Adaptations You'd Like To See Happen on Stage- Page 2

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 6/19/17 at 4:31pm

So uh, is anyone on here secretly a producer who's jotting things down? Because there is some Good Stuff™ being thrown out here. 

Updated On: 6/19/17 at 04:31 PM

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 6/19/17 at 4:44pm

Oh also, I think that Jeanine Tesori could write a pretty spectacular musical of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Also American Beauty would work amazingly well on stage as a musical.  I don't even know who would be right for this project though.  I could see Dave Malloy composing, maybe if you think about how wonky and strange Thomas Newman's music was for it.  

Also on the topic of Dave Malloy, I think that he could write a pretty great musical of The Shining.  I think he could write a pretty wild score.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 6/19/17 at 4:58pm

I recently re-watched the Latifah, Keaton, and Holmes comedy Mad Money, and couldn't help but think it would make an insanely fun musical. With three strong female roles. I dream cast Charity Angel Dawson (Latifah), Carmen Cusack or Alice Ripley (Keaton), and Annaleigh Ashford (Holmes). Music and lyrics by Sara Barellies! 

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/19/17 at 8:45pm

I have always wanted Jason Robert Brown to adapt one of Stephen King's "prison novels," either The Green Mile or Shawshank Redemption.

Additionally, I used to think a Spring Awakening-esque marriage of "Great Gatsby" to impressionistic uses of David Bowie's Thin White Duke era songs would work really well... then the actual impressionistic abstract Bowie musical came out.

Finally, to plug my own show, my long-gestating musical adaptation of Cabinet of Doctor Caligari is picking up steam. It's changed a lot since my initial conception, and is now something of a twisted love letter to the Broadway shows of the 1960s by Jerry Herman and Kander and Ebb.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 6/19/17 at 8:47pm

^ Cabinet of Doctor Caligari is brilliant subject matter for a musical! I wish you a lot of luck! 

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/19/17 at 9:06pm

I started working on it in 2011 with the intention of it being an "ugly pretty" faux European show a la Urinetown by way of Danny Elfman, but I gradually grew more interested in reimagining, and not just adapting, the piece. The film only has about five characters: Alan, Francis, Jane, Caligari and Cesare, with everyone else being glorified extras. The more I worked, the more the town of Arkham Hollow (Holstenwall in the German film) began to fill with outlandish little characters, some expanded from the film (the random woman who gets attacked in the alley turned slowly into the female lead before my eyes), and some original (the police commissioner and a pair of predatory morticians).

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 6/19/17 at 9:20pm

I actually thought of doing a Moonstruck musical back in college. It's one of my favorite films too. Unfortunately, I abandoned the idea because I figured getting the rights would be hellish.

I've adapted the Britcom Keeping Up Appearances, which starred the great Patricia Routledge. The score is almost done and I have been in contact with the creator's agency in the U.K. That might actually go somewhere and it's very exciting to think about.

I also wrote a one-act musical based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short. We had our first staged reading in January. There's video if anyone wants to check it out.

Darquegk, we should totally team up for something!

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/19/17 at 9:41pm

Ado, message me on Facebook.

[green waver]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 10:25am

Anyone remember the 80s Albert Brooks film Lost in America? I always felt that could be successfully adapted, especially with Two strong leads(a la Andy Karl and a young Megan Mullaly). The film's set pieces could definitely be taken to the next level in the hands of the right creative team.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 11:14am

^
Love that movie!  It would have to include a song called "Nest Egg".  I could imagine a Yazbek score for that one.

Updated On: 6/20/17 at 11:14 AM

[ViniFromBrazil]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 11:32am

Cartoon Network's Over The Garden Wall as a musical.

Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections as a play.

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 1:49pm

these all sound like hot garbage

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 3:11pm

It's your prerogative to think so- do you have a better, or even a different, idea?

[Gorlois]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 3:24pm

I love many of these suggestions!

 

I still think someone should musicalize Gaslight.

