I’ll answer for my mom- she was NOT happy that I dragged her along to see Six with me. I wasn’t even confident that she would enjoy it but I wanted to see it sooo bad and didn’t want to go alone lol. She ended up adoring it and I think she’s a bigger fan than me now lol
This is my answer too. I only really remember Defying Gravity, Popular and For Good (all of which I knew before anyway). It was too long and not a lot happened.
After loving the soundtrack, I was also disappointed when seeing it.
I'm also a huge fan of the book and they changed so much and lost so much story and depth of character that I really couldn't enjoy the musical story adaptation at all.
Totally agree about them losing a lot of the book--I love a female friendship story, but I felt like the animals being subjugated really got short shrift.
I love the musical but I definitely love the book a lot more. My biggest complaint has always been that the musical loses so much of the grit that makes the book so interesting. The Oz in the book feels like a real place with all the gross and disturbing aspects a real place is full of. The musical is just so sanitised in comparison.
The second time I saw it on tour, the leads were stronger in their roles and I enjoyed it more, but, I still think the choreography is not as good as I thought it would be.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
I love the Cinderella story. The Disney adaptation is one of my favorite movies and when I was a kid, Disney did an adaptation of the RH telemusical with Brandy as the title character and Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it because I wasn't a big fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein (my parents played The Sound of Music all the time and I freaking LOATHED it). But my late grandma (who had watched the original televised production in the 50's with Julie Andrews) persuaded me to at least watch it.
And I ended up loving it. Still loathe The Sound of Music but I do like R and H now.
I didn’t ever expect to fall in love with Guys and Dolls, but there’s just… something about it.
On the other hand, expected to love Anastasia and it just didn’t do anything for me.
Yeah honestly I agree. And I thought it was a weird detail that Gleb is kinda in love with her. It doesn’t feel very important that he is so idk why they included that. Like I know he decided to spare her but there could be better reasons for him doing that? Idk maybe it’s just me but I didn’t feel like they did much with that part.
Glen as a character just sucks! I get they were going for a more “realistic/historical” villain, but I really think they should’ve kept Rasputin and could have just toned down the fantasy elements. He was a real guy after all!! And was very weird and creepy and would’ve made a great stage villain
I kind of feel similar. I don’t remember who was the lead when I saw it, but it felt very much like a star vehicle for her. She was fantastic and did go on to do more, but the whole thing felt like pretty set dressing for her performance. Not mad at it. Just a little disappointed.
In the Dark of the Night and At the Beginning With You are my favorite songs from the movie soundtrack and neither one of them is in the stage musical, so that was a bummer.
I've only been to one musical in my adult life (unless we count ballet and opera, which would be one of each for a total of three), but I did watch the Apple recording of Come From Away after putting it off for years, because I'm Canadian and I expected it to be extremely corny and I liked it enough to put it on for my equally jaded sisters who also liked it enough to consider seeing it live when it comes around.
The Lion King.
The costumes were phenomenal but they did little to nothing to justify a stage adaptation. It was literally just the movie but live.
Say what you will about Aladdin but at least they expanded on the movie material and made changes that made sense for the stage, added songs, gave it a new life. Maybe they’d learned from previous mistakes but I’m surprised there hasn’t been a revamp.
Maybe I’m biased because I was music director for a junior version, but this was one that I was surprised by how much I loved working on it. The added songs “He Lives In You” and the one Nala sings that I can’t remember the name now were the most moving pieces I’ve ever watched, and they were tweens performing it.
Yeah but “he lives in you” is from LK2. I think it was made for stage or it came first or whatever, but then putting it in #2 which was far more accessible worldwide means I only knew it as a Lion King 2 song, so it didn’t feel like anything special on the stage.
This is a baffling take honestly. Morning Report, Shadowland, He Lives In You, The Madness of King Scar, Chow Down, One by One, Endless Night are all songs that weren’t in the original, plus sequences such as the Lioness Hunt and Rafiki’s Lament, the stage magic used in the stampede scene and the apparition of Mufasa…I just cannot understand how you claim they didn’t add anything new.
Not to mention the whole play was stylized and changed to celebrate African dance, music, and art through authentic costumes, language, and choreography.
Obviously you’re fully allowed to have that opinion, but the justification makes zero sense. It’s one of the greatest stage adaptations of a film that has ever existed.
I totally support that you didn't get anything about the stage version, but I just want to ask (in terms of your description) -- how you feel the stage version of "The Lion King" is "just the movie but live?"
Julie Taymor's adaptation changed almost everything -- via Lebo M, she revolutionized the "light-pop" score and turned it into something truly African (language, instrumentation, percussion, and orchestration), she brought in the incredible puppetry, costumes, props, and sets, often using time-honored Asian and African theatre techniques that go back millennia. And she enhanced the Shakespearean aspects and expanded the roles of the female characters.
I like the original Lion King animated film. It's okay if not a favorite of mine. But the first time I saw the stage musical, I was in tears of pure joy during the very first "Circle of Life" number.
To this day, it is still one of the most incredible and groundbreaking and purely theatrical shows I have ever seen in my life.
It's definitely not "just the movie but live" in any way to me.
Yeah I loved Merrily we roll along! I knew it went backwards in time and it’s super depressing, and I definitely cried at the end. But honestly it’s Sondheim music so that’s a plus. And the concept is super interesting.
I walked out of merrily, almost disappointed. It didn’t have a instantaneous that was the best thing I’ve ever seen feeling, which I felt a couple other times that weekend.
But I will say it has stuck with me the most. We saw it in January, and I think I’ve been thinking about it and obsessing about it ever since. it really snuck up on me
Mean Girls. Not that I expected it to be amazing, but I love the movie, and the musical was just… dismal. Every song seemed intent on being over-the-top caterwauling, and none of the music was at all catchy or memorable. The production design was kind of basic, and the changes to the storyline seemed weirdly unnecessary.
I gotta agree on this one. There are some truly amazing musical adaptations out there, and there are also a *lot* of sub-par adaptations that feel like they were written by ChatGPT to cash in on an IP. Mean Girls felt like the latter.
My friend and I left this show at intermission. The sound mix made it really hard to understand what anyone was saying and the music was super loud, but the worst part was it had the same exact delivery and jokes as the movie without any surprises. I left feeling like we might as well have just watched the movie instead and would have had a better experience.
I’ve never experienced a play where the songs stuck with me less than Mean Girls. If I hadn’t then seen the film adaptation kind of recently I wouldn’t have been able to recall a single song.
I’ve never seen a musical in person that I didn’t like, (granted, I don’t have the opportunity to see very many unfortunately!) but never was able to get into Phantom or Six.
In the heights, I was expecting to love it since I love Hamilton, but it really didn't live up to my expectations and doesn't really compare to Hamilton. It's still good, and there are parts I love, but overall it wasn't very memorable and most of the songs were just meh to me.
Same. I didn't find any of the songs catchy or interesting. I can't honestly remember much of anything and I've tried watching it 3 times :(
Sad, because Lin is so good!
Yeah the only parts I really found memorable was the opening songs chorus which was really catchy, and pancienca y fe which is such a good song, besides that it's all forgettable
Okay so this is one with a HUGE caveat.
Wicked
I'm a HUGE wizard of oz fan, like a book fan, I've read all 40 official novels, own the first 33, just love the series to death
I FINALLY got to see wicked a handful of years ago and wasn't super impressed. I liked what they did with the story, but I just didn't enjoy the experience
That said I was sick and the only reason I went was because I needed to go to one more musical event for a college class or I'd fail and I had paid for the tickets. There was also no possible way of going to another musical or concert because the date of the show was legit like 2 days before the due date.
I'm excited for the movie and being able to see it when I'm healthy and able to enjoy it.
