Flop of the Heap

Music by Jerome Kern
Book & Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Opened on Broadway November 17, 1939

Music & Lyrics by Barry Keating
Book by Stuart Ross & Barry Keating
Opened on Broadway April 27, 1989

Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Book by Michael Stewart
Opened on Broadway October 6, 1974 at the Majestic.

Music and Lyrics- Jerry Herman
Book- Michael Stewart

Breakfast at Tiffany's- 1966 - Majestic Theatre

Music/Lyrics- Bob Merrill
Book- Edward Albee

Lysistrata Jones- Walter Kerr- 2011

Music and Lyrics- Lewis Flinn
Book- Douglas Carter Beane

Join John, Marla, and Special Guest, Connor McAndrews on our first Sondheim flop adventure. Find Connor on Insta @connormcandrews and @southphillybarefootcontessa

Anyone Can Whistle- 1964- The Majestic

Music and Lyrics- Stephen Sondheim
Book- Arthur Laurents

Join John, Marla, and Special Guest, Connor McAndrews on our first Sondheim flop adventure. Find Connor on Insta @connormcandrews and @southphillybarefootcontessa

Anyone Can Whistle- 1964- The Majestic

Music and Lyrics- Stephen Sondheim
Book- Arthur Laurents

Home Sweet Homer- 1976- The Palace Theatre

This one's a real Odyssey.

Music- Mitch Leigh
Lyrics- Charles Burr and Foreman Brown
Book- Roland Kibbee and Albert Marre

Join John and special guest Marc Tumminelli, as they discuss a pageant of a disaster. If Marla is your least favorite co-host of Flop of the Heap, this is the episode for you!

Smile- Lunt- Fontanne- 1986
Book- Howard Ashman
Music- Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics- Howard Ashman

The Halloween Special No One Asked For.

Dance of the Vampires- The Minskoff Theatre- 2002
Book- David Ives and Michael Kunze
Lyrics- Jim Steinman and Don Black

How could a musical with so many great actors fail so miserably?

Triumph of Love- The Royal Theatre- 1998
Book- James Magruder
Composer- Jeffrey Stock
Lyrics- Susan Birkenhead

We're serving up a legendary flop this week! What does a flamboyant Australian  pop singer have in common with  a ruthless New York mobster? Aside from having a pair of legs, probably not much.

Legs Diamond- 1988- The Mark Hellinger Theatre
Music and Lyrics- Peter Allen
Book- Harvey Fierstein 

Join us as we explore  Raggedy Ann, not the beloved children's' doll, but the brutally panned musical featuring said beloved children's' doll... and lots of death. How did a show written by the man who brought us "C is for Cookie" get so very dark? Let's find out!

Raggedy Ann- 1986- Nederlander Theatre
Music and Lyrics- Joe Raposo
Book- William Gibson

Strap on your rollerskates, as we follow Chita Rivera, Liza Minelli, and Jason Alexander on this journey that looks much more like a brutal roller derby match, than a relaxing lap around the rink.

The Rink- The Martin Beck Theatre- 1984
Music- John Kander
Lyrics- Fred Ebb
Book- Terrence McNally

John and Marla go West to search for Broadway Oil, and find only tar. Find out what made Lucille Ball’s only musical performance so “lame.” Shenanigans ensue.

Wildcat- 1960 - Alvin Theatre
Music- Cy Coleman
Lyrics- Carolyn Leigh
Book- N. Richard Nash

A very special pride episode! Heart on our sleeves, eye shadow in our creases, we take a trip to 1980s London, to meet Boy George and the Blitz Kids.

Taboo- 2003- Plymouth Theatre
Music and Lyrics- Boy George
Book- Mark Davies Markham and Charles Busch

Shall we friend? Shall we, friend? Shall we friend. Shall, we friend. Shall we friend! Shall, we, friend! Fan of Sci-fi? You won't be after this episode. 

Via Galactica- Uris Theatre- 1972

Music- Galt MacDermot
Lyrics- Christopher Gore
Book- Christopher Gore and Judith Ross

Tenderloin is on the menu, and it is a bit tough. If you are, both, pious and kick line-adverse, this is the show for you. 

