"Hit Songs" From (Off) Broadway Misfires: Heathers: The Musical

Had an interesting chat on Twitter the other day, wondering why certain shows flop here, only to find much bigger success over in London. Three titles came to mind instantly: Legally Blonde (poised for yet another UK revival), Amelie and the topic of today's entry, Heathers: The Musical. As I recall, years ago when this project was announced, the off-Broadway production had its sights set on Broadway. But it was not to be - despite a loyal cult following, mixed to bad reviews did it in. Of course, in all three of the above cases, there was a decided feeling of "why should this movie be a musical?" and "how could THAT ever be a musical?" Perhaps this says more about me than anything else, but I say, "why not?" In all three cases, I really loved what they came up with. In the case of Heathers, my issue was mainly the cheesy, cheap look of it, not matching the bigger ideas of the book and score.

Ah, the score... I find it to be solid. Quirky, fun, and mostly character-driven, the story only sang when it needed to, and that's a plus. (I found it pretty superior to the more successful Mean Girls later.) One of my favorite tunes from the score, "Seventeen," is not only a catchy-ish ballad, but encapsulates all that is terrific about this show.

"Hit Songs" from (Off) Broadway Misfires:

"Seventeen" from Heathers: The Musical

"Seventeen: from Heathers: The Musical

Music and Lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O'Keefe 

Sung by Veronica and J.D. 

(NY: Barrett Wilbert Weed and Ryan McCartan; West End: Carrie Hope Fletcher and Jamie Muscato)

Favorite Lyrics:

Fine!

We're "damaged"

Really "damaged"

But that does not make us "wise"

We're not "special", we're not "different"

We don't choose who lives or dies

Let's be normal, see bad movies

Sneak a beer and watch TV

We'll bake brownies or go bowling

Don't you want a life with me?

Can't we be seventeen?

That's all I want to do

If you could let me in

I could be good with you

 

Why This Should Be a "Hit Song":

Besides the beautiful melody, and how well it fits the specific moment in the show, this could (and should) have a life outside the theater. I love how the tone of the music changes from urgent confrontation to dream-like optimism. The lyrics - especially these hard days - are universal. All that teen angst and uncertainty, trying to fit in, to be heard. Given the context of the show, it really makes me think about kids who at best are made to be outsiders, and at worst, end up being school shooters. Where did they lose their ability to be just seventeen? The first several lines also make me think of just about everyone today. Damaged, sure, but how many people realize that that doesn't necessarily make you wise, special or different? And why do you need to be? The key here is the last lines above. "Let me in, I could be good with you." Everyone needs someone.

"Hit Songs" From Broadway Misfires: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

"Hit Songs" From Broadway Misfires:

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Despite an impressive, if troubled, run of 1,066 performances, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was a Broadway misfire. Maybe the biggest of them all. It really was a fascinating thing, and it wasn't all bad. The stunts were spectacular, and so was the design. 

And though the book and score were a mess, both had their moments. One of those, a rare moment of calm and emotional depth, is the subject of this month's "hit song." One would think that under the pen of Bono and The Edge, masters of their art, the whole score would have been better. This song was a stand out, and really should have been a hit outside the walls of the Foxwoods Theatre.

"If the World Should End" from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Music and Lyrics by Bono and The Edge

Sung by Mary Jane Watson (Jennifer Damiano)

Favorite Lyrics:

You are all I need
And all I can defend
All I need to hold on to
If the world should end

I can see the you

Under your second skin
I can feel your heartbeat quicken
Quicken and then slow

There's nothing else I need to know
And there's nothing
You need to pretend
If the world should endThe

 

Why This Should Be a "Hit Song": The tune is both haunting and romantic, with an undercurrent of impending doom; in short, it is a musical metaphor for this specific moment in the show. At first glance, the lyrics no doubt seem too simple. True, it's not Sondheim, bur for a show about a comic book super hero, it works. Consider that the song is sung by a teenager in love and facing death at the hands of a super villain. Waxing poetic isn't what's going through her mind. That said, there is some decent imagery throughout.

