Time for some unpopular opinions, musical theatre style! There are a handful of musicals that I’m not keen on or that just aren’t for me. Here are 7 musicals that aren’t for me.
What I will say is that it takes nothing away from the cast, crew or production teams. These people are immensely talented. You’ll see that most of the time I don’t like either the storyline or the music. I don’t have any hate for these musicals, they’re simply just not my cup of tea!
Mamma Mia
I don’t like Abba, that’s why this is on here. I only watched the movie because Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried are hot. The story is fun but I’ll just never be a fan of the music. Having seen it on the stage now, I much prefer it as a stage musical. I’ll admit it wasn’t as cringey as I thought it would be. Even the new reality show isn’t doing it for me either!
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Now I’ve watched the film several times (and never seen it on stage) but it’ll never be one of my favourites. There’s just something I’ve never fully liked about it and I don’t know why. The songs are catchy, it’s pretty funny but it’s just not for me.
Heathers
Controversial because it seems to be a cult classic. In the recent tour, I thought the storyline was just awful and pretty cringey. The cast was incredible and I didn’t mind some of the songs! Every theatre lover I know is obsessed with this show but I just didn’t get it. Maybe it’s because I’ve never seen the original movie but the audience always seems to be full of younger people! I’m not sure some people understood the themes of the show because both times that I’ve seen it, there’s been a lot of children!
9 to 5
Again, I loved the cast and Queen Dolly is a legend but the story was just rubbish. I know it’s set in the 80s but it just didn’t feel right in today’s climate. The props and sets looked a bit tired during the latest UK tour and were in desperate need of a spruce! In fact, I didn’t even write a few because I didn’t want to offend anyone involved in the show. It was the material that I didn’t like, not the cast! Do you sense a theme here as a 90s baby?
Phantom of the Opera
So this is not a show I’ve seen but it’s just not my cup of tea. I’m not crazy about extravagant shows nor ALW so I’ve just never fancied it. I watched the concert version and was impressed by the cast, costumes and orchestra. Other than that, it’s a bit flat for me! I know it’s a classic but the storyline sounds a little creepy to me.
Dear Evan Hansen
Now this soundtrack is one of my favourites of all time but the show itself was a bit of a flop for me. It didn’t feel like the storyline was particularly deep, considering the subject matter. None of the characters are really likeable and I left the theatre feeling totally underwhelmed. That being said, the cast were incredible! I’m hoping the new UK tour will fix some of these issues. Once again, the small cast was outstanding, with vocals for days and proper emotion in their singing! And no, I’ve yet to watch the film version yet.
The Lion King
Another one I’ve never seen on stage but for some reason, I just don’t fancy seeing it. It’s probably because the movie is one of my childhood favourites that I have such high expectations! It’s odd because the clips I’ve seen of it look incredible yet I can never bring myself to book tickets! Plus it’ll probably be on the West End for the next 70 years so I have loads of time to see it in the future!
As I said earlier, these are just 7 musicals that aren’t for me but might be one of your favourites. They’re just my opinion but I wouldn’t say they’re awful. The beauty of theatre is that you can like or dislike a show. However, that doesn’t mean you get to have a go at the people putting on the performance. Critique them by all means but keep it kind because they’re just doing their jobs.
If you enjoyed 7 musicals that aren’t for me, you might want to check out my theatre reviews here. I will always try to be as positive as possible because I know how much work goes into every production. You can follow me on Twitter or Instagram for more stagey adventures too.
