Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/13/06
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#1
Posted: 10/12/23 at 10:43am
I've been thinking a lot about some of the films of the last 40(!) or so years and their respective stage musical adaptations and was curious what everyone considered their favorites and/or the best or most well-crafted/well-translated stage versions.
The UK is especially getting their fix with "transfers" of Clueless, The Devil Wears Prada, then the upcoming 13 Going On 30, To Wong Foo, The Time Traveller's Wife, etc. and we've both had our share of favorites and award-winners like Legally Blonde, Hairspray, The Band's Visit, Kinky Boots, Matilda, Back to the Future, Waitress, etc.
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#3
Posted: 10/12/23 at 10:53am
I know they are all mainstream, but I think my Top 3 would have to be The Producers, Waitress, and Newsies. I think they’re structured well, have excellent scores, and contain flushed-out characters.
I’m not one though who hates movie-to-musical adaptations, as long as the creative teams go about them with tender love and care. You can miss me with shows that seem hastily developed and altogether aren’t that interesting. (Cough cough Mrs. Doubtfire cough cough)
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/14/04
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#4
Posted: 10/12/23 at 11:18am
Absolute best is Little Shop of Horrors. I would also give nods to The Lion King, Hairspray, and Once.
In hindsight, the early 2000s really was the heyday for movie-to-stage adaptions: The Producers, The Full Monty, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hairspray, Spamalot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and I would even say The Wedding Singer - all successfully adapted their source material (i.e., they didn't just put the movie on stage) and now stand alone as distinct properties in their own right. It's been pretty hit-or-miss since then (and before then), but that was a pretty good five-year run.
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#5
Posted: 10/12/23 at 1:59pm
I'd say Legally Blonde improved what was already a good movie (some of it being better for adaptive purposes and some of it just inspired). I thought the same about Heathers, though I was never a huge fan of the original movie, so the changes made to the musical just suited my tastes better.
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#6
Posted: 10/12/23 at 3:06pm
La Cage Aux Folles
A Little Night Music
Grand Hotel
Passion
The Lion King
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#7
Posted: 10/12/23 at 3:08pm
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#8
Posted: 10/12/23 at 3:10pm
Billy Elliot
Stand-by Joined: 8/2/23
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#9
Posted: 10/14/23 at 6:42am
Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert and Back To The Future both leave me grinning from ear to ear. Back in the 90s I saw a short-lived production of Plan 9 From Outer Space that I enjoyed, but it couldn't escape the comparisons to Rocky Horror.
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/29/05
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#10
Posted: 10/14/23 at 11:27am
Hairspray, The Band's Visit, Little Shop and La Cage
guilty pleasure: Xanadu
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#11
Posted: 10/14/23 at 12:03pm
The Full Monty. Where is that revival, huh?
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#12
Posted: 10/14/23 at 12:52pm
Matilda and La Cage are based on their book and play respectively, so I wouldn’t include those (both incredible).
But Hairspray, Groundhog Day, Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Little Shop are my top 5.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/29/13
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#14
Posted: 10/15/23 at 10:02am
The Producers
Nine
Moulin Rouge
Hairspray
Sunset Blvd.
A Gentleman’s Guide… (Kind Hearts and Coronets)
To me these are the top tier group.
Note: ALNM opened in 1973.
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#15
Posted: 10/16/23 at 9:53am
I would give The Color Purple a special mention. Yes, I know it was a novel first, but the stage version had much more in common with the 1985 movie than it did with the novel. And in my opinion, the stage version greatly improves on the Spielberg movie.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/11/11
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#16
Posted: 10/16/23 at 10:53am
Little Shop of Horrors, cause it was not made in any way shape or form trying to cash in on a familiar movie.
Featured Actor Joined: 6/5/07
Favorite and/or Best Movie-to-Musicals, 1980s to Present#17
Posted: 10/16/23 at 2:22pm
For me I'd put Legally Blonde, Billy Elliott, Hairspray, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Producers in my top 5
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