My Favorite Flop

And I Was Beautiful

It's time to look "through the bottom of the glass" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1969's Dear World on episode nine of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT DEAR WORLD

Based on Jean Giraudoux's play The Madwoman of Chaillot, Dear World tells the story of three mad countesses who deviously scheme to stop businessmen from drilling for oil in the Parisian neighborhood of Chaillot in an attempt to let the forces of idealism, love, and poetry win over those of greed, materialism and science. The musical features a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.

Dear World was a passion project of composer Jerry Herman who had starred as the mime character in a college production of the play. He had wished to adapt the piece earlier in his career, however, the rights were unavailable as they'd already been given to another team. After the massive success of both Hello, Dolly! and Mame, though, Herman was finally able to obtain the rights and work quickly began to reunite the team and recreate the magic of the latter.

The musical had a notably troubled road to Broadway that included three different directors and multiple changes to the script and score. Trouble continued during previews in New York and the show's opening was postponed several times. Finally, after impatient critics told the production they were going to review the show whether it officially opened or not, an opening night was finally scheduled for February 6, 1969, where it received mostly negative reviews and closed after 132 performances.

Originally conceived as a chamber musical, Dear World fell victim to a massive production that effectively overwhelmed the simplicity of the original tale. After the Broadway closing, Herman, Lawrence, and Lee rewrote the show for licensing, "putting back the intimacy that had been undermined on Broadway." In the late 1990s, playwright David Thompson revised the material for a possible revival for the Roundabout Theatre Company. While that production never came to fruition, it did lead to a series of future productions and further revisals at The Goodspeed Opera House, Sundance, and The York Theatre Company featuring performances by legendary leading ladies Sally Ann Howes, Maureen McGovern, and Tyne Daly.

Dear World finally had its West End premiere at London's Charing Cross Theatre in 2013 starring Betty Buckley, with direction and choreography by Gillian Lynne.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• Angela Lansbury as Countess Aurelia
• Jane Connell as Countess Gabrielle
• Carmen Mathews as Countess Constance
• Milo O'Shea as The Sewerman
  
• Kurt Peterson as Julian
• Pamela Hall as Nina
• William Larsen as The Chairman of the Board
• Joe Masiell as The Prospector
• Ted Agress as The Juggler
• Michael Davis as The Doorman
• Miguel Godreau as The Deaf-Mute
• John Taliaferro as The Peddler
• Gene Varrone as The Waiter
• Ty McConnell as The Busboy
• Clifford Fearl, Charles Karel, Zale Kessler, and Charles Welch as Members of the Board
• Nicole Barth, Bruce Becker, Toney Brealond, Jane Coleman, Jack Davison, Jacque Dean, Richard Dodd, John Grigas, Marian Haraldson, Tony Juliano, Gene Kelton, Carolyn Kirsch, Urylee Leonardos, Larry Merritt, Ruth Ramsey, Orrin Reiley, Patsy Sabline, Connie Simmons, Margot Travers, and Mary Zahn as The People of Paris

Literary Men

Get ready to spare "half a moment" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 2001's By Jeeves on episode eight of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT BY JEEVES

Based on the beloved series of novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse, By Jeeves tells the story Bertie Wooster, a young gentleman about town with a penchant for getting himself into personal difficulties (particularly with women), and his unflappable manservant Jeeves, who is inevitably left to elegantly rescue him. The musical features a book and lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The musical originally premiered in London in 1975 under the title Jeeves and was conceived by lyricist Tim Rice. Rice, however, did not stay with the project and was eventually replaced by playwright Alan Ayckbourn, who would also provide the musical's book and direction. After a troubled tryout in Bristol, the show finally opened in London's West End, but after receiving poor reviews, it closed after only a month. An original cast album was recorded and released, but it is extremely hard to find due to the fact that composer Andrew Lloyd Webber took the advice of producer Hal Prince to withdraw the album and use his compositions in future works. Music from the original production of Jeeves can be heard in Evita, Song & Dance, Sunset Boulevard, and more.