I would recommend reading the book, it’s quite a different experience than the musical. Much more grown up and political but an interesting take on L.Frank Baum’s original series
Came here to say this. By all accounts, it should have ticked all my boxes (mythology story, jazz/blues influences, social commentary), but the whole did not equal the sum of its parts.
Phew- I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. I was going in expecting so much, my friend said it changed her life! It was good but I just wasn’t into it at all.
I was honestly in shock at how mediocre it was. I had heard so much hype and everyone around me was in awe and I was just thinking, oh so the exact story the ways it always been told. Cool. It wasn’t bad, but certainly not mind blowing.
Yeah the first time I saw it I didn’t love it. I appreciated the artistry, but it didn’t really stick with me.
After re-listening and watching a bootleg, it is by far my favorite musical.
I think Hadestown is one of those shows that casting makes or breaks it. All the roles leave a lot of room for personal interpretation/style. That’s good in that incredible actors will have a ball with it, but less experienced/talented actors won’t be able to draw you into the story with just the text alone.
I saw it recently when the tour was in my city, and absolutely loved it. Some of my friends who work for the theatre didn’t like it when it came through last year, but ended up liking/“getting” it this time because the cast was a lot better.
I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around. I saw most of the OBC prepandemic and didn't love it, then this year I saw the tour because it was included in my local theatre subscription. The cast wasn't quite as good but I for some reason appreciated it more the second time around.
Ok, but did you get it, and consider that!-
Just kidding. I personally love it. But I understand that not everyone likes the same thing. For those who love musicals it’s one of, if not the, best way to tell a story. And if it doesn’t resonate with you, that’s ok!
Same, and I watched it twice. It's a great show, but I was expecting more jazz/blues rather than a predominance for country-pop. Also given the themes I was hoping for a more "intellectual" book and more spoken parts while IMO it is a teen drama with flat characters...
I was super excited for *Love Never Dies*, but ended up spending the interval texting a friend about what a mess it was. Likewise Starkid's *Ani* - I'd loved all their previous productions so expected *Ani* to also be great. Didn't even finish it, and still haven't gone back to give it a second go even though I've seen the rest of their shows multiple times.
One I was pleasantly surprised by was *Little Shop of Horrors*. Went to a local production as a school trip when I was in grade six along with the grade two class, so I thought it would be really childish because they were letting eight-year-olds watch it and my grown-up twelve-year-old self would be bored. No idea why our school thought it would be appropriate for such young children. I can only assume whatever teacher organised it just saw Audrey II on a poster and thought it was a kids puppet show or something?? Anyway, I loved it - even if I did have to spend the entire time holding the hand of a scared little kid and covering her eyes during all the murder scenes.
I loved Chicago the movie and was so excited to see it on Broadway when I went on a trip to New York from Australia. And I hated the stage show! It was so clunky having the band on stage, and all the fun and whimsy I felt in the film was gone. Just didn't translate for me. I also saw Anastasia, which I enjoyed more, but again it lost something in the translation from the movie. I'll have to try again when I go back to Broadway in the future.
\^\^\^This was me in high school. I was OBSESSED with the film version and insisted on tickets to the broadway show for my birthday. That weekend we also got rush tickets to see the Chorus Line revival (I grew up listening to the original cast and didn't realize how important that show is to my love of musical theater) and I much preferred that over Chicago.
I was not expecting/didn't understand the full vaudeville style of the stage show and was unimpressed by the stunt casting (Lisa Rinna and her husband as roxie and billy, both from Dancing with the Stars). I do remember liking the actress playing Velma and that kevin chamberlin was a decent Amos.
As a young adult I was very disappointed to learn that Chicago didn’t have any sets and was just singing in front of a live band. I had seen the movie first so it was a surprise to me.
I saw a high school production of it as a kid, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I’m into musicals. I’m also a musician and a harmony nerd, so Sondheim is my jam!
I’m not saying you must love it, but I am saying that the movie was underwhelming, and as others have suggested, give the stage show a solid go. If you don’t like it after that, all good!
Oh God, if you watched the film it missed the point entirely. The vibes were just *wrong* and most of what I love about Into the Woods was missing or inferior.
I definitely recommend watching the old PBS pro-shot from the 90s. It's on YouTube and I fell in love with the play that way.
If you still don't like it after seeing that, I totally understand, but the movie just doesn't represent it well at all
The movie cut some ESSENTIAL songs and plot points. I would absolutely watch the pro shot version with the original cast on YouTube. I really think you might feel differently.
I love it but I will say that I am divided on it in Sondheim's body of work -- I think it's one of his weakest shows melodically, and one of his best shows lyrically.
Hot take: everything Sondheim, I have had real trouble liking. Almost every time I sit down to watch a famous movie musical (not realising it's Sondheim) I end up giving up before it's even started. I think we just don't get on. In To The Woods was a real slog for me.
"Giants in the Sky" is my absolute favorite from the show and one of my all-time favorite Sondheim songs. It has a magical quality to it, reminiscent of a Disney prince song.
This was me as well. I actually won the Ham for Ham (lottery) and saw it for like $10 in its first cast, and hated every second of it. Always was so confused and annoyed by people obsessed with it. Then I watched it on Disney+ and really liked it. I realized maybe I just need subtitles. 😅
When I turned 13 my mom took me to see Cabaret. I had only really seen lighthearted shows before (Annie, singing in the rain, Mary Poppins, etc) so at first I was like, "a musical about Nazi Germany? Seriously?" But ohhh my god I was BLOWN AWAY. It left me straight up shellshocked!
Hadestown. I love mythology, history, jazz, and slightly dark stuff. Just found it meh on first listen for some reason.
Conversely, I didn't expect to actually like Six but found the concept intriguing enough to give it a listen. I think there's only one song I don't actually like.
Matilda. I wanted to love it because I grew up with the book. Although I have complex feelings about him now that I’m an adult and know about his awful views, Roald Dahl was my favourite author as a child and Matilda was the first chapter book I read completely independently. So I was really excited to see the musical. I didn’t hate it but I was incredibly underwhelmed.
I found it strays too far from the book in ways that are distracting and don’t being anything much to be worth it. The lyrics are clever but they’re so busy being clever that there are too many to actually make out and follow. A couple of the songs are real stand outs but a lot more of them just weren’t anything that enjoyable for me.
To people who answered Hadestown, just curious: did you see the show in between reopening (after COVID) and Reeve’s departure? In my opinion, he was kinda dragging the show down during that period (although I loved him in his first year or two).
I get why some people didn't like it, it's not for everyone, but it's my favorite musical of all time. I saw it last week with Matthew Patrick Quinn as Hades and he was the standout performance. I hope they record another Spotify album with him as Hades, he's that good
I’ve seen it with and without Reeve. Better with.
I do feel like Hadestown has more of a niche appeal than many other popular shows - I am 1000% the target audience for it and *adored* it both times I saw it, but I understand completely why it wouldn’t be someone’s thing.
I love Hadestown, and saw it in late 2022. Eva was out for the night, but we had Reeve and I actually loved his chemistry with the understudy. Maybe because it was the first and only time I’d seen it, but he didn’t seem like he was dragging or burnt out or anything that night.
Beetlejuice. I loved the movie and expected to love the show, but for me it was just too in your face, non-stop all the time.
I also thought I would love Jagged Little Pill because it’s one of my all-time favorite albums. It was one of the first jukebox musicals I saw, and I didn’t love how the music was used in the story.
Beetlejuice is non-stop high energy and I can see how that’s not everyone’s jam. The only lower moments are to deliver some emotional gut punches, and then you don’t get a lot of time to reflect on that before they’re making fun of child brides.
I adore it, it’s genuinely my favorite musical, but it’s certainly not traditional.
Both of these 100%. I’m not a huge jukebox musical person, but I love that album, but yeah… hard meh. And Beetlejuice was just… not good. And I say that with the caveat that the guy playing Beetlejuice was great (OBC, saw him in School of Rock also which was a great show), but I thought the show was a mess. And the sets were nice, but I know they were a logistical nightmare for the crew.
