What would you love to see adapted as a musical?- Page 3

[ggersten]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 11:41am

Native Son - it's been a long time since I read it, so don't know how problematic it would e today, but it has been adapted into stage plays and films, so why not a "serious" musical.

The Joy Luck Club- such emotional stories that would translate to song, plus lots of humorous moments too

The Accidental Tourist - episodic enough. A popular film from the day.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers -I know SF/Horror has never done particularly well on Broadway, but the original film is all atmosphere and emotions.

Sidenote: I too thought A Confederacy of Dunces should make a good musical - great setting, numerous humorous characters -  but, the Ignatius character is so ... unlikeable - it would be very very very difficult to make an appealing show.  I'm not aware how good was the 2015 Huntington play version - or why it didn't transfer. 

 

[Ke3]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 12:17pm

I wish Steel Pier was actually an adaption of "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" What they ended up with is cute but Kander and Ebb would've been prime adapters of the actual material. Particularly if they had worked on it with people who were a little less committed to doing conventional musical comedy. 

Anyway, someone should do a real adaption of it. 

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 2:09pm

I’m very, very, surprised we haven’t seen a Miss Congeniality musical.   

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/23/25 at 5:49pm

I want that once-discussed Paul McCartney It's a Wonderful Life.  I assume that is not going to happen.  Jonathan Groff or Corey Cott would both be a great George IMO.

I also think that the movie Brooklyn might make a good musical, with a great leading lady role.

[MagicalMusical]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 12:09pm

I wish I could have seen that Paper Mill Harold and Maude, I love that movie.

My pick is for my most favorite film ever, Walt Disney's Cinderella. I feel it would be different enough from Rodgers and Hammerstein's. I have my own ideas for it I don't want to share in case I ever helped make it some day (let me dream!), but basically a big storybook set and mice and bird and cat puppets. Use some deleted songs to fill it out or have Alan Menken or Pasek and Paul write some new ones and a new score.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 12:28pm

^ I wouldn’t oppose Pasek & Paul doing Cinderella as long as their songs are as serviceable as in Snow White. One of few saving graces in the remake

[gibsons2]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 3:21pm

Plannietink08 said: "I’m very,very, surprised we haven’t seen aMiss Congeniality musical."

That 25 year old movie didn't age well at all. I used to be into comedies like that, but Miss Congeniality and the likes have become unwatchable to me.

[gibsons2]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 3:38pm

Has there ever been a true sci-fi musical on Broadway? With the proper budget and inventive set design team, The Martian or Interstellar have a great potential as musicals. Hans Zimmer has already written the incredible score for Interstellar, so he can write the rest. 

Updated On: 8/25/25 at 03:38 PM

[Zingingtobway]

Posted: 8/25/25 at 6:19pm

I have always had two films I wanted to see adapted into a stage musical. One is Disney's Polly which I believe is in the works and I would love to see Spike Lee's School Daze. I think it would be cool to explore that on a stage.

[Ke3]

Posted: 8/26/25 at 2:04pm

Zingingtobway said: "I have always had two films I wanted to see adapted into a stage musical. One is Disney's Polly which I believe is in the works and I would love to see Spike Lee's School Daze. I think it would be cool to explore that on a stage."

If we think about Sondheim and Laurents assertion that something captured perfectly on film shouldn't be adapted I think School Daze could be amazing. It's an admirable film that's trying to say some really important things about colorism but in the end it just ends up feeling really misogynistic. The musical numbers are great though and I wish we could have a full out Spike film musical.

I've sometimes wondered about a Bamboozled musical but I don't know that the blackface element would be received well even with Black creatives attached. 

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 8/26/25 at 2:30pm

Eve's Bayou

All About My Mother

Choose Me

 

 

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 8/26/25 at 4:31pm

In terms of screen-to-stage adaptations, I'd love to see Mamoru Hosoda's Belle brought to the stage. with the success of the Miyazaki stage adaptations, I'd think an anime movie that's already a musical would be a natural fit for a stage adaptation, and the distinction between the real world and the digital world could make for some cool stagecraft.

