Musicals that DIDN'T lose their magic on film- Page 2

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 3/5/05 at 11:32pm

I totally agree about Sound of Music, that the movie improved the musical, probably with the combination of the scenery and Julie Andrews just did so much for that movie.

I'm surprised no one mentioned it, but Grease honestly is not a great show, but the movie I thought greatly improved on the material. They added a couple of new good songs and just rewired the story to make it flow better as opposed to the stage version which I just found to be way too over the place and not really finding direction.

I'll also second Little Shop(I wish they kept the ending, but you can't ignore the phenomenal cast), West Side Story(though the dubbing takes away from it), King and I(Yul Brenner--enough said), Chicago, and Phantom of the Opera.

[BWayBoy88]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 12:10am

I was thinking about the Grease movie, but there was no magic in the stage show for it to loose on film. But I completly agree that it was a LOT better as a movie.

I also forgot to say West Side Story. Robert Wise really knew how to make movie musicals

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 12:59am

except for the bette middler GYSPY... there really isn't a musical that didn't lose something from stage to screen. you can't change mediums and expect the same results although, cutting songs and writing new ones is never the answer. as is the case with GYPSY the material works best presented just how it is on stage. I honestly can't think of a single musical movie that I wasn't appalled by the changes that were made or if there were non at the least simply enjoyed it better on stage. this does however not include shows like Victor/Victoria, Jesus Christ Superstar or the Hugh Jackman Oklahoma! which were for the most part preserved on the stage and are wonderful momentos of what was seen on stage. even though they are not actually "movies" they are nice to own for that reason: they're not movies.

[chasgoose]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 1:08am

I personally enjoyed the movie version of Chicago better. The story was much more fleshed out and I enjoyed how they made the songs subconcious expressions of the characters. The only thing that I think the current stage version of Chicago has over the movie was the way they incorporated the orchestra into the staging. At times I was more intent on watching that than the musical itself.

[jarred03]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 1:14am

CHICAGO is without a doubt the best film-version of a stage musical. West-Side Story, Guys and Dolls, and Hello Dolly are good but I think would be better live. Carousel is the absolute worst. I love the musical but the movie does it no justice at all. Oh, Hedwig is an amzing film, never saw the live show though.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 1:16am

due to the fact that 13 (maybe more) songs/reprises and or musical moments were removed I just can't enjoy it as much as I do the stage version. Updated On: 3/6/05 at 01:16 AM

[pab]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 9:17am

"except for the bette middler GYSPY... there really isn't a musical that didn't lose something from stage to screen."

I would have to respectfully disagree with that. I think that "Hair" actually gained something by being made into a film. It's a much better movie than it was as a staged musical IMO.

[Albin]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 9:24am

Hello Dolly! Say what you want about Barbra being miscast but magical describes her vocals in the film. Never better.

South Pacific-even with the awful color filters.

[hannahshule]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 9:29am

No one's mentioned Kiss Me Kate!
The 1953 version is pretty good, Ann Miller is awesome. The filmed version of the musical in london from 2001 is the best ever though!

[the.hard.part]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 10:29am

IMO Little Shop is my favorite...but with the Original ending which I loved even though test audiences didn't...oh well the other ending is ok to..

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 11:46am

A film that has been unjustifyably forgotten is TOO MANY GIRLS (1940) the RKO film remembered for the set were Lucy met Desi.

Though some nifty Rogers & Hart songs were lost in transition, they did write "You're Nearer" as a replacement for "Give it Back to the Indians" and "I Like To Recognise the Tune", so thats OK.

The musical play opened on Broadway in New York on 18 November 1939 and the film was rather quickly made the following year. George Abbott directed both film and stage musical. Eddie Bracken, Desi Arnaz, Hal LeRoy, Libby Bennett, Ivy Scott, Byron Shores and Van Johnson reprised their stage roles for this movie. Except for LeRoy, the movie was the film debut for each of these actors. The substitutions weren't bad : Broadways Diosa Costello (Desi had major hots for her) was replaced by Ann Miller (hard to arge with putting Ann Miller in ANYTHING) and Lucy replaced Marcy Westcott.

The actual film version did not change one word from the original stage version with the exception of the word “virgin,” which was changed to “girls who have never necked.”

[TrulyWicked]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 1:30pm

LoL @ this big thing over colorblind casting... I think colorblind casting is totally cool... I'm just laughing at the white+black=asian. All performers in that were awesome, especially since that was the last great thing Whitney Houston has pulled off(cough cough stupid bobby).