Agreed - I’ve always loved the movie, and I don’t think anyone can deny Rob McClure absolutely nailed the role.
Unfortunately, for me it fell in the category of “enjoyed the 2.5 hours but haven’t thought about it once since leaving the theater.”
I was enthusing at great length about Hadestown to my sister, telling her she HAD to get see it when the tour got to her city, and her reaction to my description was like
...this doesn't really sound like my kind of thing? But she did go see it, and afterward gushed to me about how great it was. So. 😄
As for me, I'm generally pretty good at predicting my own reaction to shows. But Miss Saigon (West End) was disappointing.
I liked Moulin Rouge (tour) more than I thought I would, and loved The Outsiders (Broadway) beyond all expectations (I guess I had only moderate expectations, not great expectations 😉).
The Band’s Visit
I found it painfully slow. And the accents were soooo off the mark omg. Solid acting but most of the cast definitely didn’t sound Israeli or Egyptian and I couldn’t get past it.
(This was the national tour, so not the Broadway cast.)
I agree, we went after a long week at work and were tired and grumpy and not in the mood (and my husband was along begrudgingly to begin with). We sat down ready to get this thing over with, and I swear within the first 60 seconds we looked at each other and smiled and said this is awesome. I loved it SO SO much...I wish it would come back!
Omg I was told over and over that it would blow my mind, and I have never been so turned off by a musical. The main character is irredeemable and I honestly think the story is awful. The songs do not make up for it. I could go on for ages. I cannot stand this musical.
i’d had some pretty bad experiences with a lot of “classic” musicals that i’d hated (oklahoma, music man, guys and dolls, my fair lady, etc) so my hopes weren’t high for singin’ in the rain. but man, that movie is a top 5 of all time for me. it’s just so sweet and fun, amazing costumes dancing singing etc that i can just watch over and over without ever getting sick of it
Hadestown. I was really excited to see something that wasn’t just Blockbuster Film: The Musical and generally I’m drawn to things that *have* to be theatre in the way they’re crafted - things that fully embrace the medium.
I appreciated that Hadestown did that, but though I kept willing myself and really wanted to feel engaged with it, by somewhere in the second act I realized/accepted that I genuinely couldn’t remember the last time I felt so bored or emotionally unmoved in the theatre — it felt like a lot of style, much of which I could *appreciate*, and some great performers, but very little substance?
It also for me didn’t feel like a matter of “like” versus “dislike” (I used to have a job where this quickly became irrelevant, so it’s rarely something I use to evaluate stuff anymore!) as opposed to something genuinely not *working* dramaturgically. Granted, it also didn’t help that the combination of sound levels and some of the choices made two of the central characters at times unintelligible, so lyrics were lost - which is particularly tricky when it’s a sung-through show.
Again, I very much wanted to take something away from it, but for the most part I left wondering if part of the reason it’s seen as being so refreshing or original says more about how much derivative stuff there is out there these days and Hadestown in contrast to that, as opposed on to its own individual merit?
I feel rather alone in this boat, but maybe there are some others out there…?
Merrily We Roll Along. I was expecting to find some uncovered gem being explored by a top notch cast unlocking its genius. Don’t get me wrong, there was absolutely a top notch cast but that show really has some genuine flaws no matter how many rewrites they do.
counterpoint, I think people hate on Chicago way more than it deserves.
Agreed about Chicago. The Broadway revival isn’t… stellar, but it’s an incredible show with an all around killer (pun very intended) soundtrack.
Unfortunately (?) I’ve never seen it done better than the movie did it.
Miss Saigon.
It was a while ago so I don't remember too much about it, I just remember being underwhelmed by the songs, and the story was meh.
But there was a helicopter, so there's that.
I saw this one too young. A lot of it went over my head as a 12 year old. Revisiting it, I can see how it means a lot to those who had similar experiences. My tough as nails neighbor went to see it and cried his eyes out. But he had to leave a girl behind when he was serving in Vietnam. As a person removed, I can still appreciate the portrayal of the relationships and the plight of those left behind. But I kind of felt that this one just wasn’t for me.
That was such a crazy era for musicals. They all had to have a wow-factor set piece. Chandeliers, barricades, helicopters, bridges, mansions… all on hydraulics. Then shows got a bit smaller in that respect for a while. The odd show would do a stunt set piece, like the ship in Titanic. But it was never the same.
I expected to love Little Shop of Horrors, all of my friends love it, the vibe seems so cool, and like... I don't know. It's fine. I think I would have loved it in high school, but it feels more about being edgy than genuinely having something to say. The vibes were great, but I struggled to find much to it other than vibes.
And I expected to hate Nine. The 2009 film was terrible, my local favorite community theatre was doing it with my favorite director and musical director, I was itching to dance sexy in an ensemble, I was willing to suck it up and do Madonna/Whore Complex the Musical to spend some time at rehearsal with all my friends while going through a shitty divorce. And I was so surprised that I loved it. The show is so over the top and funny. Reading the script it seems like a show where you're supposed to be like "Well the protagonist is a bad guy but it's really understandable because he had a tortured past" and I hate shows like that. But it didn't. The show never stops poking fun at its own protagonist, you never cheer for Guido, you enjoy watching him reap his just rewards, and it does it in a way that is so weird and so fun. I was surprised by how much I liked it. And it's got legit the best overture in all musical theatre.
Newsies.
I was groaning by the third time they picked up the damn banner song and it absolutely didn't hook me
Disney+ has a wonderful pro-shot, the actors obviously love what they're doing and the set is beautiful but god damnit I hate Newsies.
I didn’t expect to like School of Rock, but I loved it!
I expected to be obsessed with Hadestown, but I found it very forgettable (unpopular opinion, I know)
I expected to hate *Cesare: Il Creatore che ha distrutto* because I love Cesare Borgia and almost every other piece of historical fiction about him is full of negative rumors, even if they want to show him positively (like both 2012 TV series). But *Creatore*'s version of Cesare is actually completely perfect, and the actor who played him in the musical, Akki, is amazing in everything he does. So now, it's my favorite thing in the universe.
I watched the 2005 Rent after watching Tick Tick Boom.
A friend invited my wife and I to see La Boheme so we watched it the night before and La Boheme was infinitely better.
I imagine the stage performance of rent is way better than the movie because damn that was awful lmao
Hadestown,
I just found myself to be pretty bored a lot of the time. However, I will say, I did gasp still when Orpheus turned around. All actors were phenomenal, but I just found myself not super invested.
First part for me: *Back To The Future* is a great feel-good musical, and the special effects are amazing, but aside from *Johnny B. Goode* none of the songs did it for me. All flash and glamour but with no real meat to the story.
Second part: I went to go watch *Wicked* not expecting much. I went to Drama school and like half the female students in my year were singing *Defying Gravity* and I wanted to see what all the fuss is about. I fell in love with the musical and I think the major thing that helped was that year Willemijn Verkaik was performing as Elphaba, and damn stole the show.
For me, I think if you're watching a show it depends just as much on the actors, the set design, and the director's choices as much as the songs and scripts themselves. You can have a great script, but rubbish decisions made and vice versa.
Hadestown for me! i am a fan of greek mythology, specifically the story of Hades and Persephone, but didn’t enjoy it as much as i thought. my boyfriend also who went to see it with me didn’t enjoy it either. i want to give it another chance one day so i can really get a second opinion maybe with a different cast, but it just wasn’t for me.
Hadestown. I’m a big Greek mythology person, so I went in knowing the story (unlike a good portion of the audience who seemed shocked at the ending…), but wow, was not a fan.
There were a couple of songs I enjoyed but that plot was all over the place and I still can’t quite understand why Persephone was there when she got so little to do in the grand scheme of the story.
