Did you know that one of the cast members from Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark had their leg amputated? Or that Princess Diana was the first musical to get one-star reviews - before even being released commercially? All these and many more entertaining facts are at the heart of “Flop”, a one-man comedy show exploring the biggest failed musicals of all time. Arthur Hull is here to chart the history of Broadway’s most infamous flops and is determined to find at least one standout song among them.
The Spiegel Zelt is a kitschy and whimsical venue, a perfect space to transport us into the world of musical theatre. Hull stands aside his keyboard and synthesizer, playing to his audience as they find their seats. Posters for the aforementioned flops adorn the walls around the stage, cluing us into the contents of the show. And once he gets going, Hull takes us on an unforgettable and hilarious journey through some of the most standout disasters ever to (dis)grace the stage.
Far from being a snide series of pokes at the failures of ill-advised producers and impresarios, Hull takes a more pragmatic and often sympathetic approach to exploring where each musical went wrong. He makes a point to choose one song from each musical and play it live. Armed with an assortment of behind-the-scenes trivia, physical comedy and his astute musicianship, he demonstrates that as a standalone piece these songs are actually fairly impressive, but disastrous in the context of their source material.
Hull himself is an incredibly adept host, full of wit and boyish charm. This is a man who clearly loves crowd work. From serenading one lucky participant with “Do It For Our Country” from the Grease 2 soundtrack to bringing a volunteer on stage to don a King Kong mask while he screams in a blonde wig, he never misses a moment to make his audience laugh. If that wasn’t enough, he’s a powerhouse singer to boot. Every song cover benefits from his powerful and passionate vocals and his range as a tenor is astounding. The finale especially, “King of Broadway” from “The Producers”, is an absolute belter and brings the house down.
“Flop” is an absolute must-see for theatre lovers of all ages. A wonderful concept with a clever delivery and genuine heart. Musical nerds will love it, movie and trivia fans will love it, and curious fringe-goers who want to learn a little bit about the overlooked world of failed musicals are sure to love it too. A flop in name only!
***** Five Stars