The Nightmare Before Christmas

[hottieho13]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 4:22pm

Do you think that the Nightmare Before Christmas movie would translate well into a musical on/off broadway?

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 5:07pm

No.

And I say that as someone who loves the movie. But when you start to tear it apart and look at it from a staging point of view, it really begins to fall down.

Look at the songs, just as an example: they're not really structured; they're just fascinating but meandering themes that dont have a middle or an end.

[Overkill]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 5:13pm

I agree, No. I love the movie to death, but what Sean said, the music just won't hold up on stage. Especially something like "What's This". The beauty of that song is not only that it's fun to listen to, but to look at. The beauty of that animation and how quick it moves. On stage, that just wouldn't work. I picture ELF. He'd be running around while people walk by hime with props that he's singing about and he's hiding behind a tree. You know? Just one example.

Now, I DO think that it could work as a seasonal show in Disney World/Disneyland.

[marcblack]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 5:34pm

opps! Updated On: 12/27/10 at 05:34 PM

[marcblack]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 5:35pm

Overkill, I'm not sure I understand your point. If you don't think the movie will translate well to the stage, why can it work at Disney World but not on Broadway? It's the same concept, just a different venue. Are you trying to say the show will resonate with audience members in Orlando better than New York? Because that would have more to do with consumer demand, than the actual production itself.

Updated On: 12/27/10 at 05:35 PM

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 5:41pm

Yes. I think it could.

I don't know if the story would work on it's on, it'd need more put into it.

Only, if the team working on it, did what the 'Mary Poppins' team did. Re-worked the songs entirely, wrote new lyrics and new songs for it and different orchestrations then the music could work.

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 5:48pm

Yes. I think it could...key word being 'could.'

I don't know if the story would work on it's on, it'd need more put into it.

Only, if the team working on it, did what the 'Mary Poppins' team did. Re-worked the songs entirely, wrote new lyrics and new songs for it and different orchestrations then the music could work.

But without a lot of work being put into it, and the film simply being put on a stage, then it deffinately would not work.

but i agree with it being a seasonal show like Elf!

[hottieho13]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 5:54pm

Yeah i was thinking that the songs and story would have t have more added to it and re-work some staging possiblities but it would be great! Alan Cumming would be so perfect as Jack!

[Overkill]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 5:54pm

marcblack, that's kind of what I mean. If you've seen shows in Disney World/land, you go there and you enjoy them, but you wouldn't want to see them on Broadway. Most of them are just recreated scenes from whatever movie they're based on, usually recreated in the way I described how I saw "What's This" being staged. Things like the Aladdin show in California Adventure are fun and great when you're there, but it would need some SERIOUS reworking. You know? I'm not saying Nightmare is entirely impossible to translate to stage, I just mean it wouldn't work for a Broadway production. A 15 minute theme park one, maybe.
Updated On: 12/27/10 at 05:54 PM

[marcblack]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 5:57pm

Yes, I now understand what you're saying. Wasn't entirely sure at first. Updated On: 12/27/10 at 05:57 PM

[Overkill]

Posted: 12/27/10 at 6:01pm

Well, I mean in the theme parks, it could be a seasonal thing. Which I've heard, they're thinking about. They already change The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland with all the Nightmare characters during the holiday season.

I don't really understand if you're wondering why I'm saying it'll work only during a certain season, or only in a certain place.

[pinkyboy]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 2:07pm

I think it would need alot of reworking (as everyone else said), but if Disney could get lions and teapots to sing onstage, I think they could make Jack Skellington work :)

[Moneyspider]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 6:37pm

I would love to see a stage version and I imagine Disney theatrical has looked at it, particularly if they want a seasonal show. But if they can't get something better than , then no.

[TheKandyLife]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 7:49pm

I genuinly had a dream about this the other night.

Like in most weird dreams...you're just 'there'. I was no one, but a camera, so i could see.

Anyway, my dream was how they staged this show. It was all done using fluorescent lights, paints, make-up and the like.
Now...i have to say, in my dream...it was absolutely amazing looking, really bright and vibrant...as if the movie was playing on stage (obviously with the reworks haha) but...seriously, looked amazing!

