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What's the worst musical you have ever been to?

647 replies

Sonolanona · 03/08/2023 21:52

I love musicals, and DS2 who has autism is obsessed so we go to as many as we can. We've seen Cats (not the film!) 7 times, JCSS 7 times, Blood Brothers, Les Mis, Evita, Chicago , Cabaret..and many others. (JCSS is my personal favourite)

Today we went to We Will Rock You.
OMG.
It was cringingly awful. Even if you love Queen, it was still so bad. Worst 'plot' and dialogue ever, the choreography was...interesting and it was played for cheap laughs and smutty out dated jokes, headed by Ben Elton who cannot..and should not..sing.
Never again!!!

OP posts:
dayswithaY · 03/08/2023 23:56

Hamilton - dull and confusing

Mrsjayy · 03/08/2023 23:57

Frances0911 · 03/08/2023 23:47

Also forgot to say as well, Les Miserables. Couldn't understand what the heck was going on as it was all in French, but also not really my thing.

Did you see Les Miserables in France ?

Daisymaybe60 · 03/08/2023 23:59

Another down vote for Wicked. I persuaded DH that we should go because friends had given it such rave reviews. He was desperate to leave after 15 minutes but we stayed the course with me thinking it would surely get better. Spoiler alert - it did not.

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Theatre
shortandpaleandoldandugly · 04/08/2023 00:00

Touring version of Starlight Express with the race taking place in an underground car park then projected onto a screen was a new low for me.
Also hated Shane Ritchie in Grease who basically was Shane Ritchie and totally wrecked the flow of the show.
Not a fan of We Will Rock You either but then I don't really like jukebox musicals generally.

shortandpaleandoldandugly · 04/08/2023 00:02

Favourites though are/were Matilda, Chicago, Miss Saigon, Sunset Boulevard and Les Mis. Six was ok but a bit over hyped.

Begonne · 04/08/2023 00:03

Wicked.

The book is magnificent but the musical is utter drivel and not even close to the spirit of the book.

I want to be popular? Indeed Hmm

themessygarden · 04/08/2023 00:03

Totally agree with others about Wicked, Cats and Les Mis. Couldn't wait for Wicked to end, didn't like Cats and hated Les Mis. I reluctantly went to see Hamilton, I thought how the hell am I going to sit through a musical about the American Civil War, but I absolutely loved it, will go to see it again for sure.

Recently saw Mama Mia, (last saw it 18 years ago and loved it), I was so bored it was nothing like I remembered it to be.

Not a musical but recently saw an off-Broadway show 'The play that goes wrong', OMG one of the worst shows I have ever seen. My daughter really enjoyed it though.

Grendell · 04/08/2023 00:04

Cats - left at intermission - ruined me for musicals. Prefer plays now.

8misskitty8 · 04/08/2023 00:05

Hamilton, had a couple of good songs and that’s it.

Cailin66 · 04/08/2023 00:07

jenbj · 03/08/2023 21:53

Wicked. I hated it. Absolute drivel. Everyone else seems to love it....

We, our family hated it. New York. Everything was cringe about it. Paid for excellent seats too.

Theredjellybean · 04/08/2023 00:08

Andrew Lloyd Webber's recent Cinderella..omfg....so awful...not sure if it was panto or a musical..just so bad.
Best ...cabaret on opening week with Eddie redmayne... brilliant.

I love book of Mormon...it's so very clever in it's it coarse offensiveness...the message about caring for each other in a community through a collective belief being a good thing, whatever that belief is...gets me Everytime. Plus the songs are just funny

Grmumpy · 04/08/2023 00:13

Hated Always, Gone with the Wind, Barnum, the Gondoliers (Gilbert and Sullivan). Loved the Roy orbison story and buddy holly.

