Understudy Joined: 12/25/11
"In terms of production design, I thought The Sweeney Todd film was better than the original production"
I can't
If you could only answer if you had actually seen the original stage version as well as the movie, most of these posts would disappear, I imagine.
Updated On: 7/30/13 at 12:01 PM
Maybe the whole damn thread should disappear. This topic has been discussed to death.
"Annie"
Which one? I Actually thought the TV movie was vastly superior to the 80's Movie.
Really, Nate??
I thought the original film was much better, mainly because of it's sensational cast. Carol, Bernadette, Tim, and Ann were so amazing, and the ending was much more exciting.
I found Kathy to be rather lifeless as Hannigan.
We seem to clunk heads all the time, jazz lol. Yes, as a whole I thought the 90's film was better. While I do agree that the 80's cast was superior to the 90's cast ( except Aileen Quinn) I thought the tv movie as a whole was better. The 80's film felt rushed and the added songs really just weren't good. It was a very messy project.
i'm afraid I agree that the tv version was better. the ending especially of the original film was a problem for me, burnette suddenly doing an about face and trying to save annie. nope.
overall, nothing can possibly top the original Andrea McArdle version, that alas, has only been in my head for these last 35 years, since I never got to see it.
Reefer Madness as a movie musical was better than the stage version. The stage show was then revised based on the film.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)was better than the stage version.
Oh and Evita. I really think the film is underestimated and fixes some of the waste in the show. I do hate the lip-syncing though.
Swing Joined: 6/29/13
Chicago. For sure. But, I am basing my opinion off of the current Broadway production. I also saw it with Billy Ray Cyrus, so.... that pretty much explains itself.
I'd say the Hedwig and the Angry Inch movie is at least as good as the musical (and yes, I saw the original).
Oh and Evita. I really think the film is underestimated and fixes some of the waste in the show. I do hate the lip-syncing though.
The Evita film is maddening because there are some things that ARE really well done (Alan Parker really nailed the crowd scenes and bigger spectacles that couldn't be done in a theater, imo) and some things that are absolutely terrible.
Better:
West Side Story
Oliver!
The Sound of Music
Chicago
Funny Girl
Hello, Dolly!
Cabaret
Grease
As good as:
Fiddler on the Roof
The King and I
My Fair Lady
Jesus Christ, Superstar
On the Town
The Sound of Music, even if I wish they did have the songs for the Baroness
State Fair for sure (either version, although I like the later one better, truth be told-Ann Margaret was excellent)
I think My Fair Lady and Chicago are equivalent to the productions I saw (I saw pretty much the entire original revival cast-Ann Reinking was the only one I didn't see. I also saw some excellent replacement casts. I have not seen it since it moved to the Ambassador.)
My Fair Lady I'm mixed on because of Audrey Hepburn's lip synching. (I know Christopher Plummer is but somehow since it's not as big of a singing role I don't feel as strongly about it.)
Limiting this to cases where I've seen both the Musical and Film in question:
The Apartment (not saying I don't enjoy PROMISES, but the film is one of my favorites)
Chicago
Elf
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Shrek
I love both the film and stage versions of ONCE too much to compare them to each other.
CarlosAlberto, did you mean to type "A CHORUS LINE... is one of the worst adaptations to film of any musical in the history of the form."?
Couldn't have said it better, givesmevoice. The EVITA film really is horrible and the only things Parker got right were the crowds and the spectacle aspect. Everything else went downhill.
I also agree with anyone who prefers Hairspray (2007) over the stage musical.
I think everything about the Hairspray film was as good as the stage show, with one glaring exception:
John Travolta as Edna. It was an interesting idea to drown him under latex and try to get him to pass as a woman (rather than clearly a man in drag as a woman), it just didn't quite work for me. I think they should have cast Harvey or had Travolta do it without the "woman suit."
In any case, it makes me wince.
@ Idiot: Uh yeah, sure that's what I meant to type...
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