JK's TheatreScene: 40 Years of Broadway: By Request: Differences of Opinion

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

40 Years of Broadway: By Request: Differences of Opinion

40 Years of Broadway: By Request:

Differences of Opinion

Before we started our celebration I asked you to make suggestions of the kinds of things we should post about. You had a lot of really great ideas! Several were suggestions that I wanted to write about, but couldn't think of enough to say to create individual articles. So, instead, I thought I'd group some of them together. There seemed to be many of you who more or less were interested in how I disagreed with critics or the Tony Awards or other theater fans. Here are the results:

⭐ What are some shows you just don't understand why other fans seem to love?

Well, in thinking about this, the list I came up with is all about recent Broadway shows. I think that's got a lot to do with the emergence of social media. But, really my first experience with that is actually about 25 years old or so, when I worked merch for the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera, and I came face to face with "The Phans," who traveled with the show from city to city. I appreciated their enthusiasm and passion, but not their...militant possessiveness... That said, of course, I support fans and their favorites - I'm sure I am a fan of plenty of shows they wouldn't get my love for!

Fan Favorites, Not My Favorites

Be More Chill
Beetlejuice
Dear Evan Hansen
Mean Girls
Once Upon a One More Time

⭐ What are some shows you don't really hate, but don't really love?

Hmm..I took this to mean those shows that are recognized as great, but aren't ones I'd go out of my way to see them again. Here's what I came up with:

Respect It, Don’t Love It

Caroline, or Change
Hamilton
Sunday in the Park with George
The Phantom of the Opera

⭐ What are some shows that the critics loved, but you didn't?

Pretty straightforward. There are MANY, so I narrowed it down to one per decade. I didn't know enough in the 80s, so the one I picked for that decade is one I am kinda over all these years later.

They Loved It, I Hated It

1980s: 42nd Street
1990s: Aida
2000s: The Producers
2010s: The Book of Mormon
2020s: A Strange Loop

⭐ What are some shows the critics hated that you liked?

Again, pretty straightforward. There are VERY MANY, so I narrowed it down to one per decade.

I Loved It, They Hated It

1980s: Grind
1990s: The Goodbye Girl
2000s: Little Women
2010s: Bonnie and Clyde
2020s: Almost Famous

⭐ Who are some people that you feel should have Tony Awards, but don't have one yet?

Again, there are many, so I narrowed it down to 12. I could probably name 50...

A Dozen In Need a Tony Award

Kerry Butler
Charlotte d’Amboise
Raul Esparza
Michael Greif
Judy Kuhn
Michael John LaChiusa

Terrence Mann
Rob McClure
Howard McGillin
Jennifer Simard
Phillipa Soo
Mare Winningham

⭐ Have there been times when you didn't agree with the Tony Award winners?

It happens every year. A lot. For the sake of time (I do have a job!), for now, I'll just mention the 14 times in the past 40 seasons I didn't agree with the winner of Best Musical. I'll come back to this in the future regarding other categories!

And the Tony should have gone to…