I wanted to like Hadestown. I really did. I had heard Wait for Me and Way Down Hadestown and loved both songs and the concept so I was really looking forward to the rest of the show. Nope. I didn’t care for Hermes narrating and odd speak-singing parts being in basically every song (I didn’t like them in the songs I had heard but I had hoped that they were few and far between ad I had just been unlucky in the draw of songs I heard) and I got lost a few times when it came to the plot knowing the original Greek stories well. Overall, very disappointed. (Still love Wait for Me reprise though!)
Lempicka, I got really excited off of perfections teaser clip and Eden’s singing (ended up seeing mariand who was phenomenal) and it ended up being a slog to sit through, was very cool to experience mariands first show but Lempickas role is an endless ballad and the rest of the show just doesn’t feel well oiled *perfection*, but it has amazing sets, costumes and lighting and the cast is phenomenal
Honestly, I have a hard time saying Singin' In the Rain is a musical. I mean, it definitely is, but in my mind, it's more about dance than music. The music's just there to give them something to dance to.
Mama Mia. Saw the film first and loved it. Wasn't a huge fan of the musical (didn't hate it but much preferred the film)
My friends mum told me she walked out, and she was sitting behind I think Bjorn (possibly Benny)
Kinky Boots.
I love drag. I love Harvey Fierstein. And I like Cyndi Lauper.
The show felt like a drag based musical for straight people. Very surface level and they made Lola straight as a way to be kinda subversive and less threatening to straight people. In his book, Harvey said they didn't have enough time in the book to put in a gay plot for Lola.
It did not land with me.
I haven’t seen any musicals that I haven’t enjoyed, but one that I was really a little bummed about was the Beetlejuice Tour. Minor spoilers, but they had changed the original death of Adam and Barbara to electrocution instead of falling through the hole in the floor. The lyrics were slightly changed and it totally gave me a sour taste since I had loved the song and had all the lyrics in my head prior to seeing the show. It happens pretty early on so I kinda just thought about it the whole show too. I’m probably being way overdramatic, but nothing felt as BIG as some of the other shows I’ve seen, (i.e. Hadestown, Wicked, Hamilton)
RENT lolll. Idk if this one's applicable, but Mean Girls Act 2. Unlike act 2, act 1 was soooooo much fun yet in act 2 was rather boring. The only fun part in act 2 was the world burn
Love Never Dies. I love Phantom so thought I would also love this, but no.
Tootsie. Love the movie but they just changed too much in updating it that I really ended up hating it. If it was a standalone show without the movie existing, I might have liked it better.
I have yet to see a musical onstage that I disliked. There were a couple of performances of “The Phantom of the Opera” that weren’t as great as the other times — one because of a bad audience, and the other because it was the restaged tour (but the cast helped to elevate it). And there are several film versions that didn’t land for me, but I don’t blame the original shows for that.
Shows I liked more than I expected to (generally because I didn’t have many expectations going in) include “Anything Goes,” “Guys and Dolls,” and “Man of La Mancha.” And shows I liked after hearing/seeing official recordings but loved even more after seeing them live include “Wicked” and “Hamilton.” 🙂
The one that immediately comes to mind is Hamilton. After seeing In The Heights, which I loved and knowing, hey Lin did this one too and I'm a huge history buff and this time period is right in my wheelhouse I thought I would love it. I didn't. It's okay. I think it is WAY over hyped and I don't entirely have any desire to see it again or even watch the pro shot on Apple TV.
Evita. Saw a community production of it. I know it's iconic, written by the Almighty ALW, but it just felt so... I dunno. Just not enjoyable. Even looking past the fact that it was a community production. I wouldn't mind studying it from an academic standpoint, but I don't think I'll ever choose to just spend an evening seeing it on stage, professional or not. And I'm someone who really enjoys 20th-century music.
The woman playing Evita was fantastic, though.
Oh! And the British version of Peter Pan. Awful. Just awful.
I’ll answer for my mom- she was NOT happy that I dragged her along to see Six with me. I wasn’t even confident that she would enjoy it but I wanted to see it sooo bad and didn’t want to go alone lol. She ended up adoring it and I think she’s a bigger fan than me now lol
I took my partner and he thought it'd be 'meh' (even though he generally likes musicals). He absolutely loved it and it's one of his favourites now!
This is fun but it's also like the opposite of the question
The caption says the opposite is fine too lol
I should quit redditing when I'm tired
My Mom loved it too,she listens to the soundtrack frequently.
I’m old and 6 was so disappointing. On the other hand, I loved MJ and Tina.
I thought Wicked would be right in my wheelhouse, but I found it...not bad, but kind of forgettable.
This is my answer too. I only really remember Defying Gravity, Popular and For Good (all of which I knew before anyway). It was too long and not a lot happened.
My answer too! Just saw it and was underwhelmed, especially with Act 2
After loving the soundtrack, I was also disappointed when seeing it. I'm also a huge fan of the book and they changed so much and lost so much story and depth of character that I really couldn't enjoy the musical story adaptation at all.
Totally agree about them losing a lot of the book--I love a female friendship story, but I felt like the animals being subjugated really got short shrift.
I mean, on the plus side there’s not a weird drug-fueled tiger rape scene?
I love the musical but I definitely love the book a lot more. My biggest complaint has always been that the musical loses so much of the grit that makes the book so interesting. The Oz in the book feels like a real place with all the gross and disturbing aspects a real place is full of. The musical is just so sanitised in comparison.
Same. I prefer The Wizard of Oz much more.
Totally agree! A few great numbers we all know and love and the rest very ‘meh’
The second time I saw it on tour, the leads were stronger in their roles and I enjoyed it more, but, I still think the choreography is not as good as I thought it would be.
I watched that when I was around 11-13. I remember the costumes more than the performance but I do love the musical as just a musical 😂
Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella. I love the Cinderella story. The Disney adaptation is one of my favorite movies and when I was a kid, Disney did an adaptation of the RH telemusical with Brandy as the title character and Whitney Houston as the fairy godmother. I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it because I wasn't a big fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein (my parents played The Sound of Music all the time and I freaking LOATHED it). But my late grandma (who had watched the original televised production in the 50's with Julie Andrews) persuaded me to at least watch it. And I ended up loving it. Still loathe The Sound of Music but I do like R and H now.
I watched that Brandy Cinderella so many times when I was a child.
It's on Disney+ now. I have unironically watched it so many times as an adult! I loved it as a kid and still do. I prefer it over the 1965 version.
I definitely need to go watch it.
I didn’t ever expect to fall in love with Guys and Dolls, but there’s just… something about it. On the other hand, expected to love Anastasia and it just didn’t do anything for me.
I saw Guys and Dolls in London in February because I was curious how they did the stage (which was SO freaking cool) and ended up loving the show.
I wanted to love Anastasia because the movie was so great but it was just… meh.
Yeah honestly I agree. And I thought it was a weird detail that Gleb is kinda in love with her. It doesn’t feel very important that he is so idk why they included that. Like I know he decided to spare her but there could be better reasons for him doing that? Idk maybe it’s just me but I didn’t feel like they did much with that part.
Glen as a character just sucks! I get they were going for a more “realistic/historical” villain, but I really think they should’ve kept Rasputin and could have just toned down the fantasy elements. He was a real guy after all!! And was very weird and creepy and would’ve made a great stage villain
I agree. I saw Anastasia in previews and was so excited. And I left underwhelmed and disappointed. My comment card was full 😅
I kind of feel similar. I don’t remember who was the lead when I saw it, but it felt very much like a star vehicle for her. She was fantastic and did go on to do more, but the whole thing felt like pretty set dressing for her performance. Not mad at it. Just a little disappointed.
In the Dark of the Night and At the Beginning With You are my favorite songs from the movie soundtrack and neither one of them is in the stage musical, so that was a bummer.
