Movie Musicals (Chicago and Phantom, most specifically)

I shared with my friend a link to the Phantom movie trailer. His response was positive and said that he couldn't believe that this film hadn't come out a lot sooner. I explained to him that it originally was going to come out shortly after the first Broadway production in the late eighties (and with at least two of the original leads: Brightman and Crawford).

This got me to thinking about movie musicals. Isn't it funny how Chicago and Phantom have similar ordeals in getting put on film.

Of course with Chicago it took far longer to get onscreen, and with several different people attached to several different projects over the years (i.e. Liza Minnelli, Goldie Hawn, Madonna, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Nathan Lane, Rosie O'Donnell, etc.). By the way, when Goldie and Liza were in consideration for the film back in the seventies, which roles were they suggested to play? I can imagine both in the Roxie role (seeing as how Liza had already done it on Broadway and Goldie had that kooky "Laugh-In" persona attached to her), but I could also see Liza as Velma, as well. She'd have played both roles. I once read somewhere that there was footage somewhere of an attempt at the film in the seventies that had a "Cell Block Tango" including several Broadway stars, including Ethel Merman, as the cell block girls. This could be a wild rumor, and it probably is, but it's intriguing nonetheless.

Now, with Phantom, we finally (obviously) have a definite cast after a period in the late-90s/early 2000s where different names were rumored: John Travola, Antonio Banderas and Brooke Shields (blech to them all!). Andrew Lloyd Webber seems to have not ****ed this one up with a big pop star, and grew some balls to take a chance with a few lesser-known film actors who might actually be able to *gasp* sing their roles in the keys intended--what a CONCEPT!

I believe that Moulin Rouge was, inadvertently, a litmus test for Chicago, which was probably another test for Phantom, which--I hope--will be an indication that Sweeney Todd is a viable option for the big screen. I can dream, at least.

-SuperSchubert

I have a feeling Phantom of the Opera will be very good and be nominated for a few Oscars, but I fear for Rent. It doesn't scream Oscar material to me. It doesn't scream movie material, either, but that's a different story.

I do think Moulin Rouge helped pave the way for Chicago -- not in getting it made, but in the way it was received. If Moulin Rouge wasn't nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, Chicago would have never won it a year later.

Unless a miracle happens, Rent won't be anywhere near the Academy Awards, simply because of its blah director. I know we've debated this already, but even if Columbus pulls off making an interesting movie, let's face it, even his very best isn't Oscar quality.

The return of the movie musical is exciting because we have yet to see what form it will take. Will the majority of these New Movie Musicals be reminiscent of MTV (fast editing, extremely stylized, unrelenting pace) like Moulin Rouge, or be like a recorded stage performance (Chicago)? I'm hoping for a blend of both: still very cinematic and dynamic, but retaining some of the theatricality that makes "sung stories" work. (I for one wasn't very happy with Chicago; I felt it was too much like a made-for-TV musical, like the ABC versions of 'Annie' or 'Bye Bye Birdie. It could have been more cinematic, but instead, it felt like a professionally-filmed stage production.)

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Updated On: 6/30/04 at 10:30 PM

I hope Phantom is good, it looks very lush and grand - I hope Shumacher didn't screw it up!

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150 mins is long. The longer the movie, the less showings per day and the less money it brings in....

I think we're allowing our theatre fandom to cloud our predictions. I really don't think Phantom will be billed as "one of the biggest film events of the year"; I'll be surprised if Phantom even registers with the average moviegoer as a "must see".

Chicago had the advantage of big stars and a savvy marketing campagin from Miramax, but even it didn't make that much money (one of the lowest-grossing Best Picture winners, actually). Phantom is riding on its brandname alone, and I'm skeptical as to how much it'll float because of it.

150 minutes is suicide in Hollywood. Sure, there are Hollywood movies that are that long, but usually they are projects that won't suffer from a long running time -- a large builtin audience, a big star, it's an action movie, etc.

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Rent won't be Oscar material? Well, that's contingent upon the performances and how the characters are fleshed out in the screenplay. When musicals are nominated for Oscars, the quirky characters (i.e. the Emcee in Cabaret, Velma in Chicago, Anita in West Side Story) usually stand a good chance of winning. Heck, recent years have seen actors in dramas receive nominations *probably* because their characters were so distinct. Was Renee Zellweger really that great as Ruby in Cold Mountain? Were we rooting for Chris Cooper to win for Adaptation because he's the only one who could have pulled off the character, or because the idea of a sexy, toothless, foul-mouthed guy who loses his family in a car accident is so much more compelling than an abandoned husband or a father who is doted over by his son?

I would expect the actors portraying Angel, Collins and Mimi to receive nominations if they deliver strong performances. A lovable drag queen with AIDS? Radical anarchist with AIDS? Lovable, HIV+ S&M dancer/junkie? The Academy will have a hard time resisting nominations -- if the performances are strong.

Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay are certainly in the hands of Columbus. Based on his previous films, I think this production will [at least] garner some nominations for Art Direction and Sound.

On another note, the presence of catchy, hip songs in Rent speaks to its Oscar potential. Most of the people in the Academy were not around for repeat theatrical viewings of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals (the members' names were just released, fyi). They went for hip musicals like Chicago and Moulin Rouge, so they're likely to go for Rent in some respect. It's possible for a film to be flawed but still have stand-out great qualities. Frida made the mistake of concentrating on highlighting certain incidents in Kahlo's life (i.e. the sex part of her bisexuality) instead of focusing on a strong narrative, but the costume design, the art direction and the score -- none of which Columbus will have principal control over -- were nonetheless memorable.

And speaking of Moulin Rouge... how is it, another story closely related to Puccini's opera, Oscar material while Rent isn't??

Updated On: 7/1/04 at 05:11 AM

"Phantom of the Opera" is all sung? I must've missed that in all the dialogue scenes.

The music in 'Phantom' 'borders' opera about as closely as Canada borders Zimbabwe.

I just don't think "Rent" will work as a movie. The show is an experience, in a dark, dank theatre filled with dust clouds and run down walls and ceilings. There's basically no set, and it works. It's a live theater thing. The movie, I don't think, won't be able to capture this. I'll give it a chance, but it's hard for me to imagine it working. I hope I'm wrong.

Yeah, it's mock opera in my eyes. But, I still enjoy it.

My point when I said, "it leaned closer to opera" was that people who have seen Moulin Rouge and Chicago have in their headsd what they think musical theatre music sounds like, but with Phantom, it is not like the normal everyday musical sound. I was saying it WAS OPERA. And if there is dialogue, it is like very minimal and then goes directly into the song. Like reading of the letters.

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I always thought that EVITA (Madonna version) paved the way for this new generation of movie musicals.

Here's what happened with the Les Miz movie:

LES MIS movie info: Alan Parker [FAME, BUGSY MALONE, PINK FLOYD THE
WALL, BIRDY] was initially chosen by Cameron Mackintosh to direct the
movie for Tristar Pictures. Parker pulled out, and was replaced by
Bruce Beresford [DRIVING MISS DAISY, BLACK ROBE]. Beresford has since
dropped out, and as of April 1993, the movie was in pre-production at
TriStar Pictures with the following creative team:

Producers: Cameron Mackintosh, David Matalon, Chris Kenny
Director: Richard Attenborough
Screenwriters: Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schonberg
rec.arts.theatre.musicals FAQ, 1994