LATEST NEWS

Shows that should be remade

mjohnson2 Profile Photo
mjohnson2
#1Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/13/14 at 9:36pm

Hello all,
With the growing trend of remaking hollywood movies (though it's been a trend for as long as movies have existed) what shows do you think should have their source material or plot remade into a new musical with a new book and music as a remake of the old one? My personal choices would be for BIG FISH and SUNSET BOULEVARD


Anything regarding shows stated by this account is an attempt to convey opinion and not fact.

icecreambenjamin Profile Photo
icecreambenjamin
#2Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/13/14 at 10:07pm

Wicked

Wickedlover56 Profile Photo
Wickedlover56
#2Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/13/14 at 10:43pm

West Side Story
Passion
Pippin
Aida
Miss Saigon
Godspell
The Phantom of the Opera
Sunday in the Park with George
Rent
Sunset Boulevard
Side Show

LMcC95
#3Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 12:09am

You're a good man Charlie Brown

icecreambenjamin Profile Photo
icecreambenjamin
#4Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 1:23am

Cats

CATSNYrevival Profile Photo
CATSNYrevival
#5Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 2:11am

Big River

Jon
#6Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 9:13am

This is a joke thread, right?

CarlosAlberto Profile Photo
CarlosAlberto
#7Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 11:37am

^ It sure reads like one.

Mister Matt Profile Photo
Mister Matt
#8Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 11:44am

The Phantom of the Opera

There are already approximately 10 different stage musicals of the story already. Peter Pan and Cyrano de Bergerac have gone through multiple musical treatments as well.


"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

AEA AGMA SM
#9Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 3:30pm

A serious answer: I would like to see an Addams Family that is more of an adaptation of the first film, with Marc Shaiman expanding on the score that he wrote for the film. The party scene with The Mamushka alone offers up a perfect opening to Act 2.

little_sally Profile Photo
little_sally
#10Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 3:37pm

I always said that The Addams Family would've just been better off putting the film on stage.


A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.

#11Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 4:57pm

i would rather see the Addams family sequel as a musical verses the first movie.

the part of Debbie (played by Joan Cusak) in film would be a great stage part!

little_sally Profile Photo
little_sally
#12Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/14/14 at 10:02pm

^ I agree


A little swash, a bit of buckle - you'll love it more than bread.

jiff
#13Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/15/14 at 12:31pm

Nick and Nora

Mr. Nowack Profile Photo
Mr. Nowack
#14Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/16/14 at 2:59pm

THE ADDAMS FAMILY really does deserve a better musical treatment. The plot of the stage show is really half-baked and doesn't match the Addams Family of the show movie or drawings.


Keeping BroadwayWorld Illustrated

newintown Profile Photo
newintown
#15Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/16/14 at 3:06pm

This is a bizarre line of speculation - has such a thing ever happened before? (Aside from relatively simultaneous development of multiple versions of works in the public domain, like Wild Party or Phantom of the Opera)

I would imagine that once adaptation rights have been granted, they aren't available to be granted a second time.

followspot Profile Photo
followspot
#16Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/16/14 at 3:55pm

Gone With The Wind [Harold Rome, 1972]
Gone With The Wind [Martin/Nunn, 2008]

Not a good example of improving on a prior adaptation perhaps, but a precedent.


"Tracy... Hold Mama's waffles."

WOSQ
#17Shows that should be remade
Posted: 7/16/14 at 4:04pm

There is a third try to make a musical of Elmer Gantry that is being mounted at a regional this coming season.

The first was a one-nighter in 1970 with Robert Shaw and Rita Moreno that had some nice songs. The second try was later in the 70s when a version was done at Ford's Theatre in DC. This one got some good reviews and there were rumblings that it would move to Broadway, but that didn't happen.

Maybe the third time will indeed be the charm.

"A Tale of Two Cities" has been tried at least twice. The was the US version a few seasons ago and in the 60s was a West End version called "Two Cities" that had a run but wasn't deemed good enough to bring across.

Twelfth Night has has four versions that I can think of, most recently being "Play On!" In the mid-70s there was a one-weeker called "Music Is" with a score by Richard Adler and directed by George Abbott. Both of these were Broadway productions.

The most successful incarnation of Twelfth Night, indeed a smash hit, was the off-Broadway "Your Own Thing" in 1968 or so, but opening around the same time as Your Own Thing was another off-Broadway show called "Babes in the Wood" which didn't run.

Cyrano has had at least three musical incarnations. The Chris Plummer production in 1974 would have been a good Cyrano except the songs got in the way of a good production of the play. Around the same time was a stock tryout version called A Song For Cyrano that starred Jose Ferrer. The third one was the big swash and buckle version that happened what, 10 years ago? All have been failures.

The problem with adapting Cyrano as a musical is that he is the only one who metaphorically sings. The other characters are tone-deaf. The only adaptation of Cyrano that might work would be one where he has all the songs and every one else only speaks. The revelation to Roxanne would be that she finally hears the music he has been singing. Finding an actor-singer to be able to do that even six times a week would be quite a challenge.




"If my life weren't funny, it would just be true. And that would be unacceptable." --Carrie Fisher
Updated On: 7/16/14 at 04:04 PM