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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:
HelloChompy · 04/08/2023 09:06

I saw Dirty Dancing at the West End, 10 years or more ago. Loved the film but hated it on stage. Wooden acting, dubious dancing.... I'm envious of those of you who were able to leave in the interval. I was with a group for a friend's birthday so had to endure the whole performance unfortunately 😔

squashyhat · 04/08/2023 09:09

I was so disappointed in the current "reimagining" of Oklahoma. I cannot understand all the plaudits. How they can make something so dull and miserable out of the original is beyond me.

swimminginthesun · 04/08/2023 09:10

99victoria · 04/08/2023 08:52

Cats - kept waiting for some kind of storyline or something to hold it together and it never came. Most of the songs were very mediocre too

It’s based on a book of poetry - not a novel.

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Theatre
tachetastic · 04/08/2023 09:12

partystress · 04/08/2023 07:34

I knew it was about bullying, that was all. I love dark humour. I’ve lost people to suicide, and I still enjoyed Dear Evan Hanson. What I didn’t enjoy in Heathers was, to pick one plot line, a double murder becoming something joyful because it was taken as suicide and converted a pair of homophobic dads. I couldn’t see the hysterically funny side of the fat girl ending up in a wheelchair when her suicide jump failed.

The movie Heathers was great but perhaps it was of its day. I can see that the ironic tone of the movie does not really translate into song. I don’t think the original story was intended to be hilariously funny, just an ironic version of teenager life taken to an extreme (if someone actually did keep killing the types of people we all wanted to kill at that age, and getting away with it).

as they say, just because you have an idea it doesn’t mean it’s a good one.

mrsnjw · 04/08/2023 09:14

Six - just loads of screaming!

CharlotteStreetW1 · 04/08/2023 09:26

WideDyedAndLegless · 03/08/2023 22:06

Mutiny.
I loved David Essex but he was totally rubbish in this.

OMG! You've just whisked me back in time there! Was Sunita in it? Utter tripe.

Speaking of time, Time was shite as well although the sweatshirt I bought which said "All will be revealed in... Time" caused some mild amusement when I wore it behind the bar.

LadyGAgain · 04/08/2023 09:27

Cats is tripe
Grease on stage is awful

WGACA · 04/08/2023 09:34

I liked Evita. Hairspray is good too.

I went to see Sister Act in Leicester and they had the orchestra on the stage integrated fully into the show’s choreography and it was modern and slick. I then booked tickets in Nottingham and the orchestra were in the pit as it’s a smaller stage. I was so disappointed. The songs aren’t good especially as I love the ones in the film.

CharlotteStreetW1 · 04/08/2023 09:40

HowNice23 · 03/08/2023 23:06

Les Mis is just too bloody long the auditorium is too dark to read the programme almost broke my leg trying to go to the loos and I spent the whole thing trying to explain the let's be honest quite depressing plot to an elderly relative who'd left their hearing aids at home. Was not worth it for the two or three best songs.

I saw Oklahoma! last week and there's a heavy metal segment (feedback and all) at one point and I could see some poor chap trying to adjust his hearing aid. Must have been purgatory for him!

ASGIRC · 04/08/2023 09:46

Viva Forever was DIRE!!!!

I also dislike Chicago and Grease. I love the movie, but the stage version is sooooo cringy, I just cant deal with it!

Mrsjayy · 04/08/2023 09:50

CharlotteStreetW1 · 04/08/2023 09:40

I saw Oklahoma! last week and there's a heavy metal segment (feedback and all) at one point and I could see some poor chap trying to adjust his hearing aid. Must have been purgatory for him!

Show quote history

Heavy Metal ? At what is essentially a western. Sure 😂

pilates · 04/08/2023 09:52

Heathers - hated it, went with DD and felt awkward as she paid for it

CharlotteStreetW1 · 04/08/2023 09:54

Mrsjayy · 04/08/2023 09:50

Heavy Metal ? At what is essentially a western. Sure 😂

Show quote history

Come back when you've seen it.

