BWW Blog: Musical Adaptations That Would Just Make Sense (At Least to Me and My Friends)

There have been so many incredible original musicals that have been staged on the Great White Way, and we love them dearly. We've also seen several adaptations of films and even concept albums hit the Broadway stage, and there's no denying that those musicals, while not entirely original, have been just as enjoyable and, dare I say, iconic.

For the last month or so, the internet has been buzzing about "Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical", an adaptation of the 2007 Pixar film written and performed through collaboration with users all over TikTok. It started as a concept that users on the popular video-sharing platform quickly latched onto and ran with. Now there are a ton of videos of people singing their original songs and showing off their designs. Several Broadway actors and composers have joined in on the fun, including Kevin Chamberlin, Andrew Barth Feldman, and Joe Iconis. Not only that, but the project got the attention of Tony-winning producer Ken Davenport, who expressed interest in helping the creators bring their vision to life.

All of the excitement got me thinking of other musical adaptations I would love to see, and with the help of my theatre friends, I came up with a list of films and albums that we think would make great stage musicals.

1. Death of a Bachelor by Panic! At the Disco

Panic! At the Disco's Brendon Urie is no stranger to Broadway, having performed briefly as Charlie Price in "Kinky Boots" and contributed to the score of "The SpongeBob Musical". While 2016's "Death of a Bachelor" was released well over a year before his stint on Broadway, it definitely sounds like there are some theatrical influences behind the obvious Sinatra influences. For example, track 6 on the album, titled "Crazy=Genius", is a showstopper if I've ever heard one. It's big and flashy. It's got a crazy horn section. There's even an instrumental break that is perfect for giving dancers a time to shine. I listen to that song and I can picture it being performed on a stage with theatrical lighting and choreography. There are so many elements of the album that scream Broadway, and I would love to see someone adapt it for the stage (and if they need help, I do have a concept in mind).

2. Jojo Rabbit

The first film on this list is one that I actually tried to adapt with a friend of mine that never really got off the ground. New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi's wacky "anti-hate satire", set near the end of World War II, tells the story of a 10-year old German boy named Jojo Betzler. A member of the Hitler Youth organization whose imaginary friend is a playful and buffoonish version of Hitler himself, Jojo forms an unlikely friendship after he discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. "Jojo Rabbit" is a fun and colorful film (despite how messed up it might sound). The story is still very endearing and the characters are surprisingly likable. The production design is also beautiful. If you take inspiration from Waititi's award-winning script and Michael Giacchino's score, you might have a pretty decent musical comedy on your hands.

3. Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy

Okay, okay. Hear me out. In 2009, Chicago pop-punk band Fall Out Boy went on indefinite hiatus. Over the next few years, each member would embark on their own individual journeys, both creatively and personally. In 2013, they returned to the scene for the first time in four years with "Save Rock and Roll", bringing with them a new sound that completely separated itself from the band's previous work. The band filmed music videos for every song on the album, all of which make up a feature-length film called "The Young Blood Chronicles". The film stars the band as "The Defenders of the Faith", who must literally save rock and roll (and themselves) from an evil music-hating cult. While "Save Rock and Roll" isn't a concept album by any stretch, the music videos create an interesting narrative that would look pretty cool onstage if choreographed and orchestrated properly. It's nowhere close to Broadway-worthy, but any stage would do.

4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

When I asked some friends what movies they'd like to see be adapted into a stage musical, a couple of them very passionately insisted that a musical based on the 2005 film version of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" would be "delightful". They highlighted the fact that the film has "the classic British Monty Python humor and wacky characters with a fun sci-fi theme". Maybe it could become the next "Spamalot". Who knows?

5. Rocketman

Another one of my friends suggested that the 2019 film about the life of Elton John would make a great stage musical. I can't say that I agree or disagree. "Rocketman" really shines as a film, but I'm not sure if it would translate very well from screen to stage. I wouldn't mind seeing a stage musical about Elton John, but I feel like "Rocketman" should be left alone, although I'd be interested to see someone try and adapt it as long as they can find a way to make it fresh and new.

Those are just a few musicals my friends and I would love to see happen. I could probably come up with another list full of films that I think have the potential to be adapted into musicals, but I'll leave it at these. What are some of your favorite films that you'd love to see turned into musicals?

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