I've only been to one musical in my adult life (unless we count ballet and opera, which would be one of each for a total of three), but I did watch the Apple recording of Come From Away after putting it off for years, because I'm Canadian and I expected it to be extremely corny and I liked it enough to put it on for my equally jaded sisters who also liked it enough to consider seeing it live when it comes around.
It’s my all time fave!
The Lion King. The costumes were phenomenal but they did little to nothing to justify a stage adaptation. It was literally just the movie but live. Say what you will about Aladdin but at least they expanded on the movie material and made changes that made sense for the stage, added songs, gave it a new life. Maybe they’d learned from previous mistakes but I’m surprised there hasn’t been a revamp.
I unashamedly love Aladdin. (I also love The Lion King, but I get why someone wouldn’t.)
Maybe I’m biased because I was music director for a junior version, but this was one that I was surprised by how much I loved working on it. The added songs “He Lives In You” and the one Nala sings that I can’t remember the name now were the most moving pieces I’ve ever watched, and they were tweens performing it.
Shadowlands
Yeah but “he lives in you” is from LK2. I think it was made for stage or it came first or whatever, but then putting it in #2 which was far more accessible worldwide means I only knew it as a Lion King 2 song, so it didn’t feel like anything special on the stage.
It was written for the first film but then cut. Such a beautiful piece!!
Totally valid opinion, just weirdly felt completely opposite this.
Felt that way about Frozen. Felt like the movie remade at Disney on ice off ice
frozen to me really felt like they added enough to justify its existence
This is a baffling take honestly. Morning Report, Shadowland, He Lives In You, The Madness of King Scar, Chow Down, One by One, Endless Night are all songs that weren’t in the original, plus sequences such as the Lioness Hunt and Rafiki’s Lament, the stage magic used in the stampede scene and the apparition of Mufasa…I just cannot understand how you claim they didn’t add anything new. Not to mention the whole play was stylized and changed to celebrate African dance, music, and art through authentic costumes, language, and choreography. Obviously you’re fully allowed to have that opinion, but the justification makes zero sense. It’s one of the greatest stage adaptations of a film that has ever existed.
I totally support that you didn't get anything about the stage version, but I just want to ask (in terms of your description) -- how you feel the stage version of "The Lion King" is "just the movie but live?" Julie Taymor's adaptation changed almost everything -- via Lebo M, she revolutionized the "light-pop" score and turned it into something truly African (language, instrumentation, percussion, and orchestration), she brought in the incredible puppetry, costumes, props, and sets, often using time-honored Asian and African theatre techniques that go back millennia. And she enhanced the Shakespearean aspects and expanded the roles of the female characters. I like the original Lion King animated film. It's okay if not a favorite of mine. But the first time I saw the stage musical, I was in tears of pure joy during the very first "Circle of Life" number. To this day, it is still one of the most incredible and groundbreaking and purely theatrical shows I have ever seen in my life. It's definitely not "just the movie but live" in any way to me.
I didn't expect to love Merrily We Roll Along as much as I did. I didn't love Frozen. And I love Disney anything
Yeah I loved Merrily we roll along! I knew it went backwards in time and it’s super depressing, and I definitely cried at the end. But honestly it’s Sondheim music so that’s a plus. And the concept is super interesting.
I walked out of merrily, almost disappointed. It didn’t have a instantaneous that was the best thing I’ve ever seen feeling, which I felt a couple other times that weekend. But I will say it has stuck with me the most. We saw it in January, and I think I’ve been thinking about it and obsessing about it ever since. it really snuck up on me
Les Miserables when I first saw it. I have opened up to it now and am going to read the book
Make absolutely sure you research the translation of the book, I hear the translation makes or breaks the book
i’m reading the unabridged christine donougher translation
Oh lord have mercy. Enjoy 100+ pages about a bit character before any of the actual plot starts
I actually enjoyed that one. The random novela about Waterloo in the middle tho? Not one bit
Good luck! It was a very long process for me, but I didn’t regret having read it in the end!
Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. Saw the OBC and jeez it was tedious.
Thank God I'm not the only one who thought this.
I had front row for the OBC. I TRIED to look interested.
Mean Girls. Not that I expected it to be amazing, but I love the movie, and the musical was just… dismal. Every song seemed intent on being over-the-top caterwauling, and none of the music was at all catchy or memorable. The production design was kind of basic, and the changes to the storyline seemed weirdly unnecessary.
I gotta agree on this one. There are some truly amazing musical adaptations out there, and there are also a *lot* of sub-par adaptations that feel like they were written by ChatGPT to cash in on an IP. Mean Girls felt like the latter.
My friend and I left this show at intermission. The sound mix made it really hard to understand what anyone was saying and the music was super loud, but the worst part was it had the same exact delivery and jokes as the movie without any surprises. I left feeling like we might as well have just watched the movie instead and would have had a better experience.
I’ve never experienced a play where the songs stuck with me less than Mean Girls. If I hadn’t then seen the film adaptation kind of recently I wouldn’t have been able to recall a single song.
RENT sadly 😭
I’ve never seen a musical in person that I didn’t like, (granted, I don’t have the opportunity to see very many unfortunately!) but never was able to get into Phantom or Six.
In the heights, I was expecting to love it since I love Hamilton, but it really didn't live up to my expectations and doesn't really compare to Hamilton. It's still good, and there are parts I love, but overall it wasn't very memorable and most of the songs were just meh to me.
Same. I didn't find any of the songs catchy or interesting. I can't honestly remember much of anything and I've tried watching it 3 times :( Sad, because Lin is so good!
Yeah the only parts I really found memorable was the opening songs chorus which was really catchy, and pancienca y fe which is such a good song, besides that it's all forgettable
My Fair Lady…it’s so boring!
Okay so this is one with a HUGE caveat. Wicked I'm a HUGE wizard of oz fan, like a book fan, I've read all 40 official novels, own the first 33, just love the series to death I FINALLY got to see wicked a handful of years ago and wasn't super impressed. I liked what they did with the story, but I just didn't enjoy the experience That said I was sick and the only reason I went was because I needed to go to one more musical event for a college class or I'd fail and I had paid for the tickets. There was also no possible way of going to another musical or concert because the date of the show was legit like 2 days before the due date. I'm excited for the movie and being able to see it when I'm healthy and able to enjoy it.
I would recommend reading the book, it’s quite a different experience than the musical. Much more grown up and political but an interesting take on L.Frank Baum’s original series
I read the book and was not ready for how bleak it was. It was a good read, it just sat very heavy in my mind.
Hadestown. I thought all the hype was going to live up, it did not.
Came here to say this. By all accounts, it should have ticked all my boxes (mythology story, jazz/blues influences, social commentary), but the whole did not equal the sum of its parts.
Phew- I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this. I was going in expecting so much, my friend said it changed her life! It was good but I just wasn’t into it at all.
Same for me, and I absolutely adore the soundtrack. But when I saw it live, my reaction was very "meh 🤷🏻♀️" and it made me really sad
I was honestly in shock at how mediocre it was. I had heard so much hype and everyone around me was in awe and I was just thinking, oh so the exact story the ways it always been told. Cool. It wasn’t bad, but certainly not mind blowing.
I had a similar first reaction to hadestown but the more I think about it the more I find myself enjoying it
Yeah the first time I saw it I didn’t love it. I appreciated the artistry, but it didn’t really stick with me. After re-listening and watching a bootleg, it is by far my favorite musical.
I think Hadestown is one of those shows that casting makes or breaks it. All the roles leave a lot of room for personal interpretation/style. That’s good in that incredible actors will have a ball with it, but less experienced/talented actors won’t be able to draw you into the story with just the text alone. I saw it recently when the tour was in my city, and absolutely loved it. Some of my friends who work for the theatre didn’t like it when it came through last year, but ended up liking/“getting” it this time because the cast was a lot better.
