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The Biggest Broadway Flops of All Time

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Another Opening, Another Flop

It’s not easy to open a show on Broadway.

Easily the most famous street in the world, Broadway runs up the length of Manhattan and is famous for the sights, sounds, neon lights, and numerous theaters that draw crowds of thousands night after night. Though we all know the big names like Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and The Phantom of the Opera, not every show goes on to be a hit. In fact, some shows are more famous as disasters.

Flops are defined as shows that play for fewer than 100 performances. As a comparison, Broadway’s current longest-running show, Phantom, has been playing for nearly 30 years with thousands of performances to its name.

From awful music to terrible scripts, or simply because of negative reviews and word of mouth, some shows flop even before opening night.

broadway flops intro

Source: wikipedia.org

Start the slideshow below to see the biggest Broadway turkeys of all time, and don’t forget to SHARE!

15. Merrily We Roll Along (1981)

broadway flops merrily we roll along

Source: wikipedia,org

If you’re familiar with musical theatre, you might be shocked to hear that this show bombed when it first came to Broadway in 1981. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by George Furth, the show only ran for 52 previews and 16 performances before closing its doors.

14. High (2011)

broadway flops high

Credit: Mike Coppola/ Getty Images

This show about addiction was expected to deliver but failed miserably after 29 previews and only 7 regular performances.

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