Movie Musicals That Are Better Than the Stage Version...

What Movie Musicals do you think are better than the stage version?

I think Hair is a much better film than it is a stage musical.

Any thoughts?

The stage and screen versions of HAIR are two different "animals". I think they work great in their respective mediums. IMO to say one is wholly better than the other is pointless because without one the other wouldn't exist.

*BUT* there are several motion picture versions of musicals that do improve on the original source.

I haven't seen to many. With alot of musicals I'm mostly familiar with their screen counterparts. I've seen the films of SOUND OF MUSIC, WEST SIDE STORY and MY FAIR LADY but have never seen the stage versions.

I have seen both stage and screen versions of GREASE and like HAIR I think both versions are good and work within their respective mediums. I do think however that the stage version of GREASE has a little more charm only because it gives alot of the other characters a musical number.

The interesting thing about "HAIR" is that in its day, the stage show (which is almost a review of songs, with about 1 1/2 pages of plot) was a revolution and a revelation that extended far beyond the Broadway stage. It was the last musical to have MANY songs from its score become hits on the pop charts. It was a very turbulent time. When the movie came out in the late '70s, the country's general attitude had changed so drastically. People were tired of hearing about the Vietnam war, both in the news and in the movie theatre. This movie came out at the height of the "disco" era, when people just wanted to escape and have fun. It flopped, despite some mild critical praise. The irony (to me) is that if you look at both of these "animals" now with over 25 years and more of a perspective... I would have to agree that the film is actually better. Milos Forman and Twyla Tharp did an amazing job, and I think Galt MacDermot brought so much more to his own music in the film. The cast was great (many of them from the New York theatre community), and it's a very powerful film.

Shifting gears...

I would have to say that "The Sound of Music" is a better film, if for no other reason than for its locations. The show (despite its tie for "Best Musical" that year) received mixed reviews. It was pretty land-locked to see Mary Martin as Maria wheeled out at the beginning hanging from a paper mache tree to sing the title song. How can that possibly compete with the famous helicopter shot from the movie? The book was punched up for the film (Bravo, Ernest Lehman!), and songs were switched around. Maria and the Mother Abbess no longer sang "My Favorite Things" in the Abby, and the kids and Maria no longer sang "The Lonely Goatherd" during the thunder storm. Both worked better in their new "positions" as a result.

"Oliver!" is a better film than stage show. Again some incredible switching of songs was done that improved the through-line and tension. My hat is over to director Carol Reed, who (not unlike Hitchcock) was able to build suspense. The best example is "Oom-Pa-Pa," which is a throw-away song in the stage show. In the film it was repositioned. Nancy uses it as a diversion to help Oliver escape from the clutches of Bill Sykes. Brilliant! A stellar cast helped as well.

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"The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas".

A Chorus Line, of course!





I'm kidding! Don't kill me!

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Oy, don't get me started on the A Chorus Line movie! Ick.

Marquise--If it was, that's a shame.

I'm sure they did what they felt worked best for the movie in the editing room.

Having done the stage show myself, I just know what it could have been.

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I'd have to add Cabaret to the list of movies that are better than the stage show. I believe the revival improved the stage show, but it's still in second to Bob Fosse's movie version.

Yes, best12bars. The character of "Angel" is played by Andrea Pike in the film version of "Whorehouse". Since all of her storyline was cut from the film's final version she's just credited as being one of "The Whorehouse Girls".

orangesekittles add me to the list of people who finds liza grating on the nerves. but even so, i still love me some CABARET. i love that movie in spite of that fact.

Yeah, I agree with Marquise on Grease (haha...rhymes) in that the stage version gives other characters song opportunities which allows for more character develpoment...

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Most movie musicals that came first were better than their subsequent stage counterparts:

Gigi
Chitty
Beauty and the Beast
Singin' in the Rain
Seven Brides


The only recent exception I can think of is (perhaps) The Lion King. I might throw in Millie, as well.

Sounds like an uphill battle against the odds for future efforts: Mary Poppins, White Christmas & Tarzan... and potential ones: Moulin Rouge, Newsies, and others.

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Updated On: 9/25/05 at 08:28 PM

The film of Sweet Charity was infinitely better than this production. Not sure I would say the film is better than a typical professional production of the show with the original Fosse staging and choreography (I enjoyed the Debbie Allen revival in '86).

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