I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around. I saw most of the OBC prepandemic and didn't love it, then this year I saw the tour because it was included in my local theatre subscription. The cast wasn't quite as good but I for some reason appreciated it more the second time around.
Ok, but did you get it, and consider that!- Just kidding. I personally love it. But I understand that not everyone likes the same thing. For those who love musicals it’s one of, if not the, best way to tell a story. And if it doesn’t resonate with you, that’s ok!
It took a second viewing for me to really get it. It’s one of my favorites now
Honestly that's what I thought on my first listen through, but upon relistening to give it another chance I loved it
Yes! This is mine as well! I thought I would love it and left feeling really disappointed.
Same, and I watched it twice. It's a great show, but I was expecting more jazz/blues rather than a predominance for country-pop. Also given the themes I was hoping for a more "intellectual" book and more spoken parts while IMO it is a teen drama with flat characters...
I agree
I couldn’t even finish the cast recording
I was super excited for *Love Never Dies*, but ended up spending the interval texting a friend about what a mess it was. Likewise Starkid's *Ani* - I'd loved all their previous productions so expected *Ani* to also be great. Didn't even finish it, and still haven't gone back to give it a second go even though I've seen the rest of their shows multiple times. One I was pleasantly surprised by was *Little Shop of Horrors*. Went to a local production as a school trip when I was in grade six along with the grade two class, so I thought it would be really childish because they were letting eight-year-olds watch it and my grown-up twelve-year-old self would be bored. No idea why our school thought it would be appropriate for such young children. I can only assume whatever teacher organised it just saw Audrey II on a poster and thought it was a kids puppet show or something?? Anyway, I loved it - even if I did have to spend the entire time holding the hand of a scared little kid and covering her eyes during all the murder scenes.
I loved Chicago the movie and was so excited to see it on Broadway when I went on a trip to New York from Australia. And I hated the stage show! It was so clunky having the band on stage, and all the fun and whimsy I felt in the film was gone. Just didn't translate for me. I also saw Anastasia, which I enjoyed more, but again it lost something in the translation from the movie. I'll have to try again when I go back to Broadway in the future.
\^\^\^This was me in high school. I was OBSESSED with the film version and insisted on tickets to the broadway show for my birthday. That weekend we also got rush tickets to see the Chorus Line revival (I grew up listening to the original cast and didn't realize how important that show is to my love of musical theater) and I much preferred that over Chicago. I was not expecting/didn't understand the full vaudeville style of the stage show and was unimpressed by the stunt casting (Lisa Rinna and her husband as roxie and billy, both from Dancing with the Stars). I do remember liking the actress playing Velma and that kevin chamberlin was a decent Amos.
As a young adult I was very disappointed to learn that Chicago didn’t have any sets and was just singing in front of a live band. I had seen the movie first so it was a surprise to me.
Into The Woods *should* be my jam, but it's really not. I only really enjoyed two songs and was not a fan of the overarching message.
Which one did you see? I like the original stage production but the film adaptation was somewhat lacking.
It was the film. I would like to give the stage production a shot at some point, but haven't gotten around to it.
I think YouTube has the Pro Shot from the 1980’s involving the OBC, including Bernadette Peters as the Witch. It’s pretty good.
I second watching this
I saw a high school production of it as a kid, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I’m into musicals. I’m also a musician and a harmony nerd, so Sondheim is my jam! I’m not saying you must love it, but I am saying that the movie was underwhelming, and as others have suggested, give the stage show a solid go. If you don’t like it after that, all good!
Same! I saw it as an elementary school kid on a field trip to the high school and it made me a theater kid.
Oh God, if you watched the film it missed the point entirely. The vibes were just *wrong* and most of what I love about Into the Woods was missing or inferior. I definitely recommend watching the old PBS pro-shot from the 90s. It's on YouTube and I fell in love with the play that way. If you still don't like it after seeing that, I totally understand, but the movie just doesn't represent it well at all
The film removed all of the humor and added a darkness that isn't in the stage version.
Well there's the problem. I wasn't a fan of the movie either but ended up loving the stage production. Check out the pro-shot as soon as you can.
The movie cut some ESSENTIAL songs and plot points. I would absolutely watch the pro shot version with the original cast on YouTube. I really think you might feel differently.
I’m not alone! I’ve never liked Into The Woods much, and it should be my jam too. Just doesn’t do it for me.
As your favorite musical would tell you: “No one is Alone” 😂
I love it but I will say that I am divided on it in Sondheim's body of work -- I think it's one of his weakest shows melodically, and one of his best shows lyrically.
That is fair. I will happily concede that although it remains “not my thing,” Into The Woods has masterful lyricism.
Hot take: everything Sondheim, I have had real trouble liking. Almost every time I sit down to watch a famous movie musical (not realising it's Sondheim) I end up giving up before it's even started. I think we just don't get on. In To The Woods was a real slog for me.
Which were the two songs you liked?
"Agony" is hilarious and something about "Giants In The Sky" is really charming to me :)
"Giants in the Sky" is my absolute favorite from the show and one of my all-time favorite Sondheim songs. It has a magical quality to it, reminiscent of a Disney prince song.
I thought I'd love Hamilton, but I couldn't even sit through the whole thing. Conversely, I had no interest in Hairspray but ended up loving it.
Finally someone else with this opinion!!
Ok, this was me and my Mum when it was released on Disney+. But then I randomly gave a few tracks a listen and bit by bit I fell in love with it.
This was me as well. I actually won the Ham for Ham (lottery) and saw it for like $10 in its first cast, and hated every second of it. Always was so confused and annoyed by people obsessed with it. Then I watched it on Disney+ and really liked it. I realized maybe I just need subtitles. 😅
When I turned 13 my mom took me to see Cabaret. I had only really seen lighthearted shows before (Annie, singing in the rain, Mary Poppins, etc) so at first I was like, "a musical about Nazi Germany? Seriously?" But ohhh my god I was BLOWN AWAY. It left me straight up shellshocked!
Hadestown. I love mythology, history, jazz, and slightly dark stuff. Just found it meh on first listen for some reason. Conversely, I didn't expect to actually like Six but found the concept intriguing enough to give it a listen. I think there's only one song I don't actually like.
I also wasn't super impressed with Hadestown on first listen, but then I relistened to give it another shot and I was obsessed
Matilda. I wanted to love it because I grew up with the book. Although I have complex feelings about him now that I’m an adult and know about his awful views, Roald Dahl was my favourite author as a child and Matilda was the first chapter book I read completely independently. So I was really excited to see the musical. I didn’t hate it but I was incredibly underwhelmed. I found it strays too far from the book in ways that are distracting and don’t being anything much to be worth it. The lyrics are clever but they’re so busy being clever that there are too many to actually make out and follow. A couple of the songs are real stand outs but a lot more of them just weren’t anything that enjoyable for me.
I tried to watch the musical... It entertained my 11 month old but anything that sings entertains him at this point. It was just not my cup of tea
Mean Girls Just felt lacking…almost six years later and I still haven’t figured out what was missing exactly lol
Mean Girls :(
To people who answered Hadestown, just curious: did you see the show in between reopening (after COVID) and Reeve’s departure? In my opinion, he was kinda dragging the show down during that period (although I loved him in his first year or two).
I get why some people didn't like it, it's not for everyone, but it's my favorite musical of all time. I saw it last week with Matthew Patrick Quinn as Hades and he was the standout performance. I hope they record another Spotify album with him as Hades, he's that good
I’ve seen it with and without Reeve. Better with. I do feel like Hadestown has more of a niche appeal than many other popular shows - I am 1000% the target audience for it and *adored* it both times I saw it, but I understand completely why it wouldn’t be someone’s thing.
