After listing my top 10 favourite shows, in part 3 of my musical roundup, I will go on to list the top 5 most disappointing shows I've encountered this year. At least, I'm glad that there wasn't enough shows that I was disappointed with to make the top 10. This is meant to be a PERSONAL recollection for myself and not, by any means, to discourage any actors or theatre companies out there. Here we go.
TOP 5 MOST DISAPPOINTING SHOWS I'VE SEEN
#5 PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT
(Palace Theatre, London)
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| Oliver Thornton, Richard Grieve and Don Gallagher as Adam, Tick and Bernadette inside the Priscilla bus |
I had quite high expectations with this show since many people I know who has seen it told me it was good but honestly, I didn't care much for it. I think the musical has so much more potential and there were many more things that can be done to make it, at least, a better musical. The book was thin, the jukebox musical theme could have been used better. There were times when I felt bored or felt that the show and music were really irrelevant. I was hoping for a lot more with the stage and production design, though I quite like the bus and the costume.
#4 THE WIZARD OF OZ
(London Palladium, London)
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| Danielle Hope as Dorothy and Michael Crawford as the Wizard with Toto |
I wanted to love this show, I do but I was bored at several points in the show. I mean the production design was all right and I appreciate the turn from sepia Kansas to colourful Oz but apart from that, nothing really stood out for me. How the book was presented was not excited at all. The original music sounded dated and repetitive. Andrew Lloyd Webber's new music was uninspired and merely serviceable. The cast overall ranges from good (Danielle Hope as Dorothy, Marianne Benedict as The Wicked Witch of the West understudy) to disappointing (The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as well as the legendary Michael Crawford).
#3 JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (Grand Theatre, Leeds)
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| Keith Jack as Joseph with the Narrator during "Go, Go, Go Joseph" |
I normally love Joseph but this touring production of it was a very mediocre one. The stage design was uninspired and it felt very robotic. I felt like the actors were doing what they were supposed to do and not what they wanted to do. The jokes weren't funny and the ensemble was far less than my expectation. Keith Jack, though all right in the title role, was less superior than the other Josephs I've seen or heard. I was also disappointed with Adam Jarrell as the Pharaoh.
#2 SHREK: THE MUSICAL
(Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London)
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| The original London cast of Shrek: The Musical (clockwise from left) Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona, Nigel Lindsay as Shrek Richard Blackwood as Donkey and Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad |
How could a show work if you cast someone who can't sing or act? Shrek: The Musical in London suffered a lot from its weak casting. I mean the production design was overall good and interesting but the cast absolutely killed it. Nigel Lindsay couldn't sing and I just didn't believe that he was Shrek at all. Richard Blackwood was no Eddie Murphy. He was more annoying than funny and I think act one suffered a lot because of his lack of funniness. The role of Princess Fiona was written for Broadway's triple threat Sutton Foster and here they still cast someone who can't really match up to her at all. Amanda Holden's Princess Fiona, though serviceable, was far from perfect. Shrek also boasted one of the worst roles for ensemble cast I've seen. The only saving grace of the show was Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad and he was amazing but him alone couldn't save the show. I also didn't like the change that they made from the Broadway version especially the opening.
#1 JEKYLL & HYDE
(Grand Theatre, Leed)
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| Marti Pellow as Jekyll with video projection of Marti Pellow as Hyde during "Confrontation" |
Definitely the worst thing I've seen in years. I love Jekyll & Hyde and though I wasn't expecting Marti Pellow to be Anthony Warlow (original complete recording) or Bob Cuccioli (original Broadway cast), he managed to make me hate him even more than David Hasselhoff. The guy couldn't act and he just couldn't manage to sing this highly demanding role. The supporting cast were no better and the production design was mediocre. Personally, I feel that Jekyll & Hyde's problem lies in its direction decision as well as poor leading man casting. I mean the bloke needs to sing A LOT of belting Broadway tunes, if they would just at least cast someone who could sing, the audience would have enjoyed him more...
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