Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed the video. This was a tough one, taking over 140 hours to put together. If you wanna help make it easier for us to make our videos better (while also looking cool in the process) then head over to our store where EVERYTHING IS 20% OFF this week only! Be sure to use promo code LEGS2020 at check out! teespring.com/stores/wait-in-the-wings-drama-shop
Hey I was wondering if you could do Wonderland the Musical next it's a musical with one person from In The Heights and it failed on Broadway and I want to know a little more about it
When you mentioned the 'crickets' after the new opening performance with the LEGS DIAMOND sign coming down, I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING!! How self-indulgent can you get? I hope you do a video about "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" soon!
@@WaitintheWings I'm not even really into Broadway or plays, but that whole concept is exactly why I love your channel. Your video on 'Carrie' sucked me right in and it's been a fun ride ever since.
It's funny you say that because the spiderman musical failed because the producer didn't do anything and yet it still failed, I'm not defending producers I just found that quite ironic that the possible worst musical production, didn't have the most common problem with bad musicals.
I interviewed Peter days before this show opened. One of the things he said, when we discussed the devastation of AIDS, was ""It's just decimating it. You keep saying `We'll get so and so,' this costume designer or that book writer and it's `No, no, no, he's dead, he's dead.' It's just insane." ... And then he'd be gone not so very many years later - very sad, but he did live his dream, bless him. Sweet guy
One of my closest friends talks about the 1980s the same way one of Dad's friends (who moved to the UK when I was young) talks about serving in Vietnam. It's no wonder so many LGBTQ+ people end up as massive alcoholics. :/
@@TwoWholeWorms It was like that, yeah. Everyone kept phone books then. It suddenly became routine to buy new ones because youd scratched out all the entries. There no one left to look through my photo albums and reminisce. And absolutely, many of us needed crutches to get through.
AIDS cut a huge swath through the theater and arts communities in the 80s and 90s, especially in New York. Nothing like it has happened since- not even the current COVID crisis.
@@censusgary SO on point, COVID, not even close. Which is why I got so frustrated with the hysteria my (largely straight) friends exhibited. I was not against mandates and precautions and behaved responsibly and cautiously, but I was like, 'really? This is NOTHING after the mid 80s to early 90s, spare me your panic."
I’m only about 15 minutes in, but I have to admit, changing the story of Legs Diamond from “I want to be king of organized crime” to “I want to be the next broadway superstar” is such a bizarre use of subverting expectations that somehow, it works. I genuinely would want to watch that. It sounds hysterical lmao Edit: 25 minutes in now and my god this whole idea has fallen apart so fast
"To better learn the history of the New York City gangster..." They left and went to LA, didn't they? "...would leave New York..." Knew it "And fly to Australia" *shocked Pikachu face*
"It seemed that he was indestructible" Oh so that explains the Diamond part of his name. "It is believed that this is what earned him the name "Legs" Wha.
My grandpa was known as "Legs" in the 1940s cos he could drink a lot and "all the booze went to his legs". Maybe that has something to do with it? Like all the bullets fell into his "legs"?
5:44 the actual quote is "he seemed to be unkillable. And its believed gthat his ability to escape certain death situations is what earned him the moniker of "legs" ... so, probably a reference to running away, escaping
So they decided to take the story of a real life gangster, completely reject any real dramatic elements because they "didn't like second act drama" or something, change his life to be about Broadway instead of gangsters, sanded down his edges despite him being a horrible person in real life, rushed the production, hired an actor for the lead role who consistently proved himself to be miscast (no shade to Peter Allen mind you) at every turn, threw out important supporting characters due to the run-time, then proceeded to write an entirely new song less than two weeks before opening day? Yeah this seems fine.
36:30 You're missing one of the big aspects of there only being 3 shows nominated for Best Musical in 1989: _Starmites_ wasn't even really a Broadway musical. The Tony Awards are for "Broadway" shows, not merely shows in New York City. There are regulations as to what constitutes "Broadway" theatre that makes performances at that theatre eligible for the Tony Awards. _Starmites_ was an Off-Broadway show. But because the theatre was physically on Broadway (The Criterion Center on Broadway and 44th), the Tony committee changed the rules and decided that _Starmites_ would be allowed to compete as a Broadway theatre. So not only did _Legs Diamond_ not make the cut for Best Musical, the Tony committee went out of their way to look for something, anything other than _Legs Diamond_ to nominate for Best Musical.
After consideration, out of the unholy triathlon of broadway screwups (Spider-Man, Carrie, Starlight Express) I would grade this a Carrie. This was not a bad idea, it had merit. It was just executed appallingly!
@@1rockcrawford I’ve organised Broadway screw ups into three groups, which I call the ‘triathlon of unholy Broadway screw ups’, specifically is it a Carrie, Starlight Express or Spider-Man? A Carrie is that the musical that has a good idea and story, it’s just executed terribly. Starlight express, is that the idea is terrible, you wonder what they were thinking (such as a musical about toy train gods), however it was executed as well as it possibly could, we are seeing the best possible version of this musical. A Spider-Man is simply a terrible idea executed poorly. Whether that’s poor direction, acting, singing, story, we’re seeing a bad concept done as badly as it could be. I hope that’s clears it up for you, thanks for the reply :)
I was David Mitchell's 1st assistant set designer on LEGS DIAMOND for the whole process of getting this show on. You are very much h mistaken about the revised opening of the show. That mammoth LEGS DIAMOND sign was in the design of the show from the very beginning and always flew in to introduce Peter Allen as Legs from the first preview on. (There is no way the fly space above the forestage could ever have accommodated such a massive flying piece had it not been there from the outset.) What did change is this: the show originally had a prologue of Jack and Eddy's childhood growing up on the Lower East Side, all designed in black and white from sets to costumes to lights. When the brother Eddy (Bob Stillman) was cut, so was this handsome but superfluous prologue. Just to set the record straight.