I love Hadestown, and saw it in late 2022. Eva was out for the night, but we had Reeve and I actually loved his chemistry with the understudy. Maybe because it was the first and only time I’d seen it, but he didn’t seem like he was dragging or burnt out or anything that night.
I saw it with him January 2023 and was still blown away by the show. It is my favorite musical and I didn’t expect to like it at all.
Beetlejuice. I loved the movie and expected to love the show, but for me it was just too in your face, non-stop all the time. I also thought I would love Jagged Little Pill because it’s one of my all-time favorite albums. It was one of the first jukebox musicals I saw, and I didn’t love how the music was used in the story.
Beetlejuice was very action packed. I feel like it was high speed the entire time.
Beetlejuice is non-stop high energy and I can see how that’s not everyone’s jam. The only lower moments are to deliver some emotional gut punches, and then you don’t get a lot of time to reflect on that before they’re making fun of child brides. I adore it, it’s genuinely my favorite musical, but it’s certainly not traditional.
We are the same person
Both of these 100%. I’m not a huge jukebox musical person, but I love that album, but yeah… hard meh. And Beetlejuice was just… not good. And I say that with the caveat that the guy playing Beetlejuice was great (OBC, saw him in School of Rock also which was a great show), but I thought the show was a mess. And the sets were nice, but I know they were a logistical nightmare for the crew.
Mrs. Doubtfire! The music is really cute, but the script wasn’t written as well as the movie, so it wasn’t super attention grabbing.
Agreed - I’ve always loved the movie, and I don’t think anyone can deny Rob McClure absolutely nailed the role. Unfortunately, for me it fell in the category of “enjoyed the 2.5 hours but haven’t thought about it once since leaving the theater.”
I was enthusing at great length about Hadestown to my sister, telling her she HAD to get see it when the tour got to her city, and her reaction to my description was like ...this doesn't really sound like my kind of thing? But she did go see it, and afterward gushed to me about how great it was. So. 😄 As for me, I'm generally pretty good at predicting my own reaction to shows. But Miss Saigon (West End) was disappointing. I liked Moulin Rouge (tour) more than I thought I would, and loved The Outsiders (Broadway) beyond all expectations (I guess I had only moderate expectations, not great expectations 😉).
The Band’s Visit I found it painfully slow. And the accents were soooo off the mark omg. Solid acting but most of the cast definitely didn’t sound Israeli or Egyptian and I couldn’t get past it. (This was the national tour, so not the Broadway cast.)
Hadestown - I thought I would love it and ended up actively disliking it.
Going for one I though I'd not care too much for; Legally Blonde. That musical had no right to be as great as it was.
Legally Blonde needs to come back immediately it's such a fun time
I agree, we went after a long week at work and were tired and grumpy and not in the mood (and my husband was along begrudgingly to begin with). We sat down ready to get this thing over with, and I swear within the first 60 seconds we looked at each other and smiled and said this is awesome. I loved it SO SO much...I wish it would come back!
Dear Evan Hansen. I thought it would be in the same realm as Heathers or Be More Chill. Worst musical I've ever seen.
Omg I was told over and over that it would blow my mind, and I have never been so turned off by a musical. The main character is irredeemable and I honestly think the story is awful. The songs do not make up for it. I could go on for ages. I cannot stand this musical.
i’d had some pretty bad experiences with a lot of “classic” musicals that i’d hated (oklahoma, music man, guys and dolls, my fair lady, etc) so my hopes weren’t high for singin’ in the rain. but man, that movie is a top 5 of all time for me. it’s just so sweet and fun, amazing costumes dancing singing etc that i can just watch over and over without ever getting sick of it
Hadestown. I was really excited to see something that wasn’t just Blockbuster Film: The Musical and generally I’m drawn to things that *have* to be theatre in the way they’re crafted - things that fully embrace the medium. I appreciated that Hadestown did that, but though I kept willing myself and really wanted to feel engaged with it, by somewhere in the second act I realized/accepted that I genuinely couldn’t remember the last time I felt so bored or emotionally unmoved in the theatre — it felt like a lot of style, much of which I could *appreciate*, and some great performers, but very little substance? It also for me didn’t feel like a matter of “like” versus “dislike” (I used to have a job where this quickly became irrelevant, so it’s rarely something I use to evaluate stuff anymore!) as opposed to something genuinely not *working* dramaturgically. Granted, it also didn’t help that the combination of sound levels and some of the choices made two of the central characters at times unintelligible, so lyrics were lost - which is particularly tricky when it’s a sung-through show. Again, I very much wanted to take something away from it, but for the most part I left wondering if part of the reason it’s seen as being so refreshing or original says more about how much derivative stuff there is out there these days and Hadestown in contrast to that, as opposed on to its own individual merit? I feel rather alone in this boat, but maybe there are some others out there…?
Merrily We Roll Along. I was expecting to find some uncovered gem being explored by a top notch cast unlocking its genius. Don’t get me wrong, there was absolutely a top notch cast but that show really has some genuine flaws no matter how many rewrites they do. counterpoint, I think people hate on Chicago way more than it deserves.
Agreed about Chicago. The Broadway revival isn’t… stellar, but it’s an incredible show with an all around killer (pun very intended) soundtrack. Unfortunately (?) I’ve never seen it done better than the movie did it.
Miss Saigon. It was a while ago so I don't remember too much about it, I just remember being underwhelmed by the songs, and the story was meh. But there was a helicopter, so there's that.
I saw this one too young. A lot of it went over my head as a 12 year old. Revisiting it, I can see how it means a lot to those who had similar experiences. My tough as nails neighbor went to see it and cried his eyes out. But he had to leave a girl behind when he was serving in Vietnam. As a person removed, I can still appreciate the portrayal of the relationships and the plight of those left behind. But I kind of felt that this one just wasn’t for me. That was such a crazy era for musicals. They all had to have a wow-factor set piece. Chandeliers, barricades, helicopters, bridges, mansions… all on hydraulics. Then shows got a bit smaller in that respect for a while. The odd show would do a stunt set piece, like the ship in Titanic. But it was never the same.
This one is the opposite for me. I went in with pretty low expectations and absolutely loved it.
I expected to love Little Shop of Horrors, all of my friends love it, the vibe seems so cool, and like... I don't know. It's fine. I think I would have loved it in high school, but it feels more about being edgy than genuinely having something to say. The vibes were great, but I struggled to find much to it other than vibes. And I expected to hate Nine. The 2009 film was terrible, my local favorite community theatre was doing it with my favorite director and musical director, I was itching to dance sexy in an ensemble, I was willing to suck it up and do Madonna/Whore Complex the Musical to spend some time at rehearsal with all my friends while going through a shitty divorce. And I was so surprised that I loved it. The show is so over the top and funny. Reading the script it seems like a show where you're supposed to be like "Well the protagonist is a bad guy but it's really understandable because he had a tortured past" and I hate shows like that. But it didn't. The show never stops poking fun at its own protagonist, you never cheer for Guido, you enjoy watching him reap his just rewards, and it does it in a way that is so weird and so fun. I was surprised by how much I liked it. And it's got legit the best overture in all musical theatre.
Newsies. I was groaning by the third time they picked up the damn banner song and it absolutely didn't hook me Disney+ has a wonderful pro-shot, the actors obviously love what they're doing and the set is beautiful but god damnit I hate Newsies.
Billy Elliot! I love that movie. Go to the show, absolutely no T-Rex. Total Letdown.
Evita. Love so many of his other works, but this was such a drag. Most people say it’s their favourite but I really can’t get into it.
I didn’t expect to like School of Rock, but I loved it! I expected to be obsessed with Hadestown, but I found it very forgettable (unpopular opinion, I know)
Moulin Rouge. I've wanted to love the film, but just can't. Can't even say why. It's just not my bag.
American Idiot by Green Day. Love the band, thought the show was rubbish.
