Throughout the years, Broadway has been blessed with some great musicals, but occasionally, there are some flops. However, many of these so-called flops are actually amazing musicals that just did not do well at the box office or did not have the funds or motivation to stay open. Often, although these shows do not stay open very long on Broadway, they gain much popularity within the musical theatre community after they have closed, which is a real tragedy for those of us who fall in love with a show but never get to see it on the Great White Way. But, although you can no longer see these shows on Broadway, you should still give their original cast albums a listen and see if you can find a local production near you!
Tuck Everlasting
Opening Date: April 26, 2016
Closing Date: May 29, 2016
Number of Performances: 39
Tuck Everlasting is a musical based on the book of the same name by Natalie Babbitt. It tells the story of 10-year-old Winnie Foster who yearns for adventure and finds it when Jesse Tuck and his family take her under their wing. When Winnie discovers the Tuck’s secret, she is forced to make an incredibly difficult decision: to return home and live a normal life or to stay with the Tucks, forever. It included beautiful music and excellent choreography, but the only Tony Award it was nominated for was Best Costume Design of a Musical in 2016. Perhaps the show did not do very well because it included a 35-year-old portraying a 17-year-old who was in love with a 10-year-old, and conceptually, that was not something to which audiences were perceptive. However, this does not negate that Tuck Everlasting was incredibly written and truly brought a classic novel to life.
Amélie
Opening Date: April 03, 2017
Closing Date: May 21, 2017
Number of Performances: 56
This musical, based on the cult-classic film of the same name, starred Phillipa Soo, who played Eliza in the original cast of Hamilton. Amélie is a unique character, filled with curiosity and the desire to help others, but she is afraid to get too close to people and take a real risk. There is a kind of magic that exudes from the world which Amélie creates for herself and from Soo’s portrayal of such an energetic and dynamic character. I’m really unsure as to why Amélie did not last very long on Broadway because I know it was quite popular when it went on its National Tour. Nevertheless, you can still listen to samples of the cast album on Spotify or to the whole, brilliant thing on Apple Music.
Parade
Opening Date: December 17, 1998
Closing Date: February 28, 1999
Number of Performances: 85
I was shocked to see that Parade only lasted for 85 performances on Broadway because it is one of the most breath-taking shows I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot of shows). Based on historical events that occurred in Marietta, Georgia in 1913, Parade tells the story of a community who finds a scapegoat in Jewish factory-owner, Leo Frank, when a young girl is found murdered in his factory. The musical explores issues of racism, anti-Semitism, relationships, and what a few false rumors can do to one man’s life. With absolutely beautiful music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, completely unique from anything else I have ever heard from him, it is quite surprising that this musical closed after so few months of running.
[title of show]
Opening Date: July 17, 2008
Closing Date: October 12, 2008
Number of Performances: 102
I am baffled by how a genius musical about the writers of the musical writing the musical could have lasted so short of a time on Broadway. Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen, along with their friends, Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff, created a hilariously self-aware show full of musical theatre references, randomness, and important lessons about taking risks, living your dreams, and accepting the possibility of failure. In this case, I think the show may have closed as early as it did because Hunter, Jeff, Susan, and Heidi had already been playing themselves for years in their preceding video blog and Off-Broadway production of the show, and it would not have been the same show without them. Although, plenty of theatre companies have had great productions of the musical, including Brave Potato Productions a few years ago here at Kenyon.
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
Opening Date: November 14, 2016
Closing Date: September 03, 2017
Number of Performances: 336
For a show that was nominated for twelve Tony Awards (the most nominations of the 2016-2017 season, two of which it won), it was a great disappointment to the theatre community to see Great Comet close after only a little over a year. Based on an excerpt of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, this musical includes brilliantly dynamic character development and music that carries out the storyline in an incredibly compelling manner, at times with an amount of energy that I have not heard from many ensembles before, and at times with such delicate grace and raw emotion, but always with an originality that sets this musical apart from so many others in the contemporary genre. It may be a while until the rights for Great Comet are available for production by other theaters, but you should still give the album a listen (or an infinite number of listens on repeat).
(Dates/number of performances from ibdb.com)