Now i'm awake and thinking about it, could this work? Or is that a step Broadway doesn't want to take yet haha what do you guys think?...my dream REALLY sold it to me...but that was a dream, always making things look better or worse than they actually are haha

[Spotlightjb]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 9:12pm

I love the movie to pieces but in order for it to work on Broadway, it'd have to be an massive (expensive) spectacle with the story and songs fleshed out. While I have no doubt that a Nightmare Before Christmas show would be popular, I don't know if it be popular enough to make it a financially smart endeavorer.

TheKandyLife - As far as your idea about an entire show done in black lights, I think it's interesting but I don't think that I personally would want to sit through an 2+ hour show in that style. However, as a 20 minute theme park show, I can see it working.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/28/10 at 11:37pm

Despite the obvious visual issues, the story was ALREADY padded out to the make the movie- Tim Burton's original short story was extremely slight (like, Dr.Seuss-book length), with the only real characters being Jack and Santa. And the movie is only 70 minutes, and actually does drag in some places. The story is padded to its extent, I feel.

The movie has a very tight focus on Jack in terms of character (as it should), so any "padding" would probably have to focus on characters like Sally or Oogie-Boogie. Oogie-Boogie could actually use a bit more development, since he sort of just relies entirely on the the build up to and then his song, after that he's just... there, as an almost unnecessary antagonist. But I feel like doing that would be distracting.

[Moneyspider]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 3:56am

There actually is a black light show in Paris Disneyland. I think it could work for numbers or parts thereof but certainly not the wholeshow, particularly outside Halloweentown. I think you could introduce Oohie earlier as a rival to Jack, one with a darker idea of Halloween.

But I do have to wonder if Disney would produce a show when theme park wise they've just done seasonal overlays so far. Now, I'm sure the seasonal aspect is a factor in not having a NBXmas ride year round but still, it is a strong merchandise seller.

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 2:43pm

Outside of the film, there is an official canonical "mythology" of Halloweentown, which is expanded upon in tie-in products, most notably the two video games. These give a lot more story, personality and background to many of the colorful film characters, most notably what the relationship between Halloweentown, Oogie Boogie and the Three Trick-Or-Treaters really is. I would imagine that they would draw on some of this backstory to build up the show, since it's already there and just needs to be incorporated.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 3:16pm

As we have seen basically anything can be adapted as a stage musical, but personally I don't think it's a very good idea.

I suppose they could get a good script and some new songs (not by Elfman hopefully) and make it a decent seasonal show.

But for my money, all the charm was in the animation and all the things that the medium allows a creative team to do.
Things can be appropriated for the physical stage, but they often lose that sense of "anything can happen" that animation affords.

[BroadwayBenny]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 4:33pm

I would prefer a musical based on Corpse Bride over Nightmare, WITH ONE CATCH...New songs that are actually good. I loved the story of Corpse Bride, it's very theatrical. But it's songs were lame and forgettable.

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 5:43pm

Tazber, you didn't like Danny Elfman's songs for the film?

[tazber]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 6:10pm

Not really, darquegk. I love the movie but the songs didn't appeal to me.

Nothing against Elfman mind you, he writes great film scores. I just don't think that actual songs are a strong point with him.

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 6:15pm

I disagree- if anything, his time as songwriter-leader of the band Oingo Boingo proves that he has quite a way with writing a song. It just so happens that his preferred songwriting styles are rock and jazz, but that in his film musicals, he likes to indulge in German Expressionist and Brechtian song stylings.

Naturally, the dissonance, unconvnetional German jazz voicings and meandering melodies of this style are not for everyone. But, for comparison, how do you feel about the songs from "The Threepenny Opera?" They are the closest in style to Nightmare in the realm of musical theater.

[hottieho13]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 7:59pm

I always that the Danny Elfman would be great at writing for musical theatre because his music is so theatrical. it would cost massive amounts of money to produce this show probably and with what is going on with spider-man i think investors may be leery of doing anything else big budget for a while.

[Overkill]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 8:48pm

I would LOVE to hear a Danny Elfman score on Broadway, just not Nightmare Before Christmas...