My Favorite Flop show

My Favorite Flop

Summary: "My Favorite Flop" celebrates the fabulous failures that furnish Broadway's fathomless files. Come geek out with hosts Bobby Traversa and Kristina Miller-Weston as they discuss their favorite musical misses and misfits on this new Broadway podcast.

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  • Artist: Bobby Traversa and Kristina Miller-Weston
  • Copyright: © 2021 My Favorite Flop. All rights reserved.

Podcasts:

 The Books You Claim To Have Read: Part II | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 27:19

Because we all used CliffsNotes more often than we’re comfortable to admit. On Part II of The Books You Claim To Have Read, ”nothing has changed” as Bobby and Kristina discuss 1992’s ”Anna Karenina” on Season Two, Episode 6 of My Favorite Flop.

 The Books You Claim To Have Read: Part I | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 56:04

Because we all used CliffsNotes more often than we’re comfortable to admit. On Part I of The Books You Claim To Have Read, ”the road goes on” as Bobby and Kristina discuss 2007’s ”Lord of the Rings” on Season Two, Episode 5 of My Favorite Flop.

 A Preview Was Enough: Part II | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 39:21

While most Broadway shows make it to opening night - sometimes, a preview is enough. On Part II of A Preview Was Enough, ”a day will never be the same” as Bobby and Kristina discuss 1981’s The Little Prince and the Aviator on Season Two, Episode 4 of My Favorite Flop.

 A Preview Was Enough: Part I | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 53:32

While most Broadway shows make it to opening night - sometimes, a preview is enough. On Part I of A Preview Was Enough, ”Hollywood is dying” as Bobby and Kristina discuss 1973’s Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don’t You Ever Forget It!) on Season Two, Episode 3 of My Favorite Flop.

 The Curse of the Longacre: Part II | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 31:54

It’s time to break some legs and keep that ”M” word out of your mouths, kids, because Bobby and Kristina are back with Part II of The Curse of the Longacre (dunn, dunn, dunn!!!) to discuss 2013’s First Date on Season Two, Episode Two of My Favorite Flop.

 The Curse of the Longacre: Part I | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 59:59

It’s time to grab your cleats and jockstraps, kids, because we’re back with a brand new season and this time our episodes are themed and paired! To kick things off, Bobby and Kristina will be exploring whether or not baseball and Broadway can actually coexist as they cover The Curse of the Longacre (dunn, dunn, dunn!!!) and then learn more about ”the worst job in the world” as they discuss 2001’s Diana, The Musical on the Season Two premiere of My Favorite Flop.

 Back To Before | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:02:59

Sorry, Mother, but apparently you can go ”back to before” as hosts Bobby and Kristina look back on our entire first season and share cut soundbites and bloopers on MY FAVORITE FLOP’s second super special, limited-edition Christmas Special!

 One Night Only | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:26:33

"Are you ready for tonight?" "Simple ain't easy" and this isn't "just another song" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss a whole bunch of Clopenings (shows that closed on opening night) on the season one finale of My Favorite Flop.

 Another National Anthem | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:01:17

We‘re all just ”children of the wind” in this ”brave new world” as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1986‘s ”Rags” on episode twenty one of MY FAVORITE FLOP.

 The Day After Tomorrow | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:04:26

