I've compiled a list of film-to-musical adaptations I'm aware of from the past 25 years. Which, in your opinion, are the best five adapations? Please only consider the writing and not specific productions or direction (ie the use of puppetry, a director's choice, in THE LION KING).
Based on from what I have read or seen, mine are:
1) THE COLOR PURPLE 2) LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS 3) DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS 4) XANADU 5) HAIRSPRAY
A CATERED AFFAIR BEAUTY & THE BEAST BIG BILLY ELLIOT CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG THE COLOR PURPLE CRY-BABY DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS DOCTOR DOLITTLE EVIL DEAD FINDING NEMO FOOTLOOSE THE FULL MONTY GRAND HOTEL GREY GARDENS HAIRSPRAY HIGH FIDELITY HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS LEGALLY BLONDE THE LION KING THE LITTLE MERMAID LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS MARY POPPINS MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS MY FAVORITE YEAR NICK & NORA THE OPPOSITE OF SEX THE PRODUCERS THE RED SHOES REEFER MADNESS SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER SAVED SINGIN' IN THE RAIN SISTER ACT SPAMALOT STATE FAIR SUNSET BOULEVARD SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS TARZAN THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE THE WEDDING SINGER WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND WHITE CHRISTMAS WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY XANADU YENTL YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
La Cage Aux Folles was actually based on a french play that was turned into a movie. Harvey said that he hated the movie so he went back to the source when he wrote the book of the musical, so its not a film to musical adaptation. Updated On: 5/28/08 at 03:25 PM
Thanks, I double-checked that and RAGTIME but forgot to take them both off of the list.
Every title in the list now specifically acredits the film in which it was based on.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
Well, some of the choices were actually novels/plays before they were films, but if you include those, then you might as well list Light in the Piazza, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, The Goodbye Girl. And The Rocky Horror Show was an original stage musical before it was a film. There are also the London musicals like Stepping Out, Whistle Down the Wind and When Harry Met Sally.
The Color Purple was a novel first as well, though the musical pretty much lifted the dialogue and scenes directly from the film, which is one of the reasons I was disappointed in it.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
The Red Shoes Nick & Nora Meet Me in St. Louis Whistle Down the Wind
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Mister Matt - I listed titles that specifically credit the films in which they are based. Some I didn't double-check, such as ROCKY HORROR.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
CHICAGO was a play which was adapted into a film and then musicalized by Kander and Ebb.
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC was a film by Ingmar Bergman before Sondheim etc. musicalized it.
NINE was based on Fellini's film 8 1/2.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/
Roscoe, CHICAGO and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC do not fit in the "past 25 years" category. Neither does NINE. I thought of those as well but realized they were more than 25 years ago.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
Ah, I missed the stipulation about the last 25 years.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/
Though it's difficult to tell which criterion we're using, Billy Elliott would definitely be in the top 5 having seen it in London. It is a superb show. I also have to give props for the underrated Chitty, which I found unexpectedly delightful. Though it's a children's show, I was enchanted by the staging and score, and the performances were excellent. I liked it much more than the film version, which I have trouble getting through.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
REEFER MADNESS is fantastic but it owes itself to LITTLE SHOP OF HORROR, which is ultimately the better musical out of the two. CpnHook, you list A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC but that opened in '73 which is 35 years ago, not 25. Even NINE, which opened in '82, doesn't fit the 25-years-ago bill. My picks (and these are only from the past 25 years):
1) GREY GARDENS 2) GRAND HOTEL 3) LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS 4) REEFER MADNESS 5) HAIRSPRAY
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
1. A Little Night Music 2. Dance of the Vampires (the GOOD version) 3. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 4. The Full Monty 5. Legally Blonde
Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you.
--Cartman: South Park
ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."