Do you have a favorite song from a Broadway flop? Let us know! Maybe you can be a guest writer!

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"Hit Songs" From Broadway Misfires: A Song That Was Cut

As we all know, getting a new musical to Broadway is a long, arduous task, whether the show is a hit or a flop. Along the way, songs are written, re-written, moved around, and even cut altogether. Naturally, that does not necessarily mean the song was bad, but, good or bad, the song just didn't work in the show.

"Hit Songs" From Broadway Misfires:

A Song That Was Cut

One of those songs is actually one of my favorite Broadway ballads. It comes from the 1983 misfire, Baby. I'm lucky that I got to see a really good regional production of the show, and it confirmed that the piece, while imperfect, is as wonderful as the Maltby-Shire score. That score is definitely one of my favorites from the 80's. The song, "Patterns," was sung by the middle-aged woman who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. Sung by the always wonderful Beth Fowler, this is a gentle song that is quiet in its power.

"Patterns" from Baby

Music by David Shire Lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.

Sung by Arlene (Beth Fowler)

Favorite Lyrics:

Patterns in my life that I trace every day,

Patterns as I say the things I always say,

Patterns in the ceiling as I lie awake,

Why are patterns haunting every move I make?

Just look, here I am on cue, again.

Upset, feeling torn in two, again.

Afraid, saying I'm okay,

Making little jokes,

'Til I run away, again.

And yet today, I am not the same,

I feel my life slipping from its frame

Strange feelings rise, feelings with no name,

And I can't face them, so I shake them hard,

Fold them up,

And tuck them safely away,

Again.

Why This Should Be a "Hit Song":

Being neither pregnant nor a woman, I have nothing in common with the character beyond being middle aged. Perhaps that why I relate to this song so well. I find myself reflecting on how my life has been up til now, and I can so relate to, especially the final stanza above. I do a lot of "folding up and tucking safely away." All of this is to say that this deserves to be "hit song" for its universality, and relatable honesty. And I think it says a lot that the composers felt so strongly about the song that they included it on the cast recording.

The entire score deserves a listen. If you haven't heard it, check it out!

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"Hit Songs" From Broadway Misfires: Character Revelations

They say characters in a musical sing when plain spoken words aren't enough. Emotions come out in a number of ways in musicals, to be sure. But one of my favorite things about such songs are when they lead to a character revelation: when Tony realizes he's in love with "Maria" in West Side Story, when A Chorus Line's Diana recognizes a painful truth about herself in "Nothing," or when Javert realizes in Les Miserables that he simply cannot live in a world where everything he believes in has turned against him in "Stars." Powerful, relatable moments in classic shows.

"Hit Songs" from Broadway Misfires:

Character Revelations

Such epic feelings are not reserved just for the cream of the crop musical, though. No, even a single performance running show can contain emotional highlights. The three shows below ran a combined total of just 154 performances, with one accounting for 148 of those. Long-running or not, each of these shows and their characters are worthy of consideration.

"Backwoods Barbie" from 9 to 5: The Musical

Music and Lyrics by Dolly Parton

Sung by Doralee Rhodes (Megan Hilty)

Favorite lyrics:

Now, I grew up poor and ragged, just a simple country girl
I wanted to be pretty more than anything in the world
Like Barbie or the models in the Frederick's catalog
From rags to riches in my dreams, I could have it all

I'm just a backwoods Barbie
Too much make-up, too much hair

Don't be fooled by thinkin' that the goods are not all there
Don't let these false eyelashes lead you to believe
That I'm as shallow as I look cause I run true and deep

I'm just a backwoods Barbie
In a push-up bra and heels

I might look artificial but where it counts I'm real
Yes I can see how I could be misjudged upon first glance
But even backwoods Barbies deserve a second chance
All dolled up and hoping for a chance to prove my worth
Cause even backwoods Barbies get their feelings hurt

Why This Should Be a "Hit Song":

The awkward phrasing and loose rhyming are perfectly attuned to the character here. Eventually, Doralee can't handle the hurt feelings she has when her co-workers gossip about her and exclude her. And who hasn't felt the pain and embarrassment of being judged based on such superficiality as how they look or how they talk? You don't have to be a woman to relate to this. And it sure is cathartic to sing along with Megan!

