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

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

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.

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

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.

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..

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).

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

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

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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

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!

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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.

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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.

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