I attend the Manhattan school of music where Bob Stillman is a vocal coach and I asked him about the production of legs diamond and he then went on a 45 minute lecture about it. He also told me if I had any more questions I should watch this video and then showed me this video and remarked about how young he used to be… I had already seen the video and have re watched it a far amount. Adore the channel!
First Eddie Perfect with Beetlejuice, then Tim Minchin with Matilda, and now Peter Allen with Legs Diamond. I'm sensing an Australian shaped pattern here........
I Live in Edmonton, Canada and one of my FAVOURITE things about the city is that we are the trial period for Broadway shows before Broadway. That's how I've seen Hadestown and Six before they opened on Broadway.... The Citadel Theatre is usually where they do them and it's a pretty neat building. One of my friends thinks they come here because we tend to be pretty tolerant of garbage musicals and plays.... :D This one looks like it would have been interesting to see.
@@hannahseling1513 Six, Hadestown, another one I can't remember AT ALL (I don't know if it got very far in NYC), and was going to see another one in November of this year that was gearing up for Broadway - then Covid... Of course we don't get everything before Broadway but it is fun being their "test subjects"....
Considering how many people have glamorized and idolized gangsters through the decades, I LOVE the concept of taking the story of a real gangster and framing it as one man's journey to be a Broadway star. This is one of those things that just needed the right person to focus it and some extra years of workshopping, and like you alluded it basically just came out before the world was ready for a showy musical like that.
That was so dumb of cutting out Alice and Eddy, they could’ve got rid of unimportant characters without robbing the show. I think what set the show off was the tonal shift from noir to a Broadway cabaret. Do you think you could do Shrek the Musical or The Little Mermaid on Broadway?
Love it. I've gotta ask though. Do you think we could ever get "What Went Wrong with the Lord of the Rings Musical?" Most don't even know it existed, so that's pretty telling.
When you have characters ON STILTS, climbing a ROCK, and battling on it WHILE IT'S ROTATING on stage--never mind the non-stop characters on flight-wires--you can understand why it played everywhere but union-heavy NYC. The actors probably wished they were on the nice, safe Spider-Man musical.
Darold no way! That’s SO cool! What a memory. We staged it at the theater I worked at before covid and it was equally disastrous. Fires, set mishaps, you name it. That show just doesn’t want to be staged it would seem. Also, Betty Buckley is f*^%#*^g awesome. I got to talk to her on Twitter a few times and that lady is a class act.
This might be the most insane episode since the spider-man episode (though I think spider-man still takes the cake). I streamed this with a friend and we were both going "OH NO" throughout the entire thing.
As always, I'm in awe of the quality and relevance of the footage and videos you use. Thanks for teaching me about a musical I'd never heard of before this!
I didn't think it could get more dangerous than Spider-Man. I didn't think it could get more unfocused and confusing than Starlight. And now? I'm afraid of what's gonna come next.
How about an adaptation of a Stephen King novel where the director thought someone said the show should be "more like Greece" and dressed everybody in togas, and said show only got 5 performances on Broadway next? -it's Carrie the Musical btw-
I wanted to start with saying how much I LOVE your channel! I feel like I’m being taken backstage to all the plays I didn’t get to see as a kid growing up in NY. I remember the subway poster for Legs Diamond . And the big joke from the radio guys after it was announced it was closing were “ Legs are closing on Broadway “. So many things I couldn’t see on Broadway as a kid. Can you do “Oh, Calcutta” ,Doug Henning Magic Show or Mummenschanz?
I need to re record this episode and include that joke right now lol Doug Henning Magic Show has actually been on my list for a while! Thanks for the kind words :D
I absolutely love your writing style. I love how your videos begin with an introspective question, wrapped into the subject, and talked about in detail with sources and fantastic editing. Wow.
This is amazing. Your work and research is unprecedented. I'd love to see a video about the musical "Something Rotten!" That show also went directly to Broadway without an out of town tryout and had much better success
Peter's total investment in his physical performance is impressive, especially given his age at the time. I'm not an expert in dance, but it looks like quite a work out. This is the first time I've seen anything from him that wasn't cringe. Great work people! Thanks.
It's sad that the dark tone of the original/real life story was probably closer to what audiences would have enjoyed. It's also sad when someone's passion project goes horribly wrong. At least he got the gorgeous Hugh Jackman to play him in his life story, that's gotta count for something, right? MY BODY IS READY FOR CARRIE! (do the kids still say that?)
13:15 - I don't know why, but that bit about wanting to soften up the second act reminds me so much of Roger DeBris' suggestions for Springtime for Hitler in The Producers
Again, this is what I signed up for! I love venturing deep into the crevices of the Great White Way to see the mind boggling ideas that have been lost to the sands of time. And you manage to dig out some of the best and the best at being the worst to showcase for us here. There were points where I was actually exclaiming to the screen "How much more could they change?!". This show and it's history is nuts, and i love it!
