Flopped and Forgotten

We're back! And we've brought a fresh flop with us. 

Since we don't talk about Bruno, this week we are talking about Juno, a musical set in Ireland during the Irish War of Independence. We've got some legendary people behind this one, so grab a Guiness and meet us at the Winter Garden Theatre! 

Bio musicals are all the rage right now and have we got one for you! Ain't Broadway Grand tells the story of producer Mike Todd (kind of) and a show he never actually produced. Confused? So are we. 

This week, we travel to Greece... again. We're looking at Triumph of Love from 1997, which starred Betty Buckley and Susan Egan. 

We are paying tribute to the late, great Stephen Sondheim in our special way this week. His 1974 musical The Frogs found its way to Lincoln Center in 2004 with some help from Nathan Lane and boy did he put his own spin on things. We've got frogs, gods, Google, and jockstraps to talk about so let's hop to it. 

We're back! And we've got a fresh flop to talk about. The people's  princess got the Broadway treatment and while the show may not have been a hit with critics, we're giving it a fair chance. Join us for this musical romp through Kensington Palace and while we're there we'll discuss dancing corgies, RuPaul's Drag Race, and whether Eric knows what year it is. 

This musical had everything: beloved characters, a legendary director, spectacular sets, great costumes, Bono, most of the cast of Hadestown... so what could possibly have gone wrong? Oh, so very many things. From producers dying to budgets growing out of control to those famous cast injuries, we are looking at everything that made Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark the biggest financial flop in the history of musical theatre. 

This week, we head back to 1951 for Flahooley. This musical tells the story of a toy company that produces a brand new doll only to be nearly driven out of business by a confused but well meaning genie. Yes, that's right, a genie. Join us on this strange adventure and we'll try and make it make sense as we talk about puppets, pizza rolls, and the Red Scare. Oh, and racism. Because 1951. 

Mack and Mabel is a favorite among flop enthusiasts thanks to its unforgettable score and stellar cast album. But what else is there to this musical about (probably) real life lovers from the silent film era? We peel back the celluloid to explore that question, as well as a religious pretzel craze, our favorite Bernadette Peters roles, and the fascinating real lives of Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand. 

Picture it: London, 1905. A troubled artist fakes his own death and begins a romance with the suitor of the actual dead man he's now impersonating. This is the basic plot of Jule Styne's Darling of the Day, a musical that couldn't quite earn the distinction of being a masterpiece. What went wrong? We'll paint the picture for you and we'll throw in some New York style pizza, a very funny dame, and a critique from Lisa's dog. 

This week, we have a rarity: a Broadway sequel! Bring Back Birdie was the 1981 sequel to the hit 1960 musical Bye Bye Birdie, but how did it stand up to its predecessor? Let's just say we wish they'd opted for a revival of the original. 

It's back to the sixties we go for this Carol Burnett star vehicle, although the word "vehicle" may be triggering to Carol when she thinks about how this show came crashing down around her. Join us for all the details on that as well as the jobs we've stumbled into, Lisa's disappointing-yet-delightful lunch, and our new favorite Broadway star: Smaxie the seal.  

This week, we discuss a musical that was inspired by the true story of a teenaged murderer turned poet. Oh yeah, it was also inspired by a ghost's visit to Paul Simon. Listen to learn how it all went down!

We're keeping it in the family this week with our second show in a row to star a LuPone sibling. This time, Patti's up to the plate and she's bringing some very big stars (and a million wigs) with her. So pour some sangria and join us in sunny Spain for conversation about bad accents, soup, and the questionable roles we had in high school. 

This week's episode is a doozey. Late Nite Comic ran for an impressively brief four performances in 1987, but why? No, really, why? Why did it close so quickly? Why are there two albums with the score, but neither involve the actual cast? And why, oh why, did it run in the first place? We may not have all the answers, but we definitely crack more jokes in this episode than there were in this disastrous musical comedy. 

We're kicking off our fourth season with a show that didn't quite live up to its name. Big is the musical version of the hit movie that made Tom Hanks a star, so where did it go wrong? Was it a case of too much product placement? Was the famous piano too big for the stage? And what does one of the stars of Grease have to do with it? Listen now to find out!  

Christmastime is here, and what better way to celebrate than with a Christmas themed musical flop? When Meredith Willson adapted the movie Miracle on 34th Street for the Broadway stage, he gave it a misleading title that may have contributed to its demise. This week, we are talking about Here's Love, as well as the history of The Rockettes, our favorite Christmas movies, and Santa's credit score. 

As the first Broadway musical to be created by Asian Americans, Allegiance would have been ground-breaking whether it flopped or not. Of course, it did flop, so we're talking about it this week. Starring the legends that are George Takei and Lea Salogna, Allegiance focuses on the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. We will discuss that as well as the Pledge of Allegiance and our favorite baseball positions. 

