Flop Musicals of the Twenty-First Century

by Stephen Purdy

Flop Musicals of the Twenty-First Century offers a provocative and revealing historical narrative of a group of musicals that cost millions and had spectacular potential ... but bombed anyway. Stephen Purdy examines at length the production histories, which are all bound together by a common thread. The book focuses the lens on several seemingly infallible theatre creatives who weren’t destined to repeat their successes with the shows discussed in this volume. As such, Purdy grounds the discussion by examining what the legendary creators of Les Misérables, pop superstar Elton John, wunderkind Julie Taymor, and many others have in common besides being inspired storytellers of iconic Broadway musicals. The answer is that they also all created shows that, for one reason or a dozen, didn’t find an audience. Flop Musicals of the Twenty-First Century shares the story of what can happen when formidable creative teams of sell-out musicals attempt to re-create their success but miss the mark. This is an engaging book for students, practitioners, and fans of musical theatre that contains thoughtful observations about luck and creative differences, botched adaptations, and alienated audiences, all of which can determine the fate of a musical.

Genres: Nonfiction

306 pages, Paperback

Published September 13, 2021

Reviews

[Lex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite it being an interesting topic, I found the author's writing style absolutely maddening.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review here:

https://jamesgenrebooks.blogspot.com/...

All told, while some of the shows in here might find new life either touring or a revival either in New York or a local production, they all succeeded in opening on Broadway, a feat not every show gets. And frankly, it sounds like many of these shows deserve another chance somewhere.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute pleasure to read about Broadway flop musicals from my lifetime (even some I've seen!). I'm very ready for part II. Doctor Zhivago! Holler if Ya Hear Me! Gettin the Band Back Together! White Star! I could go on for days.