Sounds like at least part of the problem was Allen wanted to have his cake and eat it too - if he'd stuck to composing the musical, rather than also starring in it, there's a chance he could've gotten his original vision.
Hearing that these guys wanted to re-imagine a ruthless gangster as a performer who wanted to make it big on Broadway, while also avoiding the "spectacle" of megamusicals sounds like Tom Hooper saying he wanted to do Cats while "grounding the show in realism."
The score is actually pretty solid with some fun tunes. I think the biggest issue aside from the time period, which you referenced several times, was Peter himself. Frank Rich saying something to the effect of “ The most compelling drama of the evening is watching Peter Allen figure out what to do with his hands” - yikes! It’s my favorite flop musical and I think this was very well done - thank you!
I was waiting for this video ever since I came across your channel. ‘Peter Allen: not the boy next door’ goes into great detail of the production of this musical and where he was at in his life.
I can second this, not because I'm in the fandom, but because I need to understand why this show has such an intense and loyal fandom. And also why all the fans hate Hamilton.
WaterlemonTheArtist in short, the show came out on broadway around the same time as hamilton but due to hamilton’s success, tuck everlastingly only got 39 performances before closing. It’s a beautiful show that should’ve gotten to stay longer but i’m glad that it lives on as a production that schools and community theaters can do
THIS!!! Tbh I was more interested with Tuck before Hamilton when I got fixated on Broadway musicals again back in 2015. Hamilton slowly grew on me but I got mad when I learned how it affected Tuck (lost audiences and marketing didnt work because Hamilton happened to Broadway basically). Tuck deserved better. :((
Thanks so much for such a fully informative and informed presentation...as an Australian and a fan of Peter Allen, I have always been fascinated by the story of the musical "Legs Diamond"...I believe it will resurface one day.
You should cover the Charlie and Chocolate Factory musical, as I have a soft spot for the original London version. Besides, you should mention how in the Broadway retool, a Russian girl gets torn apart by giant demonic squirrels despite being more "lighthearted" than the London one.
This was fascinating! Can we get a what went wrong with Chaplin the musical? There's a lot to be said there :) also the writer worked with my grandfather years ago
@@BeesBeesBees248 Lol this sounds like a bad commercial now. "Why Yes BenAnimates! Patrons get access to the video as soon as it's uploaded! You also get to join weekly Drama Bookshop hang outs where we talk all things theater and made horrible puns while I shove cake in my face."
Having your name in lights is an honor, the sign saying "The Almost Totally Fictitious Musical History Of (Your name here)" isnt an honor, its an unforgivable insult from beyond the grave.
The Mark Hellinger Theater is easily the most beautiful of all the Broadway theaters I've been in. The painted murals on the ceilings and gold embellishments that adorn the architecture are awe-inspiring. At 15:28 you can see a portion of the house. I would encourage anyone in the area to stroll into the lobby and if you're lucky, you might get a chance to go inside the house or balcony.
Dang, I had never heard of Peter before this video but the little pieces of info and what he did/said (like waiting for the last actor to go home) made me like him and devastated me when you revealed he died on AIDS. I kinda knew in the back of my mind, but I didn't want it to be true. AIDS took away so many good people...
I was doing fine until around 38:42 when the story takes an even more tragic turn. I didn't expect to get so sad. 😭 I wish Peter Allen could have witnessed the ultimate ending of his story/legacy.
God I love these videos. Would you ever consider diving into comparing movie musicals with stage musicals? Like Footloose or Singing in the Rain, or even...dare I say it...Cats? Cause that could be a lot of fun! Disclaimer: I'm only barely a theater kid so if that's impossible from an analysis standpoint I completely understand 😅
7:10 surprised they stopped there, considering his rep. I'd have set the bed on fire, poured salt circles around the ashes, and then thrown a stick of dynamite on my way out for good measure
I honestly love your vids so much and it is beyond me how you don't have more subs, they're so well made and presented! Please keep making these, they're incredible!
Funny enough, as you were talking about his life and all the failed assassinations, I was like 'you could make a funny comedy about a man who gets ahead because he somehow survives all the attempts on his life.' And surprise!
I’ve started binging your channel and I love it, even as someone who hasn’t seen many broadway musicals. I’m very interested in finding out what this huge bomb by RSC that you keep building up is
I love your work man, from videos like the surprising success of the spongebob musical to the failure of spiderman, every video you make is a treat. I dont really call myself a musical type person because theres only a few I really like like godspell, the little shop of horror Rocky horror and a few more. My favorite musical has to be Jesus Christ Superstar. I've been on the site jcs zone which documents almost every album and production of the show, even the bootlegs and unauthorized shows and records. I've been surprised that the original 1971 broadway run though, popular with the younger crowd, people didn't really like the campy in your face broadway version. Though its british counterpart from 1972 west end production survived for 8-9 years, maybe even longer. That might be an interesting video discussing why the west end production survived longer than the broadway production
As someone who loves to give these flops a second look, I really did forget about this one. Which is a shame because the way how this potential star debut story almost reminds of the infamous West End flop Which Witch. But then again I've been so wrapped on other flops like Raggedy Ann, Wonderland and that one RSC famous flop that I seen you did another tease at the end of this lovely video! Come on Wait in the Wings, is that certain prom date from Hell gonna have a episode soon?
@@rinneil There is apparently meat out there but whoever has the video recordings of Raggedy Ann/Rag Dolly is keeping lock tight. So far production photos are finally resurfacing online but really slowly however.
