| Is LEGENDS the most successful BAD play ever written? | |
| Posted by: | Jax 09:02 pm EST 01/17/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Hayley Mills, Juliet Mills and Maxwell Caulfield to tour Australia in LEGENDS! - sf 05:41 pm EST 01/17/15 |
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| Can anyone think of another show that has been as thoroughly lambasted as "Legends," yet continues to be produced? I've read that "Abie's Irish Rose" was considered a terrible play, but that is so long ago. Any others? | |
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| re: Is LEGENDS the most successful BAD play ever written? | |
| Posted by: | writerkev 09:48 am EST 01/19/15 |
| In reply to: | Is LEGENDS the most successful BAD play ever written? - Jax 09:02 pm EST 01/17/15 |
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| How about the current hit "It's Only a Play"? I think it certainly qualifies as much as any of the others mentioned in this thread. | |
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| re: Is LEGENDS the most successful BAD play ever written? | |
| Posted by: | MFeingold (feinpress@earthlink.net) 09:36 am EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | Is LEGENDS the most successful BAD play ever written? - Jax 09:02 pm EST 01/17/15 |
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| LEGENDS is hardly the most successful bad play ever written - and it's far from the worst. However commercially successful its various tours, LEGENDS never even made it to Broadway. ABIE'S IRISH ROSE ran five years there - after which it spawned two film versions, a radio series, and - long past what should have been its cultural sell-by date - a TV sitcom called BRIDGET LOVES BERNIE. Other plays generally viewed as lousy have had lengthy Broadway runs which led to tours or multiple stock productions. Jack Kirkland's adaptation of Erskine Caldwell's TOBACCO ROAD, which I think was generally viewed as pretty rancid, ran over seven years on Broadway. And while I like some of Ira Levin's plays, I would put DEATHTRAP - which ran longer than most of the others combined - pretty far down the list. No one ever went broke, as they say, underestimating the intelligence of the American public. | |
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| re: Is LEGENDS the most successful BAD play ever written? | |
| Posted by: | Jax 02:48 pm EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Is LEGENDS the most successful BAD play ever written? - MFeingold 09:36 am EST 01/18/15 |
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| I wasn't thinking of DEATHTRAP when I posted. To my recollection, it got largely positive reviews when it opened. You might not have liked it, but I don't think many would think of it as a "bad" play. I was thinking more of some of the crass comedies that achieved decent runs in the 50s and 60s -- "The Impossible Years" or "Time Out for Ginger" -- which ran because they had a star, Alan King, or community theatre appeal. They kept doing them in stock for years, and then they just went away. You don't see shows like that much anymore..unless you see "Legends." | |
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| re: Is LEGENDS i was on the Mary Martin, Carol Channing tour | |
| Posted by: | tealady 03:10 pm EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Is LEGENDS the most successful BAD play ever written? - Jax 02:48 pm EST 01/18/15 |
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| it was the best of times... a magical time on the road... i have never heard an audience laugh so hard during a show... was it a good play, was it a bad play. if you gage from the laughter it was a huge hit. the play as reported by Charles Lowe each week was the highest grossing play on the road, and in new york... (note play!!!) we sold out most performances. Mary and Carol were a dream to work with, and to watch each night during the show. the highlight of the night was the song at the end of the show... the audience left happy. the play was called a boulevard comedy, by Jimmy Kirkwood. still not sure what that means... but it was a hit on the road... a star driven show. with the best cast at the time. if it had come into new york Gary Beach would of walked away with the Tony! | |
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| re: Is LEGENDS i was on the Mary Martin, Carol Channing tour | |
| Posted by: | JohnDunlop 04:32 pm EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Is LEGENDS i was on the Mary Martin, Carol Channing tour - tealady 03:10 pm EST 01/18/15 |
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| "if you gage from the laughter it was a huge hit." I saw a sold out matinee of "Legends" in Boston well into the road tour. Were people laughing at the Kirkwood's lines, or Carol Channing's delivery of the lines? The high point that afternoon occurred when Mary Martin completely broke down in laughter for at least thirty seconds by something the male stripper said to her. Kirkwood set up situations that gave the two actresses an opportunity to have some fun. And Channing and Martin were huge audience favorites from the moment they walked on stage, or more likely from the day the tour was announced. | |
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| re: Is LEGENDS i was on the Mary Martin, Carol Channing tour | |
| Posted by: | tealady 04:55 pm EST 01/18/15 |
| In reply to: | re: Is LEGENDS i was on the Mary Martin, Carol Channing tour - JohnDunlop 04:32 pm EST 01/18/15 |
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| Boston was a special time. Mary was secure in her lines, and was having a great time on stage. the ladies loved Eric Riley, the stripper, and yes he was allowed to ad lib to the ladies, which kept the spark in the moment. it was the the stop they tried to cut her big speech, and she was not having it. Mary put her foot down, and said no more. its my speech and i am keeping it... i am glad you enjoyed the show, it was my first time to the Shubert theater. with legends i was able to play all the great theaters in BOSTON...a great theater town Shubert Wang Colonial Wilber. | |
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