Friday 5: 5 Favorite One Act Musical Flops

5 Favorite One Act Musical Flops

5. Glory Days (2008 - 1 performance) Yes, I actually saw this show - prior to Broadway - and I really enjoyed it. The performances were solid, including that of Andrew C. Call, who I have enjoyed in several shows before and since Glory Days. Maybe it's a guy thing, but an impromptu high school reunion of old buddies hit me in all my feels.

4. 13 (2008 - 105 performances) Several of these youngsters have gone on to big things, so that alone makes having seen this one a thrill. Graham Phillips has grown up on several TV shows I've enjoyed, and has certainly come into his own on stage recently, including a current run in Little Shop of Horrors with 13 cast mate Elizabeth Gillies. Al Calderon  is currently on Days of Our Lives, Eamon Foley is making his mark as a director and choreographer, and Allie Trimm has a sustained Broadway career, including stints as Glinda in Wicked. But who knew I'd be maybe 20 feet from someone who is now one of the most famous people in the world, Ariana Grande? Oh, and the show was charming.

3. Swept Away (2024 - 48 performances) Dark and stormy, literally and figuratively, this show is one I'm so glad I got to see. It's a shame that the current Broadway economic climate allows so little wiggle room for gaining an audience. Still, it was an emotional and mental exercise definitely worth my time. Plus, a chance to see John Gallagher, Jr. and Stark Sands at the peak of their abilities was one not to be missed. 

2. The Story of My Life (2009 - 5 performances) I've often written about my love for this little, charming and devastating two-hander. There wasn't a dry eye in the house, and it remains one of my most cherished theater memories. "The Butterfly" is one of the best songs in all of the 21st century. It was so good, they made a book out of it!

1. The Scottsboro Boys (2010 - 49 performances) I could make a strong argument that this show (like so many of the Kander and Ebb oeuvre) was way ahead of its time, and history will show this to be one of the - if not the - greatest musicals of the first quarter of the century. Headed by Colman Domingo, John Cullum and Joshua Henry, the cast was flawless. The material was uncomfortable, but the show was energized and entertaining. In that way, it reminded me of Cabaret, Chicago and The Visit (another ahead of its time shows).

I am so grateful that I had the chance to see each of these. Each one expanded my view of what musicals could be. And I don't think it's the last we've seen of any of them, either.