I was just about to post a comment about how well written this one was, then you said “legs-acy” 😑 So I’ll say this one was *mostly* very well written 😆🥰
Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed the video. This was a tough one, taking over 140 hours to put together. If you wanna help make it easier for us to make our videos better (while also looking cool in the process) then head over to our store where EVERYTHING IS 20% OFF this week only! Be sure to use promo code LEGS2020 at check out! teespring.com/stores/wait-in-the-wings-drama-shop
Hey I was wondering if you could do Wonderland the Musical next it's a musical with one person from In The Heights and it failed on Broadway and I want to know a little more about it
When you mentioned the 'crickets' after the new opening performance with the LEGS DIAMOND sign coming down, I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING!! How self-indulgent can you get? I hope you do a video about "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" soon!
Me: I wonder what went wrong with this show
Wait in the wings: Well the producers thought
Me: Say no more
This can basically sum up the entire channel lol
@@WaitintheWings I'm not even really into Broadway or plays, but that whole concept is exactly why I love your channel. Your video on 'Carrie' sucked me right in and it's been a fun ride ever since.
It's funny you say that because the spiderman musical failed because the producer didn't do anything and yet it still failed, I'm not defending producers I just found that quite ironic that the possible worst musical production, didn't have the most common problem with bad musicals.
@@ALIEN-DUDE to be fair the original producer did die moments before production started
I interviewed Peter days before this show opened. One of the things he said, when we discussed the devastation of AIDS, was ""It's just decimating it. You keep saying `We'll get so and so,' this costume designer or that book writer and it's `No, no, no, he's dead, he's dead.' It's just insane." ... And then he'd be gone not so very many years later - very sad, but he did live his dream, bless him. Sweet guy
One of my closest friends talks about the 1980s the same way one of Dad's friends (who moved to the UK when I was young) talks about serving in Vietnam. It's no wonder so many LGBTQ+ people end up as massive alcoholics. :/
@@TwoWholeWorms It was like that, yeah. Everyone kept phone books then. It suddenly became routine to buy new ones because youd scratched out all the entries. There no one left to look through my photo albums and reminisce. And absolutely, many of us needed crutches to get through.
AIDS cut a huge swath through the theater and arts communities in the 80s and 90s, especially in New York. Nothing like it has happened since- not even the current COVID crisis.
@@censusgary SO on point, COVID, not even close. Which is why I got so frustrated with the hysteria my (largely straight) friends exhibited. I was not against mandates and precautions and behaved responsibly and cautiously, but I was like, 'really? This is NOTHING after the mid 80s to early 90s, spare me your panic."
@Jack Mason Nice post!
I’m only about 15 minutes in, but I have to admit, changing the story of Legs Diamond from “I want to be king of organized crime” to “I want to be the next broadway superstar” is such a bizarre use of subverting expectations that somehow, it works. I genuinely would want to watch that. It sounds hysterical lmao
Edit: 25 minutes in now and my god this whole idea has fallen apart so fast
Giorno Giovanna: “They’re the same picture.”
Moral of the story- when Sondheim gives you advice, you listen!!
When will they learn!?
Wait in the Wings THAT THEIR ACTIONS HACE CONSEQUENCES
@@epicremarc I'm so upset lol
@@epicremarc *consequences have actions
Hayden of Everything omg how can I forget?
I started tearing up at The Boy From Oz part and then you said "legsacy" and I started crying from pure rage
Hahahahaha oh no.
It made better use of LD's songs than than the show itself...
If it ever runs again with Hugh Jackman in the lead, I would mortgage my house to buy a ticket to see Boy from Oz.
"To better learn the history of the New York City gangster..."
They left and went to LA, didn't they?
"...would leave New York..."
Knew it
"And fly to Australia"
*shocked Pikachu face*
Amanda C.S. WHY DID THEY GO TO AUSTRALIA!? 😂😅😂
@@WaitintheWings Because he lived there?
Even as an Aussie I would have stayed in New York, at least for research.
"It seemed that he was indestructible"
Oh so that explains the Diamond part of his name.
"It is believed that this is what earned him the name "Legs"
Wha.
well, that and money
Well they probably said he kept "walking em off." And by 1930s gangster logic you need Legs to walk something off so...
My grandpa was known as "Legs" in the 1940s cos he could drink a lot and "all the booze went to his legs". Maybe that has something to do with it? Like all the bullets fell into his "legs"?
Legs: Diamond is Unbreakable!
5:44 the actual quote is "he seemed to be unkillable. And its believed gthat his ability to escape certain death situations is what earned him the moniker of "legs" ... so, probably a reference to running away, escaping
So they decided to take the story of a real life gangster, completely reject any real dramatic elements because they "didn't like second act drama" or something, change his life to be about Broadway instead of gangsters, sanded down his edges despite him being a horrible person in real life, rushed the production, hired an actor for the lead role who consistently proved himself to be miscast (no shade to Peter Allen mind you) at every turn, threw out important supporting characters due to the run-time, then proceeded to write an entirely new song less than two weeks before opening day?
Yeah this seems fine.
Honestly this sounds like unintentional comedy gold imo
What went wrong is that the name is incredibly misleading.
This musical is about neither legs nor diamonds.
False advertising at its finest.
