Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
rattleNwoolypenguin
Broadway Star Joined: 10/11/11
#1Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:15pm
I've always felt that A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was just an absolutely unnecessary long name. We did it at my high school and the director opted to not fit the entire title onto the poster and all it said was "A Funny Thing...Forum"
And I think the musical is hilarious but the title just bugs me.
Anybody else have other musicals they feel irked about the title?
Also "Grease"....yes I get it, it's cause of the grease they put in their hair but, again it could easily be named so many other things that pertain to the show.
I'm also more than happy for folks to play devil's advocate and defend why the titles work
Updated On: 11/30/15 at 12:15 PM
ji813
Swing Joined: 4/23/15
#2Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:20pm
Urinetown. Even though I think it's a brilliant title, it even makes fun of it in the show
Hamilton22
Broadway Star Joined: 7/18/15
Tom5
Broadway Star Joined: 9/23/11
#4Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:36pm
I like super elongated titles. They're fun. " A Funny..." Fine. "Oh Dad, Poor Dad...". One of my favorites. But what I don't care for at all are titles that are entirely incoherent. It reeks of creative over-reach and are usually a bad sign. Bad title number one for me this season is "These Paper Bullets".
#5Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:41pm
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES...obviously it was a big hit but seeing it for the first time, unless you know French there is no way you're going to pronounce it correctly or know what it means.
TENDERLOIN...I'm sure even back in the 60s many people thought the title referred to a cut of meat.
I'm sure many people would disagree but I've always thought SHE LOVES ME is a very generic title, in addition to being kind of spoilery. (In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the title contributed to the show's lack of success initially.)
#6Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:43pm
There has to be some irony in "the brass kazoo" weighing in on bad titles?!
#7Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:45pm
Well my name is taken from a song lyric...anyone know which one?
I would also add THE APPLE TREE, since it only applies to one-third of the show.
#8Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:48pm
brass kazoo, the fact that La Cage was based on some other popular pieces of entertainment with the same title probably helped.
I don't think She Loves Me is a spoiler because that's also a show that's based on really famous plays / movies that have been around since like 1910 (Parfumerie).
A really bad title I hated was Love Never Dies. The film 8 1/2 becoming the musical Nine was always so cheesy to me. Whatever Maury Yeston said about it was like music added half a credit to the original...what the hell? I love the show but the reasoning behind the title was hokey. I like the title song though.
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#9Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:50pm
There was a London show written by Newley/Bricusse that David Merrick was going to bring to Broadway after their first 2 shows. It was called The Good Old Bad Old Days
The transfer never happened. This title is bad enough but it is a hell of a lot better than the original title. Here we go:
It's A Funny Old World We Live In- But The World's Not Entirely To Blame
Poster Emeritus
Updated On: 11/30/15 at 12:50 PM
#10Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:53pm
HANDS ON A HARDBODY.
I love the show, but the title evokes a much more...erotic...idea.
Check out my eBay page for sales on Playbills!!
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Hamilton22
Broadway Star Joined: 7/18/15
#11Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 12:56pm
I hate the title Annie. They should have named it ROTTEN ORPHAN.
#12Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 1:00pm
I've always thought The Roar Of The Greasepaint could've used a more appropriate title that sells the vicious Beckettsian absurdity of its scenario.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#13Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 1:52pm
The Fig Leaves Are Falling
Cry For Us All
Poster Emeritus
yfs
Featured Actor Joined: 11/1/13
#15Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 1:57pm
My Fair Lady. What does it even mean?
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#16Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 1:59pm
Dance A Little Closer
Poster Emeritus
Hamilton22
Broadway Star Joined: 7/18/15
#17Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 2:04pm
Amazing Grace
Baby it's you
Flora the red menace
#18Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 2:33pm
I don't really hate the title of Once, but it's pretty mystifying: there's no obvious connection to the content of the show. I remember there being a Playbill article about the title that discussed some possibilities, none of which were all that convincing. :)
#19Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 2:35pm
I think the director of Once said he just meant for it to be like "Once upon a time..." on the DVD commentary.
rattleNwoolypenguin
Broadway Star Joined: 10/11/11
#20Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 2:53pm
I'll defend the title of Once just because it was such a little indie movie originally and I felt like the name reflected simply and beautifully their relationship. They have this one beautiful and musical collaboration and connection and then it's over and they go their separate ways.
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#21Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 3:41pm
Did not care for the show. The title was meh .
Like Bonnie & Clyde a hell of a lot more in every way
Poster Emeritus
#22Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 3:49pm
I know this doesn't count as an answer to the OP's question, but I just feel compelled to bring up the atrocity that is "The story of how Peter became Pan" - Finding Neverland's ridiculous tagline.
Also, I have to say: my favorite musical of all time is Sunday in the Park with George. I think it's a gorgeous, brilliant-beyond-brilliant musical that I find immensely moving. However, I've never loved the title. It sounds too happy. When I first heard of the show it made me think of "put on your Sunday clothes there's lots of world out there!"
#23Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 3:56pm
I could have sworn the movie Once explained the title, something like what rattleNwoolypenguin said, about how they just met this one time and then she went to be with her husband and he went to find that girl he was in love with. Unless they changed the plot for the stage version, I never saw it (but I loved the movie).
"Contentment, it seems, simply happens. It appears accompanied by no bravos and no tears."
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#24Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 3:58pm
How about the title Dance Of The Vampires? Who did the choreography ?
Poster Emeritus
#25Musicals good or bad, with bad titles
Posted: 11/30/15 at 4:12pm
JBroadway said: "I know this doesn't count as an answer to the OP's question, but I just feel compelled to bring up the atrocity that is "The story of how Peter became Pan" - Finding Neverland's ridiculous tagline.
"
You and my frequent theatre companion share this opinion. In its defense, it is a way to get the well-known title Peter Pan in there, and it is the synopsis of what happens in the musical.
