This musical had everything: beloved characters, a legendary director, spectacular sets, great costumes, Bono, most of the cast of Hadestown... so what could possibly have gone wrong? Oh, so very many things. From producers dying to budgets growing out of control to those famous cast injuries, we are looking at everything that made Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark the biggest financial flop in the history of musical theatre. 

Flopped and Forgotten

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

This week, we head back to 1951 for Flahooley. This musical tells the story of a toy company that produces a brand new doll only to be nearly driven out of business by a confused but well meaning genie. Yes, that's right, a genie. Join us on this strange adventure and we'll try and make it make sense as we talk about puppets, pizza rolls, and the Red Scare. Oh, and racism. Because 1951. 

Flahooley

Mack and Mabel is a favorite among flop enthusiasts thanks to its unforgettable score and stellar cast album. But what else is there to this musical about (probably) real life lovers from the silent film era? We peel back the celluloid to explore that question, as well as a religious pretzel craze, our favorite Bernadette Peters roles, and the fascinating real lives of Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand. 

Mack & Mabel

Picture it: London, 1905. A troubled artist fakes his own death and begins a romance with the suitor of the actual dead man he's now impersonating. This is the basic plot of Jule Styne's Darling of the Day, a musical that couldn't quite earn the distinction of being a masterpiece. What went wrong? We'll paint the picture for you and we'll throw in some New York style pizza, a very funny dame, and a critique from Lisa's dog. 

Darling of the Day

This week, we have a rarity: a Broadway sequel! Bring Back Birdie was the 1981 sequel to the hit 1960 musical Bye Bye Birdie, but how did it stand up to its predecessor? Let's just say we wish they'd opted for a revival of the original. 

Bring Back Birdie

It's back to the sixties we go for this Carol Burnett star vehicle, although the word "vehicle" may be triggering to Carol when she thinks about how this show came crashing down around her. Join us for all the details on that as well as the jobs we've stumbled into, Lisa's disappointing-yet-delightful lunch, and our new favorite Broadway star: Smaxie the seal.  

Fade Out -- Fade In

This week, we discuss a musical that was inspired by the true story of a teenaged murderer turned poet. Oh yeah, it was also inspired by a ghost's visit to Paul Simon. Listen to learn how it all went down!

The Capeman

We're keeping it in the family this week with our second show in a row to star a LuPone sibling. This time, Patti's up to the plate and she's bringing some very big stars (and a million wigs) with her. So pour some sangria and join us in sunny Spain for conversation about bad accents, soup, and the questionable roles we had in high school. 

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

This week's episode is a doozey. Late Nite Comic ran for an impressively brief four performances in 1987, but why? No, really, why? Why did it close so quickly? Why are there two albums with the score, but neither involve the actual cast? And why, oh why, did it run in the first place? We may not have all the answers, but we definitely crack more jokes in this episode than there were in this disastrous musical comedy. 

Late Nite Comic

We're kicking off our fourth season with a show that didn't quite live up to its name. Big is the musical version of the hit movie that made Tom Hanks a star, so where did it go wrong? Was it a case of too much product placement? Was the famous piano too big for the stage? And what does one of the stars of Grease have to do with it? Listen now to find out!  

Big: The Musical

Christmastime is here, and what better way to celebrate than with a Christmas themed musical flop? When Meredith Willson adapted the movie Miracle on 34th Street for the Broadway stage, he gave it a misleading title that may have contributed to its demise. This week, we are talking about Here's Love, as well as the history of The Rockettes, our favorite Christmas movies, and Santa's credit score. 

Here's Love (or, Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical)

As the first Broadway musical to be created by Asian Americans, Allegiance would have been ground-breaking whether it flopped or not. Of course, it did flop, so we're talking about it this week. Starring the legends that are George Takei and Lea Salogna, Allegiance focuses on the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. We will discuss that as well as the Pledge of Allegiance and our favorite baseball positions. 

Allegiance

Back in 2016, actor Steve Martin and folk-rock singer Edie Brickell teamed up on the musical Bright Star, a fictional expansion on the true Iron Mountain Baby story. It may have brought bluegrass to Broadway but it couldn't bring in the crowds, so it ended up on our show. This week, we talk about why that is, as well as Peter, Paul and Mary songs, George Washington's favorite cocktail, and an idea of Lisa's that's truly terrifying.  

Bright Star

This week, we look at Dear World, Jerry Herman's attempt to further capitalize on the success of Mame and its star Angela Lansbury. Come on down to yet another restaurant basement with us for tales of big hats, the McDonald's in Times Square, and the world premiere of Hello, Bobby! 

Dear World

Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is one of the greatest books ever written, so how could the musical have flopped so badly? We're on a mission to find out how and on the way to our discovery we'll discuss breakfast cereals, gluten struggles, and of course, the famous novel itself. 

Anna Karenina: The Musical

We look at the Broadway musicals that weren't exactly hits: the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

hubhopper

Flopped and Forgotten

hubhopper