The Polar Express-The Musical?
The Polar Express-The Musical?
#1The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 3:47pmJust got done watching The Polar Express with my cousin and was wondering what you guys thought about a stage adaptation (sp?) of the movie.
neddyfrank2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/23/05
#2re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 3:58pm
The story isn't strong enough. Without the special effects of the TRAIN it wouldn't really fly.
And please, god, please, no more musicals with people on rollerskates pretending to be trains.
"It's not so much do what you like, as it is that you like what you do." SS
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." GMarx
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." GMarx
Mattbrain
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/23/05
#3re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 4:03pm
*walks right up to OneSongGlory*
No!
Butters, go buy World of Warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you.
--Cartman: South Park
ATTENTION FANS: I will be played by James Barbour in the upcoming musical, "BroadwayWorld: The Musical."
#4re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 4:07pmSome of the music is nice, but there isn't enough material there to make it work as a musical. It would also be very difficult to design on a stage.
Becky
Broadway Star Joined: 5/14/03
#5re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 4:11pm
I'm a teacher who has used that book for *years* in my classroom (I love it), and I agree with what's been said. It's a lovely book - but they barely had enough there to create a feature length movie. (I think it would have worked better as an hour-long tv special feature.) They would have to work *really* hard at making it into a musical - and even then I'm not sure it would work.
Updated On: 11/25/07 at 04:11 PM
#6re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 4:17pmYou guys are right. I should have thought more about t the technical aspects of the show before I posted a bulletin about it! Silly me!
#7re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 4:17pmYou guys are right. I should have thought more about t the technical aspects of the show before I posted a bulletin about it! Silly me!
Juliash
Broadway Star Joined: 3/6/07
#8re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 4:28pmA couple teachers in my town adapted it as a really short play for their fourth grade class. It was really cute and well done. It just doesn't work professionally because you can't make it long enough without massacring the book- that's why the movie kind of sucked.
jagfkb
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/29/07
#9re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 5:26pmI could easily see this as a musical. The train could consist of three cars, which could move on a turntable. One side of the train would be the outside, and the other would be the inside. The train could then be ridden back into the back of the stage and be hidden by a wall. The runaway train car could be a car which rides on from the wings, and the train could possibly fly, by using a lift system similar to the stage of the Lion King. The presents could come from a large trap door in the midle of the stage, where the large mountain could also come from. Also, the front car could possibly be derailed and made to slide across the stage as if it was on ice. The house could be similar to the Banks house from Mary Poppins, however, instead of sliding in from the back, it should slide in from the wings. Also, the north Pole could be accomplished by putting the exteriors of the buildings infront of the train and the elves consisting of puppets which are controled like the Nazis in the producers. Finally, Santa's sleigh could easily fly offstage to a degree, and then have a minuature sleigh fly back onto the stage and off the stage once again. Where would a monster show like this be able to play? Radio City perhaps, or the Hilton, or perhaps even Madison Square Garden.
#10re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 5:40pm
But how would you solve the problem with the book, jagfkb?
As well as raising the $25 million is would cost to mount!?! 
"It's not so much do what you like, as it is that you like what you do." SS
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." GMarx
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." GMarx
#11re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 5:46pmNo. The End.
"It means nothing to come and sit in a theater night after night and immerse yourself in fantasy, only then to walk out the door and be unchanged in reality. This show will live on in our hearts. But where it truly must survive is in our actions, our compassion and our generousity of spirit towards one another." - Adam Pascal on the closing of RENT
#12re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 6:14pmAnd finding a way to make that $25 million back in the time between Halloween and New Years.
#13re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 7:16pmThese days I think anything that was once a movie, all you need to do is add a very songs and put it on stage! So why not!
gypsy4
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/07
#14re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 7:39pm
I think this would work but they would have to redevelop the whole plot and think of some good new material and the would need a good production team and
the only theatre that could host something like this would be
The Radio City Music Hall.
Updated On: 11/25/07 at 07:39 PM
#15re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/25/07 at 7:43pmI agree bad idea!
He's a faker, and you've been taken in by his con. And in doing so, you are enabling him. He is doing more damage to aspergers than papa's words ever could. -Chane/Liverpool on me having asperger syndrome.
gypsy4
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/07
JBSinger
Broadway Star Joined: 11/12/04
#17re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/27/07 at 8:29amI think this could be a great Children's musical. Someone like Theatreworks could adapt it. But a mainstage show - no.
#18re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/27/07 at 11:46amYou'd just have to provide the make-up and costumes your actors will need to replicate the lifeless, dead-eyed look of the unsettlingly creepy characters from the film.
#19re: The Polar Express-The Musical?
Posted: 11/27/07 at 2:35pmI liked that movie.. but I just can't picture it as a musical.
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