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 8/26/25 at 4:33pm

Troop Beverly Hills

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (except with an original score)

It's a Wonderful Life

The Shining (get really creative and bold with staging. We need more horror musicals)

The First Wives Club

Jeffrey

[MagicalMusical]

Posted: 8/26/25 at 11:13pm

BwayLB said: "^ I wouldn’t oppose Pasek & Paul doing Cinderella as long as their songs are as serviceable as in Snow White. One of few saving graces in the remake"

The songs, or at least the melodies, were the best part of that movie and I can vaguely remember them after one watch. I hated the romantic duet, but, well, after Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman I know they have it in them to write good songs.

Updated On: 8/26/25 at 11:13 PM

[BwayLB]

Posted: 8/27/25 at 12:01am

MagicalMusical said: "BwayLB said: "^ I wouldn’t oppose Pasek & Paul doing Cinderella as long as their songs are as serviceable as in Snow White. One of few saving graces in the remake"

The songs, or at least the melodies, were the best part of that movie and I can vaguely remember them after one watch. I hated the romantic duet, but, well, after Dear Evan Hansen and The Greatest Showman I know they have it in them to write good songs."

For sure they have lost their touch in the last few years since The Greatest Showman

[MagicalMusical]

Posted: 8/27/25 at 12:10am

BwayLB said: "For sure they have lost their touch in the last few years since The Greatest Showman"

Maybe,  but I wonder if they can get it back again.

[David10086]

Posted: 8/29/25 at 5:49pm

I remember going to see the movie 'The Mirror Has Two Faces' with two of my theater friends in December 1996. We all thought it was okay, but was missing something. I finally said - 'music!'  It needed songs to move it along (and with Streisand singing them, it would be heaven). The movie was too slow.   I finally said. "Someone should turn this into a B'way musical. It would be perfect - how hard could it be ? The sets would be minimal. Some great songwriters and the right actor and actress - this would be great on stage."  They agreed. 

Producers and Investors - if you're reading this, it could be incredible in the right hands. It's not too late. I want my 30%. Thank You.

[BwayLB]

Posted: 8/29/25 at 8:00pm

MagicalMusical said: "BwayLB said: "For sure they have lost their touch in the last few years since The Greatest Showman"

Maybe, but I wonder if they can get it back again."

Me too! But Who knows at this point

[Back Row]

Posted: 8/31/25 at 10:25am

Zingingtobway said: "I have always had two films I wanted to see adapted into a stage musical. One is Disney's Polly which I believe is in the works and I would love to see Spike Lee's School Daze. I think it would be cool to explore that on a stage."

Not sure about the commercial appeal of "Polly." Unfortunately, there will be those who resent the fact that it is not true to Disney's original "Pollyanna" starring Hayley Mills. Too "woke". They will not accept any Pollyanna who is not a little white girl with a British accent. That is the world we live in these days. The fact that the storyline is so similar to The Secret Garden might also diminish its chances of success.

One movie that once seemed to be destined for Broadway is "That Thing You Do". For a number of reasons, including the death of Adam Schlesinger, that now seems highly unlikely, but it's a shame that it never got beyond the "wouldn't it be great" stage. 

[WindyNewYorker]

Posted: 9/1/25 at 12:26am

A mix (combination) of Saving Faces+ The Wedding Banquet+ The Joy Luck Club. 

[Birdie Boy]

Posted: 9/1/25 at 1:45am

Beloved by Toni Morrison.  The plot has that wild roller coaster ride thing that I love.  Get Adam Guettel to write it for Audra McDonald. 

Updated On: 9/1/25 at 01:45 AM

[John Adams]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 5:39pm

MagicalMusical said: "BwayLB said: "For sure they have lost their touch in the last few years since The Greatest Showman"

Maybe, but I wonder if they can get it back again."

I really enjoy "Spirited". I listen to it even outside of the Christmas season (I just listened to it again, today).

I think Father of the Bride would make nice musical, as would My Best Friend's Wedding.

Not as a musical, but I'd like to see  All of Us Strangers done onstage. My dream cast would have included Aaron Tveit and Gavin Lee. 

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 6:07pm

A Jazzman’s Blues 

[jakethesnake]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 6:44pm

BroadwayWorld: The Musical!

[Mark_E]

Posted: 9/3/25 at 7:22pm

Plannietink08 said: "I’m very,very, surprised we haven’t seen aMiss Congeniality musical."

100% Agreed on this. It would make a great musical.