"Open Road" from Glory Days

Music and Lyrics by Nick Blaemire

Sung by Jack (Jesse J.P. Johnson)

Favorite lyrics:

When I was driving through the East
And my windows rolled down low
There was so much air that I could hardly breathe

I taught myself the land
From the Blue Ridge to Poconos
I became an expert on how the traffic flowed
I loved my life alone on the Open Road

But then I met this kid
Who wanted to go cross country like I did
But wouldn't hitch cause he had too much pride
So I offered him a ride

We learned about each other's lives
As we talked all through the night
And when he thought the time was right
He kissed me in the car
Beneath the starless sky
And with that kiss
He opened up my mind
And we went driving
We were driving

We were driving

Just me
A beautiful boy
And the Open Road

Why This Should Be a "Hit Song":

Maybe this one hits close to home because the twist at the end of this song is that this young man is coming out to his best buddies, taking a real chance in doing so. Sure, there are lots of coming out songs in the Broadway canon, but this one has a certain authenticity - simple words, a cascade of details as he approaches the big moment - it just rings true in a musical about 23 year-olds written by 23 year-olds. With a different arrangement, this song could be on the radio!

"The Butterfly" from The Story of My Life

Music and Lyrics by Neil Bartram

Sung by Thomas Weaver (Will Chase)

Favorite lyrics:

So the butterfly, he dreamed of the ocean.
He longed to flutter high above the seas,
But there are dangers in the sky
For a tiny butterfly.

So from his branch
He asked a question of the breeze.
"What makes you chase the river
T’ward the ocean?’"

Then the breeze told him a most amazing thing.
‘I’m simply made up of the currents in the air
That start from the movement of your wing,
Your tiny wing.’

‘You’re a butterfly my friend,
Powerful and strong
And i'm grateful for the way
You’ve always hurried me along.
When you flap your wings to stretch yourself
It might seem small to you
But you change the world
With everything you do.’

So he stretched his wings
And took off from the safety of his tree

And the butterfly finally saw the sea.

Why This Should Be a "Hit Song":

It is a beautifully written metaphor/story song, probably too good for the Billboard charts. It is simultaneously thought-provoking, uplifting and heartbreaking. And how many songs from a Broadway show that ran for just 5 performances have been turned into a children's picture book? Maybe "The Butterfly" is already a "hit" song! 

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"Hit Songs" From Broadway Misfires: Promising Opening Numbers

Picture it. You are settled into your seat in a Broadway theater, the room abuzz, the energy is one of great expectation. You are at a "highly anticipated" new musical, written by an accomplished team. You are sure you'll be among the first to discover the newest smash hit. The lights dim, the orchestra starts as the curtain rises. You get goose bumps, hold your breath and lean forward. The opening number is everything you had hoped it would be. And then the rest of the show happened...

Over the years, this has happened to me several times. I'll admit that there are very few shows that I absolutely find nonredeemable, and sometimes it's the opening number that is my only really positive take away.

"Hit Songs" From Broadway Misfires:

Promising Opening Numbers 

The three shows represented below are all ones which were clearly "misfires," but I truly enjoyed each of them all the way through. That said, each of their curtain raisers were way up there in my list of what I loved about each. They deserve to be "hit songs."