PrinnyPree · 04/08/2023 00:14

We were in New York 2004 and decided to see a show on broadway, saw billboards for "Aida" scored by Elton John. Perfect! we thought. Not a memorable song in the lot and my husband kept nodding off so not a thoroughly gripping plot. Book of Mormon was probably my favourite live musical... 🙊

Suspific · 04/08/2023 00:15

Saw it a few months ago. Absolutely loved We Will Rock You! Been listening to the Queen back catalogue ever since.

Mylittlepea · 04/08/2023 00:22

I think musicals are overrated and stupid money. I’ve tried my best to like them over the years and been to a few (try to get cheap seats when the are released etc)

We will Rock you - awful.
CATS was absolute shite. Tried my best to like JCSS - marginally better.
Grease & Dirty dancing were good - but only cos I loved the films.

In fact this post has confirmed to me not to bother going again😂🤣

However - plays I like. Woman in Black was amazing.

Yfory · 04/08/2023 00:28

With some musicals........ it must depend I think on the particular production of it you go and see. We will rock you - as a production done by a local musical youth theatre group with talented leads is excellent. As a stage show in London with Ben Elton, no thanks!

WGACA · 04/08/2023 00:30

I can’t wait to see Come from Away. We have tickets for 2024.

PosiePerkinPootleFlump · 04/08/2023 00:31

Six. Total shite.

MumDadBingoBlueyy · 04/08/2023 00:33

Mary Poppins- saw it on broadway first and hated it, then my mum ‘surprised’ me with tickets on the west end and hated it even more 🤣 Charlie and the chocolate factory was bad too!

Recently saw moulin rouge and loved it, a huge fan of Book of Mormon, Hamilton, frozen (took DD and was pleasantly surprised), Oliver and come from away

deeplybaffled · 04/08/2023 00:36

The Book of Mormon is over 2 hours of my life I’d like back. I wasn’t offended, just deeply, deeply bored. I’d hoped it would be a bit like Avenue Q, which I enjoyed….

Wicked was meh. Can’t remember much about it, even shortly after it.

Blood Brothers I adored.

BarelyLiterate · 04/08/2023 00:37

Titanic. The first time we went to New York, we wanted to see a Broadway show, as you do. Tickets were available for Titanic, so we went for it. The musical sank, in more ways than one.

peachgreen · 04/08/2023 00:40

@ParadiseNotFound I like your taste! I liked Urinetown as well – it was different and challenging but I enjoyed it a lot.

Hamilton is a funny one. I adore the soundtrack and really enjoyed the Disney+ version but when I saw it live it fell really flat. I think the original cast were lightning in a bottle and they’ve never quite recaptured that magic, sadly.

The recent Oklahoma! was really interesting, I thought. It wasn’t trying to be the thigh-slapping jig you were expecting, it was doing something different. Some of it didn’t work but some of it was incredibly powerful and it was very thought-provoking.

I loved the staging of the new Guys and Dolls but thought it wasn’t a patch on the version from 2012/2013 at Chichester/the Savoy. Which reminds me that Jamie Parker and Rupert Young’s High Society at the Old Vic was also a delight, as was Jennifer Ellis in Merrily We Roll Along with the wonderful Jenna Russell. And Rupert Young in Company at the Southwark Playhouse changed my life, it’s what got me in to theatre in the first place. God it was so good.

ANYWAY, enough rambling. I keep talking about good things. I tend to avoid things I won’t like! Just one final plug for Operation Mincemeat which is the best musical I’ve ever seen, bar none.

peachgreen · 04/08/2023 00:41

Oh and I adore Come From Away. Saw it in Dublin which felt very special somehow. And I saw Sara Bareilles herself in Waitress and it was a proper highlight of my life.

lostinmaze · 04/08/2023 00:43

Yet to see a musical that's good, they've all made me want to poke my own eyes out

CallieQ · 04/08/2023 00:43

Come from Away is one of the best I’ve seen and I love Hamilton and enjoyed Wicked. No one has had a bad word to say about Come From Away on this thread which obviously puts it in a class of its own.

I hated Come from Away! Didn't like Hamilton or Wicked