Due to the fact that much of the original material had already been repurposed, the musical had to be completely reconstructed from the ground up for its revival. Now titled By Jeeves (to differentiate the "new" work), the show re-opened on May 1, 1996 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, and was transferred to London due to positive audience response. The American premiere took place at The Goodspeed Opera House the same year and had several regional productions before finally making it to Broadway in October of 2001. The Broadway production, which began performances just a month after the events of 9/11, closed after just 73 performances.

A film recording of the musical, featuring Martin Jarvis as Jeeves and John Scherer as Bertie Wooster, was released in October 2001. It was filmed in a studio in Toronto after the pre-Broadway tryout in Pittsburgh.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• John Scherer as Bertie Wooster
• Martin Jarvis as Jeeves
• Donna Lynne Champlin as Honoria Glossop
• James Kall as Gussie Fink-Nottle
  
• Ian Knauer as Harold "Stinker" Pinker
• Emily Loesser as Stiffy Byng
• Heath Lamberts as Sir Watkin Bassett
• Don Stephenson as Bingo Little
• Becky Watson as Madeline Bassett
• Steve Wilson as Cyrus Budge III (Junior)

Everybody Says Don't

"See what it gets you" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1964's Anyone Can Whistle on episode seven of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT ANYONE CAN WHISTLE

Described by theater historian Ken Mandelbaum as "a satire on conformity and the insanity of the so-called sane," Anyone Can Whistle tells the story of an economically-depressed town whose corrupt Mayoress, in an attempt to draw tourists, decides to create a fake "miracle" - which draws the attention of Fay Apple, an emotionally inhibited nurse, a crowd of inmates from a local asylum called "The Cookie Jar," and a "doctor" with secrets of his own. The musical features a book by Arthur Laurents and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

Following a tryout period in Philadelphia, Anyone Can Whistle opened at the Majestic Theater on Broadway on April 4, 1964 to widely varied reviews (including negative notices from the New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune). It closed after a run of 12 previews and 9 performances and in the decades since its closing, it has not been produced on the scale of other Sondheim musicals; notable productions include a 1995 concert version at Carnegie Hall, a pair of stagings in London and Los Angeles in 2003 that incorporated revisions, and a 2010 concert staging for the Encores! program at New York City Center.

Its score, however, has become an acclaimed part of Sondheim's canon, and songs such as the title tune, "Everybody Says Don't", and "There Won't Be Trumpets" have been widely performed. The show is also known for marking the stage musical debut of Angela Lansbury.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• Angela Lansbury as Cora Hoover Hooper
• Lee Remick as Fay Apple
• Harry Guardino as J. Bowden Hapgood
• Gabriel Dell as Comptroller Schub
  
• James Frawley as Chief Magruder
• Don Doherty as Dr. Detmold
• Peg Murray as Mrs. Schroeder
• Arnold Soboloff as Treasurer Cooley
• Jeanne Tanzy as Baby Joan
• Harvey Evans as John/One Of The Boys/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Sterling Clark as One Of The Boys/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Larry Roquemore as George/One Of The Boys/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Tucker Smith as One Of The Boys/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Georgia Creighton as Osgood/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Alan Johnson as Telegraph Boy/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Janet Hayes as June/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Jeff Killion as Sandwich Man/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Eleonore Treiber as Old Lady/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Lester Wilson as Martin/Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Susan Borree as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Eugene Edwards as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Dick Ensslen as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Loren Hightower as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Bettye Jenkins as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Patricia Kelly as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Barbara Lang as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Paula Lloyd as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Barbara Monte as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Jack Murray as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Odette Phillips as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• William Reilly as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Hanne Marie Reiner as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc
• Donald Stewart as Cookie/Townsperson/Etc

The Very Best Week Of Your Lives

"The heat is on" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1986's Smile on episode six of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT SMILE

Based on the 1975 movie of the same name, Smile is a satirical portrait of small-town America that follows the intrigue and exploits onstage and behind-the-scenes as Santa Rosa, California plays host to the Young American Miss Pageant. The musical features a book and lyrics by Howard Ashman with music by Marvin Hamlisch.

