10. “Bright Star,” by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, on Broadway
These two pros stooped to tell the soggy story of an unwed mother that would have made Barbar Stanwyck and Joan Crawford cringe.
9. “Tuck Everlasting,” by Claudia Shear, Tim Federle, Chris Miller, and Nathan Tysen, on Broadway
A family of undead people aren’t vampires, nor are they very interesting. A musical about eternity that did succeed in making you feel like it would never end.
8. “Disaster!,” by Jack Plotnick and Seth Rudetsky, on Broadway
Why not parody a movie genre that no one’s thought about in 40 years? Because it’s lame. These last three musicals lost their entire capitalization after receiving pre-Broadway raves from the New York Times. A warning to producers.
7. “The Taming of the Shrew,” by William Shakespeare, at Off Broadway’s Delacorte Theater
Phyllida Lloyd’s all-female staging places the characters at a Trump-produced beauty pageant. The director’s contempt for the Bard’s misogyny stifles all humor.
6. “The Prodigal Son,” by John Patrick Shanley, at Off Broadway’s Manhattan Theatre Club
Shanley’s autobiography play about his youth in a boarding school teaches us that he was physically desired by gay instructors and intellectually underrated by the straight ones.
5. “The Cherry Orchard,” by Anton Chekhov, on Broadway
Not every radical updating of a classic works. Actually, director Simon Godwin begins the play in Chekhov’s time, then updates the costumes as the scenes progress. Diane Lane’s disappointing big return to Broadway.
4. “Holiday Inn,” recycled from the Irving Berlin movie by Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge, on Broadway
It takes about 45 minutes to get to the big concept: Let’s put on a show every holiday and save the farm! Fortunately, Labor Day and other special Mondays are overlooked.
3. “Paramour,” by too many people to list here, on Broadway.
Cirque du Soleil needs to stick to the circus and leave musical theater to the experts. The acrobats and aerialists dazzle, the star-is-born book and score belly flop.
2. “Cagney,” by Peter Colley, Christopher McGovern, and Robert Creighton, at Off Broadway’s Westside Theatre
The musicals and gangster pictures that James Cagney made at Warner Bros. featured snappy dialogue and rapid-fire editing. His movie oeuvre is the antithesis of this dull bio tuner.
1. “Tiny Beautiful Things,” adapted by Nia Vardalos, at Off Broadway’s Public Theater
The force behind “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” proves she’s no Miss Lonelyhearts. Nor is there a smidgen of irony in all the sob-sister whining. Based on Cheryl Strayed’s book.
It’s not all bad. Be sure to see our list of the best New York theater from 2016.
