[Jennifer Lynn]

This is something I posted on BroadwayWorld some time ago, but wanted to get your reactions as well.

A few years ago, I saw a production of the musical "Scrooge" (the one that's adapted from the Albert Finney/Bricusse/Newley movie) that inspired me to create this thread. (From what I could guess, this was more just "putting the movie onstage" than the official stage production of the Bricusse/Newley "Scrooge", which was specially tailored for the stage.) In productions of musicals that you've seen, can you name me any "...the HELL?" moments--in other words, things that the director has just dropped into the production that shows s/he isn't paying much attention to the work's coherence or meaning? Things that show the director just trying to be cutesy or arty, in effect showing off?

This production of Scrooge (which used recorded backing tracks instead of live music) was rife with them. Just after Scrooge saw Marley's face on the door knocker and went into his house, we "cut" to Mrs. Cratchit singing the Carpenters' "Merry Christmas, Darling," to her family. The CARPENTERS. In DICKENSIAN LONDON. With a 70'S POP BACKING TRACK. (Plus, she was singing a song about wishing a loved one were with her for Christmas...to her husband and children, who WERE there with her for Christmas.) Now, I realize that they needed to cover up a costume change for Scrooge, but couldn't they have just had some carolers come along to sing a more period-appropriate carol?

Then there was the Spirit of Christmas Past. She was portrayed by a grown woman and a child who spoke their lines in unison. Which, in and of itself, wasn't such a bad idea, since Dickens described this Ghost as being both young and old. But her appearance in Scrooge's room was heralded by her singing a jazz arrangement of "My Favorite Things." Apropos of what exactly? And with no lead-in dialogue or anything...she just showed up singing it.

Plus, when the Spirit left Scrooge back in his room, the younger Spirit said, "Let's blow this popsicle stand!" Uh...yeah.

During the "Thank You Very Much" sequence, the Spirit of Christmas Future (portrayed on stilts) bounced along to the music. Kind of undermines the Spirit's menace, doesn't it?

Moments like that are what I'm talking about. Another example is two shows my alma mater did. Now, my alma mater has done excellent shows as well...their "student edition" of Les Mis rivaled any professinal production I've seen. But on occasion, the director can overdo the "merry villager" bit--that is, turning songs into chorus numbers when it doesn't really apply in the interest of getting more kids involved in the show. Which is fine for getting more people involved, but can hurt the show.

For example, in their production of "Sweeney Todd," Todd and Mrs. Lovett strolled the streets of London while singing "A Little Priest"...and, what's more, assorted Londoners joined in on "The history of the world, my pet..."

And in their summer production of "West Side Story," during the Quintet, a chorus of assorted New Yorkers, apropos of nothing in particular, joined in on the final chorus of "The Jets are gonna have their day/The Sharks are gonna have their way/We're gonna rock it tonight/TONIGHT!"

So...what are some "...the HELL?" moments you've seen in productions of plays/musicals you've seen?

[Salome]

I saw a ghastly high school production og ITW where they added a random chorus of other fairy tale charcters that just popped out for group songs out of nowhere..it was so bad.

[pish123c]

The "Man-Lamb" in the current Broadway production of Gypsy made me do a double-take. I know of many other people having this opinion as well.

[BroadwayBaby0202]

[theatrefanatic]

In my production of Godspell, I was Martin Luther in the prologue. We were blocking the scene and we got to my part. The first thing the director said to me was: "Now I want you to research what a neo-nazi salute looks like."
Confused me raises my hand in a neo-nazi salute. She says: "good, you already know. Now, I want to you to step forward give a neo-nazi salute and march in beat with the music."
She notices my baffled look and asks what was wrong. I explain that Martin Luther was NOT a nazi. Now she seems baffled. She explains how the music was so militaristic during my solo and how she thought that meant he must have been part of the german military. I explain he was a monk. She says: "Well, what if in order to acheive his goals he used violence to achieve them." So we went on with that blocking untill I expressed to her that I would NOT portray Martin Luther as a Nazi. Also, just so everyone knows she got the idea of Martin Luther giving the nazi salute from the book "Spotlight on Godspell".
The other awful thing about this production is she stole a lot DIRECTLY from that book, rather than making it our own.
Yeah, I don't do shows with them anymore...

[ActingDude17]

I saw a children's theatre production of a version of Charlie and the Chocoalate Factory. The Oompa Loompa's hair colors ranged from purple to orange to bright red to green. Let's just say I was...shocked.

Plus they were a bunch of 8 and 9 year olds! Poor kids! And to think that was some of them's first exposure to theatre!

Also, they would speak-sing their songs to a beat (it wasn't a musical). It was like the ones from the book but spoken. Anyway, they couldn't stay together, which made it even worse.

It was a WTH moment all because of the hair, just to be clear.

[Kiwi]

[LittleRedLovesTheater]

Well, this isn't from a musical or any known play but I'll tell it anyway.

One of our student written one acts this year was American Idol with Presidential Candidates. At the end of the show the winner, Bill Clinton, was supposed to be announced. However, the night of the show, Bill was too busy kissing his girlfriend in the dressing room that he never came out for the ending.

Panic ensued. The show suddenly became improvised. Paula ripped off her wig [she was played by a boy]. Someone flipped over the judges table. Randy attempted to stage dive. A kick-line was started. Arnold Scwartzaneger ran around screaming "Look out! It's a Bee!" & the whole thing just ended miserably.....

It was pretty hilarious to watch though.