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15 Forgotten Stage Flops | Broadway Musicals, Plays & Out-of-Town Fails

bryan renaud

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from ambitious misfires to critically-panned catastrophes, this compilation takes a humorous look at many infamous (or long-forgotten) disasters that hit the stages of yesteryear.

00:00 Intro
00:10 - The Moose Murders
05:58 - Drat! The Cat!
07:11 - Tammy Faye
11:41 - Lestat
13:35 - Bring Back Birdie
15:26 - Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge
20:11 - Annie Warbucks
21:39 - Pipe Dream
22:33 - Rocky: The Musical
24:16 - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
25:30 - The Devil Wears Prada
30:26 - Kelly
31:33 - Carrie
33:53 - Via Galactica
37:08 - Phantom: Love Never Dies
42:07 - Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark

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20 Comments

@onemidnightgone 5 months ago

Very shocked that JK Simmons did not play Annie in Annie 2

@raggedyannrevivaleffort 5 months ago

You know what I'm here for. 15 previews 5 performances $2.5 million in losses, 1986's Raggedy Ann!

@ulfk5667 2 months ago

Seeing Lestat here and The Lost boys seems to break the "curse", perhaps you should make a video about the curseful history of vampire musicals on broadway. Lestat, Dracula , Dances of the vampires (I still cannot believe how they butchered that global success)

@Wyrd__One 2 months ago

I’m still holding onto hope that someday Ryan Murphy will make a docudrama series about the Carrie fiasco bc that situation was so stranger than fiction. The grainy bootlegs are phenomenal and the bulk of the cast is still alive to give their recollections of the situation. A guy can dream lol

@michealpersicko9531 5 months ago

I saw chitty chitty bang bang when it was on Broadway as a kid and I remember loving the hell out of it.

@hanschristianbrando5588 1 month ago

All stage shows should be preserved on film for posterity. This is particularly true of the Broadway flops which may get a second chance on TV. Just because nobody wanted to pay uptown prices to see them live doesn't mean they wouldn't sit through them for free (sponsored) or a moderate price. It's bad enough how many of them don't even leave behind a cast album.

@bawshii 5 months ago

i want more theatre history!!! this was awesome :)

@dddcell 2 months ago

This is my first introduction to you and your videos...and I think I might be in love with you both.

@Erica_DeJongh 2 months ago

Drat the Cat has a great song called “He Touched Me.”

@What_Makes_Climate_Tick 2 months ago

The song Bye Bye Birdie was added for the movie and wasn't in the stage production. The movie also cut back the presence of other characters to make more room for Ann-Margaret.

@Christineovison 5 months ago

Gorey Stories closed after 1 performance. I was there but I love Edward Gorey. I guess the world wasn't ready for Gashleycrumb Tinies.

@DaninMaine 2 months ago

The Phantom of the Oprah could have at least two villains-- Dr Phil and Dr Oz. It could have three if you count Oprah herself! A fun filled romp for the whole family 😂😂

@absolutelyamanda730 5 months ago

bad cinderella

@WyoTeacherDude 2 months ago

I saw The Devil Wears Prada last year in London. Wow, it was tedium set to music!

@MatthewFarrand 3 months ago

Did 'Saturday Night Fever' qualify as a flop? Loved the movie. But saw a TV ad for the musical and thought, 'Uh, oh...'

@michaelc6261 2 months ago

Completely lost media but Annie Warbucks was promoted with hour long late night infomercials in the NY area. I can’t find a second of it but it happened for that show. It was also done for the sequel to Best Little Whorehouse (Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public). Strange, bizarre marketing. I don’t know who they were targeting for off-Broadway shows at 1:30am on NYC local TV.

@JepMasta 2 months ago

My favorite bit of trivia about "Via Galactica" was that the name change from "Up!" happened since the theater hosting the show was the Leon Uris theater. And the producers did not want the play listed in the new york times as "Up! Uris"

@TroySkubitz 2 months ago

"Coke. I was like the New Coke!" That made me laugh hard and earned you a follow. Enjoyable!

@paulcanaday-elliott9834 5 months ago

This was not a musical, but the play Bobbi Boland was supposed to be Farrah Fawcett’s Broadway debut, and it closed before it opened. That is also a good story. I saw half of it but left at intermission. It was a disaster, largely due to her performance, I am sorry to say.