Are Musical Movie Adaptations Worth It?
Jahnaya Peyton
If you’re familiar with movie to musical adaptations, then you know that audiences either love or hate them. Many receive mixed reviews, with opinions varying from critical acclaim to critiques solidifying the idea that “movies are better left untouched.” Musical movie adaptations can become a fun addition to the brand, a hindrance, or the franchise’s calling card. However, as Broadway considers making these movies into stage productions, they are faced with the gamble of whether or not they’ll succeed. With competition from stellar original Broadway shows like Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, and Chicago, I find myself wondering…are movie to musical adaptations even worth it?
I would like to note that there is a stark difference between musicals based on concepts and musicals based on film. For example, Wicked is based on The Wizard of Oz (1939), yet, the story itself is completely off-kilter to the original film. Wicked uses its creative liberties to fabricate a dynamic between the two sisters, Glinda (The Good Witch of the South) and the now named Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba. And while some can contest that the musical is based on the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, I would argue that many Broadway patrons have not read this retelling and associate the show with the original 1939 film. This gives the musical the opportunity to completely change the narrative, and become a story about sisterhood while still reaping the benefits of association from a classic film. The Lion King, on the other hand, follows its predecessor and seamlessly follows the film’s original storyline. Regardless of the source material, I appreciate the effort that goes into creating these adaptations. I think they provide a fun and witty perspective to movies that we love, and when done right, they can be a great success.
Musicals like Shrek, Matilda, and Hairspray are just a few adaptations that accurately represent the spectrum of success and variety of musical based movies. Shrek the Musical is a perfect example of an adaptation that performed poorly with viewers, who rated it a 1.9/5 on Google. Although it received 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and 6.9/10 on IMDb, critics still cited poor stage direction, cringe humor, subpar music composition, and a bad wardrobe. Since many who watched the adaptation were avid fans of Shrek (2001), they felt it was not on the same level as the original and were offended by its lack of detail. For them, Shrek the movie hit all the right notes, with great casting, relatable humor, and a great soundtrack. Since the musical didn’t add anything new, there was nothing that made it better than the movie. Though I feel that the adaptation was a good idea, my sentiment while watching it reflects that of audiences who claim that the musical was somewhat unnecessary. Overall, the movie did not hold its own against the original, and failing to earn its initial investment, it ended up doing more harm than good for the franchise. Given the musical’s poor execution, audience backlash, and overall performance, I don’t think this production was worth making.
Matilda the Musical, on the other hand, offers a humorous and vibrant approach to the classic 1996 film. This musical movie is a good example of an adaptation that accurately reflects the original movie and adds to its overall brand. Although both works received similar ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, viewers rated the original a 4.8/5 and the musical a 3.7/5. I think the ratings accurately reflect the production of the adaptation. The work keeps the same motif as the original, while altering scenes to make it more lighthearted and fun. Scenes are visually bolder than the originals’ with the use of brighter colors, sets, and wardrobe choices, and include catchy musical numbers with some humorous lyrics. Although I appreciate the visual changes made, I wish the musical kept more of the iconic scenes from the movie, like the opening where Matilda makes pancakes, how Matilda gets enrolled in school, the newt in the headmaster’s water, and other small details. I feel that if they kept more of these scenes, while adding the musical scores, it would have performed better with those who are fans of the original. Overall, the adaptation held its own amongst critics, and received similar reviews to the movie, but it did not outperform the original in terms of audience preference. Regardless, the musical movie does add something new to the franchise, and is great for reaching new audiences of a younger age range than just the original movie. Since the adaptation boosts the overall franchise’s word of mouth and audience, I think it was worth it.
Hairspray is the best example of a musical adaptation out performing its original in both popularity and association. Many people do not know that the 2007 musical movie originated from a 1988 comedy. That is how well the musical did. Although the musical received lower ratings than John Waters’ film, viewers still gave it a 4.5/5. The work is extremely popular among viewers, who cite its aesthetic, writing, casting, catchy songs, and uplifting overall message, which make it a standalone classic. Given the attention to detail in all areas of the production, I feel like this is well deserved. Hairspray is honestly one of my favorite musical movie adaptations, and is the reason I fell in love with musicals. Not only is the film enjoyable, but it also evokes positive emotions from audiences, making it memorable. Overall, the musical movie held its own, out performed, and established primary association in lieu of the original film. Since the adaptation hit all the marks and performed so well, I’d say it was worth it.
In conclusion, I think musical movie adaptations are worth making, but their success depends on the details put into the production, including the writing, visuals, music, and overall aesthetic. When done right, musical movie adaptations have the potential to be great, but filmmakers must be intentional about it. If filmmakers can learn about what works and doesn’t work from past projects, they can use that as a guide to produce their own adaptation that viewers enjoy.
