TV Musicals Dead? (Did Stephen Schwartz kill them? :P )

I'm actually a Schwartz fan--more or less--and kidding by that line but...

For a while there it seemed tv musicals were doing well...Then we had the unecesary Music Man which I believe didn't do too well (?) and aroudn the same time I remember Disney's original musical with Stephen Schwartz, Geppetto which actually I'd like to see (was it ever released) as back then I only managed to tape the first 20 minutes... But I believe it was a big flop.

Of course the succes sof some of these tv musicals did indirectly lead to more Movie Musicals being considered (especially with Zadan producing many of them and producing Chicago)--

It's too bad though--I think in many ways with modern audiences tv adaptations of musicals, and even original TV musicals is a more commercially viable possibility than theatrical features... Even shows I love like Company I think would actually work better as an interestingly done more intimate TV movie (for HBO or somewhere of course, not ABC) than as a theatrical film

I believe ONCE UPON A MATTRESS was the last one, it took a long time to be released, and it was a major flop drawing an alarmingly low number of viewers. It didn't deserve to do any better though, the casting and direction (of course Kathleen Marshall was involved) were ill-conceived and the final product was mediocre at best, with Tracey Ullman making an embarrassing turn as Winifred.

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I remember being quite surprised at how some of the first batch of 90s TV musicals did. I think I remember Midler's Gypsy being a HUGE ratings success.

The TV Bye Bye Birdie went ON AND ON AND ON (seriously even with commercials three hours on tv is too long for something like Birdie--and I remember it even going past the three hour mark--they even added 2 new songs). It also had hideously awful Reinking choreography (which gave spark to my controversial thread that Reinking seems to kinda suck as a choreographer when she's not woorking in the Fosse vocabulary). Still I believe it was a minor ratings success

I forgot abotu Mattress because I completely missed it--I think I never knew when it was finally going to air... Sounds liek I didn't miss much. I did for a long time hope Disney's Hunchback would be given a chance.

Still I think TV is the ideal medium for certain shows (Besides HBO'S Company I could also see Sondheim's Assassins, for example, working far better as an HBO style tv movie than a theatrical show)

Wasn't Dolly rumoured for a while? I know Mame was for ages(Which, while I'm not a huge fan of the show, would be a good choice I think)

E

Updated On: 5/25/07 at 05:17 AM

MAME was indeed announced to be the next one after GYPSY.

And to confirm: MATTRESS was amazingly awful -- its sole redeeming quality was Bob Mackie. Not even Burnett seemed able to rise above the sloppiness of the production.

IMHO, the best musicals for TV are the smaller intimate ones that are more "realistic" than "theatrical": the stylization required for theatre just doesnt translate well to TV. I'd love to see HBO tackle THE WILD PARTY, for example, or, when the rights become available, AVENUE Q. But a big show like DOLLY? Without a particularly visionary director, it'd just look awful.

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Does Reefer Madness count as a TV musical, since it was done by Showtime?

Totally off topic, but, ray, where did Jane Krakowski do Mabel?

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Theaterkid, Jane Krakowski gave a raved about performance as Mabel in the 2000 LA Reprise! Concert of MACK & MABEL co-starring Douglas Sills and Donna McKechnie. Needless to say, she gave an inspired performance.

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Matthew Broderick in The Music Man killed it.

The BYE BYE BIRDIE movie is great - because it actually follows the stage show.

BUT it was so damn long, because they added like 5-6 new songs.

well, high school musical is alive and kickin.

i think the right musical on the right station is key.
i agree the best result was cinderella

though, i personally love when they tape the b'way production.
i seem to recall hbo taping Caroline, boy, would i love to see that aired.

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I liked "What Did I Ever See in Her". I think if I were ever to direct that show, I would illegally and unethically add it. The others I could take or leave. I enjoyed "A Mother Doesn't Matter", but it's just two or three monologues chopped up and set to music. I'd lose "Spanish Rose", too. Lousy song.