Smile finally came to Broadway in 1986 after several failed attempts earlier in the decade, with various creative forces attached to the project. Carolyn Leigh, who had initially written the lyrics to the first two version of the show, passed away shortly after a workshop was held in 1983, leading to Howard Ashman's eventual involvement. Only one song from those early versions remains, the title song, though it features a new set of lyrics written by Ashman.

The Broadway production closed after just 48 performances and is considered a "lost" musical because no official cast recording was ever made. However, Ashman and Hamlisch revised the show for stock productions, and a demo CD by featuring members of the original cast was created to use for licensing. Some of the songs have been recorded over the years, most notably by Broadway record producer Bruce Kimmel, in an attempt to preserve some of the fantastic material written for the show.

A private industry reading of the show took place in 2010, though nothing further came from it, and a reunion concert was presented in 2014 at 54 Below with members of the original cast.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• Marsha Waterbury as Brenda DiCarlo Freelander
• Jeff McCarthy as Big Bob Freelander
• Jodi Benson as Doria Hudson
• Anne Marie Bobby as Robin Gibson
• Tia Riebling as Shawn Christianson
• Cheryl-Ann Rossi as Maria Gonzales
• Michael O'Gorman as Tommy French
• Tommy Daggett as Little Bob Freelander
• Dick Patterson as Ted Farley
• Mana Allen as Patti-Lynn Bird
• Andrew Cassese as Freddy
• Veanne Cox as Sandra-Kay Mcaffee
• Donna Marie Elio as Gina Minelli
• Laura Gardner as Robin's Mom
• Lauren Goler as Valerie Sherman
• Valerie Lau-Kee as Linda Lee
• Andrea Leigh-Smith as Debralee Davis
• Mia Malm as Kate Gardner
• Cindy Oakes as Connie-Sue Whipple
• Nikki Rene as Cookie Wilson
• Julie Tussey as Kimberly Lyons
• Renée Veneziale as Dana Simpson
• Deanna D. Wells as Heidi Anderson
• Jeffrey Wilkins as Tony
• Ruth Williamson as Carol
• K. C. Wilson as Photographer
• Richard Woods as Dale Wilson-Shears

A Little Luck

"Forever starts tonight" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 2015's Honeymoon In Vegas on episode five of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT HONEYMOON IN VEGAS

Based on the 1992 movie of the same name, Honeymoon In Vegas tells the story of Jack Singer, a Brooklynite with an extreme fear of marriage, who finally gets up the nerve to ask his girlfriend Betsy to marry him. But when smooth-talking gambler Tommy — looking for a second chance at love — falls head over heels for Betsy, Jack must go to extreme heights to win back the love of his life. The musical features a book by Andrew Bergman (who wrote and directed the original film) with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown.

Honeymoon In Vegas held a workshop and backers auditions in October 2011, with T.R. Knight, Mary Faber, and Tony Danza in the leading roles. An expected pre-Broadway tryout in Toronto was scheduled for the following year, but was ultimately cancelled, leaving the show's future in limbo. In September 2013, the show finally premiered to rave reviews at the Paper Mill Playhouse with Rob McClure and Brynn O'Malley replacing T.R. Knight and Mary Faber as Jack and Betsy.

The Broadway production opened on January 15, 2015 in the middle of a harsh New York winter. Despite getting nearly unanimous praise from the critics, including a love letter from The New York Times, the show struggled to find an audience and ultimately closed on April 5, after just 93 performances. A national tour, once again starring Tony Danza, was announced to take place in 2016, but never materialized. The London premiere was given by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra conducted by Jason Robert Brown in a semi-staged concert version at the London Palladium on March 12, 2017.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• Rob McClure as Jack Singer
• Brynne O'Malley as Betsy Nolan
• Nancy Opel as Bea Singer
• David Josefsberg as Buddy Rocky/Roy Bacon
• Leslie Donna Flesner and Erica Sweany as Buddy's Showgirls
• Tony Danza as Tommy Korman
• Matthew Saldivar as Johnny Sandwich
• Matt Allen as Hotel Manager
• Katie Webber as Cranberry Waitress/Sapphire de la Tour
• George Merrick as Dougie Cataracts/Teihutu
• Gaelen Gilliland as Joanne Klein
• Raymond J. Lee as Chan Elvis Park
• Zachary Prince as Alex
• Leslie Donna Flesner as Rose
• Tracee Beazer, Gaelen Gilliland, and George Merrick as Ticket Agents
• Catharine Ricafort as Mahi
• Matt Allen, Grady McLeod Bowman, Albert Guerzon, Raymond J. Lee, Cary Tedder, Katie Webber as Flying Elvises
• George Merrick and Gaelen Gillibrand as Voiceover Announcements
• Ensemble: Matt Allen, Tracee Beazer, Grady McLeod Bowman, Leslie Donna Flesner, Gaelen Gilliland, Albert Guerzon, Raymond J. Lee, George Merrick, Zachary Prince, Catharine Ricafort, Erica Sweany, Cary Tedder, and Katie Webber.

