Has a Musical Adaptation of a Film Ever Made an Improvement? — Page 2

I can't think of any examples of this being true. I mean, there can be individual moments that are better realized, but not the overall work of art. I love The Producers and Hairspray as musicals, but if I were to watch a movie, I would go back to their non-musical inspirations and not their musical-inspired movie versions.

All of the previously cited examples seemed like better movies (and, in some cases, I'd probably also go back a step and say they were better books than movies, heh).

Most adaptations succeed if they merely honor the spirit of the work that came before them, and few manage to make it over that hurdle.

As to whether the Wedding Singer is a better musical or movie, my reaction would be "Is there nothing else we can see?"

Below is a short list of some of the better stage musicals made from movies (or from material made into a popular movie before it was made into a stage musical)

She Loves Me - a masterpiece; The Shop Around the Corner - a masterpiece

Nine - good musical, but nowhere near as good as 8 1/2

Sweet Charity - good musical, but as with Nine, it can't compare with Fellini's movie

A Little Night Music - very good musical, but Smiles of a Summer Night is flawless

Promises, Promises - ditto ditto ditto The Apartment ditto

Grand Hotel - not a bad show; wonderful movie

Chicago - great musical made into an ever better movie musical, but was the show better than the original movie made from the original play? Hard to say. Roxie Hart is a damned good movie and there are many people who love it more than I do (Pauline Kael did; Stanley Kubrick thought it was one of the ten best movies ever made)

The Producers - not sure the show, as good as it is, is better than the original movie

Lion King - ditto

Legally Blonde - ditto

Hairspray - ditto

Bottom line: the best movie sourced stage musicals are made from first rate movies.

Which is not to suggest that all stage musicals made from first rate movies are good. If only!

The best I can come up with is this:

Cabaret is a much better musical than I Am A Camera was a movie, but that may be stretching the point as the show was inspired by Isherwood's stories and Van Druten's play and it would be hard to argue that it was in any significant way inspired by the minor movie made from Van Druten's play.






wikipedia list

Updated On: 6/2/14 at 02:28 PM

^absolutely!

I might advance A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC here, SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT was delighftul but left me a little cold. Sondheim's added music was the through-line of joy and artistry that was able to keep my interest in the story, which I honestly think is spread a little thin in the film. But it's a light comedy that takes on shades of drama when you least expect it, and I think the musical treats that tone better, personally.

---