Bill Condon talks about adapting stage musicals to film

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 6/29/07 at 11:46pm

I'm surprised no one's posted this already. He goes into detail about why he chose to do certain things the way he did for the Dreamgirls film.


Along Came Bill

[MerMaggieGalinda]

Posted: 6/29/07 at 11:52pm

That's a really great article, I like Bill Condon, he seems like he really understands movie musicals. And since he mentioned Spring Awakening, I'd really like to see what he could do with that, even though I'm kind of against a movie version, he seems like he could do it justice.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/30/07 at 1:41am

He's a genius. Can't wait for his next project.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 6/30/07 at 1:47am

I have such respect for this guy. He really knows what he's talking about.

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/30/07 at 8:57am

I hate that he said he hit a "snag" with one of the rights holders on Follies.

The Bennett estate, no doubt.

Damn! I would love to see Catherine Zeta-Jones playing Yvonne De Carlo, playing Carlotta, singing "I'm Still Here." That show within a show approach would be great.

I also love his idea for a Grey Gardens musical movie that incorporated footage from the original documentary. Bill thinks "cinematically" which you have to do when you adapt a stage show for the screen.

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 6/30/07 at 10:19am

What I think is nice is that he understands and respects each medium. He's not a movie guy doing a musical (Chris Columbus) or a stage guy doing a movie (Susan Stroman). It's the best of both worlds!

[ben4]

Posted: 6/30/07 at 10:33am

"...or a stage guy doing a movie (Susan Stroman)." -Born To Reign

Say what you will about Stroman's horrible film adaptation of The Producers (And indeed it was horrible), but she is no man.

Anyway, I love Bill Condon. Forgotting Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh, he has yet to dissapoint me with one of his films. I'd love to see him do another movie-musical, but something tells me it'll be quite a while (They're quite expensive to do and rarely become break out hits).

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 6/30/07 at 11:05am

I thought about changing that, but I wanted to be consistent. Plus I think of "guy" as more of an inclusive term these days. Using it in the context of, like, an industry insider. If that makes any sense.

Didn't mean to offend Ms. Stroman :)

[jv92]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 1:01am

He needs to do Follies.
AND...
Sondheim made a really good point about Chicago.

[Born To Reign]

Posted: 7/1/07 at 10:06am

I have a really hard time picturing Follies as a movie. But I trust him and would LOVE to see it!!

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 7/2/07 at 3:18pm

TM: You seemed to go out of your way to have most of the songs, even the non-performance numbers, happen on a stage. For example, you moved the leads onto the stage to sing "Family" rather than having them stay in the dressing room.

BC: The most famous song in Dreamgirls is a book song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Several of the other big numbers are book songs as well, so I wanted to embrace rather than disguise the theatrical roots of the piece. In the Broadway version of Dreamgirls, "And I Am Telling You" took place in a dressing room -- but it really took place on the stage of the Imperial Theatre. It was all about the connection between the women who played Effie and the audience.

I still find this way of thinking kind of odd. In a musical film, wherever the actors are when they're singing is essentially the stage. I feel like actually putting the actors on stage during a number that's not performed in front of an audience just makes things awkward.


BC: When people complained about "Family," they complained about the sweetness of the song. I had a talk with Stephen Sondheim about this after Chicago opened, and he felt that show worked on film because it doesn't have any love songs. It doesn't ask the audience to sit through musical moments full of honest sentiment.

I'm sure the sweetness of the song may have been part of it, but I don't think having the characters all huddle together onto a blindingly white stage set helped matters.

I think Mr. Condon is very innovative in some respects, but I think there's such a thing as being too innovative. Sometimes when you go so far out of your way to give something a second layer or meaning, you lose the first layer. (See the film version of Bewitched. Or, actually, don't.)

Updated On: 7/2/07 at 03:18 PM

[Kringas]

Posted: 7/2/07 at 3:23pm

People complained about "Family" because it's the first book song and it doesn't come until half an hour into the movie.

And personally, I don't want him to touch "Follies." I don't want a film version of the Chapin book.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 7/2/07 at 3:43pm

"People complained about "Family" because it's the first book song and it doesn't come until half an hour into the movie."

I feel like that's what makes it clear that some of Condon's choices just didn't work. People still felt the number was jarring even though he tried to frame it the way he did. I think you should either find a way to have all of the musical scenes take place in front of an audience (or during the writing or recording period) or you should just give in to the conventions of the genre from the start.

[Kringas]

Posted: 7/2/07 at 3:44pm

I think you should either find a way to have all of the musical scenes take place in front of an audience (or during the writing or recording period) or you should just give in to the conventions of the genre from the start.

I completely agree.

[ben4]

Posted: 7/2/07 at 4:06pm

I thought it worked. For one they had already established the stage origins during the stepping to the bad side number. It was clear that this was going to be a movie that takes place partly in a real stage setting and partly through characters breaking into song

[jv92]

Posted: 7/2/07 at 8:23pm

Here's a question-
How would the Bennett estate have a problem with Follies being adapted into a film? I don't think there were any quibbles with Dreamgirls. With all due respect to Mr. Bennett, who unfortunately passed on 20 years ago today, he really has a lousy, closed minded group of people representing him today.

[Kringas]

Posted: 7/2/07 at 8:27pm

Damn! I would love to see Catherine Zeta-Jones playing Yvonne De Carlo, playing Carlotta, singing "I'm Still Here." That show within a show approach would be great.

Ugh, I just don't think that would have been great at all.