Happy Present Meet
Broadway Musicals - The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season - 1959 to 2009
When Evita opened on Broadway during the 1979-1980 season, it was (as one of its songs said) “High Flying Adored.” But in the 1970-71 season, the producers of Lolita, My Love saw their show (as one of its songs said) “Going, Gone, Gone” after its torturous Philadelphia and Boston tryouts. It didn`t even try to brave Broadway, although the bookwriter-lyricist of My Fair Lady had written it.
It happens every season. Broadway has one, two, or a few hit musicals, but many, many more flops. Here`s a look at the extreme cases from each season of the past half-century. The musicals that everyone knew would be hits ? The Sound of Music, The Phantom of the Opera, The Producers ? and were. The tuners that sounded terrible from the moment they were announced ? Via Galactica, The Civil War, Lestat ? and turned out to be even worse than anyone expected. The shows that were destined to succeed ? Breakfast at Tiffany`s, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Merrily We Roll Along ? but didn`t. The ones that didn`t have a chance ? Man of La Mancha, 1776, Grease ? but went on to household-name status.