Agree with Mulan. And yes, the Giver is an amazing book. One of my altime favorites. Also, a book called Chinese Cinderella I think, would make a good musical. I don't know if anyone has heard of it or read it but trust me, it's an extremely moving and touching book. (autobiography actually)
I wanted to get something that an "ex"-junkie like him would really appreciate and cherish....it's a brick of heroin shaped like a heart.
-Scrubs
"I can't believe no one has made a musical of "The Princess Bride". It is perfect musical material."
A school near me , in the Cappies prgram, actaully bought the rights to the movie(or something like that) and, for a theater class prject, made it into a play . It was really, really good. So wile not a musical...its a play!
Does anyone know if the Tale of Two Cities musical in A Simple Wish is one of the existing musicals? Because i thought the snippets of songs in it were pretty awesome.
I think The Count of Monte Cristo could work as a POTO style musical. Or the three musketeers
like 50 posts back someone mentioned Redwall the musical, and that would not be too great. all of the characters are animals, but not like lion king animals, more like humans that happen to look like animals.
"And I feel it move me
Like a fire deep inside
Something bursting me wide open
Impossible to hide
And suddenly I'm flying
Flying like a bird
Like electricity
Electricity" - Electricity from Billy Elliot The Musical
Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk - In the late 70's I fully expected someone to write this for Danielle Brisebois!
Franny, the Queen of Provincetown by John Preston Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom (hystrical film version starring Shirley MacLaine and Richard Attenborough adapted from the play by Alec Coppel, who also wrote The Gazebo and has a credit on the screenplay for Vertigo)
"What are your thoughts on the Spider-man Musical that Julie Taymor is slated to direct with Hunter Foster as Peter Parker...I know it's in very very early stages of gestation but does anyone else agree that it would probably be crap?"
Has Julie Taymor ever been associated with crap? I guess there's a first time for everything. There is a demo of another Spiderman musical which actually has some pretty decent music.
If the French Gone With the Wind pop-concert-video-acrobat-disco-musical-spectacular ever played in the US, it would be ripped to shreds. Notre Dame de Paris and The Ten Commandments have already been tested and bombed in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, respectively, and neither of those were American institutions in the way that Gone With the Wind is. Techno dance music (sung by the slaves around a couple of tiny cotton bushes stuck into the floor of the stage) and acrobats really just aren't too convincing in the story of Scarlett and Rhett in the Civil War south. I've attached a link to the official site for this spectacle so you can see for yourself.
Death Becomes Her is a hilarious film, but it really hinges on the site gags of the special effects that would be way too difficult to try and recreate on stage. I'm not sure if it could be reimagined into a workable stage musical.
I know there was an Around the World in 80 Days musical and I believe Ken Mandelbaum mentioned it recently on Broadway.com, but for the life of me, I can't remember what he said about it
Susan Stroman is not directing the stage version of "The Little Mermaid." The show will be directed by Francesca Zambello...this is her Broadway debut. For more info click the link below. "The Little Mermaid" Creative Team
"I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about." - Oscar Wilde
Thanks for the new info, FOAnatic. Part of me really wants to see all of the underwater stuff done on wires with wind machines and stuff, but that would probably be hellishly complicated. Still, it's something to think about. My wife is convinced that I'm going to play Prince Eric. Heh.
As for Spiderman, I'd go see it! I'll give Julie Taymor the benefit of the doubt any day. "Spiderman, spiderman, does whatever a spider can......" = opening number
"Does anyone know if the Tale of Two Cities musical in A Simple Wish is one of the existing musicals?"
I think it has been discussed who wrote those songs for the movie, but I can't remember where. The only version I know very much about is the one in the link of my signature. CatsNYRevival could probably tell you more about the movie music though. Try PMing him. I don't think the songs were written separately from the movie though. I have found at least 5 or 6 different A Tale of Two Cities musicals out there so good luck trying to find info.
My avatar is a reminder to myself. I need lots of reminders...
I believe the music (and maybe lyrics) for "Tale Of Two Cities" musical from "A Simple Wish" were written by Lucy Simon who also wrote "The Secret Garden". And a funny coincidence is that the guy who sings the role of Sydney Carton (Peter Samuel dubbing for Robert Pastorelli in "Simple Wish") also sings the song "The Shadows of the Night" on the Santoriello concept cd. But no relation to the two projects that I'm aware of.
The Little Mermaid has been done (sort of). I saw "Splash" in Vegas about 10 years ago & I swear they had a topless mermaid lip-synching to the movie soundtrack...can't believe Disney was ok with that, but Ariel was definitely showing her areolas.
"I always thought a modernized musical version of Romeo and Juliet would be cool."
Ummm that already kinda exists --- West Side Story...
or maybe you mean REALLY shakespeare-y as in his words and everything? hmmm could be interesting...
Whenever I see a really good movie or read a really good book I can NEVER picture them as musicals. Plays yes...but not musicals. Somehow the thought of the characters singing and dancing just wants to make me laugh. However, if they are made into musicals I usually like them...I just can't picture it until I actually see it. I guess I'd never be able to write a musical then.
There is a 1930's Walter Huston and Ruthe Chatterton movie called "Dodsworth". It is fantastic! I know Stephen Cole staged an adaptation of the work in Dallas in 1994, but the last I heard, the name's been changed to "Continental Divide" and it's not in the works.
It centers on a man who is retiring from business, his snotty wife who is afraid of aging, and a cruise to Europe that changes both their lives (and Mary Astor's).
Wonderful 1930's movie, with dead on acting, snappy dialogue and truly believable situations. Also a fantastic book, but I am not sure if anyone had staged it before the 1936 movie.
"My dreams, watching me said, one to the other...this life has let us down."
I agree, mulan would be very good but theyd need to add a few more songs.
<------ Me and my friends with patti Lupone at my friends afterparty for her concert with audra mcdonald during the summer of 2007.
"I am sorry but it is an unjust world and virtue is only triumphant in theatricle performances" The Mikado
Any of the Noelle Streitfield "shoe books"... I would love to see ballet shoes as a musical!! Maybe dirty dancing as well it would be complete fluff, but fun
So I was sitting in my cubicle today, and I realized, ever since I started working, every single day of my life has been worse than the day before it. So that means that every single day that you see me, that's on the worst day of my life.~Office Space
There is a book titled "Forgiven" The Rise and Fall of Jim Bakker and the PTL Ministry," (Charles Shepard). I would love to see a musical about Jim and Tammy Faye. For example (to borrow a song from another musical) the song "Promises, Promises" would be perfect for a Tammy Faye Character to sing as she goes around stores shopping frantically.