”Tomorrow is now” as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1989‘s ‘Annie 2: Miss Hannigan‘s Revenge” and 1993‘s ”Annie Warbucks” on episode twenty of My Favorite Flop. ABOUT ”ANNIE 2: MISS HANNIGAN‘S REVENGE” The first official attempt at a sequel to the hit Broadway musical ”Annie”, ”Annie 2: Miss Hannigan‘s Revenge” follows the continued story of villainous Miss Hannigan as she escapes from prison to marry Daddy Warbucks, steal his fortune, and rid the world of of Little Orphan Annie once and for all. The musical features a book by Thomas Meehan, lyrics by Martin Charin, and music by Charles Strouse. At the closing performance of ”Annie 1”, lyricist Martin Charnin stood onstage and told the audience that the story of Annie was not over and that a sequel to the musical was already in the works. Six years later, hundreds of little girls in their red velvet dresses pilgrimaged to Washington D.C. with their parents to get a first look at what was excepted to be one of the biggest hits on Broadway the following season. Little did they know that ”Annie 2” would feature very little Annie at all and, instead, would tell the misguided redemption story of the first musical‘s villain. The entire project was a manifestation of the creative team‘s own insecurities of now being best-known for writing a fluffy kids musical and not their more-serious previous works... so, they set out to prove to the industry that they could follow it up with something more complex and grown up. The happy endings we see at the end of ”Annie 1” we find out were short lived. Daddy Warbucks discovers that he can‘t legally adopt Annie as a single father, so he must find a wife and because of that, Annie‘s future is uncertain. Grace, who has genuine feelings for the billionaire, must balance her career and personal life as she is passed over for other candidates. And Hannigan must come to terms with her quest for revenge and money as she confronts her own past and humanity. The creative team had hoped that fans of the original musical had grown up with them and would appreciate their cynical take on what happens after ”tomorrow”. Sadly, ”something was missing”, and what that was what attracted so many fans to the original piece - the absolute charm of Annie and her orphan friends. Throughout the run in D.C., desperate changes were made to the show to fix that tonal issues, including adding more Annie and additional orphan characters from the original, but a major financial backer decided to leave the show and it‘s scheduled Broadway run (the marquee was already up!) was cancelled. ”Annie 2” would then go through a process of rewrites and restructuring at the Goodspeed Opera House that would not only remove Miss Hannigan from the show‘s title, but from the show completely... eventually evolving into a different sequel titled ”Annie Warbucks”! Original Washington Cast • Dorothy Loudon as Miss Hannigan • Fiely Matias as The Asp • Gerry McIntyre as Punjab • Lauren Mitchell as Grace Farrell • Harve Presnell as Oliver Warbucks • Danielle Findley as Annie Warbucks • Beau as Sandy • Marian Seldes as Mrs. Christmas • Ronny Graham as Lionel McCoy • Terrence P. Currier as Drake • Raymond Thorne as FDR • Ellyn Arons as Eleanor Roosevelt ABOUT ”ANNIE WARBUCKS” Another attempt at as a sequel to the hit Broadway musical ”Annie”, ”Annie Warbucks” begins immediately after ”Annie” ends as  Daddy Warbucks learns that he must marry within sixty days or else Annie will be returned to the orphanage. The musical features a book by Thomas Meehan, lyrics by Martin Charin, and music by Charles Strouse. ”Annie Warbucks” was developed in a workshop at the Goodspeed Opera House, directed by Charnin and choreographed by Peter Gennaro and under the direction of Michael P. Price, Executive Director. The musical played several out-of-town tryouts, starting at the Marriott Lincolnshire, Chicago in February through April 1992 and then the Drury Lane in Oak Brook, Illinois, followed by a fiv

 Die Vampire, Die! | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:07:22

Get ready to ”say a prayer” as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 2002‘s ”Dance of the Vampires” on episode nineteen of MY FAVORITE FLOP. ABOUT ”DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES” Based on the Roman Polanski film ”The Fearless Vampire Killers”, ”Dance of the Vampires” follows Professor Abronsius as he attempts to prove the existence of vampires in Transylvania while his bumbling assistant Alfred falls for innkeeper‘s daughter Sarah, unaware that she is being pursued by the mysterious Count von Krolock. The musical features a book by Jim Steinman, Michael Kunze, and David Ives and music and lyrics by Jim Steinman. Academy Award-winning film director Roman Polanski was inspired to adapt his cult comedy for the musical stage after being approached to work on a theatrical production of Anne Rice‘s ”Interview with the Vampire”. Composer Jim Steinman and book writer/lyricist Michael Kunze were ultimately chosen to collaborate based on both of their previous bodies of work, with Steinman literally being chosen by the director after putting 5 of his preexisting songs into a rough outline by Kunze (all of which remained in the final version of the show, including the hit song ”Total Eclipse of the Heart”). The show, then known as ”Tanz der Vampire”, originally opened on October 4, 1997 in Vienna, Austria where it ran for over 2 years. A new production opened in Germany following its closing and has played somewhere in the country almost consistently to this very day. Because of that, ”Tanz de Vampire” is one of the most successful musicals in European history. From its premiere, English producers were seeking to bring the show to English-speaking countries. Composer Steinman was no stranger to the theater scene in New York, having spent five years under the professional wing of New York Shakespeare Festival founder Joseph Papp in the early Seventies. After briefly considering a West End run, it was decided to bring the musical (now titled ”Dance of the Vampires”) to Broadway instead. After several failed attempts, many rewrites, and replacements on the creative team, ”Dance of the Vampires” finally opened December 9, 2002. The Broadway version of the show was critically lambasted and the work of lead performer Michael Crawford was reviewed particularly harshly. When the reviews came out, Jim Steinman made a show of his disapproval of the project by not attending opening night and publicly distancing himself from the show.  On January 25, 2003, after 56 performances, ”Dance of the Vampires” closed. According to The New York Times, it was ”one of the costliest failures in Broadway history”, losing roughly $12 million, easily eclipsing the infamous musical ”Carrie”. Original Broadway Cast • Michael Crawford as Count Giovanni Von Krolock • Mandy Gonzalez as Sarah • René Auberjonois as Professor Abronsius • Max von Essen as Alfred • Ron Orbach as Chagal • Leah Hocking as Magda • Liz McCartney as Rebecca • Asa Somers as Herbert • Mark Price as Boris • Erin Leigh Peck as Zsa-Zsa • E. Alyssa Claar as Nadja