Agree if they were he cut them off and sell them he’d be the richest gangster in history
36:30 You're missing one of the big aspects of there only being 3 shows nominated for Best Musical in 1989: _Starmites_ wasn't even really a Broadway musical. The Tony Awards are for "Broadway" shows, not merely shows in New York City. There are regulations as to what constitutes "Broadway" theatre that makes performances at that theatre eligible for the Tony Awards.
_Starmites_ was an Off-Broadway show. But because the theatre was physically on Broadway (The Criterion Center on Broadway and 44th), the Tony committee changed the rules and decided that _Starmites_ would be allowed to compete as a Broadway theatre.
So not only did _Legs Diamond_ not make the cut for Best Musical, the Tony committee went out of their way to look for something, anything other than _Legs Diamond_ to nominate for Best Musical.
woah
Yikes
that's gonna get a yeesh and a shirt collar tug from me dawg
After consideration, out of the unholy triathlon of broadway screwups (Spider-Man, Carrie, Starlight Express)
I would grade this a Carrie. This was not a bad idea, it had merit. It was just executed appallingly!
That's an effective scorecard
Oooh, do tell; what are the descriptions of failure for Spider-Man and Starlight?
May i know the criteria for the Spiderman and Starlight.
@@1rockcrawford I’ve organised Broadway screw ups into three groups, which I call the ‘triathlon of unholy Broadway screw ups’, specifically is it a Carrie, Starlight Express or Spider-Man?
A Carrie is that the musical that has a good idea and story, it’s just executed terribly.
Starlight express, is that the idea is terrible, you wonder what they were thinking (such as a musical about toy train gods), however it was executed as well as it possibly could, we are seeing the best possible version of this musical.
A Spider-Man is simply a terrible idea executed poorly. Whether that’s poor direction, acting, singing, story, we’re seeing a bad concept done as badly as it could be.
I hope that’s clears it up for you, thanks for the reply :)
@@gemmakendall1523 I really love this comment ❤ I shared it with my daughter a fellow theater aficionado.
16:39 “Merrily We Roll Along had tried it”
Me: oh no
“And then Merlin in 1983”
Me: oh noooooo
I didn't even know they existed... I'm taking that as a blessing.
@@danthefan28 ohhh no Merrily is a masterpiece, honestly one of my favourite musicals
@@cascharles3838 I love Merrily too, but it certainly didn’t go well for the original production.
Sweeney also opened directly on Broadway in 1979.
@@onnapnewo really?
I was David Mitchell's 1st assistant set designer on LEGS DIAMOND for the whole process of getting this show on. You are very much h mistaken about the revised opening of the show. That mammoth LEGS DIAMOND sign was in the design of the show from the very beginning and always flew in to introduce Peter Allen as Legs from the first preview on. (There is no way the fly space above the forestage could ever have accommodated such a massive flying piece had it not been there from the outset.) What did change is this: the show originally had a prologue of Jack and Eddy's childhood growing up on the Lower East Side, all designed in black and white from sets to costumes to lights. When the brother Eddy (Bob Stillman) was cut, so was this handsome but superfluous prologue. Just to set the record straight.
He does his research on Wikipedia and then makes up the rest.
I attend the Manhattan school of music where Bob Stillman is a vocal coach and I asked him about the production of legs diamond and he then went on a 45 minute lecture about it. He also told me if I had any more questions I should watch this video and then showed me this video and remarked about how young he used to be… I had already seen the video and have re watched it a far amount. Adore the channel!
First Eddie Perfect with Beetlejuice, then Tim Minchin with Matilda, and now Peter Allen with Legs Diamond.
I'm sensing an Australian shaped pattern here........
Next up: Tripod finally gives us their pirate musical they've been teasing for over a decade.
Diamond is a really fitting last name when you get shot and you just take a few shots of alcohol and walk to the hospital nonchalantly.
I Live in Edmonton, Canada and one of my FAVOURITE things about the city is that we are the trial period for Broadway shows before Broadway. That's how I've seen Hadestown and Six before they opened on Broadway.... The Citadel Theatre is usually where they do them and it's a pretty neat building. One of my friends thinks they come here because we tend to be pretty tolerant of garbage musicals and plays.... :D
This one looks like it would have been interesting to see.
What are all the shows you've seen there?
Lucky!
@@hannahseling1513 Six, Hadestown, another one I can't remember AT ALL (I don't know if it got very far in NYC), and was going to see another one in November of this year that was gearing up for Broadway - then Covid...
Of course we don't get everything before Broadway but it is fun being their "test subjects"....
And the even more important part is that the tickets are cheap as hell too. I saw Six for 30 bucks.
@@MK-gv1wd Damned covid.
Considering how many people have glamorized and idolized gangsters through the decades, I LOVE the concept of taking the story of a real gangster and framing it as one man's journey to be a Broadway star. This is one of those things that just needed the right person to focus it and some extra years of workshopping, and like you alluded it basically just came out before the world was ready for a showy musical like that.
That was so dumb of cutting out Alice and Eddy, they could’ve got rid of unimportant characters without robbing the show. I think what set the show off was the tonal shift from noir to a Broadway cabaret. Do you think you could do Shrek the Musical or The Little Mermaid on Broadway?
Shrek the Musical is actually pretty good! I really enjoy it.
Me and my boyfriend really like Shrek the Musical, he was the one who introduced me to it.
Back then, I only saw the DVD trailer for it.
Shrek gets such a bad rap. It has genuinely touching songs but the only one people remember is where they fart.