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 3:43pm

Cinderella- Brandy was gr8! I loved Whoppi "but.. but... but"
Damn Yankees- love the show more but I wish they had included The Game
Guys and Dolls
Phantom of The Opera
West Side Story
Chicago

[hannahshule]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 3:51pm

42nd Street is a wonderful movie!! It actually predates the muscial. (It was made in 1933) I think it's a bit better than the stage show, it's a bit less corny. And what a cast!

Bebe Daniels
Warner Baxter
Ginger Rogers
Ruby Keeler
Una Merkel
Ned Sparks

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 4:01pm

Chicago, I'm surprises peopel would say that??? Lets be honest, The Sound of Music without a doubt is the greatest screen musical ever!

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 4:24pm

MY FAIR LADY
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
FUNNY GIRL
OLIVER
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
HELLO DOLLY!
THE PAJAMA GAME
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 4:27pm

Hedwig!

[Marquise]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 4:29pm

But Gypsy1527, this thread isn't about the Greatest Filmed Musical Ever. It's about what Musicals DIDN'T lose their magic on film.
Most movie musicals I have seen I saw first on screen and then I later got to see the staged versions.

I would say "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music" based on what I've researched and read, but I can't give an honest opinion because I've never seen these two shows performed live on stage. The movies are all I really have to go on.

I did see "Sweet Charity" on stage in 1986 but I saw the movie version first. I would have to say even with the cut songs and the slightly different ending the movie did do justice to it's stage predecessor and the credit undoubtedly goes to Bob Fosse.

I saw "Little Shop" off-broadway at the Orpheum in the East Village, but I never got to see it with Ellen Greene. When I saw it Annie Golden was playing Audrey. Even with the re-worked ending the movie captured the essence of the original stage show so IMO it was one of the best stage to screen transfers I've seen.

I was way too young to even remember the original 1975 staging of "Chicago" but I was fortunate enough to see the 1996 revival starring Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth. I was skeptical about some of the reworking of the material in the movie at first, especially the inclusion of all new choreography but I was literally blown away by what I feel was a re-imagining of the show as a whole. Rob Marshall took great care in transferring the show into a new medium and he more than succeeded. This is a good example that the movie version of a show doesn't have to be an exact replica of it's original stage counterpart to be a good film on it's own.

"Cabaret" on film is another that comes to mind when I think of a stae show that was taken and re-shaped and re-invented for film. Fosse took the basic elements that made the stage show a success without overlooking the influences from Christopher Isherwood's original "Berlin Stories" and combined them to make a really unique film that while different from it's stage counterpart still retains the magic and original message of the show while standing on it's own merits. Not to mention the addition of some excellent songs: "Money, Money", "Mein Herr" and "Maybe This Time". These became associated with "Cabaret" that they were eventually incorporated into future stage productions of the show, including the 1998 Roundabout Theatre production that was directed by Sam Mendes.

"Grease" was a show I saw as a movie first before actually seeing a stage version and when I did finally get around to seeing it on stage it was the 1994 Tommy Tune revival of "Grease"! The overall plot was retained for the 1978 movie and the addition of four new songs: "Hoplessly Devoted To You", "Grease", "Sandy" and "You're The One That I Want" didn't hurt it at all, in fact they enhanced it because they all became huge radio hits when the movie was initially released. The movie definitely retained the original show's magic and was a great homage to the 1950's.

Get back to me next year and I'll give you my consensus on the movie versions of both "Rent" and "Dreamgirls", two shows that are on my top ten list of all time favorites and two movies I have been hoping would get made for a very long time.



Updated On: 3/6/05 at 04:29 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 4:33pm

Chicago and Evita are the two shows that come to mind where I think I could watch them over and over and still feel the way I did when I saw them on stage.

The magic that is Chicago is amazing. The way they remade it and yet kept it totally in touch with itself. I love this movie.

[Sargar]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 5:43pm

Chicago, Sound of Music, West Side Story (i actually prefer the movie to the stage version)

I also enjoyed Grease, Evita, and Hedwig, but I've never seen the stage version

I'm DYING to see a Chorus Line on stage because the movie was just laughable, and I really want to see what made it so amazing on stage!

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 6:12pm

Yeah, in reference to Chicago, the whole issue for me was the lack of vocal talent. I think thats what really did it for me, in terms of "loosing its magic". Point taken though.

[zippyjen]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 6:19pm

i would say cabaret (though different from the show), hair, little shop (even with the different ending) and west side story. I also loved hedwig but have never seen the show.

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 6:23pm

the wiz?

[wickedfan]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 6:41pm

I've never seen The Wiz on stage, but the movie is just boring. Nice visuals and Lena Horne is wonderful, everything else bored me.

[DickonDefysGravity]

Posted: 3/6/05 at 6:53pm

GASP!!! No one has even mentioned Into the Woods...

::shakes head in awe::