[SapphireNight]

Please can you help! I need to collect some information about people’s perceptions of musicals which have both stage and film versions, for a university assignment. I would really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to answer this short questionnaire.

This short questionnaire is referring to the stage/filmed musicals of Rent, Chicago, Evita, Cats, Phantom and Joseph.
Please answer each questionnaire for one particular musical. If you can spare the time, please repeat the questionnaire for each of these musicals you have seen (or, any other musical which has both been staged in the theatre, and made into a film.)

Any help is much appreciated!

1. Are you a fan of the film, stage version, or both?
2. Did you see the film first, or the stage version first?
3. Which do you prefer/enjoy more?
4. How do you feel the film compares to the stage version? Eg, changes made- are they warranted; do they work?
5. Do you have any other comments on the way the musical was adapted?

6. If you haven’t seen one version (ie, only the film, or only the stage version), are you interested in seeing the other? And why?
7. Do you feel the film is trying to appeal to a wider/film/more commercial audience, or to the musical’s fan based audience?
8. Briefly, can you describe how it tries to appeal to this audience (if you can).
9. Do you think that the methods used to appeal to that audience get in the way of what the core of the musical is in itself? Ie, is the musical still being true to itself?

Thank you

(Note to Mods. I do appologise for repeat posting this in each of the 6 musicals topics, but I need as many pesponces as possible. I dont think theres a general ALW section. The assignment is due in two weeks, first draft in one, I need as many responces as soon as possible. Please PM me if there is a problem with this, so we can figure out what to do.)

[MademoiselleMusicalsDeux]

I am doing a similar thing for my A Level Film Studies regarding the use of stars in modern musical films - it'd be lovely to chat sometime and brainstorm! =]


CHICAGO
1. Are you a fan of the film, stage version, or both? BOTH
2. Did you see the film first, or the stage version first? Stage first
3. Which do you prefer/enjoy more? I love both, but to me the stage. Nothing is better than seeing a live performance
4. How do you feel the film compares to the stage version? Eg, changes made- are they warranted; do they work? Obviously changes need to be made, but then again I feel you should keep true to the work which I feel the film version does really well.
5. Do you have any other comments on the way the musical was adapted? Not really, I think it was done really nicely.
6. If you haven’t seen one version (ie, only the film, or only the stage version), are you interested in seeing the other? And why?
7. Do you feel the film is trying to appeal to a wider/film/more commercial audience, or to the musical’s fan based audience? More commerical by far - come on you have Richard Gere, Renee Zellwegger and C Zeta Jones....It's a star vehicle.
8. Briefly, can you describe how it tries to appeal to this audience (if you can). the use of stars obviously, costume, set design...
9. Do you think that the methods used to appeal to that audience get in the way of what the core of the musical is in itself? Ie, is the musical still being true to itself? Yeah in Chicago's case it does.

[Vanessa20]

This is for "Joseph" only.

1. Are you a fan of the film, stage version, or both?

Both.


2. Did you see the film first, or the stage version first?

The stage version.


3. Which do you prefer/enjoy more?

The stage version, probably just because I saw it first.


4. How do you feel the film compares to the stage version? Eg, changes made- are they warranted; do they work?

I think the film compares well to the stage version, since they're basically identical. The only real change is the addition of the "school assembly" framing scenes, which work because they give basis to the roles of the Narrator and the children's choir. It wouldn't have worked on film for them to be just "there" the way they are in the stage version.


5. Do you have any other comments on the way the musical was adapted?

I like the film, but sometimes I almost wish it hadn't been made. In terms of costumes, staging and humor, this show is more open to interpretation than most others are, and the film is just one interpretation. But because the film is most people's introduction to the show, too many stage productions just copy it instead of being creative. I adore Donny Osmond, but my favorite stage Josephs are ones who don't try to copy his persona, and if I see one more amateur copy of the coat he wore in the film, I think I'll scream.


6. If you haven’t seen one version (ie, only the film, or only the stage version), are you interested in seeing the other? And why?

I've seen both, but back when I'd only seen the stage version, I couldn't wait to see the film.


7. Do you feel the film is trying to appeal to a wider/film/more commercial audience, or to the musical’s fan based audience?

I think it appeals to the musical's fan based audience.


8. Briefly, can you describe how it tries to appeal to this audience (if you can).

It doesn't make any major changes from the stage version and the structural change (the school essembly setting) was inspired the show's history, since the show was originally written for a Catholic school.


9. Do you think that the methods used to appeal to that audience get in the way of what the core of the musical is in itself? Ie, is the musical still being true to itself?

I think the musical is still completely true to itself. But like I said, I think the film is just one interpretation of the show. So many more things can be done with it than the film does.

[LadyWhoLunches]

Phantom of the Opera
1. Are you a fan of the film, stage version, or both?
I LOVE BOTH!

2. Did you see the film first, or the stage version first?
Film first

3. Which do you prefer/enjoy more?
The stage version- live performances are pretty much always better, but also because the technical aspects in the stage show were, in a word,
insane. The way the chandelier was used in the theatre, the way they transformed the stage from Christine's dressing room to the Phantom's lair, all of these aspects were so incredible.

4. How do you feel the film compares to the stage version? Eg, changes made- are they warranted; do they work?
They are very similar. The movie stayed almost identical to the stage show which was really refreshing- I don't really like it when the movie versions add in crap songs or omit excellent ones, (Grease, Hairspray) though some songs in the movie were shortened. One obvious discrepancy was the backstory between Madame Giry and the Phantom which is less deep in the show than the movie.

5. Do you have any other comments on the way the musical was adapted?
Nah

6. If you haven’t seen one version (ie, only the film, or only the stage version), are you interested in seeing the other? And why?
I've seen both.


7. Do you feel the film is trying to appeal to a wider/film/more commercial audience, or to the musical’s fan based audience?
I'd say both.


8. Briefly, can you describe how it tries to appeal to this audience (if you can).
You could argue that the film is trying to appeal to the commercial audience is because the cast (Minnie Driver-whose voice was dubbed, Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler, etc) were, as far as I know, never part of the stage production. But most Phantom lovers I know, including myself, like both versions.

9. Do you think that the methods used to appeal to that audience get in the way of what the core of the musical is in itself? Ie, is the musical still being true to itself?
I think the musical is still very true to itself, it's a good film adaptation.




(Side note, I was in Joseph, but I've never seen the stage version. I must say, though, that the movie is rancid. I would NOT recommend it to anyone.)