pope didn’t have with “The Rape of the Lock:” it’s clear that no one intended to have forcible sex with Arabella’s hair. But when you’re discussing the rape of Luisa, it indeed could mean either abduction or forcible sex.
Still, from the context, it’s clear no harm is ever intended to come to Luisa, even if you’ve never heard of the original meaning of ‘rape’…
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Sweeney Todd – I just couldn’t get into it at all. Again, so sue me.
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You’re not supposed to work your way into Sweeney. Some of the other characters, perhaps, but not Sweeney himself.
I don’t go to much musical theatre, but I do remember one terrible show that I saw back in the late 1980s, called Rasputin. The only bit I can recall was a song entitled Romanov Ice-cream.
Cats. I never saw it in person, caught what I thought was some of it on PBS and was sitting there shaking my head saying, “What the fuck is going on here? Where’s the PLOT?” and assuming I had missed some crucial scenes at the beginning or something. No, I hadn’t. Bleah.
Phantom. Yes, that’s right, the show that my ex-boyfriend thought I would love because “every woman I’ve ever known has.” This one didn’t. That’s not why he’s an ex, though.
Unfortunately I’m not widely versed in musicals, but my hate for these two is strong.
[QUOTE=chrissysissystar] Passion - I haven’t seen it but the music pulls me and breaks my heart.
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You can get a copy of the filmed play, DVD or VHS. Not the same, but it’s something.
The show did not open with Hasselhoff in the role. The role was done on Broadway first by Robert Cuccioli, who was amazing. The versatility of his transformations between J and H was out of this world. In contrast, Hasselhoff seemed to feel that fliiping his head from one side to the other and getting a different color key and fill light scheme on him constituted “a new character.”
Other greats in the original Broadway production were George Merritt (of “Big River” fame, who signed my Playbook!) and Christiane Noll, who was also an amazing Ellen in Miss Saigon.
So while it’s not perhaps an “all time” great, I think it deserves a bit more praise.
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I love the Robert Cuccioli version but my favorite is the concept album with Anthony Warlow as Jekyll/Hyde.
I’ve seen it twice, once last year with the original cast and the again this past Sunday with Bob Saget as Man In Chair. (Yes, that Bob Saget.)
It’s cute and amusing, but didn’t inspire strong feelings in me either way. It’s basically a loving yet barbed tribute to the kinds of old fashioned musicals that I’m not a fan of to begin with, and most of the songs are purposefully silly.
[QUOTE=Bricker]
The role was done on Broadway first by Robert Cuccioli, who was amazing. The versatility of his transformations between J and H was out of this world.
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Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act paid hilarious tribute to Cuccioli with a dueling version of *This is the Moment *(“This is my key change! I’ll do one too!”) that morphed into Jekyll and Hyde singing Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better.
[QUOTE=Eyebrows 0f Doom]
I love the Robert Cuccioli version but my favorite is the concept album with Anthony Warlow as Jekyll/Hyde.
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It’s a strong album, but I have to admit I don’t like the name “Lisa Carew.” Emma just rings better, especially in a show that also has a “Lucy” running around.
You know… I haven’t been one for Dopefests (did one in DC many years ago, and then life intervened…) but this thread has got me thinking… what are the chances of doing a Madcap Manhattan Musicals Dopefest? We could pick something that we all are interested in seeing, and converge on Broadway like… er… Dopers.
