What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

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What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/29/05 at 9:53pm

Stephen Spielberg has evidently expressed interest in remaking Mary Poppins, but as so many have pointed out, why mess with perfection? Are there any other musicals that fit into Spielberg's beloved theme of lost or absent parents? Ones that don't already have great movie versions? What musical would you actually want Spielberg to direct?

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/29/05 at 9:59pm

Well, there was once talk that he was interested in Miss Saigon, which would be pretty good. But if I had to choose, I'd give him Sweeney Todd. I'm sure Sam Mendes will do a magnificent job, but I'd like to see Spielberg's vision of it, too.

"Who is Stephen Sondheim?" -roninjoey
"The man who wishes he had written Phantom of the Opera!" - SueleenGay

GO CARDINALS!!!

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/29/05 at 10:04pm

How about Les Mis.....he could make it so huge and stuff

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/29/05 at 10:07pm

Urinetown

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/29/05 at 10:08pm

Sweeney Todd!! Please! He would be great!

"Are you sorry for civilization? I am sorry for it too." ~Coast of Utopia: Shipwreck

Updated On: 12/29/05 at 10:08 PM

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/29/05 at 10:40pm

Spielberg is overrated so i'd say NONE

"Who doesn't hate teens that are obnoxious" - A.P.

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/29/05 at 10:42pm

i think making an epic of miss saigon would be great by him. the show is very cinematic and i think could be beautiful.

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/29/05 at 11:53pm

I would love to see a Spielberg directed film of PARADE. It is really a tremendously moving work, and might benefit from having a very low profile with the general public. It will seem new to most people.

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:04am

Since he's big on parents and children...
-Into the Woods
-Violet
-Secret Garden
-Falsettos
-john and jen

Though obviously not all of these would translate to film well.

#10

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:05am

SWEENEY TODD is too dark and cynical for Spielberg. (I can see Peter Jackson doing a wicked version, though, considering his early splatter films.)

From Spielberg, I'd like to see a movie adaptation of INTO THE WOODS, or ONCE UPON THIS ISLAND. Or even CAROLINE OR CHANGE.

If OLIVER! didn't already have such a great movie version, I'd pass it over to him.

BlueWizard's blog: The Rambling Corner HEDWIG: "The road is my home. In reflecting upon the people whom I have come upon in my travels, I cannot help but think of the people who have come upon me."

#11

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:26am

my first thought was also Miss Saigon for Spielburg. or Wicked if they ever make it.
OT - i watched chicago again tonight and i can i just say that rob marshall is a genius..i can't wait to see memoirs of a geisha.
and i apologize for not using any caps..i am too lazy!

#12

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:29am

Les Mis might be a good match with Spielberg, but I think it might be an even better match with Peter Weir.

#13

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:30am

Steven Spielberg + "Wicked" = A BIG HIT!
And no, Lea Salonga will NOT be appearing as "Elphaba" - he already promised Mrs. Brolin the part, (of Madame Morrible! LOL!!!)

"It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance." - Elizabeth Taylor

#14

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:31am

Les Miz...mostly cos I think they should make a movie version of the musical. It's my favorite!

#15

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:34am

Anything but Mary Poppins. For multiple reasons.

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE under his adaptation/direction seems to be quite a good idea.

#16

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:39am

I'd love to see Speilberg tackle:
Caroline, or Change
Into the Woods
Miss Sagion

Akiva

#17

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:44am

what stars would they cast in wicked the movie?
interesting.
how about Shirley Mclain as Morrible? or Glenn Close or Meryl Streep?
heath ledger as fiyero..
i won't even begin to think about who the girls would be because they need to be able to sing.. if they could SING i'd like to see Reese Witherspoon as Glinda and Winona Ryder as Elphaba. and regis philbin as the wizard! LOL! actually regis would be good on broadway as the wizard. do you think rosie o'donnel would ever play the wizard?!! hahahah!! she could be morrible..THATS a good part for her...SMALL and character-y.
i am sure this has been discussed..but oh well, there it is again!

#18

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:50am

Okay, stop complaining about Mary Poppins. Apparently the stage revival is very different from the movie. Spielberg must be interested in it for some reason, and at any rate it'll probably fall through.

Most Sondheim musicals don't suit Spielberg's sense of the world (which is ultimately optimistic, in my opinion). Sweeney Todd is definitely out. Unless he's trying to do something completely different I suppose. Into the Woods would suit Spielberg thematically.

But then there is the question of how cinematic these musicals are :P Although I think Into the Woods does work nicely as a staged play on film, so as a movie it could work just as nice. Movie musicals don't necessarily all have to be Chicago or Moulin Rouge.

yr ronin,
joey

#19

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:20am

I think Rosie would be a HOOT as Morrible in the show! She can do this part and gets to wear some outrageous diggs too.

"It is bad enough that people are dying of AIDS, but no one should die of ignorance." - Elizabeth Taylor

#20

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:37am

Well, I think that no one should ever make a movie of Wicked. It's awesome, but so much of it is the spectacle that can only be fully realized onstage. It could look cool in a movie, but nothing could compare to sitting in the audience and watching it, in all it's grandeur, onstage.

The first thing that came to my mind for him to direct was Les Mis. I would love to see a movie version of the musical and I think it has just enough spectacle for it to be translated easily into a movie. I also think Violet would be amazing. I was in that show a few years ago, and thought fromt he very beginning that it would make a great movie.

-Lizzie

#21

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:37am

Ditto, Jim, yay for Jim only like my favorite person on the board.
Anyways, Winona Ryder as Elphaba is such an amazing choice, I'd have never thought of it but it makes complete sense.
I believe Into the Woods sounds fine for Spielberg to adapt, I believe it could translate well to the screen if a few things are changed around here and there; however, I believe Jackson or Tim Burton could do wonders with the movie version of Into the Woods.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

#22

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:31pm

I think THE perfect musical for Spielberg to tackle is FOLLIES. He has the cinematic sensability to make it soar.

#23

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:33pm

I think he should've made RENT

#24

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:34pm

Interesting suggestions. While I think Spielberg could do Into The Woods, I'd rather see, as ray suggested, Jackson or Burton tackle it. I think Spielberg would have an interesting take on Cabaret, though. Or to comment on another thread that's on my mind: Maybe he's the one to finally do something visionary with Mack & Mabel.

"And the postman sighed as he scratched his head, you really rather thought she ought to be dead..."

#25

re: What Musical SHOULD Spielberg Adapt?

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:38pm

I've thought for years that the perfect film musical for Spielberg would be FOLLIES:

1. He can get any woman in Hollywood to work for him (and directed Goldie Hawn to a career performance in SUGARLAND EXPRESS).

2. He can direct grand musical numbers (witness the jitterbug in 1941).

3. He can hit the right notes of melancholy (see A.I.).

4. He believes in maintaining the integrity of the source material (SCHINDLER, EMPIRE OF THE SUN).

5. He's great with both contemporary and period work (CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, ET, DUEL).

6. He's experienced working with Divas (NIGHT GALLERY)

7. John Williams.

8. He can afford to build a theatre and then wreck it if he wants.

9. Michael Kahn

10. He works within budget.

"Love Life. Live." Michael Bennett

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 02:38 PM

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