Lousy Movie

[Timmer]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 1:04am

What Broadway shows do you think would be difficult to adapt to the movies and why?

[geekgirl06]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 5:05am

Phantom of the Opera... oh wait

But really, I think a show like Company would make a horrible movie. While it's a gorgeous musical on-stage, there's not enough action and no plot. It would just be awful on screen.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 10:13am

COMPANY would most definitely work as a motion picture. Expanding/adapting it for film is quite easy. Its already a heavy book show with musical numbers. Anyone saying it has no plot hasn't seen COMPANY. Its more than just musical numbers. The only question is... should it be kept in its original 1970 period or updating it to 2009. If CHICAGO and other movie musicals can work as 'period' pieces... I think COMPANY can as well (ala THE ICE STORM).

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 11:43am

I actually think COMPANY would work really well as a film, especially if it were shot in the style of "Babel." Many different plots that share one common trait: Bobby. And, as the film goes on, we really see how related they truly. Then everything finally comes together at the end.

Updated On: 10/9/08 at 11:43 AM

[mormonophobic]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 11:55am

I too agree that Company would actually make a great film. It is one of the heaviest books in a Sondheim vehicle, but the score is still so amazing. Plus, there are certain songs that (although are quite dear to my hear) could be cut to save time, as long as the essentials (especially Bobby's 3 numbers) are there. And I don't think they would really have to do it as either a period piece or specifically update it either. For instance, the revival didn't seem to be set in any sort of exact time period and it worked splendidly. I think a story like Company of isolation and the meaning of relationships can kind of work in any time period regardless of other factors.

Now to answer the original question:
I'll go with [title of show] and Xanadu. Though the latter started as a film, these shows are too intimate and rely too much on the magic of the stage to transfer well to film.

[geekgirl06]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 12:46pm

First of all, I've seen Company. I don't appreciate the insult, but then again, this is BWW. I should have expected it. And honestly, the biggest problem with movie musicals is stopping the action to sing. A movie needs to keep moving at a pace that is unheard of on-stage. And while I love Company, sitting there watching Bobby sing his solo's would just make the audience lose interest in the story. Kind of like the Being Alive performance at the Tony's. Yeah, it was taken out of context, but it just felt so slow and weighted compared to the other performances that night. But then again, I didn't think Chicago really worked in some parts as a movie, so I guess it could work for other audiences.

Anyway, I just thought of another: The Light in the Piazza.

[ken8631]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 12:46pm

Boy From Oz - can't see it as a movie at all.....

[Timmer]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 11:35am

I lioke "Cats" -- my wife LOVES it -- but I think it wouldbe a terrible movie. It's good on DVD, but I don't think it would be very good as a full-fledged big-screen motion picture.

Still, if they did it, I'd probably go see it.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 11:43am

Company could work very well, I think. But I think it should always remain set in the 70s, unless the book is completely overhauled. I realize that the revival wasn't set in the 70s, but it makes a lot of the book make no sense. (The pulse of the city is a busy signal? Who gets a busy signal in 2008?)


A movie needs to keep moving at a pace that is unheard of on-stage.

That's a nice jumbling of words, but it doesn't mean anything. I've seen plenty of shows that moved at a faster pace than various movie. Hell, the stage version of ReNT moves with an urgency nowhere to be found in its film version.

[Timmer]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 11:43am

"And while I love Company, sitting there watching Bobby sing his solo's would just make the audience lose interest in the story."

They'd ahve to do a lot of intercutting like they did in "Chicago" and I thought that was an interruption more than anything.

But you're right, just watching Bobby sing would bore most people (not theatre fans like us, but most people.) Maybe we'd hve to have fantasy shots of the "girls" (what's going on in Bobby's head as he sings it) or something like that.

And that might detract from the poignancy of "Being Alive."

[Timmer]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 11:44am

"And while I love Company, sitting there watching Bobby sing his solo's would just make the audience lose interest in the story."

They'd have to do a lot of intercutting like they did in "Chicago" and I thought that was an interruption more than anything.

But you're right, just watching Bobby sing would bore most people (not theatre fans like us, but most people.) Maybe we'd hve to have fantasy shots of the "girls" (what's going on in Bobby's head as he sings it) or something like that.

And that might detract from the poignancy of "Being Alive."

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 11:58am

Passion
The Light in the Piazza
Caroline, or Change

[Okayfine]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 12:23pm

I realize this has sort fo become the "Company" thread, but I'd still like to chime in: it would be a great film directed by someone with the sensibility of Woody Allen. His style of scene cuts would be perfect for it.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 12:27pm

I actually think The Light in the Piazza could work pretty well as a movie. I think Passion and Caroline, or Change could, too, with the right director, obviously. (but I think it'd be very easy to turn those three into terrible movies)

[Timmer]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 1:15pm

Woody Allen directing "Company" -- now that would be interesting.

[James885]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 1:18pm

The Drowsy Chaperone would probably be difficult to adapt for the screen.

[Timmer]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 1:23pm

You're right about that, James.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 12:55pm

Mister Matt, I was gonna say Caroline or Change.

And James, I actually have an idea for The Drowsy Chaperone but it's a little different. Instead of a record of The Drowsy Chaperone, he has the negative of the movie version of The Drowsy Chaperone. His sections are in black and white (kind of like Reefer Madness) but the film itself is in technicolor. That's my idea.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 5:29pm

I think Drowsy Chaperone would be fun. You wouldn't get the effect of it being told in his living room but its a fun story. In all honesty, I think Wicked would not make a very good movie. The original book by Gregory Maguire would be interesting, but not the stage show.

[CONAries]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 5:36pm

I think Wicked could work, but they will have to put an ALOT of money in to it and get a brilliant cast! They will also need to make it darker, but keeping the light hearted-ness of the first half, it really could work, if I was producing it I know how every scene would appear, so i'm looking forward to see what universal do!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 5:53pm

Definitely CAROLINE, OR CHANGE. Although I've had ideas about a film version that would be an animated feature. It'd be a bit hard to pull off the talking appliances in a live-action film.
I think PASSION and PIAZZA would make beautiful films (they both have non-musical film versions already).

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 5:55pm

Spring Awakening.
They'd have a lot of trouble with Into the Woods, too.

[Jon]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 7:19pm

From the title of this thread, I thought maybe they'd made a sequel to "Bee Movie", but about lice.

[KathyGriffinLovesYou]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 8:35pm

Wicked. can't believe they are trying to do it.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 8:42pm

The Light in the Piazza was on last night, and the parts I saw were interesting; Clara seemed...I guess less obviously developmentally disabled in the movie.