Best Translated Musical to screen?

Posted: 8/31/04 at 11:48pm

In your opinion what do you think the best translated musical to screen would be, meaning musicals that are not yet movies.

IMO I think Sweeney Todd, Jekyll and Hyde, and Wicked would make great movies, mostly because they have great fan bases and they are also great shows!

I also don't think Hairspray will not translate that well, I didn't care for the original either.

[magruder]

Posted: 8/31/04 at 11:55pm

Dreamgirls would make such a terrific movie musical, it's a wonder that it hasn't been made yet. On stage, with Bennett's staging, it had a cinematic, seamless feel.

Posted: 8/31/04 at 11:57pm

I'll second the Dreamgirls nomination. I'd also be curious if a movie of Ragtime could bring it into sharper emotional focus.

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:06am

miss saigon Updated On: 9/1/04 at 12:06 AM

[Marquise]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:14am

I'll third the DREAMGIRLS nomination......whatthehell are they waiting for?

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:17am

I thought Chicago the movie was 100x better than the show. But of course that's just my opinion

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:18am

Dave....run , run away. CJR has your scent.

[Marquise]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:18am

LOL@Priest

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:25am

If you're focused on the "story" of Chicago, then the movie suits your needs. But if you're focused on the music and the choreography, then the musical is the way to go...

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:38am

Oh, hell, add me to the Dreamgirls chorus -- Bennett's staging was the closest thing to a movie on stage that I've ever seen with split second cuts between on stage and backstage, 20 locations, montages, zoom shots, jump cuts mid-scene to new locations (who can ever forget that mind-blowing 5 second quick change when the fringe curtain descended during the "Heavy" montage?) ...... Bennett already did 90% of the work for whomever the eventual film director is going to be.

Along the same lines (and it'll never ever happen) Bennett's staging for "Follies" would be an extraordinary challenge for a film director to chew on -- ghosts and flashbacks and dream sequences, with the past and present coming together and informing one another, huge Ziegfeld (Weisman) Follies - esque numbers, powerful dramatic scenes, solo turns, a cast of hundreds ..... it would either be the greatest film musical ever made or an absolute disaster. James Goldman's book has always been the show's Achilles's heel, but a great screenwriter might be able make it workable. In some ways, it's so complex, it actually (in the right hands) might be more coherent and make more sense as a film than as a stage show, but I can't imagine anyone being crazy enough to want to take it on.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:42am

I think The Secret Garden would be a good movie. I agree with Dreamgirls. I've always thought Les Mis would make a good movie and I think Sunset Boulevard is also a good candidate for film. A few years ago I heard on Rosie that there was talks of making a movie of Sunset with Tom Cruise and Barbra Streisand. Never heard anything else after that.

Rather, there WAS TALK

Updated On: 9/1/04 at 12:42 AM

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:44am

I would love for Secret Garden to be done just to get a movie style soundtrack of the score!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:45am

Leave Sunset alone -- sorry, but it could only look second rate next to Wilder's masterpiece.

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:45am

I agree, margo.

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:50am

I was focusing on the story. With the musical, the story is confusing with no set. The orchestra makes it kind of distracting on stage. Also, when I saw it, I thought the people who played Velma and Roxie were horrible. They had no power to their voices and it was all very blah. I think that might be the biggest reason for me not liking it.

[SMichaelK]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 12:52am

I would just like to see something that uses a Broadway cast. Too often you get crap like Evita with Madonna. I would love to see ragtime done as a movie, but only with actual Broadway artists.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:00am

Unless the Broadway star(s) is well known both inside and outside of the theatre industry there is a possibility that it won't generate ticket sales. Though you might think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread, a lot of people wouldn't be jumping at the chance to see Marin Mazzie or Mark Jacobi in Ragtime. We shouldn't expect them to.

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:01am

Not to mention that acting in the two mediums is totally different.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:02am

Good Point DGRANT.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:03am

And in neither medium, can Madonna be described as an "actress."

[ChiChi]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:04am

I agree with that one too Margo.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 6:03am

I would love to see some of Sondheims shows put on the big screen...but after what they did to A Little Night Music i'm skeptical about the possiblity of success...Sweeney would be very powerful, and i think Into The Woods would be fun, but maybe too scary for kids and too musical for the general public.
I would like to see a movie of Nine...a movie about movie-making set to music...itd be great...or we could hope so...
I think Company could work as a movie...and the music is upbeat enough that i think it could get a following from the general public...it would be an unconventional movie, but i think it could just work

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:16pm

I really would love to see Dreamgirls too. There was a production in the works, and after Hollywood killed A Chorus Line, the estate of Michael Bennett said no way. (Acording to Donna MaKechnie). Maybe now that there is such a high interest in musicals adapted into films, it may be possible once again. La Cage was supposed to be done as well - Frank Sinatra bought the rights so he could play Georges, and the film version died along with him. (bless).

[Marquise]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:33pm

warners owns the movie rights to "dreamgirls" and back in 1998 it was in pre-production. joel schumacher was slated as director. earlier that year warners released the all-black musical bio-pic "why do fools fall in love" starring lorenz tate as frankie lymon. when "why do fools" failed miserably at the box office, warners scrapped all plans for "dreamgirls" and put it back on the shelf.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 9/1/04 at 1:38pm

I'll raise my hand for Dreamgirls too!
And let's not forget the moment when Effie's singing "I Am Changing" and they zoom in on her face with the spotlight and zoom back to a full shot of her in an entirely new dress.