Little Mermaid on the other hand. 😨
Honestly I'd kill to see more "what went right" videos like the SpongeBob musical one though. He sold me on that show lmao
Love it. I've gotta ask though. Do you think we could ever get "What Went Wrong with the Lord of the Rings Musical?" Most don't even know it existed, so that's pretty telling.
it existed and was smash hit. unfortantly it never left left Michigan state
It ran for a year in London and only closed because Lloyd Webber wanted the theatre for Oliver. It was a surprisingly good show.
I was JUST thinking about this while watching this video. I worked in FoH for the LOTR run during it's Toronto preview and it was a TRIP.
When you have characters ON STILTS, climbing a ROCK, and battling on it WHILE IT'S ROTATING on stage--never mind the non-stop characters on flight-wires--you can understand why it played everywhere but union-heavy NYC.
The actors probably wished they were on the nice, safe Spider-Man musical.
@@ericjanssen394 l will never forget the night an orc fell off the stage into the laps of 3 ladies and they alley ooped him back up onto Helms Deep.
Stop teassssssing me! When are we gonna dig into the pig's blood covered elephant in the room?!
I...I don't have any idea what you're talking about. (Aggressively avoids eye contact).
These are always fascinating. Can we get the Carrie musical sometime? Talk about an epic disaster.
*Taps fingers sinisterly*
Stefan Filipovits I’ve got to brag...I saw the original production with Betty Buckley. What a confusing show, it had the potential of being a hit!
Darold no way! That’s SO cool! What a memory. We staged it at the theater I worked at before covid and it was equally disastrous. Fires, set mishaps, you name it. That show just doesn’t want to be staged it would seem. Also, Betty Buckley is f*^%#*^g awesome. I got to talk to her on Twitter a few times and that lady is a class act.
Wait in the Wings awwwww yeah 😁
My favorite part of this comment is that it implies that the Carrie teases have been too subtle in the last two videos, and that tickles me.
This might be the most insane episode since the spider-man episode (though I think spider-man still takes the cake). I streamed this with a friend and we were both going "OH NO" throughout the entire thing.
My jaw hasn't dropped as many times as it did while researching this one. That's for sure lol
I didn't even talk about all the injuries that happened in Legs Diamond. People were getting smashed by the sets, ripping tendons. It was gnarley lol
@@WaitintheWings had my suspicions as soon as you mentioned the set was constantly moving. Yikes!
I’ll still take Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out Of Our Shells.
As always, I'm in awe of the quality and relevance of the footage and videos you use. Thanks for teaching me about a musical I'd never heard of before this!
You're the sweetest! The clips were soooo hard to gather for this one so I'm happy you liked them. :)
"The gossip in new york city is insidious..."
Okay, Angelica.
I dream of being Angelica...but we all know I'm Peggy
@@WaitintheWings If you're Peggy then that means that you also get to be Maria, you sexy beast.
I was browsing the comments to see if someone else caught this 😂😂
@@WaitintheWings Yes, I too die in the first act with no fanfare whatsoever.
Legs Diamond sounds like a man made of rubber to survive that many times.
I didn't think it could get more dangerous than Spider-Man.
I didn't think it could get more unfocused and confusing than Starlight.
And now? I'm afraid of what's gonna come next.
How about an adaptation of a Stephen King novel where the director thought someone said the show should be "more like Greece" and dressed everybody in togas, and said show only got 5 performances on Broadway next?
-it's Carrie the Musical btw-
16:44 Im gonna need an episode on Merlin the musical.
Definitely gotta see more of that!
Also Starmites.
Merlin started Doug Henning (the magician) as Merlin.
@@mal2249 Nathan Lane was in it too!
Merlin The Musical looks so weird
I wanted to start with saying how much I LOVE your channel! I feel like I’m being taken backstage to all the plays I didn’t get to see as a kid growing up in NY.
I remember the subway poster for Legs Diamond . And the big joke from the radio guys after it was announced it was closing were “ Legs are closing on Broadway “.
So many things I couldn’t see on Broadway as a kid. Can you do “Oh, Calcutta” ,Doug Henning Magic Show or Mummenschanz?
“Legs are closing on broadway” 😂😂😂
I need to re record this episode and include that joke right now lol Doug Henning Magic Show has actually been on my list for a while! Thanks for the kind words :D
I absolutely love your writing style. I love how your videos begin with an introspective question, wrapped into the subject, and talked about in detail with sources and fantastic editing. Wow.
This is amazing. Your work and research is unprecedented. I'd love to see a video about the musical "Something Rotten!"
That show also went directly to Broadway without an out of town tryout and had much better success
This is definetly the most underrated Channel on TH-cam, the quality is so high!
You can definitely see the time and effort put into the research and editing of your videos, they just keep getting better!
Peter's total investment in his physical performance is impressive, especially given his age at the time. I'm not an expert in dance, but it looks like quite a work out. This is the first time I've seen anything from him that wasn't cringe. Great work people! Thanks.
I'm a dancer and he look extremely talented
Looks
It's sad that the dark tone of the original/real life story was probably closer to what audiences would have enjoyed. It's also sad when someone's passion project goes horribly wrong. At least he got the gorgeous Hugh Jackman to play him in his life story, that's gotta count for something, right?
MY BODY IS READY FOR CARRIE! (do the kids still say that?)
Never heard of this musical before, the story behind it is so fascinating. Can't wait to see what y'all do next!