One Good Break

Get ready to "sing happy" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1965's Flora, The Red Menace on episode four of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT FLORA, THE RED MENACE

Based on Lester Atwell's 1962 depression-era novel "Love Is Just Around The Corner," Flora, The Red Menace tells the story of valedictorian and future fashion designer Flora Meszaros and her struggle to balance love, communism, and self-worth. The musical was produced by Harold Prince featured a book co-written by director George Abbott and playwright Robert Russell. Now legendary composing team John Kander and Fred Ebb provided music and lyrics to the show, in what was their first official collaboration to make it to Broadway.

The original 1965 production famously featured a 19-year-old Liza Minnelli making her Broadway debut in the title role, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She was the youngest actor to ever win a Tony Award, period, until 11-year-old Frankie Michaels won for Mame the following year, however, she still remains the youngest winner of her particular Award. Despite closing after just 87 performances, Flora would not only become the launch pad for the careers of Kander, Ebb, and Minnelli, but also an important catalyst in Harold Prince's journey as producer AND director.

A 1987 off-Broadway revival reimagined the show as a presentation by WPA's Federal Theatre Project. Directed by Scott Ellis, choreographed by Susan Stroman, and featuring a new book by David Thompson, this new version premiered at The Vineyard Theatre to great acclaim and resounding success. Other notable productions have taken place at The Pasadena Playhouse, London's Orange Tree Theatre, Reprise!, and the Rose and Crown Concert Hall.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• Liza Minnelli as Flora
• Mary Louise Wilson as Comrade Ada
• Cathryn Damon as Comrade Charlotte
• Robert Kaye as Mr. Stanley
• Bob Dishy as Harry
• Art Carney as FDR's Voice
• J. Vernon Oaks as Apple Seller
• Clark Morgan as Pencil Seller
• Daniel P. Hannafin as Police Man
• Henry Le Clair as Broker
• John Taliaferro as Fourth Man/Artist
• Anne C. Russell as Woman/Lily
• Anthony Falco as Fifth Man/Artist
• Les Freed as Sixth Man/Artist
• Robert Fitch as Seventh Man
• Abbie Todd as School Principal
• Diane McAfey as Artist
• Marie Santell as Katie/Artist
• Louis Guss as Comrade Galka
• Clark Morgan as Comrade Jackson
• Stephanie Hill as Elsa
• Dortha Duckworth as The Lady
• Joe E. Marks as Mr. Weiss
• James Cresson as Bronco Smallwood
• Danny Carroll as Joe
• Gordon Dilworth as Mr. Rearson
• Jamie Donnelly as Lulu
• Elaine Cancilla as Maggie
• Dancers: Elaine Cancilla, Ciya Challis, Barbara Doherty, Judith Doren, Ellen Graff, Mary Ann Niles, Phyllis Wallach, Harry Bell, Robert Fitch, Marcel Gamboa, Charles Kalan, James McArdle, and Neil J. Schwartz.
• Singers: Jamie Donnelly, Barbara Christopher, Diane McAfee, Abbie Todd, Anthony Falco, Les Freed, Daniel P. Hannafin, Henry Le Clair, J. Vernon Oaks, and John Taliaferro.

