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tiffanyxx · research

im doing a research project and university about why are so many films being turned into musicals? and what is a musical anymore?

what are your opinions on this subject. do you agree and would you watch these performances e.g. lord of the rings, the wedding singer.

i would be greatful for as many opinions possible

Luc

I think that nowadays, many people don't want to see traditional Broadway. This is the era of rap and hip hop and stuff like that (sorry, not really into that stuff, so i don't really know a name for it) so that's what people want to see.
But then if somebody hears a famous title like "The Wedding Singer" and they enjoyed the movie, they would go and buy tickets for the show. Same goes for all of the other shows, like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Legally Blonde."
I don't agree that they are professional theatre quality (not all of them, anyways). I personally adored "The Wedding Singer", but other people despised it (*cough*Salome*cough*). But what the producers are doing is trying to attract a bigger crowd that consists of not only theatregoers, but also perhaps teenagers that don't normally go to the theatre.

I hope this helped at least a little bit. Embarassed

DramaRobin2002

I have to agree that it is the age but I also want to add that adapting an already existing story into a musical is nothing new. It has been happening since Broadway's hayday. The only thing that has changed is that our society in general seems more keen on film and television so instead of taking books and legends, the emphasis is placed on the current "popular culture". I think it has been proven that just because a movie was successful, that doesn't mean it's going to bring in the crowds on Broadway. As for if I'd go see it, well, I really loved The Wedding Singer. It was a far cry from some deep, thought-provoking, someday gonna be a classic musical but I love the songs, the show was just fun and the cast was fantastic. On musicals in general...just like everything else, it is going to change with the times. But I think that no matter how different the shows get or how big the sets get, their main purpose is still to entertain.

Eponine93

I also LOVED the Wedding Singer, even though I saw the musical before the movie.

However, I think the reason a lot of bad shows are gaining such attention is because of the awards and prestige. Think about it. Spamalot isn't what you will call traditional. Its hilarious, amusing, and based on a movie. Same thing with the Producers. There are many links between these two shows. What's the biggest one?

Tony, Tony, Tony.... Producers see shows like these and think "Wow, look at this! Someone made a movie into a show and look, it won a Tony! It's sold out! Wow! I have an idea, I'm going to do that to! With.... hmm.... maybe, Shrek! Yeah, that's it! Shrek the Musical! What a brilliant way to earn money!"

What a great way to destroy Broadway.

I think the rise in shows like Legally Blond The Musical is because producers want to make money. By introducing people to material they already know and enjoy, the shows are garuenteed to sell lots of tickets, run for a long time, and pay off the backers several times over. No one wants to put their money in an original, artsy piece that may be good but won't garnish attention from anyone except true theatre fans. Not when people are writing garunteed (sp?) Broadway blockbusters.

Basically, the only reason many movie-turned-musical shows are being produced is because its a proven way to earn money off a show on Broadway.

DramaRobin2002

One of the big problems is, while that may the general idea, only a handful of these shows are making those big bucks.

tiffanyxx	research im doing a research project and university about why are so many films being turned into musicals? and what is a musical anymore? what are your opinions on this subject. do you agree and would you watch these performances e.g. lord of the rings, the wedding singer. i would be greatful for as many opinions possible
Luc	I think that nowadays, many people don't want to see traditional Broadway. This is the era of rap and hip hop and stuff like that (sorry, not really into that stuff, so i don't really know a name for it) so that's what people want to see. But then if somebody hears a famous title like "The Wedding Singer" and they enjoyed the movie, they would go and buy tickets for the show. Same goes for all of the other shows, like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Legally Blonde." I don't agree that they are professional theatre quality (not all of them, anyways). I personally adored "The Wedding Singer", but other people despised it (coughSalomecough). But what the producers are doing is trying to attract a bigger crowd that consists of not only theatregoers, but also perhaps teenagers that don't normally go to the theatre. I hope this helped at least a little bit.
DramaRobin2002	I have to agree that it is the age but I also want to add that adapting an already existing story into a musical is nothing new. It has been happening since Broadway's hayday. The only thing that has changed is that our society in general seems more keen on film and television so instead of taking books and legends, the emphasis is placed on the current "popular culture". I think it has been proven that just because a movie was successful, that doesn't mean it's going to bring in the crowds on Broadway. As for if I'd go see it, well, I really loved The Wedding Singer. It was a far cry from some deep, thought-provoking, someday gonna be a classic musical but I love the songs, the show was just fun and the cast was fantastic. On musicals in general...just like everything else, it is going to change with the times. But I think that no matter how different the shows get or how big the sets get, their main purpose is still to entertain.
Eponine93	I also LOVED the Wedding Singer, even though I saw the musical before the movie. However, I think the reason a lot of bad shows are gaining such attention is because of the awards and prestige. Think about it. Spamalot isn't what you will call traditional. Its hilarious, amusing, and based on a movie. Same thing with the Producers. There are many links between these two shows. What's the biggest one? Tony, Tony, Tony.... Producers see shows like these and think "Wow, look at this! Someone made a movie into a show and look, it won a Tony! It's sold out! Wow! I have an idea, I'm going to do that to! With.... hmm.... maybe, Shrek! Yeah, that's it! Shrek the Musical! What a brilliant way to earn money!" What a great way to destroy Broadway. I think the rise in shows like Legally Blond The Musical is because producers want to make money. By introducing people to material they already know and enjoy, the shows are garuenteed to sell lots of tickets, run for a long time, and pay off the backers several times over. No one wants to put their money in an original, artsy piece that may be good but won't garnish attention from anyone except true theatre fans. Not when people are writing garunteed (sp?) Broadway blockbusters. Basically, the only reason many movie-turned-musical shows are being produced is because its a proven way to earn money off a show on Broadway.
DramaRobin2002	One of the big problems is, while that may the general idea, only a handful of these shows are making those big bucks.

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