41:20 "and the gossip in New York City is insidious" I heard that one
These video essays always enhance my daily life's routine. Well done crew.
Me: *opens TH-cam and see the notification for this video* today just got a whole lot better
Hey! I'm happy you think so!! :D Thanks for the kind words
Wait in the Wings these videos make me happy when i’m having a shitty day, you must so much work and care into these videos are amazing x
I think what bums me out the most about these videos are the people who have pinned genuine hopes and dreams on these failed productions
I love this channel so much, it's clear you put a lot of dedication and time into it
13:15 - I don't know why, but that bit about wanting to soften up the second act reminds me so much of Roger DeBris' suggestions for Springtime for Hitler in The Producers
So good! Can we get a Groundhog Day what went wrong?
Idk that episode sounds like it'll get pretty repetative
I’d watch it!
Kylie The Little Spider-Man Girl ditto!!
Again, this is what I signed up for! I love venturing deep into the crevices of the Great White Way to see the mind boggling ideas that have been lost to the sands of time. And you manage to dig out some of the best and the best at being the worst to showcase for us here. There were points where I was actually exclaiming to the screen "How much more could they change?!". This show and it's history is nuts, and i love it!
I just started getting into your channel . The binge is in full swing.
Enjoy!! :D
Sounds like at least part of the problem was Allen wanted to have his cake and eat it too - if he'd stuck to composing the musical, rather than also starring in it, there's a chance he could've gotten his original vision.
"the gossip in New York City is insidious"
I see what you did there
Hearing that these guys wanted to re-imagine a ruthless gangster as a performer who wanted to make it big on Broadway, while also avoiding the "spectacle" of megamusicals sounds like Tom Hooper saying he wanted to do Cats while "grounding the show in realism."
The score is actually pretty solid with some fun tunes. I think the biggest issue aside from the time period, which you referenced several times, was Peter himself. Frank Rich saying something to the effect of “ The most compelling drama of the evening is watching Peter Allen figure out what to do with his hands” - yikes!
It’s my favorite flop musical and I think this was very well done - thank you!
I was waiting for this video ever since I came across your channel. ‘Peter Allen: not the boy next door’ goes into great detail of the production of this musical and where he was at in his life.
hey! You should make one of these on Tuck Everlasting!!! Still mad about that closing lol
I can second this, not because I'm in the fandom, but because I need to understand why this show has such an intense and loyal fandom.
And also why all the fans hate Hamilton.
WaterlemonTheArtist in short, the show came out on broadway around the same time as hamilton but due to hamilton’s success, tuck everlastingly only got 39 performances before closing. It’s a beautiful show that should’ve gotten to stay longer but i’m glad that it lives on as a production that schools and community theaters can do
THIS!!! Tbh I was more interested with Tuck before Hamilton when I got fixated on Broadway musicals again back in 2015. Hamilton slowly grew on me but I got mad when I learned how it affected Tuck (lost audiences and marketing didnt work because Hamilton happened to Broadway basically). Tuck deserved better. :((
I dunno why this kept getting recommended to me, but I don't regret finally clicking.
When I Get My Name In Lights? Great opening. I loved it.
Thanks so much for such a fully informative and informed presentation...as an Australian and a fan of Peter Allen, I have always been fascinated by the story of the musical "Legs Diamond"...I believe it will resurface one day.
These videos are SO well done- how are there not more views??
This is why i love your channel. You make me want to learn about the history behind musicals like this one that I've never heard of
You should cover the Charlie and Chocolate Factory musical, as I have a soft spot for the original London version. Besides, you should mention how in the Broadway retool, a Russian girl gets torn apart by giant demonic squirrels despite being more "lighthearted" than the London one.
The first time a Dahl adaptation is actually darker then the original source material.
oh yeah the Veruca Suite was crazy
I unironically love the Carrie musical and I will not apologize for it!
Wonder if you're gonna do either Disney's Tarzan or The Little Mermaid in your next WWW episode? This is a very interesting episode too.
Tarzan is a curious one, because it had a more successful run overseas (10 years in Germany and 2+ years in the Netherlands) in Europe.
Wait, what happened with The Little Mermaid? All I know is that upcoming live action remake.
Katherine Alvarez It had a broadway musical but was trashed. Mainly for costumes
Especially since TLM was one of the Disney's biggest hits as a movie...bit their biggest(?) flop as a stage production...
Jangobadass no their biggest flop was Tarzan (on Broadway anyway)
lol all these sweet summer children not realizing you’ve set the scene for the original production of Carrie to be your next video
This was fascinating! Can we get a what went wrong with Chaplin the musical? There's a lot to be said there :) also the writer worked with my grandfather years ago
It exists! It's on the patreon :D
@@WaitintheWings oh! Good to know. Isn't it that the patreon members get early access to the episodes? If so, is that whats happening there
@@BeesBeesBees248 Lol this sounds like a bad commercial now. "Why Yes BenAnimates! Patrons get access to the video as soon as it's uploaded! You also get to join weekly Drama Bookshop hang outs where we talk all things theater and made horrible puns while I shove cake in my face."
@@WaitintheWings nice! (Also lol)
@lol 0hxbenanimates7740
You do a really good job explaining little known shows. I would love to see more episodes on older shows!
Having your name in lights is an honor, the sign saying "The Almost Totally Fictitious Musical History Of (Your name here)" isnt an honor, its an unforgivable insult from beyond the grave.
It ended at 11:15pm?!