We Gotta Make It Through The Winter

You'll be "glad that you were born" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1982's Seven Brides For Seven Brothers on episode three of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS

Based on the beloved 1954 MGM musical film of the same name, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers tells the story of backwoodsman Adam Pontipee and his six brothers and their quest to find wives in 1850s Oregon. The musical features a book by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay, music by Gene de Paul, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. It is an adaption of the short story "The Sobbin' Women," by Stephen Vincent Benét, which is, in turn, based on the Ancient Roman legend of The Rape of the Sabine Women.

The show's 1978-79 premiere tour, featuring Howard Keel and Jane Powell reprising their roles from the original film, closed before reaching Broadway. A second touring production was launched in 1981, this time starring pop star Debby Boone, and traveled for eighteen months before finally opening on Broadway in July 1982, only to close three days and five performances later. A subsequent West End production had a six-week limited engagement run in 1985, with a further five and a half week run at The Prince of Wales Theatre.

Revised versions of the musical have met with success in U.S. regional theaters and in amateur productions on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• Debby Boone as Milly
• David-James Carroll as Adam
• Jeanne Bates as Mrs. Bixby
• Jeff Calhoun as Daniel
• Cheryl Crandall as Townsperson
• Fred Curt as Mr. Bixby
• D. Scot Davidge as Benjmain
• Nancy Fox as Alice
• Gino Gaudio as Mr. Perkins
• Russell Giesenschlag as Jeb
• James Horvath as Luke
• Linda Hoxit as Sarah
• Marylou Hume as Dorcas' Sister
• Manette LaChance as Dorcas
• Kevin McCready as Zeke
• Gary Moss as Matt
• Jan Mussetter as Liza
• Sha Newman as Ruth
• David Pavlosky as Townsboy
• Craig Peralta as Gideon
• Michael Ragan as Frank
• Jeffrey Reynolds as Ephraim
• Jack Ritschel as Preacher
• Conley Schnaterbeck as Indian
• Sam Singhaus as Townsperson
• Marykatherine Somers as Mrs. Perkins
• Don Steffy as Carl
• Clark Sterling as Joel
• Stephanie Stromer as Townsperson
• Lara Teeter as Caleb
• Laurel van der Linde as Martha
• Swings: Sam Singhaus and Stephanie Stromer

Gimme A Freak

"Talk amongst yourselves" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 2003's Taboo on episode two of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT TABOO

Based on the lives of pop singer/songwriter Boy George and fashion designer/performance artist Leigh Bowery, Taboo tells the partly re-imagined story of a group of club “names” set in the location of what was the city’s most fashionable nightclub — the now-legendary Taboo. The musical features a book by Mark Davies Markham (extensively rewritten for Broadway by Charles Busch), lyrics by Boy George, and music by George, John Themis, Richie Stevens and Kevan Frost.

After premiering in London’s West End in a converted warehouse in 2002, comedian/talk show host Rosie O’Donnell decided to bring the show to Broadway the following year, investing over $10 million of her own money. Taboo‘s entire Broadway journey was subject to a lot of negative press, concerning both the show itself and Rosie’s personal life, and ultimately closed after only 100 performances. Despite its failure, Taboo continues to have an ardent and vocal cult following to this day.

An intimate revival was staged in London’s West End in 2012.

 

Original London Cast

• Luke Evans as Billy
• Dianne Pilkington as Kim
• Euan Morton as Boy George
• Matt Lucas as Leigh Bowery
• Paul Baker as Philip Sallon
• Gemma Craven as Josie James
• Mark McGee as Marilyn
• Michele Hooper as Janey
• Drew Jaymson as Steve Strange
• Mark White as Derek/Petal
• Gail MacKinnon as Big Sue
• Declan Bennett as Guru Dazzle
• Kay Cole as Zee Asha
• Joe Docherty as Jake
• Lucy Harris as Foxy
• Andy Morton as Policeman
• Lucy Newton as Virus

