Worst Musical Ever???

[MorganLeFey]

very few people sa Carrie...it closed on opening night, so unless you were "lucky" enough to catch it in the previews....

most of the musicals mentioned, I loed. I love Weber, I love Sondheim, I caw Cats three times, I saw Phantom twice, I saw Les Miz over 8 times....I even found something to enjoy in Starlight Express.

My choice for worst... Caroline, or Change. it ran sbout 2 years ago, got good critical reviews.

when I got to a musical, I like to lose myself in the music, like to be captured by the ploit, like to feel for the characters. but I could n't do that with Caroline...


I found myself falling into "english major" mode, analysing the plot and motivations...

 

[MinnieFan]

My two least favorites of all time:

1. Another vote for Cats
2 "A Chorus Line" - I know it ran forever and a lot of people loved it, but I saw it near the end of its Broadway run and I just hated it. By that point, it was really a really poor production - nothing like paying Broadway prices for something that is no better performed than a high school musical. I guess the producers/director figured it was going to close soon anyway, so no point in maintaining the quality!

 

[amy4bruce]

Better than what I do. I start analyzing the lighting patterns and looking for set problems.

At Lincoln Center, once, I saw a production of Guillio Cesare, which was incredibly boring whenever Beverly Sills as Cleopatra wasn't on stage. To this day, I have no idea why there was a corner of the stage that wasn't swept. Kept staring at it.

 

[Rikku]

Now I see where my problem is…I don't get to actually SEE many shows anymore. I spend so much bleeding time in rehearsals either as an actor/singer or a director that my perspective on shows is totally askew from a viewing audience. As an actor/singer a good show to me is one that both challenges me as a performer emotionally…as well as a score that both suits my vocal range…and makes me work harder to learn more difficult and artistic material. Which is where my love for all things Sondheim comes from. Nobody writes a vocal score as he does…as if he were writing for an orchestra…and that ignites new fires in me every time I work on one of his shows. As a director…what makes a good show is one that allows me to think creatively and in an organic manner. Shows that are socially relevant, fun and memorable all at the same time.

So I guess my list will certainly not be like most. Oh and I’m a musical theatre snob to boot! That doesn’t help either!

 

[crs7568]

I saw Will Roger's Follies. Yuck! It was so bad that they passed a hat at the end of the show to try to keep running future performances. Mickey Rooney was such a ham.

 

[gina2000]

I saw Parade a few years ago at Lincoln Center and loved it.

Hated, hated, hated LESTAT. Saw it about 2 months ago and thought it was the most ill-conceived, horribly acted production I'd ever seen in my life. And the music/lyrics (Bernie Taupin and Elton John) were horrendous.

 

[CourtasanSatine]

I'm going to have to defend Rent, yes it is a rock musicial but it was different in that sense alone.

Rocky Horror is a hoot in the right place. A midnight showing with the right crowd and people throwing toast is a riot!

 

[rigs32]

To defend my refusal to pay Broadway prices for Disney, though a Disney fanatic, I can only say that spectical is not the be all and end all. If I go to a show, I want at least something new, storytelling wise, if it is my first time seeing the show. I may have memorized the Wicked soundtrack before seeing it, but there are key plot points not revealed on the album. That's one downfall of sung-through musicials - no surprises in the theater. I would see Disney stuff on Broadway, but only if the tickets were incredibly cheap, free, or I had money to burn.

I am also really not impressed with the Wedding Singer soundtrack, and that number they keep performing all over the media leaves me shacking my head. I want to pay a ton of money to watch simplistic, spastic choreography performed to simplistic music with predictable lyrics that evoke zero emotion? If there's more to this show they really need to be putting THAT out into the world. Maybe they're aiming more for the "mainstream" that typical musical fans. I don't know.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

The current revival of Sweeney Todd, Urinetown and Rent sucks?!?!?! Blasphemy!! I loved all 3!

Now...The Color Purple...that was the worst all time! Totally dreadful and so boring! But for the fact that it was a nice change to see so many African American theater go-ers, which you hardly see anymore, I hated it!!

 

[Hillbeans]

While probably not the worst musical ever, after seeing the performance from The Three Penny Opera I'm sure not rushing to see it. I've never been a big fan of The Pajama Game and tonight hasn't changed my mind about the show.