Back in 2016, actor Steve Martin and folk-rock singer Edie Brickell teamed up on the musical Bright Star, a fictional expansion on the true Iron Mountain Baby story. It may have brought bluegrass to Broadway but it couldn't bring in the crowds, so it ended up on our show. This week, we talk about why that is, as well as Peter, Paul and Mary songs, George Washington's favorite cocktail, and an idea of Lisa's that's truly terrifying.  

This week, we look at Dear World, Jerry Herman's attempt to further capitalize on the success of Mame and its star Angela Lansbury. Come on down to yet another restaurant basement with us for tales of big hats, the McDonald's in Times Square, and the world premiere of Hello, Bobby! 

Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is one of the greatest books ever written, so how could the musical have flopped so badly? We're on a mission to find out how and on the way to our discovery we'll discuss breakfast cereals, gluten struggles, and of course, the famous novel itself. 

Earthquakes and tidal waves and piranhas, oh my! This jukebox musical from Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick pays homage to popular disaster films of the 1970s and is filled with some of the biggest hits from that decade too. Put on your best bell bottoms because we're off on an adventure that includes gambling nuns, death by ice sculpture, and our least favorite aspic fillings of all time.   Disaster! Act One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Pqptd9lOc Disaster! Act Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXXetz0Qp0k 

This week we are living out Truman Capote's Caribbean fantasy with his musical House of Flowers, known for its Calypso inspiration and stars Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll. See you in the islands where we'll talk about a great turtle rescue, the perfect brothel snack, and Lisa's inability to remember a single name. 

All aboard for our discussion of Sting's musical flop The Last Ship! How did one of the world's greatest songwriters manage to wreck this show? You'll have to listen to us talk through our shared fear of misplaced large machines, late night shopping at Kohl's, and (of course) our favorite songs by The Police to find out. 

This week we are taking on one of the true titans of musical theater: Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Aspects of Love was a smash success in the West End, but Broadway audiences did not fall in love with this 1990 show the same way as their British counterparts. Tune in for everything from 90s album art to a salute to Captain Tom.    

Take a stroll with us down the famous Coney Island Boardwalk! We'll have a ball discussing millennial nostalgia, that one Bobby Darin song, our new favorite costumer designer, and some New York history that echoes loudly today. You won't need psychic powers to see how the fate of this 1964 musical turned out...   Video of Karen Morrow performing "I Had Ball": https://youtu.be/5vtTNnWHwa0

We're back! Play On! is both our first jukebox musical and the first show we've done with an all black cast. Join us as we set a Duke Ellington soundtrack to not only Shakespeare, but also our fantasy Antiques Roadshow musical and Lisa's "covid brain".   

This week, we take a trip down the Yellow Brick Road to Wonderland. If you think we've just made a topical mistake, you might want to take a closer look at Frank Wildhorn's 21st century take on the classic Dorot--we mean, Alice tale. White rabbits and tea parties and existential crises, oh my!    Full show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dInHF1Iilzo

Home Sweet Homer may have only lasted one day on Broadway, and it may have been all but erased from history, but that doesn't stop us from trying! No, really. We tried. In any case, join us for talks about our favorite myths, saganaki, and the current Broadway smash we'd clearly rather be discussing.  

The Derek Klena fan club is back in session and this time we're meeting in Madison County, Iowa! We'll be discussing the musical adaptation of The Bridges of Madison County as well as American geography, Nicholas Sparks, and the underground club that Lisa ran in high school. 

This week, we discuss our first Sondheim show; "Anyone Can Whistle". This 1964 flop takes us to a town where things aren't quite what they seem in order to try and challenge our view of conformity. While on our journey, we will be fangirling over Angela Lansbury, advocating for a new kind of audience participation, and of course, whistling. Well, the one host who can whistle will be whistling...

You've seen the movie. You may even work the shift! And now you get to learn all about "9 to 5: The Musical," Dolly Parton's stage adaptation of the very film she starred in back in 1980. Clock in and join us for new segments, familiar stars, big numbers and more in our Season Two premiere! Link to the full show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVpbKQC1VTo

Christmas came late this year and our gift to you... is us! Get to know Eric and Lisa with questions from listeners like you. Plus some information on season two. Enjoy! 

For our first season finale we are going a little outside of the box and discussing our most recommended musical to date which, fun fact, has never been produced live on stage. Original Cast Album: Co-Op is the title of a fake flop, and what an extraordinary show it would be! Join us for some Richard Kind fangirling, a trip down memory lane, and the scene that had us laughing out of control. See you in January! 

What we lack in timeliness we make up for in bad Italian accents... but our Bravo Giovanni episode is finally here! And bravo, indeed. Join us for pasta, some Guy Fieri talk, more pasta, a little opera, and yes, even more pasta. 