Original Broadway Cast

• Euan Morton as Boy George
• Boy George (Credited as George O’Dowd) as Leigh Bowery
• Liz McCartney as Big Sue
• Raúl Esparza as Philip Sallon
• Sarah Uriarte Barry as Nicola
• Cary Shields as Marcus
• Jeffrey Carlson as Marilyn
• Jennifer Cody, Dioni Michelle Collins, Brooke Elliott, Felice B. Gajda, William Robert Gaynor, Curtis Holbrook, Jennifer K. Mrozik, Nathan Peck, Alexander Quiroga, Asa Somers, Denise Summerford, and Gregory Treco as Ensemble
• Donnie R. Keshawarz as Standby for Philip Sallon and Leigh Bowery
• Lori Holmes, Jody Reynard, and James Tabeek as Swings

A Single Dream

"All roads lead to Hollywood" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1983's Marilyn: An American Fable on the season one premiere of My Favorite Flop.

 

ABOUT MARILYN: AN AMERICAN FABLE

Inspired by the life of celebrity Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn: An American Fable takes a highly fictionalized look at Hollywood’s legendary bombshell while also maintaining its supposed authenticity. (The show was apparently “authorized” and endorsed by Lee Strasberg’s wife, Anna) It was one of two musicals about the star to open that year alone, and one of at least five that have been created since her death. The show features a book by Patricia Michaels with music and lyrics by Jeanne Napoli, Doug Frank, Gary Portnoy, Beth Lawrence, Norman Thalheimer, James Komack, Wally Harper, and David Zippel.

Between sabotaged sets, a fired director, and a leading lady replaced just ten days before its first preview, this show made it to opening night with even more baggage than the real-life Marilyn carried with her during her actual life. The show shuttered after only 17 performances and became largely forgotten until it became a footnote in the pilot of NBC’s SMASH in 2012.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• Alyson Reed as Norma Jean/Marilyn Monroe
• Kristi Coombs as Young Norma Jean
• Peggy Blue, Michael Kubula, and T.A. Stephens as Destiny
• Scott Bakula as Joe DiMaggio
• George Dvorsky as Jim Dougherty
• Will Gerard as Arthur Miller
• Melissa Bailey as Louella
• Mary Testa as Hedda
• Steve Shocket as Strasberg
• Willy Falk as Tommy
• Lise Lang as Sis
• Debi Monahan as Pat
• Ty Crowley as Acting Coach
• Gary-Michael Davies as Director
• Deborah Dotson as Hairdresser
• Ed Forsyth as Camera Man
• Mitchell Greenberg as Agent
• James Haskins as Photographer
• Alan North as Studio Head
• Michael Rivera as Designer
• Dooba Wilkins as Coach
• Mark Ziebell as Serviceman
• Jodi Benson as Factory Girl
• Eileen Casey, Andrew Charles, Kevin Cort, Mark Esposito, Marcial Gonzalez, Christine Gradl, and Marguerite Lowell as Ensemble

You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!

“It all comes down to Christmas” as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 2012’s A Christmas Story: The Musical on My Favorite Flop’s out-of-town, limited-edition Christmas Special.

 

ABOUT A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL

Based on the popular 1983 film, A Christmas Story: The Musical tells the story of Ralphie Parker, a child in 1940s Indiana, who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. After numerous regional productions, out-of-town tryouts, and national tours, the musical finally opened on Broadway for a limited engagement in 2012. The show features a book by Joseph Robinette with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

The Broadway production cost $9.5 million dollars to produce, making it impossible to pay back investors during the show's limited engagement — officially earning its status as a “flop.” Despite its "failure" on The Great White Way, A Christmas Story: The Musical has continued to tour across America, remain popular in the regional market, and was even adapted for television in 2017.

 

Original Broadway Cast

• Johnny Rabe/Joe West as Ralphie Parker
• Zac Ballard as Randy Parker
• Dan Lauria as Jean Shepherd
• Erin Dilly as Mother
• John Bolton as The Old Man
• Caroline O’Connor as Miss Shields
• J.D. Rodriguez as Schwartz
• Jeremy Shinder as Flick
• Jack Mastrianni as Scut Farkus
• John Francis Babbo as Grover Dill
• Analise Scarpaci as Esther Jane
• Beatrice Tulchin as Mary Beth
• Eddie Korbich as Santa
• Kirsten Wyatt as Mrs. Schwartz
• Andrew Cristi as Restaurant Waiter