I have to most definitely agree about the "Three Penny Opera".

I saw it last week - i've got a friend of a friend in the show - and it was horrible, absolutely awful.

Bad music, awful story, terrible singing by Cyndi Lauper, etc.

At least I didn't pay to see it.

 

[Virgo10]

Cats - Just dumb and if I hear Memory again, I'm going to open a vein.

Phantom of the Opera - It was OK but waaaaay too long.

 

[grinningghost]

I'm going to agree with "A Chorus Line". It was an awfully long time to sit there and watch people standing in a line.

 

[Belle for President]

Oh, and the most recent version of Sweeney Todd. God, that was just ridiculous. The entire cast was on stage at all times, playing various characters AND they were the orchestra as well. Patty Lupone playing a tuba and the triangle. NOT

Oh no...that's sad. I heard really good things about this production from a friend. Although I thought what they pieced together for the Tony broadcast was kind of ho-hum.

What did look really good, I thought, was the Three Penny Opera with Alan Cummings. Brecht is obviously not traditional musical theatre, so it's bound to appeal to a different type of audience.

 

[cats mom]

What's your pick for the worst musical ever? Not because of the cast, or set design, but just the story in general?

I think that's tough since so much plays into the overall experience.

Lots of people have mentioned CATS

When I saw CATS at the New London Theatre back when it first opened I thought it was magical. The performers took on such "cat-like" mannerisms it was fascinating to watch, some of the dance sequences were amazing (I still remember being wow-ed by Mr. Mistoffoles) and of course the music was new then and not overdone like it is now.
The theatre was intimate enough that you felt like you were part of the junkyard. Probably about 1,000 seat capacity. Loved it.

When I took DD to see the touring production of CATS about a year ago here at the local mega auditorium that has a seating capacity of 3,000+ there was nothing magical about it, in fact I have to admit that I had a really tough time sitting through it.

Same show, totally different experience.

I don't think I've seen anything I'd classify as worst musical ever.
(not even last years' production of CATS... since I know what it can be, plus I had fun watching DD's reaction to it. She thought it was great)
I've been able to find something I liked about everything I've seen - so far.

It is interesting to see the responses. One of my all time favorites (Les Mis) has been panned by a few folks.
Go figure.
Guess that's where the different strokes bit comes into play -eh?

 

[Rikku]

Oh! I thought of some other just awful shows!

The Music Man-This has to be one of the most hokey and hackneyed shows I've eve seen or been associated with!

Bye Bye Birdie-See explanation of Music Man.

As someone mentioned earlier. As a general rule, spectacle has totally overtaken substance in musical theatre. Shows like Aida and Phantom completely overshadow more in depth shows like The Last Five Years or Assasins. It's a shame.

 

[hulagirl87]

Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk was horribly painful. I wanted to leave! Also, I wouldn't mind having never seen Meet Me In St. Louis...

Loved Aida and Les Miserables (seen that one 10 times!!! crazy girl that I am!!)

 

[Rikku]

Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk was horribly painful. I wanted to leave! Also, I wouldn't mind having never seen Meet Me In St. Louis...

Loved Aida and Les Miserables (seen that one 10 times!!! crazy girl that I am!!)

Noise/Funk was only worth seeing when Savion Glover was actually IN the show. Without him, it's rather bland.

I've gone on record saying Meet me in St Louis is the worst stage show ever! It's ungodly long and has too much music in it (which is a tough thing to say about a musical). It's one where the movie adaptation got it right over the live show with all its changes.

 

[DazedandConfused]

Titanic was the worst show I ever saw! It was awful...boring, horrible music...just wretched! I also hate Phantom of the Opera...but that's just my opinion, I've only ever met one other person who hated it as much as I did!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE --Rent (been twice) and Chorus Line (3 times)!

 

[philaround]

I would have to vote for "Springtime for Hitler" from the show "The Producers"

 

[Reflection]

I'm another who agrees that Cats was extremely over-rated. I'm not all that keen on Chorus Line either. However, my vote for worst musical goes to: The Red Shoes. It was a great movie but an awful Broadway musical.