 Hold Me Bat Boy | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:15:22

”Embrace it”, ”there‘s always a tomorrow” as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 2004‘s ”Dracula, The Musical” and 2006‘s ”Lestat” on episode eighteen of MY FAVORITE FLOP. ABOUT ”DRACULA, THE MUSICAL” Based on the Victorian novel by Bram Stoker, ”Dracula, The Musical” tells the story of the famed vampire as he lusts for new blood. Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray fall victim to Dracula‘s unnatural charm and, along with Doctor Van Helsing, must fight Dracula‘s supernatural powers. The musical features music by Frank Wildhorn and book and lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black. Following a record-breaking run at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2001, the musical finally opened on Broadway to mostly negative reviews 3 years later in 2004. Though this production was intended as a serious, dramatic interpretation of the source material, critics complained of a complete lack of emotion in general, and of suspense and horror in particular. Also, while the plot of the musical hits all the major points of Stoker‘s novel, critics felt it did so in such an obtuse way that audience members unfamiliar with the story may find themselves unable to comprehend the action. Despite failing on Broadway, the musical has gone on to become extremely popular throughout Europe and Asia. The musical made its international debut at Theater St. Gallen, Switzerland in 2005, with notable productions following in the UK, Tokyo, and Seoul. Original Broadway Cast • Melissa Errico as Mina Murray • Tom Hewitt as Dracula • Stephen McKinley Henderson as Abraham Van Helsing • Chris Hoch as Arthur Holmwood • Kelli O‘Hara as Lucy Westenra • Darren Ritchie as Jonathan Harker • Bart Shatto as Quincey Morris • Don Stephenson as Renfield • Shonn Wiley as Jack Seward • Lena Hall as Second Vampire • Melissa Fagan as Third Vampire • Jenifer Foote as First Vampire • Michael Herwitz as Child • Pamela Jordan as Third Vampire (Alternate) • Elizabeth Loyacano as Second Vampire (Alternate) • Tracy Miller as First Vampire (Alternate) • Matthew Nardozzi as Child (Alternate) • Graham Rowat as Ensemble ABOUT ”LESTAT” Inspired by three of the novels in Anne Rice‘s ”The Vampire Chronicles”, ”Lestat” tells the story of a man who escapes the tyranny of his oppressive family only to have his life taken from him by the vampire, Magnus. The musical features music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin, and a book by Linda Woolverton. Officially the highest-earning pre-Broadway play in San Francisco history (beating out ”Wicked” AND ”Cats”), ”Lestat” finally opened on Broadway at the Palace Theater on March 25, 2006 after a series of drastic revisions. Reviews of the Broadway production were uniformly negative. Ben Brantley famously described the show as a ”musical sleeping pill” and Peter Marks of the Washington Post remarked that apparently ”a gay vampire with a two-octave range can be just as dull as a straight one.” The musical closed on May 28, 2006, after 33 previews and 39 performances. An Original Broadway Cast Recording was recorded by Mercury Records a week earlier, however, after the show‘s closing, Elton John‘s management stated ”there are no plans to release the recording...” ”Lestat” has not been seen again (at least officially) since its original run. Original Off-Broadway Cast • Hugh Panaro as Lestat • Carolee Carmello as Gabrielle • Allison Fischer as Claudia • Michael Genet as Marius • Roderick Hill as Nicolas • Drew Sarich as Armand • Jim Stanek as Louis • Rachel Coloff as Ensemble • Nikki Renée Daniels as Eleni • Joseph Dellger as Magnus • Colleen Fitzpatrick as Ensemble • Patrick Mellen as Ensemble • Chris Peluso as Ensemble • Dominique Plaisant as Ensemble • Megan Reinking as Beautiful Woman • Will Swenson as Marquis/Laurent • Tommar Wilson as Ensemble

