"The WORST of All Possible Worlds!": Broadway Musical Flops

Welcome to a CoolDogeGuy blog (I have many others if you didn't know)! I am all about flopped Broadway musicals and I thought about making a blog to honor them. This blog was actually inspired by another blog that was all about Broadway musical flops, but they never continued their blog. So.. HERE IT IS! THE WORST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS (that's a Candide reference btw)!!!

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Dames at Sea, the musical that won Bernadette Peters her first Drama Desk Award, “is a parody of large, flashy 1930s Busby Berkeley-style movie musicals in which a chorus girl, newly arrived off the bus from the Midwest to New York City, steps into a role on Broadway and becomes a star” (Wikipedia). Before its Broadway premiere, the show has had many productions including its world premiere Off-Off-Broadway at the Caffe Cino in 1966 with Bernadette Peters, it’s Off-Broadway debut in 1968, a London run at the Duchess Theatre in 1969, a television adaptation and a number of revivals. With Music by Jim Wise, Lyrics by George Haimsohn & Robin Miller, and a Book by George Haimsohn & Robin Miller, Dames at Sea is a popular choice for schools and has been produced in many countries. It began Broadway performances at the Helen Hayes Theatre on September 24, 2015, for previews, officially opened on October 22, 2015, and closed on January 3, 2016.

Dames at Sea received mixed to negative reviews from critics.

The cast starred Lesli Margherita as Mona, Eloise Kropp as Ruby, John Bolton as The Captain / Hennesy, Mara Davi as Joan, Danny Gardner as Lucky, and Cary Tedder as Dick.

As for the awards, they, unfortunately, didn’t win any. Randy Skinner earned the show it’s only Tony nomination and Drama Desk nomination, as well as an Outer Critics Circle nomination and a Fred and Adele Astaire nomination for Choreography. The show itself got an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Best Revival of a Musical. And along with Choreography, Mara Davi and Eloise Kropp were nominated for Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show and the whole ensemble was nominated for Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show at the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards.

WHAT DOES COOLDOGE THINK ABOUT THIS SHOW? I don’t really know much about it, except that IT SHOULD’VE WON BEST CHOREOGRAPHY (which is what beginner theatre nerd CoolDoge said). I don’t really hate any musicals and I think probably the reason why it flopped was that most of the stuff was changed. You know how the original movie is AMAZING, but then the sequel is just not good? That’s what this musical probably went through.

Welp, that’s it! :D

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The People in the Picture is a “memory musical” about Bubbie, a grandmother now living in New York (Donna Murphy), recalling her life as a Yiddish Theatre alum and a victim of the Holocaust in Pre-War Poland. The limited engagement ran at Roundabout Theatre Company’s Studio 54 starting April 1, 2011, for previews, and officially opened on April 28, 2011. The show closed on June 19, 2011, as scheduled. Music was by Mike Stoller & Artie Butler, Lyrics were by Iris Rainer Dart, and the Book was by Iris Rainer Dart.

The People in the Picture received mixed reviews, but Donna Murphy got some attention.

The Donna Murphy-led musical earned nominations from Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and the Tony Awards. Iris Rainer Dart earned a nomination from Drama Desk for Outstanding Book of a Musical, Mike Stoller and Artie Butler earned a Drama Desk nomination as well for Outstanding Music, and Donna Murphy earned the show it’s only Tony and OCC award which was Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Tony Award) and Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Outer Critics Circle) as well as a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.

The Tony-Nominated musical starred Donna Murphy (Bubbie / Raisel), Chip Zien (Yossie Pinsker), Alexander Gemignani (Moishe Rosenwald), Christopher Innvar (Chaim Bradovsky), Nicole Parker (Red), Rachel Resheff (Jenny), Hal Robinson (Doovie Feldman / Rabbi Velvel), Lewis J. Stadlen (Avram Krinsky), and Joyce Van Patten (Chayesel Fisher).

Now it’s time for.. COOLDOGE’S OPINION!

I don’t know much about this musical, but I’ve seen clips from Playbill and Broadway.com and I’d say it’s ok. It’s not the best. And I think that some people might’ve fallen asleep during this 2 hour and 15-minute show. I’m not trying to be rude btw. But overall, I think that this show gives a good message. It’s just that the music and lyrics aren’t all that great. I think the movie set scene and the poster are cool though. :D

Welp, that’s all! :D

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Starring cabaret star Michael Feinstein and Dame Edna Everage (A.K.A.. Australian comedian Barry Humphries), All About Me is (or was..) an enjoyable evening of musical comedy. The assumption is that both think they're headlining a solo show on Broadway and have no intention of sharing the stage. Midway through the performance, the “feuding” stars make up and begin performing comic bits and show-tune medleys together. The show began previews at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on February 22, 2010, officially opened March 18, 2010, and closed on April 4, 2010.

Almost EVERYTHING of this show does NOT exist on the internet anymore. There were barely ANY pictures of this show online and I could not find any pictures of the marquee either. From what I’ve seen, this show probably got negative reviews. It was not nominated for any awards.

TIME FOR.... COOLDOGE’S OPINION!

I can’t really say anything about this show since there’s almost no info on this show anywhere. All I have to say is that I wish there was more info on this show and at least some clips of it. OH WELP!

Welp, THAT’S IT! :D

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Based on the 5-time Oscar-nominated French film of the same name, Amelie is about a young woman (Tony-Nominated Phillipa Soo) who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation. Amelie, with a book by Craig Lucas (The Light in the Piazza, An American in Paris) and a score by Daniel Messé & Nathan Tysen (Tuck Everlasting), ran for 27 previews and 56 regular performances. It started previews at The Walter Kerr Theatre on March 9, 2017, officially opened on April 3, 2017, and closed on May 21, 2017.

Amelie received mixed reviews and "The musical, adapted from the 2001 film about a shy but whimsically altruistic French waitress, had struggled at the box office since opening to underwhelming reviews. Without a single Tony nomination in a competitive Broadway season, an uptick in sales was unlikely (The New York Times)”.

It was only nominated for 4 awards (and didn’t win any) which were Distinguished Production of a Musical (Drama League Award), Favorite New Musical (Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards), Favorite Leading Actress in a Musical - Phillipa Soo (Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards), and Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female) - Savvy Crawford (Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards).

The cast included Tony-Nominated Phillipa Soo (Hamilton) in the title role, Adam Chanler-Berat (Next to Normal, Peter and the Starcatcher) as Amelie’s love interest, Nino, Savvy Crawford as Young Amelie, David Andino as the Blind Beggar, the Garden Gnome and the Anchorperson, Tony Sheldon as Dufayel & Collignon,  Manoel Felciano as Raphael & Bretodeau, Alison Cimmet as Amandine & Philomene, Harriett D. Foy as Suzanne, Maria-Christina Oliveras as Gina, Alyse Alan Louis as Georgette, Sylvie & Collignon's Mother, Randy Blair as Hipolito, the Belgian Tourist and Elton John, Paul Whitty as Joseph, Fluffy and Collignon's Father, and Heath Calvert as Lucien, Adrien Wells and the Mysterious Man.

IT’S TIME FOR... COOLDOGE’S OPINIONS!

I am actually IN LOVE with this musical! Amelie is one of my favorite musicals and I don’t think it deserved to flop. I might seem boring, but if you just relax and listen to the OBCR, it’s actually pretty amazing. 

Welp, THAT’S ALL! :D