New York’s Theatre District sparkles with bright lights and dazzling signage celebrating Broadway’s biggest blockbusters. But lurking in the shadows of all those hot ticket hits are the ghosts of shows who, over the years, have fallen victim to the harsh fatality of Broadway flop-dom. Who’s to say what makes a flop so floppy? Is it lousy timing? Lousy subject matter? Or just straight up lousy material? While a few of these underdogs never got the chance they arguably deserved, some of them had it comin’ all along. We here at BroadwaySpace wouldn’t dare pass judgment (well, maybe a little), but thought we’d at least pay tribute to a few of those infamous bombs we love to hate and hate to love!

MACK AND MABEL – “Look what happened to Mabel!” After a string of hit musicals like Hello, Dolly! and Mame, Jerry Herman would find his very first commercial bomb in Mack and Mabel. Though it enjoyed a successful out-of-town run, the show starring Robert Preston as a silent movie director and lovely Bernadette Peters (in her debut starring Broadway role) as a waitress turned movie star, was panned by critics once it hit New York’s Majestic Theatre in 1974. It closed after 66 performances, but wound up being nominated for 8 Tonys! Go figure!

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S – Based on the popular novella and subsequent Audrey Hepburn film, Breafast at Tiffany’s is today considered one of the most notorious flops in Broadway history! Despite a redonkulously amazing cast including Mary Tyler Moore, Richard Chamberlain and Pricilla Lopez, a book by Edward Albee and score by Bob Merrill, it ultimately fell flat. Originally titled Holly Golightly, the show closed at the Majestic Theatre after only 4 previews! Holly Go-Bye-Bye!

CARRIE – “They’re all gonna laugh at you!” So goes the famed quote from the 1976 film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel “Carrie”. And laugh they did when it was later adapted as a Broadway musical. Carrie: The Musical has since earned legendary status as the mother of all Broadway flops. (It even inspired a book on the subject entitled “Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops”.) When it reached Broadway’s Virginia Theatre in 1988, Carrie starred Charlotte d'Amboise, Darlene Love, Linzi Hateley, and Betty Buckley. And though audiences had mixed reactions, it ultimately closed after just 21 performances. What a bloody mess! Word on the street is that a reading of Carrie is set for late Nov. Is a Broadway revival on the way?

GLORY DAYS – This coming of age musical, which focused on the relationship between four high school besties, received great reviews when it opened at the Signature Theatre. Nick Blaemire co-wrote the show with long-time friend James Gardiner. Unfortunately, poor reviews and low advance sales caused producers to close the show at the Circle in the Square Theatre immediately following opening night. The show retained an impressive fan base, however, which recently lead to the announcement of an impending original cast recording for Glory Days, more than a year after its Broadway bow.

MOOSE MURDERS – When this mystery farce about a dysfunctional family trapped in a wilderness lodge during a storm opened at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in 1983, Frank Rich of The New York Times described it as “the worst play I’ve ever seen on a Broadway stage.” That is what we in the professional theatre business call “a crappy review.” Moose Murders closed immediately following its opening night on Broadway. It has since been staged numerous times around the world, but we don’t reckon we’ll be seeing a Broadway revival anytime soon.

FRANKENSTEIN – IT’S ALIVE! IT’S ALIVE!!!! …And then not so much. This musical adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic sci-fi story took the Broadway stage back in 1981… and it wasn’t pretty, people. The most expensive production of its time, Frankenstein played only one official performance at the Palace Theatre.

DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES – This one really sucked. But in a good way. Those of us who actually saw Dance of the Vampires might even suspect that its creators set out with intentions of one day being placed on a list of infamous floppiness just like this one. How else could one explain it? This campy adaptation of Roman Polanski’s 1967 film about vampires on Halloween night in “1880-something” starred Broadway’s original Phantom Michael Crawford, and closed at the Minskoff Theatre after 56 official performances. It has since been called one of the greatest financial failures in Broadway history.

ROCKY HORROR SHOW – Believe it or not, this beloved piece of iconic Americana was first a Broadway flop! Critics slaughtered the show when it opened at the Belasco Theatre in 1975, and it closed after 45 performances. The film version has since become a cult sensation, and the stage show had a successful revival in 2002 starring Next to Normal’s Tony-winning deev, the incomparable Alice Ripley.

LENNON – Imagine all the people… Now imagine all the people who did not show up to the Broadhurst Theatre in 2005 to see the musical Lennon. (It’s a lot of people, you guys.) Despite some standout performances by Will Chase, Mandy Gonzalez, Julia Murney, Terrance Mann and Chad Kimball, the jukebox musical about the life of music legend John Lennon was wildly unsuccessful. It ran for just 41 days.

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG – Yes, it’s possible. Even the genius Stephen Sondheim is capable of producing a commercial bomb. His musical Merrily We Roll Along about a one-time Broadway composer turned cynical film producer was not a hit with audiences when it opened in 1981. It closed at the Alvin Theatre (the Neil Simon, these days) after only 16 performances. Sondheim himself put it best – “Art isn’t easy!”

By: Randy Rainbow

What other "Broadway Flops" can you not get enough of?