I love the history of flops in any industry. Thanks for this video 💚💚💚😻
Caught the little Hamilton reference there, whether you intended it or not, even tough I believe you definitely intended it
Guilty lol
Not gonna lie, the title alone intrigued me.
The Mark Hellinger Theater is easily the most beautiful of all the Broadway theaters I've been in. The painted murals on the ceilings and gold embellishments that adorn the architecture are awe-inspiring. At 15:28 you can see a portion of the house. I would encourage anyone in the area to stroll into the lobby and if you're lucky, you might get a chance to go inside the house or balcony.
d'you think his friends called him legs
I wonder if they called his brother "Arms".
OMG, you are my new all-time favorite channel and you have less than 30 thousand subscribers. I high key can't believe it 😆.
I love the digs towards Carrie the musical you insert into each of your documentaries
This was amazing! PLEASE say that we are getting a follow up episode on the rest of the flops from this season!
@31:11 …heart breaking 💔
I knew it wouldn’t, but I was really hoping for a success!
Dang, I had never heard of Peter before this video but the little pieces of info and what he did/said (like waiting for the last actor to go home) made me like him and devastated me when you revealed he died on AIDS. I kinda knew in the back of my mind, but I didn't want it to be true. AIDS took away so many good people...
I was doing fine until around 38:42 when the story takes an even more tragic turn. I didn't expect to get so sad. 😭 I wish Peter Allen could have witnessed the ultimate ending of his story/legacy.
God I love these videos. Would you ever consider diving into comparing movie musicals with stage musicals? Like Footloose or Singing in the Rain, or even...dare I say it...Cats? Cause that could be a lot of fun!
Disclaimer: I'm only barely a theater kid so if that's impossible from an analysis standpoint I completely understand 😅
I agree. That would be fun!
Legs Diamond would be a great subject for a modern movie.
Yeah..get Hugh Jackman for it..the original script..not this hodgepodge..
This is a wonderful video: it kept my attention thoroughly. Thanks!
Well this is gonna be amazing
I hope you enjoy!
7:10 surprised they stopped there, considering his rep. I'd have set the bed on fire, poured salt circles around the ashes, and then thrown a stick of dynamite on my way out for good measure
I honestly love your vids so much and it is beyond me how you don't have more subs, they're so well made and presented! Please keep making these, they're incredible!
I'd personally be interested in seeing an episode about Lestat: The Musical
I’m so excited for Carrie next!!!!!!!
Funny enough, as you were talking about his life and all the failed assassinations, I was like 'you could make a funny comedy about a man who gets ahead because he somehow survives all the attempts on his life.' And surprise!
I’ve started binging your channel and I love it, even as someone who hasn’t seen many broadway musicals. I’m very interested in finding out what this huge bomb by RSC that you keep building up is
I love your work man, from videos like the surprising success of the spongebob musical to the failure of spiderman, every video you make is a treat. I dont really call myself a musical type person because theres only a few I really like like godspell, the little shop of horror Rocky horror and a few more. My favorite musical has to be Jesus Christ Superstar. I've been on the site jcs zone which documents almost every album and production of the show, even the bootlegs and unauthorized shows and records. I've been surprised that the original 1971 broadway run though, popular with the younger crowd, people didn't really like the campy in your face broadway version. Though its british counterpart from 1972 west end production survived for 8-9 years, maybe even longer. That might be an interesting video discussing why the west end production survived longer than the broadway production
This man was like a criminal version of Rasputin.
Wow, great video as always. I don’t know if you do recommendations, but dance of the vampire would be a great video. Such a weird history!
41:20 - I see what you did there😏
Mama Angelica would be proud!
Another great video, dude! I can't wait for the reveal of the mystery show!!
I hope flying over sunset won’t suffer a similar fate for not having an out of town tryout. Loved this episode!!
A fascinating retrospective! Thanks for posting this! Very cool!
HOLD UP, there was a freakin MERLIN musical?!
Yep and what information i got, it ending the same way as legs diamond.
@@codydempsey8356 oh NO I must see it
Do one for "You're a good man Charlie Brown".
Aw, is that a What Went Wrong? I love that show.
Yea, that one is pretty good.
Loved listening to the soundtrack a lot!
Or maybe like how evil dead went down.
So many clips of Impractical Jokers. I love it!
As someone who loves to give these flops a second look, I really did forget about this one. Which is a shame because the way how this potential star debut story almost reminds of the infamous West End flop Which Witch. But then again I've been so wrapped on other flops like Raggedy Ann, Wonderland and that one RSC famous flop that I seen you did another tease at the end of this lovely video! Come on Wait in the Wings, is that certain prom date from Hell gonna have a episode soon?
Damn, Raggedy Ann/Rag Dolly was the first real flop I heard of. Wonder if there's enough meat there for an episode.
@@rinneil There is apparently meat out there but whoever has the video recordings of Raggedy Ann/Rag Dolly is keeping lock tight. So far production photos are finally resurfacing online but really slowly however.
Wow I have never even heard of this show before!! And I thought I was a broadway history nerd lol. LOVE your videos!!! ❤️
Even through the pathos and absurdity, I actually found to this to be a kinda bitter sweet and beautiful tale.
The TEASE at the end!!! 😗😗
Waiting (in the wings) with anticipation
I was just about to post a comment about how well written this one was, then you said “legs-acy” 😑
So I’ll say this one was *mostly* very well written 😆🥰