 Who Let The Dogs Out? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:14:55

It‘s time to finish that ”book report” on ”Edgar Allan Poe” as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1971‘s ”You‘re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” and 1982‘s ”Snoopy! The Musical” on episode seventeen of MY FAVORITE FLOP. ABOUT ”YOU‘RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN” Based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ”Peanuts”, ‘You‘re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” shares the story of a day in the life of everybody‘s favorite blockhead, Charlie Brown. The musical features music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and a book by John Gordon. Following an unprecedented run of 1,597 performances off-Broadway, the musical finally opened to mixed reviews on The Great White Way on June 1, 1971 and closed 32 performances later. Many critics had felt that much of its original charm had evaporated during the transfer. Despite that, the musical became a popular staple in the amateur theater market and is known as one of the most beloved musicals of all time. In 1998, a significantly revised version of the musical set out on a national tour before opening on Broadway the following year. It featured new dialogue by Michael Mayer, who also directed, and additional songs and orchestration written by composer Andrew Lippa. The character of Patty was replaced with Sally Brown, inspired by the same change Schulz made in the animated TV adaptation in the 1980s. The cast featured Anthony Rapp as Charlie Brown, B.D. Wong as Linus, Ilana Levine as Lucy, and Stanley Wayne Mathis as Schroeder. Also featured were Kristin Chenoweth and Roger Bart as Sally and Snoopy, with each winning the Tony award in the respective category. Despite its Tony wins, the musical failed to gain an audience and closed after just 149 performances. Original Broadway Cast • Dean Stolber as Charlie Brown • Liz O‘Neal as Lucy • Stephen Fenning as Linus • Carter Cole as Schroeder • Lee Wilson as Patty • Grant Cowan as Snoopy ABOUT ”SNOOPY! THE MUSICAL‘ An official sequel to ”You‘re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, ”Snoopy! The Musical” shares the story of a day in the life of everybody‘s favorite beagle, Snoopy. The musical features music by Larry Grossman, lyrics by Hal Hackady, and a book by Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, and Michael Grace. Despite ”You‘re A Good Man, Charlie Brown‘s” Broadway failure in 1971, it had already become a worldwide sensation, and producer Arthur Whitelaw felt that it needed a follow-up. This time, however, he would both write and direct the piece. ”Snoopy! The Musical” premiered on December 9, 1975 at the Little Fox Theatre in San Francisco, California and, despite mixed reviews, ran for 7 months. The musical was then produced Off-Broadway at the Lamb‘s Theatre in 1982 starring David Garrison as Snoopy. The show performed 152 performances until it closed on May 1, 1983. The Off-Broadway production received similar reviews to the San Francisco production. Later, when Lorna Luft replaced Peppermint Patty, a new song was written for her, entitled ”Hurry Up, Face”. This song was used in later productions, including the West End later that year. The 1983 West End production was a critically acclaimed success and ran for 479 performances. A revised version of ”Snoopy! The Musical” opened Texas State University in 2017 with a new song co-written by Andrew Lippa and restored material that had been cut from previous versions of the show. This version, now called ”The World According To Snoopy”, is available to license alongside the original. Original Off-Broadway Cast • David Garrison as Snoopy • Terry Kirwin as Charlie Brown • Vicki Lewis as Peppermint Patty • Kay Cole as Lucy • Stephen Fenning as Linus • Deborah Graham as Sally Brown • Cathy Cahn as Woodstock

 Great Big Stuff | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:03:24

You‘re gonna have ”the time of your life” as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1996‘s ”Big The Musical” on episode sixteen of MY FAVORITE FLOP. ABOUT ”BIG THE MUSICAL” Based on the 1988 film of the same name starring Tom Hanks, ”Big The Musical” tells the story Josh Baskin, a 12-year-old boy who grows up overnight after being granted a wish by a Zoltar Speaks machine at a carnival. With the aid of his best friend, Billy, he must cope with his new adulthood while finding the machine so that he can wish himself back and more. The musical features a book by John Weidman, music by David Shire, and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. Composer David Shire was inspired to adapt ”Big” for the stage after his wife, actress Didi Conn, watched the film on pay-per-view in her hotel room one night and told him how great a musical it would make. Over the next six years, he was able to amass a team that included frequent collaborator lyricist David Maltby, Jr., book writer John Weidman, director Mike Ockrent, and choreographer Susan Stroman, all of whom were not quite convinced that the musical would work, but continued to contribute to the creative process anyway until it eventually ended up on Broadway. ”Big The Musical” was one of the first major blockbuster films to be translated to the musical stage. While the practice has become much more common today, the Broadway community was far less welcoming of this at the time of its premiere. Despite the musical‘s strengths, it struggled to find an audience, and after failing to land a Tony nomination for Best Musical, it closed as a puzzling $12 million dollar loss of its $10 million dollar investment. A heavily-revised national tour traveled the country two years later under the helm of show doctor Eric Dr. Shaeffer and was a big success and almost returned to Broadway. The show made its UK and Ireland in 2016 in Dublin starring ”Strictly Come Dancing” winner and The Wanted vocalist Jay McGuiness as Josh. The production transferred to London‘s West End at the Dominion Theatre in 2019 with McGuiness reprising his role. Original Broadway Cast • Daniel Jenkins as Josh Baskin • Crista Moore as Susan Lawrence • Brett Tabisel as Billy • Lizzy Mack as Cynthia Benson • Barbara Walsh as Mrs. Baskin • John Sloman as Mr. Baskin • Patrick Levis as Young Josh Baskin • Jon Cypher as MacMillan • Gene Weygandt as Paul