Tenderloin- 1960- The Richard Rodgers Theatre
Music- Jerry Brock
Lyrics- Sheldon Harnick
Book- George Abbott and Jerome Weidman

It's the end of the world as we know it!... for the cast and crew of this 1980s flop. Nuclear war has never been less interesting, and singing about it should help, but it doesn't. Take shelter, and give this one a listen.

Dance A Little Closer- 1983- Minskoff Theatre
Music- Charles Strouse
Book and Lyrics- Alan Jay Lerner

There's been a murder!... committed by all your favorite theatre critics. Can Paul Simon adeptly write a musical about a gang murder? Would Art have done better? Find out in this "Salsa Sunset Boulevard" of a musical.

The Capeman- The Maquis- 1998
Music- Paul Simon
Lyrics and Book- Paul Simon and Derek Walcott

Yee-Haw! Flop of the Heap goes Country in this newest episode,  as we explore a beer-soaked musical,  adapted from a beer-drenched movie,  tailored out of a beer-logged Esquire article, that should have stuck to print. 

Urban Cowboy- 2003- The Broadhurst Theatre

Book- Aaron Latham and Phillip Oesterman
Music and Lyrics- Jason Robert Brown and Jeff Blumenkrantz, with additional music by various artists

Old age can be fun, right? Well, if that's true, 70, Girls, 70 is going to need to make a better case for it. Come listen as John and Mark shuffle their way through this band of medicated minstrels, and emerge having learnt no new life lessons.


70, Girls, 70- The Broadhurst Theatre- 1971
Music- John Kander
Lyrics- Fred Ebb
Book- Fred Ebb and Norman L. Martin

A compilation of yuk-yuks that didn't make the final cut in our Prince of Central Park episode, along with a special "Critical Reception" that just wasn't Broadway ready.

A show with a mistreated orphan, drugs, violent gangs, and 80s aerobics, mixed with the pizzazz and flash of a standard, cookie cutter Broadway Musical? What could go wrong? Mark and John, navigate the podcast's first interview, with Broadway stars Richard H. Blake and Tony Galde, and  with their guidance, discover what made Prince abdicate its throne at the Belasco after four short performances.

Prince of Central Park- 1989- The Belasco Theatre
Music by Don Sebesky
Lyrics by Gloria Nissenson
Book by  Evan H. Rodes

This weeks episode hits way too close to home, when a fictional president, after losing reelection, uses his followers to perpetrate a fascist coup. How did the Gershwins know? Are they time travelers? Find out this week on Flop of the Heap.

Let 'Em Eat Cake- Imperial Theatre- 1933
Music- George Gershwin
Lyrics- Ira Gershwin
Book- George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind

It's a Christmas Special. Snow is falling! Or are those Flahooley dolls? Come learn a little class consciousness from John, Mark, and the man who wrote "Over the Rainbow" in this very merry, Marxist episode!

Flahooley- Broadhurst Theatre- 1951
Music- Sammy Fain
Lyrics- E.Y. Harburg
Book- E.Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy

Includes music performed by Barbara Cook

The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N has a lot of asterisks, and is obnoxious to type, but it has Tom Bosley. You know...the dad from Happy Days. He's cute. But is he enough to redeem this show? I don't know, come get educated!

The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N - 1968- The Alvin Theatre
Music and Lyrics- Paul Nassau and Oscar Brand
Book- Benjamin Bernard Zavin

What is Chu Chem?  Is it the best Chinese-Hebrew musical of all time? Probably, but there weren't many nominees. Is it a delicious little kosher egg roll of a show? Probably not. Will Mark be "right for once" this episode? Yes, but it had to happen eventually.

Join as Mark and John present the first episode of our Hanukah double-header. The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N is next, so grab a plate of latkes and enjoy.

Chu Chem- 1989- Ritz Theatre
Music- Mitch Leigh
Lyrics- Jim Haines and Jack Wohl
Book- Ted Allan

KELLY!  (Season 1, Ep. 2)
Music by Mark "Moose" Charlap
Book & Lyrics by Eddie Lawrence
Opened February 26, 1965 at the Broadhurst
Closed after 1 glorious performance!

A Preview of the upcoming series, explaining the show's purpose and defining the Broadway "flop."

MERLIN!  (Season 1, Ep. 1)
Music by Elmer Bernstein
Lyrics by Don Black
Book by Richard Levinson & William Link
Opened February 13, 1983 at the Mark Hellinger
Closed after 199 performances