Musical Adaptations of Movies

CedricOates
#1Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/15/18 at 11:09am

Obviously, we’ve been in a climate of a few years of musical adaptations of films.

Which do you think successfully transferred from the big screen to the broadway stage, and which do you think should have stayed on the big screen?

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BroadwayConcierge
#2Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/15/18 at 11:15am

The Band's Visit is definitely among the best screen-to-stage adaptations in terms of capturing the mood and tone of the original film. 

Frozen is my most disappointing stage adaptation of a movie. What should have been a bright, fresh burst of entertainment was adapted for the stage as a dark, boring piece. 

CedricOates
#3Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/15/18 at 12:11pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "The Band's Visitis definitely among the best screen-to-stage adaptations in terms of capturing the mood and tone of the original film.

Frozenis my most disappointing stage adaptation of a movie. What should have been a bright, fresh burst of entertainment was adapted for the stage as a dark, boring piece.
"

Completely agree! I would also add Aladdin to the list of dissapointing adaptations. Besides Friend Like Me, it’s very bland.

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JustReviewingOkay
#4Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/16/18 at 2:14pm

I thought that Mean Girls was a very faithful adaption, but one could venture to argue that it's too much like the movie.  

JSquared2
#5Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/16/18 at 2:25pm

The Wedding Singer, Hairspray and Billy Elliot were a few of the best; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Young Frankenstein and Little Mermaid were a few of the worst.

BwayLB
#6Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/16/18 at 3:01pm

Four in particular i enjoyed were Sister Act, Billy Elliot, An American in Paris and White Christmas.

Updated On: 11/16/18 at 03:01 PM

BwayLB
#7Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 10:02am

Sorry for double posting but I have to include Waitress since I saw it yesterday. I found the comic relief to be a little more over the top in the movie. But the music was simply beautiful

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poisonivy2
#8Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 10:57am

Hairspray, Kinky Boots, Waitress are three that leap to mind as improving upon the movie.

Groundhog Day was not a popular success but I enjoyed it very much as well. 

Worst: An American in Paris. Took a frothy MGM classic and turned it into a self-serious bore.

JennH
#9Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 11:09am

BwayLB said: "Sorry for double posting but I have to include Waitress since I saw it yesterday. I found the comic relief to be a little more over the top in the movie. But the music was simply beautiful"

 

SAME. I actually JUST finally saw the movie for the first time the other day, it happened to be on HBO GO for free and I'd been looking for it for a while, so of course I took a night to myself to watch it! I'll honesty say, I'd never heard of Waitress period as a film until the musical came along, and watching the movie, it seems on the surface an unlikely choice for a stage musical, but I can totally see where the creatives saw musical theatre potential in it. Somehow I wasn't expecting the small "pie fantasy" sequences to have been there, but I think that's half of what makes it work as a musical, but still "slice of life" enough to not feel like it exists in another universe like musicals usually do. It's lovely film and I want it in my actual collection soon. And I totally missed that Joe is ANDY GRIFFITH...

 

KathyNYC2
#10Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 11:14am

Two of my favs. Kinky Boots and Waitress.

BwayLB
#11Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 11:20am

JennH said: "BwayLB said: "Sorry for double posting but I have to include Waitress since I saw it yesterday. I found the comic relief to be a little more over the top in the movie. But the music was simply beautiful"



SAME. I actuallyJUST finally saw the movie for the first time the other day, it happened to be on HBO GO for free and I'd been looking for it for a while, so of course I took a night to myself to watch it!I'll honesty say, I'd never heard of Waitress period as a film until the musical came along, and watching the movie, it seems on the surface an unlikely choice for a stage musical, but I can totally see where the creatives saw musical theatre potential in it. Somehow I wasn't expecting the small "pie fantasy" sequences to have been there, but I think that's half of what makes it work as a musical, but still "slice of life" enough to not feel like it exists in another universe like musicals usually do. It's lovely film and I want it in my actual collection soon. And I totally missed that Joe is ANDY GRIFFITH...


"

I first saw the movie ten years ago from DVD Netflix. The development of the musical came as a surprise to me. I watched the movie again on HBO this past summer just to be sure if I wanted to see Waitress on stage. The small pie sequences were used in a clever way but expected something a little more creative. But the effort into staying faithful to the story was pretty forgiving. Especially with how it was able to keep me glued to the stage most of the time.

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Miles2Go2
#12Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 12:16pm

I’m pretty selective about what I see, especially when I am in NYC since I only get there every 12 months on average. So I tend to only see shows I’m pretty sure I’ll like (after doing my due diligence in researching shows) So I have liked to loved most of the movie-to-stage musical adaptations I have seen:

Loved/Liked(sort of in order of how much I liked)

The Band's Visit (never seen film)
Once
Waitress
Dogfight (I admit I have never seen the movie)
Sunset Boulevard (I admit I have never seen the movie)
Kinky Boots
Newsies (not sure I’ve ever seen the movie)
Billy Elliot
La Cage Aux Folles (Am I correct that the movie came first? I’ve only seen The Birdcage)
An American in Paris (never seen the film)
The Color Purple
The School of Rock (never seen the film)
Aladdin
The Lion King

Didn’t like:

The Producers (I admit I have never seen the movie)




CedricOates
#13Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 12:29pm

Do we include Little Shop of Horrors as well, due to the fact that the original LSoH film came out in the 60s?

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Mister Matt
#14Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 3:47pm

"La Cage Aux Folles (Am I correct that the movie came first? I’ve only seen The Birdcage)"

The original French film (and both of its sequels) and the musical adaptation existed before The Birdcage.


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

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Miles2Go2
#15Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 4:07pm

Mister Matt said: ""La Cage Aux Folles (Am I correct that the movie came first? I’ve only seen The Birdcage)"

The original French film (and both of its sequels) and the musical adaptation existed before The Birdcage.”


Thanks. I knew the French film(s) came before The Birdcage. I thought the musical stage adaptation came after the French film, but wasn’t sure. 

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Sondheimite
#16Musical Adaptations of Movies
Posted: 11/18/18 at 4:24pm

Little Shop of Horrors is my favorite movie to musical.

AND Little Shop of Horrors (with the restored Director's Cut) is my favorite musical to movie! 


Broadway World's Fireman.