Anne Marie Bobby and
Jodi Benson in Smile

"Typical High School Senior" from Smile

Music by Marvin Hamlisch     Lyrics by Howard Ashman

Sung by The Pageant Contestants

Favorite Lyrics:

SHE'S A TYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR

SHE IS THOUGHTFUL AND BRIGHT AND CLEAN

SHE IS CARING AND KIND

SHE READS BOOKS TO THE BLIND

SHE'S NO OLDER THAN SEVENTEEN

AND SHE USUALLY WORKS ON YEARBOOK

WHILE MAINTAINING A THREE POINT O

SHE'S ATTRACTIVE AND SMART,

WITH AN OUTGOING HEART

AND A VISIBLE YOUTHFUL GLOW

SHE IS EAGER TO PLEASE,

YES IN SUMMARY SHE'S

THE MOST TYPICAL GIRL YOU KNOW

SHE'S A MEMBER OF STUDENT COUNCIL

SHE'S A MEMBER OF F.T.A.

AND YA CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL

IN A MONTH OR TWO SHE'LL

GET THE LEAD IN THE SENIOR PLAY.

JUST A TYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR

IN THE LAND OF THE BRAVE AND FREE

AND YOU'LL KNOW HER AS SOON AS YOU'VE SEEN HER

SHE'S SORT OF A LOT LIKE ME

JUST A TYPICAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR

WHO PUTS RUM IN HER COKES

AND FREQUENTLY SMOKES

BUT NOT IN FRONT OF HER FOLKS

LIKE ME

AND SHE'S GOIN' TO SANTA ROSA,

WHERE THEY GATHER TO PICK THE BEST

YES, SHE'S GOIN' TO SANTA ROSA

TO COMPETE AGAINST THE WHOLE DARN WEST

WHEN I GET THERE TO SANTA ROSA

GONNA GIVE 'EM A GREAT BIG GRIN

GONNA GIGGLE AND POSE

GONNA SHOW OFF M'CLOTHES

GONNA TRY AND WHO KNOWS?

I MIGHT WIN.

Why It Should Be a "Hit Song":

Catchy. Check. Builds to a thrilling conclusion. Check. What sets it apart? I love the duality of meaning here. It starts with a list of exemplary "All-American Girl" qualities - what society expects, and what pageant contestants throughout history have been trained to exude. But really, can anyone live up to that impossible standard? Of course not. Just look at the penultimate stanza above. While it gets a laugh from the audience, it is also the most honest. And even though they immediately go back the big smiles and cheesy expected promises, we now know that these girls have more to them beneath those pageant sashes.

The Freaks from the 2014 revival of Side Show

"Come Look at the Freaks" from Side Show

Music by Henry Krieger     Lyrics by Bill Russell

Sung by The Boss and the Attractions

Favorite Lyrics:

Come look at the freaks

Come gape at the geeks

Come examine these aberrations

Their malformations

Grotesque physiques

Only pennies for peeks

Come look at the freaks

Come look at the freaks

They'll haunt you for weeks

Come explore why they fascinate you

Exasperate you

And flush your cheeks

Come hear how love speaks

Come look at the freaks

Why It Should Be a "Hit Song":

It is creepy, seductive, and completely fascinating. In the original  production, the cast sat on a large set of bleachers in street clothes staring at us, and in maddeningly calm, breathy tones dared us to look for more. Slowly, these every day people like us transformed into side show attractions. The message is clear: these freaks are us. They just look different. 

Aaron Tveit & Company in Catch Me If You Can

"Live in Living Color" from Catch Me If You Can

Music by Marc Shaiman     Lyrics by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman

Sung by Frank Jr. and Company

Favorite Lyrics:

I've got a story that's strange but true

So come fly with me for a bird's-eye view 

I've got the world at my command 

And I'll be your one-man Disneyland 

Don't wanna wait for the cops arrive

I wanna tell my story,

Live and in living color (live in living color)

Tune me in and turn me on

Yes I'm live in living color

Blink your eyes and I'll be gone

Yes I'm live in living color

Tune me in and turn me on

Yes I'm live in living color

Blink your eyes

Blink your eyes

And I'll be gone!

