Harsher in Hindsight: Watching Michael learn some genuine empathy for what women endure at the hands of men, something Dustin Hoffman also stated he experienced while making the film (see below), felt a lot more hollow when sexual harassment and assault allegations directed towards Hoffman surfaced in 2017.
One-Scene Wonder: Well, technically a Two-Scene Wonder; Geena Davis (in her film debut) as the sexy, underwear-clad costar sharing Dorothy's dressing room.
Hoffman: When we got to that point and looked at it on screen, I was shocked that I wasn't more attractive. I said, "Now you have me looking like a woman, now make me a beautiful woman." Because I thought I should be beautiful. ... And they said to me, "That's as good as it gets." It was at that moment I had an epiphany, and I went home and started crying, talking to my wife. And I said I have to make this picture, and she said, "Why?" And I said, "Because I think I am an interesting woman when I look at myself on screen. And I know that if I met myself at a party, I would never talk to that character because she doesn't fulfill physically the demands that we're brought up to think women have to have in order for us to ask them out." She says, "What are you saying?" I said, "There's too many interesting women I have not had the experience to know in this life because I have been brainwashed." That movie was never a comedy for me.
"I Know What's Gonna Happen". An extremely fast Patter Song where Sandy devolves into hilariously self hating hysterics.
"Jeff Sums It Up", which is exactly what it sounds like. Jeff overviews the plot and how royally Michael has screwed up in a hilarious fashion. The unexpected Precision F-Strike followed by a Cluster F-Bomb in particular leaves the audiences, especially since that kind of language is competent absent from the first act.
Critical Dissonance: Played With. The show got excellent reviews, and did indeed find several viewers who greatly enjoyed it as well. However, it also received a lot of hate from theatre goers who claimed it was transphobic, detailed below. With that being said, a lot of this hate fell under Complaining About Shows You Don't Watch, so it's not entirely clear how much this trope fell into play, as the most vocal hatred came from people who refused to see it.
Overshadowed by Controversy: While the original movie (which was released during a time when the transgender community had not officially reached mainstream prominence) could get away with the concept of a man cross-dressing with no problem, the increase in transgender awareness since the 2010s meant that the Broadway show ran into some trouble, as several Broadway fans (the majority being young ones who didn't know the movie) decried it as transphobic and viciously hated on the show throughout its run, refusing to watch it, decrying its awards success, and celebrating the show's early closing. In response, fans of the show noted that while the concept may be dated, it doesn't make fun on the transgender community, as the humor comes from laughing at Michael's sheer desperation to make such a major change and the Hell it puts him through, rather than the punchline of a man being dressed as woman. Additionally, while detractors noted that Michael was a Designated Hero, fans also pointed out that the other characters call him out for his behavior, with no one else supporting his idea, and Michael realizing he was wrong the entire time.
Tainted by the Preview: In addition to a group of people already wanting it to fail, the show also ran into a problem with their advertising performances. The Tonys performances had Santino Fontana performing "Unstoppable". This makes sense as it showcases the leading man as both Michael and Dorothy, having one Hell of an impressive quick change. Unfortunately, it's also regarded as one of the show's weaker numbers, not having too much to write home about outside of the actor's doubling in the same song. Not helping matters is that the Tonys performance altered the ending so that it had Dorothy belting out a victorious high note. This is in contrast to the actual version found in the show, where Dorothy awkwardly kisses and alienates Julie, which shows Michael's downfall. Ignoring this and making it look like he's winning certainly didn't help the controversy. Not to mention, this was a show where the libretto was far more praised than the score, meaning that having to represent it with a song rather than a scene wasn't showing off the most enticing aspect.
directed towards Hoffman surfaced in 2017.