Have you been searching far and wide for a musical that sounds like it was written by your dad? You can finally rest easy knowing that it came and it flopped! Gettin' the Band Back Together is the garage band fantasia of every straight boomer's dreams and we're here to tell you all about it. We'll also tell you about Eric's brief music career, why we've changed our minds about improv, and, of course, Les Misérables.  

For our first Halloween special, we bring you one of the most famous Broadway flops of all time: Carrie. Join us if you dare for plenty of spooks and scares, including high school memories, the slaughtering of a beloved cartoon character, and Eric having no idea what he watched or listened to in preparation for this show.   

Looking for the perfect musical to produce at your local nursing home? Look no further than 70, Girls, 70, a musical about a group of senior citizens who steal furs to raise money for the hotel in which they live. We will explore this world of geriatric kleptomania and along the way discover new ways to use elephants as metaphors, Lisa's dream Mary Poppins revival, and a cryptic warning from our other sibling.

This week, we venture Off-Broadway for the very first time to talk about the musical Dogfight. With the composers of Dear Evan Hansen and the director of Wicked, it sure had an upper hand. So why is it largely forgotten? You'll have to tune in to find out. But one thing's for sure: we're placing our bets on a comeback!  Clip from the musical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQu2lNHaFXo Link to our Spotify page: https://open.spotify.com/user/h4ehf5b7g09mgr00ecjnwv7pa?si=52e-nb6ESTSPlFNOZOPZHA  

For our tenth episode, we thought it would be fun to combine two of our favorite things: Broadway and the Tudors. Rex is a musical about Henry VIII and some of his many wives, making it the perfect choice for us. Listen for the answers to all your burning questions, such as "What does Richard Rodgers' ghost sound like?", "Would Eric and Lisa have survived in sixteenth century England?", and "What happens to Anne Boleyn?" (Spoiler alert: it does not end well for her). 

This week we visit Side Show, a musical about real-life conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton and their time in vaudeville. Side Show flopped not once, but twice! That's right... DOUBLE FLOP! Our sideshow acts include getting our boating licenses, nineties flashbacks, and thirsting over yet another hunk.   Highlight reel from the 2014 revival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iau--dMlElo  

No one wants their musical to flop, but when you do a show based on the work of a dirt-bag-scum-faced-jerk, what do you expect? Such is the case with Dance of the Vampires. Grab your garlic and join us for the return of Michael Crawford, German lessons, more theremin noises, and the Thoroughly Modern Millie rewrite of your dreams!   Full show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62AgTUhCNJk&t=1717s

With big names like Rosie O'Donnell and Boy George attached, you might expect Taboo to be a hit. But, of course, if it were a hit we wouldn't be talking about it! Welcome to the world of Taboo, which (in our world) is also the world of Halloween parades, long dead monarchs, and Koosh balls. Broadway promo reel part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvvAg-tFibs Broadway promo reel part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKYYJcspOsc Broadway promo reel part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIKolQBTovE

Chess is a musical that is surprisingly popular for a flop. Nevertheless, join us as we dive into the Cold War, try to pronounce Swedish names, and forget the title of one of the biggest hit songs of the decade.  Full Broadway show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekuksRgmmnc

Slower than a sinking ship... it's a squid!... it's a whale!... it's The Pirate Queen! All aboard for conversations about the Tudors, giant collars, and, of course, Riverdance! Plus learn about the role that Mel Brooks played in saving the world (at least from this show). Link to The History Chicks episode on Grace O'Malley: http://thehistorychicks.com/episode-109-grace-omalley/ Link to The Pirate Queen's full show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj5YDG4g8tw&t=1528s

Tovarich is a 1963 musical that really only had one thing going for it.... Vivien Leigh! Fangirl over her with us and along the way we'll discover Russian folk songs, hot men in white t-shirts, and an animated classic that Eric shockingly doesn't care for.  Link to Ed Sullivan performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7Ghdnfo21E

What's French and strange and magical all over? The musical Amélie! We discuss the skills necessary to act as a goldfish and why Bette Middler has got the juice, gnome puns, and the 2017 Tony Awards. This show was robbed we tell you, robbed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDsBmuTVNcY&t=35s

This week, we are talking about a musical that had us dream casting Muppets, longing for elementary school plays, and beseeching Ken Burns more than once. Bring your muskets because we're going to war!     Link to the Tony Awards performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rmgs9OUiyw

For our first episode, we are talking about the 1970 Richard Rodgers musical Two by Two; Broadway's take on Noah's Ark. Settle in for impersonations of Jean Valjean, theremins, and a chain smoking Mama Rose. Plus, learn what happens to the gitka!