Why It Should Be a "Hit Song":

This is perhaps the most "typical" Broadway opening number, staging-wise. Big and splashy, chorus guys and gals dancing their asses off, and a grand introduction of the main character. But it also nails the time period of the piece and the TV variety show concept. And those lyrics really tell us the whole story - no surprises here. Many of us came in knowing how it ends. But they let us know that it is the journey, not the outcome that makes this story. (Aaron Tveit didn't hurt, either.)

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"Hit Songs" in Broadway Misfires: Head Over Heels

If you are a regular reader, you know how passionately I feel about Head Over Heels, the short-lived jukebox musical from a couple of years ago. It is actually a bit of a surprise to me that I felt this way - I was only a passing fan of The Go-Go's (I only knew of their Top 40 hits), and I really feel the whole jukebox musical thing is getting tired. But this show was smart, topical, funny and had a lot to say. It also had a top notch cast, brilliant arrangements and orchestrations (by Tom Kitt) and tight, inventive staging by Michael Mayer (director) and Spencer Liff (Choreographer).

Well, the show was a Broadway Misfire so I think it qualifies for this series. I only considered songs that were not mainstream hits from the band, and narrowed it down to three numbers that not only stood out in the show, but deserve to be on every Broadway fan's playlist.

"Hit Songs" in Broadway Misfires:

3 from Head Over Heels

"Beautiful" from Head Over Heels

Music and Lyrics by Charlotte Caffe and Regina Schock

Sung by Bonnie Milligan and the Ensemble

Favorite Lyrics:

My life is ever so perfect
My life has been a bed of roses

And you might think I'm crazy
So what if I am
My head is full of good things
Enough for everyone

Beautiful
Is all I see when I look at me
Beautiful
Every mother's dream

Day by day
Things just keep getting prettier
Beautiful
What a wonderful life

And my life is really quite simple
My life is just what I make it

 

Why it made this list:

Well, first, it is so damned catchy. It gets in my head and I hum it all day, and it is a great song to belt in the shower... Second, the way it is arranged to be powerful throughout and still builds to a thrilling end, is musical theater ecstasy. Finally, the message it sends of female empowerment through an examination of one's own self-worth is a potent one. 

"Good Girl" from Head Over Heels

Music and Lyrics by Charlotte Caffe and Jane Wiedlin

Sung by Alexandra Socha, Taylor Iman Jones and Bonnie Milligan

Favorite Lyrics:

I'm gonna smile til it hurts
So everybody loves me
I'll bend over backwards
Swallow all my angry words

Good girl, good girl
Better be a good girl
Good dog, good girl
Gonna be a good girl

Why it made this list:

Here's another catchy number, but one that seems at direct odds with my previous choice. It's about the expectations of women by the patriarchy on the surface - the lyrics bear that out easily. Even in the context of the show, the three women are deciding that keeping quiet and doing what they are told may be the best option for the greater good of the kingdom. But is there any real doubt that these women (or the Go-Go's) may "swallow all [their] angry words" now, but when the time comes, they will be up front and in control?

"Automatic Rainy Day" from Head Over Heels

Music and Lyrics by Steve Plunkett, Regina Schock and Jane Wiedlin

Sung by Taylor Iman Jones and Bonnie Milligan

Favorite Lyrics:

Just when it feels like the world is together and whole
You come around
Dragging your permanent cloud and the weather turns cold
Hang around for a repeat of history
Falling down in the hole you dug for free

It's an automatic rainy day when I see you
It's the perfect consolation prize, a little piece of blue
It's an automatic rainy day
It's an automatic rainy day

And when you see the reaction you cause
Does it make you sad?
Do you even realize that you're such a drag?

Why it made this list:
This song, in the show, is played as an emotional turning point power duet, much like "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent. Jones and Milligan really make a meal out of this song. In this instance, I think the way Kitt has arranged this into a duet adds so much this song, it nearly negates the original song.

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