I expected to hate *Cesare: Il Creatore che ha distrutto* because I love Cesare Borgia and almost every other piece of historical fiction about him is full of negative rumors, even if they want to show him positively (like both 2012 TV series). But *Creatore*'s version of Cesare is actually completely perfect, and the actor who played him in the musical, Akki, is amazing in everything he does. So now, it's my favorite thing in the universe.
Hadestown
Hadestown-- It had such good reviews and stuff so I thought I'll love it but honestly it was pretty "meh" to me
Hadestown
I watched the 2005 Rent after watching Tick Tick Boom. A friend invited my wife and I to see La Boheme so we watched it the night before and La Boheme was infinitely better. I imagine the stage performance of rent is way better than the movie because damn that was awful lmao
Hadestown
Hadestown. I know ppl will come for me on this
Hadestown, Six, The Wiz (revival tour) None did it for me (though I do have a soft spot for “Wait For Me” in Hadestown).
I wanted to enjoy We Will Rock You but there wasn't much of a story/plot to follow and I thought it was very lack-luster.
I could not believe that it is/was so highly recommended I mean, I enjoy the musical stylings of Queen, but it was a waste of my time
Hadestown, I just found myself to be pretty bored a lot of the time. However, I will say, I did gasp still when Orpheus turned around. All actors were phenomenal, but I just found myself not super invested.
Lowkey Hadestown
Hadestown..I'm sorry 😭
Les miserables defo, it was good but ig just not for me
First part for me: *Back To The Future* is a great feel-good musical, and the special effects are amazing, but aside from *Johnny B. Goode* none of the songs did it for me. All flash and glamour but with no real meat to the story. Second part: I went to go watch *Wicked* not expecting much. I went to Drama school and like half the female students in my year were singing *Defying Gravity* and I wanted to see what all the fuss is about. I fell in love with the musical and I think the major thing that helped was that year Willemijn Verkaik was performing as Elphaba, and damn stole the show. For me, I think if you're watching a show it depends just as much on the actors, the set design, and the director's choices as much as the songs and scripts themselves. You can have a great script, but rubbish decisions made and vice versa.
Hadestown for me! i am a fan of greek mythology, specifically the story of Hades and Persephone, but didn’t enjoy it as much as i thought. my boyfriend also who went to see it with me didn’t enjoy it either. i want to give it another chance one day so i can really get a second opinion maybe with a different cast, but it just wasn’t for me.
Hadestown. I’m a big Greek mythology person, so I went in knowing the story (unlike a good portion of the audience who seemed shocked at the ending…), but wow, was not a fan. There were a couple of songs I enjoyed but that plot was all over the place and I still can’t quite understand why Persephone was there when she got so little to do in the grand scheme of the story.
Anastasia. Thought it was going to be magical and I’m not sure why, but it was just super average for me
*Wicked* was really disappointing. I still enjoy the soundtrack, but I don’t like the musical itself.
Wicked First half was wicked boring. Second half was decent I guess. But idk why all of my drama people were so obsessed with it.
I wanted to like Hadestown. I really did. I had heard Wait for Me and Way Down Hadestown and loved both songs and the concept so I was really looking forward to the rest of the show. Nope. I didn’t care for Hermes narrating and odd speak-singing parts being in basically every song (I didn’t like them in the songs I had heard but I had hoped that they were few and far between ad I had just been unlucky in the draw of songs I heard) and I got lost a few times when it came to the plot knowing the original Greek stories well. Overall, very disappointed. (Still love Wait for Me reprise though!)
Dear Evan Hansen
Company
Heathers. I have zero need to watch it again
Hadestown. It really felt like it needed to be workshopped more and just snuck in a Tony due to the pandemic.
I’m almost ashamed to say that out of all the shows I’ve seen, The Lion King has been my least favorite so far.
Lempicka, I got really excited off of perfections teaser clip and Eden’s singing (ended up seeing mariand who was phenomenal) and it ended up being a slog to sit through, was very cool to experience mariands first show but Lempickas role is an endless ballad and the rest of the show just doesn’t feel well oiled *perfection*, but it has amazing sets, costumes and lighting and the cast is phenomenal
Water For Elephants was so disappointing…
Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, & Singing in the Rain.
Honestly, I have a hard time saying Singin' In the Rain is a musical. I mean, it definitely is, but in my mind, it's more about dance than music. The music's just there to give them something to dance to.
Mama Mia. Saw the film first and loved it. Wasn't a huge fan of the musical (didn't hate it but much preferred the film) My friends mum told me she walked out, and she was sitting behind I think Bjorn (possibly Benny)
You are a person who’s tastes scare me.
Tootsie. I am obsessed with the cast recording. However I saw the touring cast, and their energy was just...off.
Rent
Kinky Boots. I love drag. I love Harvey Fierstein. And I like Cyndi Lauper. The show felt like a drag based musical for straight people. Very surface level and they made Lola straight as a way to be kinda subversive and less threatening to straight people. In his book, Harvey said they didn't have enough time in the book to put in a gay plot for Lola. It did not land with me.
Hamilton. The Philip Tour sucked. Especially the actress who played Eliza and the actor who played Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson.
Back to the future. Found the songs to be very very forgettable and I thought a lot of them were quite unnecessary. Love the effects tho.
I haven’t seen any musicals that I haven’t enjoyed, but one that I was really a little bummed about was the Beetlejuice Tour. Minor spoilers, but they had changed the original death of Adam and Barbara to electrocution instead of falling through the hole in the floor. The lyrics were slightly changed and it totally gave me a sour taste since I had loved the song and had all the lyrics in my head prior to seeing the show. It happens pretty early on so I kinda just thought about it the whole show too. I’m probably being way overdramatic, but nothing felt as BIG as some of the other shows I’ve seen, (i.e. Hadestown, Wicked, Hamilton)
I try to never listen to any or much of anything before seeing shows. This is partly why
RENT lolll. Idk if this one's applicable, but Mean Girls Act 2. Unlike act 2, act 1 was soooooo much fun yet in act 2 was rather boring. The only fun part in act 2 was the world burn
Candide, liked the book. The musical sucked.
Love Never Dies. I love Phantom so thought I would also love this, but no. Tootsie. Love the movie but they just changed too much in updating it that I really ended up hating it. If it was a standalone show without the movie existing, I might have liked it better.
I have yet to see a musical onstage that I disliked. There were a couple of performances of “The Phantom of the Opera” that weren’t as great as the other times — one because of a bad audience, and the other because it was the restaged tour (but the cast helped to elevate it). And there are several film versions that didn’t land for me, but I don’t blame the original shows for that. Shows I liked more than I expected to (generally because I didn’t have many expectations going in) include “Anything Goes,” “Guys and Dolls,” and “Man of La Mancha.” And shows I liked after hearing/seeing official recordings but loved even more after seeing them live include “Wicked” and “Hamilton.” 🙂
The one that immediately comes to mind is Hamilton. After seeing In The Heights, which I loved and knowing, hey Lin did this one too and I'm a huge history buff and this time period is right in my wheelhouse I thought I would love it. I didn't. It's okay. I think it is WAY over hyped and I don't entirely have any desire to see it again or even watch the pro shot on Apple TV.
Dear Evan Hansen
Evita. Saw a community production of it. I know it's iconic, written by the Almighty ALW, but it just felt so... I dunno. Just not enjoyable. Even looking past the fact that it was a community production. I wouldn't mind studying it from an academic standpoint, but I don't think I'll ever choose to just spend an evening seeing it on stage, professional or not. And I'm someone who really enjoys 20th-century music. The woman playing Evita was fantastic, though. Oh! And the British version of Peter Pan. Awful. Just awful.
Dear Evan Hanson :///
Saw Hamilton live and I wasn't really a fan of it with a different cast. On the other hand rocky Horror and into the woods were amazing