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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:
NuffSaidSam · 04/08/2023 20:30

LucyGru · 04/08/2023 20:17

Gobsmacked that anyone could hate The Lion King. What didn't you like? It was magnificent!

I thought the first 20 mins were incredible and then it was just really boring. I also thought (appreciate this is a bit mean) the kids playing Simba and Nala were not good enough for the West End.

I don't like the film either though so possibly shouldn't have seen it in the first place. I wouldn't have done except I saw a half hour preview version at Disneyland and it was amazing, turns out all the best bits were in that half hour and the rest was just dull.

celticprincess · 04/08/2023 20:55

Tiredalwaystired · 03/08/2023 22:24

Chess.

I only saw it as a friend was in it. I’m not surprised that a musical about a board game failed to set me alight.

It’s not just about a board game. It’s about a love triangle of the 2 chess players and the manager of one of the players. It’s one of my all time favourite sound tracks.

storminamooncup · 04/08/2023 20:57

I came on here to say Wicked. It was utter shite. Also Cats.

Love Hamilton and Chicago.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Theatre
TheatreSounds · 04/08/2023 21:01

It’s not just about a board game. It’s about a love triangle of the 2 chess players and the manager of one of the players. It’s one of my all time favourite sound tracks.

Yes and it's also about the Cold War.

ltappleby · 04/08/2023 21:29

Sweetness Todd

ThisIsTrifficult · 04/08/2023 21:43

I don't go to musicals it's all a bit too musical-ly for me.
But I took my friend to see viva forever as she was a spice girls fan back in the day and it was absolutely shite.

DH and I loved book of Mormon though!

WeetabixTowels · 04/08/2023 21:47

Oh I loved We Will Rock You and don’t get the hate!

The Lion King was dull and I know it’s hard to otherwise have a bird puppet perform but I thought they could have made a little effort to obscure the puppeteer and their noisy footsteps.

Hated Sister Act.

WeetabixTowels · 04/08/2023 21:55

@Enoughnowbrandon if you have Sky or NowTV the Sky Arts section has loads of musicals

Smoothbananagram · 04/08/2023 21:55

Blood Brothers - dire. Greatest Showman - entirely inauthentic.Last 40 mins of Into the Woods.
Love Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Come from Away ( looking forward to a second trip when it tours), Six, Avenue Q and Wicked! Matilda,when it opened at the RSC in Stratford, was honestly the best theatrical experience of my life. Seen it x3 since.

Myyearmytime · 04/08/2023 21:56

Justrolledmyeyesoutloud · 03/08/2023 22:18

Hated Les Miserables. Proper hated it and l love me a musical show!

I have found my Tribe. I have had to sit through it twice. The second time was a present . Worse present ever ....

Cookerhood · 04/08/2023 22:10

I love Blood Brothers. I've been going to see it for over 30 years. I guess we are all different (thank goodness!)

NoWayRose · 04/08/2023 23:50

Cats. Didn’t see a musical for 10 years after that it put me off so much.

Merryoldgoat · 05/08/2023 00:09

NoWayRose · 04/08/2023 23:50

Cats. Didn’t see a musical for 10 years after that it put me off so much.

Wasn’t it bloody hideous?!

HRTQueen · 05/08/2023 00:20

Wicked it was so so boring and went on and on

musical based on Rod Stewart’s music. Now I like some of his early music but I have no idea why a friend thought I would like to see the musical

Dirty Dancing. I never liked the film but appreciate the dancing. The cast were so obviously bored of performing the show made it terrible to watch

HRTQueen · 05/08/2023 00:22

Les Miserables how could I forget. I think I’ve blocked it out of my mind it was so boringly painful

I don’t really like musicals Jazz Hands type performances make me feel uncomfortable I just want to ask them politely to stop

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 05/08/2023 00:28

Before opening the thread I thought "we will rock you".

Also lion king wasn't much of a fan.
The last time I went to see Cats I thought it wasn't very good either when I had lived it previously

denpark · 05/08/2023 00:29

Peony654 · 03/08/2023 21:54

Book of Mormon, we thought it was appalling, so offensive

It's meant to be offensive against a made-up religion that was designed to be a money-making scheme. Surely you knew that before you went? It's well publicised that it denounces a specific faith and shines a light on hypocrisy

denpark · 05/08/2023 00:31

FoxtrotOscarFoxtrotOscar · 03/08/2023 22:17

Rent.
In NYC.
My judgement might have been skewed because I was seated under an aircon unit blasting out Arctic air.

Oh no! That's such a shame. I love Rent and seeing it in NYC would be incredible.

denpark · 05/08/2023 00:36

unfor · 03/08/2023 23:15

I loved parts of Book of Mormon (the Mormon bits) but I thought the stuff around Africa was really dated and cringey so I could never watch it again despite all the great songs and really fully bits.

That's the point, though. It's meant to be cringey. The idea that Mormons think they can send missionaries out to concert people to their faith IS cringey. It's disgusting and offensive and that's what the musical shines a light on. Any faith who sends out missionaries in an attempt to convert people is offensive.

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 05/08/2023 00:43

FatCatBum · 03/08/2023 22:21

Lion king. I know that is akin to blasphemy but I just hated it, I couldn't deal with the heads on top of heads and just found it long and boring

Yes I think I expected them to pull the masks down or something but no

I found it very distracting

CallieQ · 05/08/2023 00:53

HRTQueen · 05/08/2023 00:22

Les Miserables how could I forget. I think I’ve blocked it out of my mind it was so boringly painful

I don’t really like musicals Jazz Hands type performances make me feel uncomfortable I just want to ask them politely to stop

Les Mis is brilliant

IHateLegDay · 05/08/2023 00:57

Mary Poppins on Broadway about 16 years ago. It was so boring that I fell asleep.
I was sat on a seat right at the balcony and when I woke up at the end, Mary Poppins was floating in front of me and I screamed! She jumped a mile 🙈

XelaM · 05/08/2023 01:35

Wow I can't believe some people hate Les Mis or Lion King. Those are two of the best musicals of all time.

BansheeofInisherin · 05/08/2023 05:08

I can't believe people hate Julie Taymor's award winning costumes and puppets!

craglow · 05/08/2023 05:51

As a musical theatre performer, I can tell you that the general consensus amongst musical theatre people is that anything by Andrew Lloyd Webber is insufferable, especially Cats! So it really shocks me when people say that they like it.
Reading some of the comments on here, people defo need to see more theatre before making such brash judgements - can't believe people despise Wicked and The Lion King so much... if you don't like them then I think maybe theatre just isn't for you.