NEW YORK -- To paraphrase (sort of) from Charles Dickens: It was the best of shows, it was the worst of shows.
Two big, expensive musicals arrived this week on Broadway within a day of one another, and their receptions couldn't have been more different.
"La Boheme," Australian director Baz Luhrmann's takes on the beloved Puccini opera, received the best reviews since "Hairspray" opened last August. But "Dance of the Vampires," starring Michael Crawford, had most critics out for blood and tossing around such adjectives as "mindless," "vapid," "amateurish" and "mortifying."
For "La Boheme," the rapturous notices have paid off at the box office. Monday's take, the day after the opening, was close to a million dollars, "in the high six figures" according to producer Jeffrey Seller, and sales continued to be strong Tuesday.