[10086Sundays]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 3:52pm

Wasn't there a Soapdish musical being workshopped at some point or did I imagine that?  I have to admit, I'd love to see it, but if it were to happen, it'd probably be better suited Off-Broadway or as a limited Broadway run with huge stars.

[carnzee]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 4:50pm

I've often thought of a musical of Now Voyager starring Jessie Mueller. 

[JennH]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 5:52pm

I have two.

A more recent idea I had is A Walk to Remember. The movie, not the book. I enjoy both immensely, but the book is so saccharine it gives me cavity. No conflict, no deep reason why Landon would fall for Jamie. The movie gives me both. I see this as contemporary pop and rock score. "Fairie" music for Jamie and pop edging on rock for Landon, something like that. 

Another I thought of a loooonnnggg time ago but decided "nah" cause it sounded weird at the time, but it recently came back into my head after watching it again and now I can't get it out...LABYRINTH. I mean it already has those great Bowie songs we all know and makes great use of the 80's rock sound in general as a soundtrack. I can so see this... using a mix of vid projections song with some GREAT practical effects. However....I'm also perfectly aware this has next to nil chance of happening since those songs are classic Bowie and since the 80's glam rock god is no longer here to grace us with earthly presence.. The movie may have been a huge flop, and it's already rare enough that a new composer is added and even more rare that it works out well, so without Bowie being alive to write new stuff...

[JennH]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 5:57pm

Valentina3 said: "GeorgeandDot said: "The Great Gatsby.  I could see Rachel Chavkin directing a really immersive staging of it.  Maybe Dave Malloy or Lin Manuel Miranda as the composer.  I could see them creating some really great jazz-influenced party music.  I'd like to Leslie Odom Jr. play Gatsby."

 

Wasn't this basically what Smash season 3 was supposed to be?

 

"

HAHA sort of. It was Tom and Julia going back and forth about their idea of it a a musical that they have year seriously or her branching off on her own and writing it as a play. That could absolutely have been the season 3 idea, but we'll never know...and I do love this idea, because as Julia states she "can't believe no one ever turned it into a musical". But as much as I love Lin, I would want him as far away from this as possible. Malloy...as strange as I found "Comet" I do think he do some crazy jazz fusion music for this, so I say yes to that. 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 7:09pm

Velvet Goldmine. Shocking it hasn't been in development somewhere. All of the concert scenes would be great and the costumes would be to die for.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 7:56pm

Yes to Brooklyn. All throughout the film, I was imagining it on stage. I'd love for a folk artist to tackle it, maybe even Mumford and Sons. I loved their work in Inside Llewyn Davis. 

I'd also love to see more horror on stage. I've been trying to develop imaginary play adaptations of "Alien" and "The Ring" in my head, to no avail

[The Josh]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 10:28pm

I'm surprised no one has hopped on a musical adaptation of Pleasantville!!

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 10:55pm

I really don't know how this would logistically work, but I think a musical of The Selection series would be pretty neat. Especially because the main character is a musician. I mean, the books themselves aren't exactly great, but I think that the premise of the story is actually quite interesting. 

[asoftplacetoland]

Posted: 6/20/17 at 11:13pm

leighmiserables said: "I really don't know how this would logistically work, but I think a musical of The Selection series would be pretty neat. Especially because the main character is a musician. I mean, the books themselves aren't exactly great, but I think that the premise of the story is actually quite interesting. 

Oh my goodness, love this! Those books were so addicting. I could definitely see this as a light, fun, pop music type musical and it would be so entertaining. Not to mention the costumes and set would be pretty fantastic! Prince Maxon would have a nice solo song and then a big group number with all the girls trying to impress him. Can't imagine this being a super groundbreaking show but it would be a sweet and cute production that I would definitely see! 

 

[Adelaidely]

Posted: 6/22/17 at 12:17pm

I very much think That Thing You Do! should be expanded into a full musical by Adam Schleshinger (who wrote the title song and now writes for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend).

[hork]

Posted: 6/22/17 at 1:20pm

The mention of A Walk to Remember reminded me of another "walk" movie: A Walk in the Clouds. It's a gorgeous movie and would make a wonderful musical.