 Three Card Capote | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 01:19:08

”So here we are again”, ”talkin‘ in tongues” and proving ”one man is not enough” as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss ALL THREE musicals based on the literary work of Truman Capote on episode fifteen of My Favorite Flop: 1954‘s ”House of Flowers”, 1966‘s ”Breakfast at Tiffany‘s”, AND 1971‘s ”The Grass Harp”. ABOUT ”HOUSE OF FLOWERS” Based on the original short story by Truman Capote, ”House of Flowers” tells the story of two neighboring bordellos that battle for business in an idealized Haitian setting. The musical features music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Arlen and Truman Capote, and a book by Capote. In the early 1950s, Truman Capote became involved in the performing arts. He was approached by producer Saint Subber to adapt his recent story, ”House of Flowers”, as a musical play for Broadway. Much of the writing was done in the Italian fishing village of Portofino; but Capote and Jack Dunphy found time to travel to Switzerland and Paris before turning to America, where Capote met again with producer Saint Subber and continued his work in the musical. After a Philadelphia try-out, the show opened on Broadway on December 30, 1954 at the Alvin Theatre and played for 165 performances. The director was Peter Brook. The cast included Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Juanita Hall, Ray Walston, Carmen de Lavallade, Alvin Ailey and Geoffrey Holder (who also provided a section of choreography). Although the show received generally poor reviews, the dance-rhythm infused score has been praised for its mix of blues and calypso. There was an unsuccessful Off-Broadway revival in 1968 at Theater de Lys. In 2003, there was an Encores! production, starring Tonya Pinkins and Armelia McQueen as the battling bordello madams and Maurice Hines as Captain Jonas, the smuggler. The virginal Ottilie was played by Nikki M. James, and the mountain boy, Royal, was played by Brandon Victor Dixon. Roscoe Lee Browne played the voodoo priest, Houngan. ABOUT ”BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY‘S” Based both on the 1958 Truman Capote novella and 1961 film of the same name, ”Breakfast at Tiffany‘s” tells the story of a free spirit named Holly Golightly. The musical features music and lyrics by Bob Merrill and a book by Abe Burrows, which was rewritten in previews by legendary playwright Edward Albee. The original cast included Mary Tyler Moore, Richard Chamberlain, Sally Kellerman, Larry Kert and Priscilla Lopez. The production was designed by Oliver Smith, directed by Joseph Anthony and choreographed by Michael Kidd with assistance from Tony Mordente, and produced by David Merrick. Despite the impressive list of collaborators, the project never gelled. The show underwent constant and massive changes in its script and score during out-of-town tryouts. The original book by Abe Burrows was seen in Philadelphia, then scrapped completely, and Edward Albee, an unlikely choice, was hired to re-write before a Boston tryout. Burrows was the original director but left when Albee was brought in. He was replaced by Joseph Anthony. On a daily basis, the cast was given new material hours before curtain time, and the piece was overly long, running nearly four hours. Burrows‘s departure resulted in low morale among cast members, and Moore was convinced that Merrick planned to fire her soon after opening night. Its original title, ”Holly Golightly”, was changed when it started previews on December 12, 1966, on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre. Despite a healthy advance sale and much audience anticipation, it closed four nights later without having officially opened. Merrick placed an infamous ad in The New York Times, announcing that he shut down the production ”rather than subject the drama critics and the public to an excruciatingly boring evening.” In 2013, the musical was revived for the first time, using Burrows‘s book, under the title ”Holly Golightly”, at the 200-seat Lilian Baylis Studio at Sadler‘s Wells Theatre in London, as part of Ian Marshall Fisher‘s ”Lost Musicals” sta

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