Movie Musical Adaptations

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Posted: 8/16/17 at 11:55pm

I've been wondering how so little Golden Age movie musicals have stage adaptions. I think there's some great stuff in there that could translate really well to stage. For me personally, I'd love to see A Star Is Born, So This is Paris (with some substantial rewrites and additions), Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and Funny Face. Mixed with a great cast, beautiful sets and costumes, and actually competent producers, I think these could be hits. Assuming you could pick the creative team and cast for your picks, what movie would you choose and why? 

[hork]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 12:09am

I don't know about Take Me Out to the Ball Game. That song in which Gene Kelly sings about making out with an eleven-year-old girl seems problematic.

[Itonlytakesajourney]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 12:21am

hork said: "I don't know about Take Me Out to the Ball Game. That song in which Gene Kelly sings about making out with an eleven-year-old girl seems problematic.

 

I forgot about that one... that would definitely have to go . I do think it can be done correctly if they take the film as a base and not necessarily replicate it as an exact copy however.

 

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 8:29am

I think part of the issue is that some Old Hollywood musicals have been adapted for the stage, and none of them really knocked it out of the park (no pun intended). Most got good reviews but weren't...I don't know...quite able to capture the magic of their source material.

That said, the cabaret singer Molly Pope does a solo stage version of A STAR IS BORN at Feinstein's/54 Below periodically. That might be something you want to check out- it was nominated for a Show of the Year cabaret award, too!

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 8/17/17 at 11:05am

I think that even though some of the musical numbers in the films of the Golden Age of movie musicals were more stagey than more modern musicals, they were still pretty cinematic and made great use of the camera. I think it's hard to adapt those numbers on stage and give it the same impact that they had on film. Plus, I feel like the time in which people would be interested in a stage adaptation of these movies may have passed. 

Updated On: 8/17/17 at 11:05 AM