Positive41 · 04/08/2023 09:55

BeckyBlue · 03/08/2023 22:07

I'm a big Tim Minchin fan, seen him live many times and was eager to see Matilda.

Finally got tickets, and all the kids in it pissed me off.

And I generally like kids!

I'm looking to take my DC. Why did the kids piss you off?!

GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 09:58

Why is there heavy metal in Oklahoma!? Heavy metal didn't even exist when the musical was written. What have they done to it?

CharlotteStreetW1 · 04/08/2023 09:58

CharlotteStreetW1 · 04/08/2023 09:54

Come back when you've seen it.

Show quote history

In fact I'll save you the bother 😁

“The iconic ‘Dream Ballet’ was so expressive, and in the original, all the cast participated in the sequence, but with ours, you are introduced to someone you’ve never been introduced to before,” Hamilton says. “There’s smoke and heavy metal attached to the music, but also a sadness and melancholy that comes with the sequence."

Cookerhood · 04/08/2023 10:02

GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 09:58

Why is there heavy metal in Oklahoma!? Heavy metal didn't even exist when the musical was written. What have they done to it?

It's just awful.
The part after the interval looks like a year 7 improvised dance.

MNetcurtains · 04/08/2023 10:05

Mamma Mia (when it first appeared in London's West End). Left during the interval It was like a high end amateur dramatics production.

HappySonHappyMum · 04/08/2023 10:09

I've seen a lot of musicals - the worst I've seen was Mamma Mia. Set looked old and dated, singing was poor. Looked like it needed money spent on it - really disappointing especially as I's seen Abba Voyage a few months before which was amazing. Lion King was a close second it left me cold and I actually love the Disney film.

Best I've seen was Sister Act (seen it with the original cast and with Beverly Knight last year), Everybody's talking about Jamie (brilliant original cast, great music), Wicked (fantastic show - wished I'd seen Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenworth), Hamilton (modern, engaging, uplifting), Phantom (my first musical about 35 years ago - as a teenager I was starstruck by Michael Crawford), Hairspray (Michael Ball amazing and the leading lady had a wonderful voice), Jersey Boys (not a bad song in it - loved it).

Special mention should also go to the Pantomimes at the London Palladium - I know not strictly musicals! Been every year for the last four years now and I defy anyone to walk away without a sore face from laughing. They are brilliant.

LonelyFlans · 04/08/2023 10:13

BellaEllaWella · 03/08/2023 22:15

How has no one mentioned Starlight Express yet - it was awful!
Cats was also terrible as was Dirty Dancing

Yes to both of these - awful!

GlasgowCityCouncilAgain · 04/08/2023 10:13

Thanks for the warnings, CharlotteStreetW1 and Cookerhood. I'll certainly not be going to see Oklahoma! then. I can't understand why they'd do that.

Andifeelheavymetal · 04/08/2023 10:14

Phantom followed by Matilda

Mrsjayy · 04/08/2023 10:15

CharlotteStreetW1 · 04/08/2023 09:58

In fact I'll save you the bother 😁

“The iconic ‘Dream Ballet’ was so expressive, and in the original, all the cast participated in the sequence, but with ours, you are introduced to someone you’ve never been introduced to before,” Hamilton says. “There’s smoke and heavy metal attached to the music, but also a sadness and melancholy that comes with the sequence."

Show quote history

Well that's worth a miss 😄

Andywarholswig · 04/08/2023 10:17

Pretty Woman, it was awful. Too much focus on making it exactly like the film and full to the brim of really seriously drunk women heckling the cast and saying the lines along with them. We Will Rock You was also complete crap

FrenchFancie · 04/08/2023 10:17

I saw an Andre Lloyd Webber one years ago - the woman in white (or maybe she wore black, can’t remember lol!) it was terrible. Weird projected set, no catchy songs and odd, wooden acting. Total waste of money. Was at least 20 years ago, probably more like 30, and still vividly recall it as being the worst thing I’ve ever seen on stage!