| Contents |
1959-1969. 1959-1960. The biggest hit: The Sound of Music: Let's start at the very beginning -- The biggest flop: The Pink Jungle: don't think pink -- 1960-1961. The biggest hit: Camelot: But it almost was the biggest flop of the season -- The biggest flop: Wildcat: Casting against typecasting -- 1961-1962. The biggest hit: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: The Tony is one thing, but ... -- The biggest flop: A Family Affair: "We'll never hear from you guys again" -- 1962-1963. The biggest hit: Oliver!: Our very first British megahit -- The biggest flop: Hot Spot: There's little peace in the Peace Corps musical -- 1963-1964. The biggest hit: Hello, Dolly!: Wow, wow, wow, fellas -- The biggest flop: Anyone Can Whistle: Sondheim strikes out, in more ways than one -- 1964-1965. The biggest hit: Fiddler on the Roof: A palpable hit song -- The biggest flop: Pleasures and Palaces: Did we see the same show? -- 1965-1966. The biggest hit: Man of La Mancha: Talk about an impossible dream coming true -- The biggest flop: Little World, Hello!: So near, yet so far -- 1966-1967. The biggest hit: Cabaret: Perfectly marvelous -- The biggest flop: Breakfast at Tiffany's: The first musical to close in previews -- 1967-1968. The biggest hit: Hair: An innovation in costuming -- The biggest flop: Mata Hari: Die! Die! My darling! -- 1968-1969. The biggest hit: 1776: But we know how it's going to turn out! -- The biggest flop: Love Match: Can you picture Queen Victoria singin' and dancin' -- |
| Contents |
1969-1979. 1969-1970. The biggest hit: Applause: Taking on a movie masterpiece -- The biggest flop: Gantry: Let the audiences, and the critics come to you -- 1970-1971. The biggest hit: No, No, Nanette: Broadway discovers its past as it never has before -- The biggest flop: Lolita, My Love: A musical of WHAT?!?! -- 1971-1972. The biggest hit: Grease: Quality uncontrol -- The biggest flop: On the Town: Too soon, too soon ... -- 1972-1973. The biggest hit: Pippin: Do you think advertising on TV might work? -- The biggest flop: Via Galactica: Maybe the checks didn't bounce, but the actors did -- 1973-1974. The biggest hit: The Magic Show: When you've got magic, who needs an out-of-town tryout? -- The biggest flop: Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (and Don't You Ever Forget It): Yesterday's disaster might be today's hit -- 1974-1975. The biggest hit: The Wiz: Add black to the colors of the rainbow -- The biggest flop: Good News: W.C. Fields was right about working with animals -- 1975-1976. The biggest hit: A Chorus Line: A hit from a mere workshop -- The biggest flop: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: Not quite the expected bicentennial celebration -- 1976-1977. The biggest hit: Annie: Caring deeply for a comic strip character -- The biggest flop: Hellzapoppin': Just call it "Hell" -- 1977-1978. The biggest hit: AIn't Misbehavin': No book, no dialogue, no stopping it -- The biggest flop: The Prince of Grand Street: A Jewish show in New York! (Well, not quite) -- 1978-1979. The biggest hit: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas: Sex does sell, doesn't it? -- The biggest flop: A Broadway Musical: Making a mockery of a musical. |
| Abstract |
It happens every season. Broadway has one, two, or a few hit musicals, but many, many more flops. Here's a look at the extreme cases from each season of the past half-century. The musicals that everyone knew would be hits--The Sound of Music, The Phantom of the Opera, The Producers--and were. The tuners that sounded terrible from the moment they were announced--Via Galactica, The Civil War, Lestat--and turned out to be even worse than anyone expected. The shows that were destined to succeed--Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Merrily We Roll Along--but didn't. The author takes a look at 100 shows that met either the most glorious or the most ignominious fates. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 275-277). |
| LCCN | 2010026856 |
| ISBN | 9781423495628 |
| ISBN | 1423495624 |
