From Disney to Broadway, musicals have carved themselves into the world of entertainment over the years, holding a special place in the hearts of many. Love them or hate them, there’s no denying their ability to leave an impact.
There’s been a recent trend in cinema of adapting beloved Broadway musicals to the big screen. This has been a huge step towards making musical theater more accessible to the general public. However, this has also led to a new issue of trying to make these shows more palatable to everyone, often taking the charm out of the show that made it so special, and in turn having the opposite effect than originally intended.
Take the new Mean Girls (2024), for instance. Adapted into a Broadway show in 2017, the show went on to amass a huge following of musical theater enthusiasts, adding a fun musical twist to the cult-classic. The new movie-musical adaptation, however, fails to capture that spark that fans loved.
The reason? There are many, but a major one would be the “popification” of the original songs. Many of the songs of the original show have had the signature musical theater style (which is very dramatic and full of emotion) taken out of them and replaced with a sound that’s more similar to popular music from the radio. When put into the context of the film, the effect can come across as off-putting. In an effort to appeal to viewers who might prefer that pop style, they have removed the part of the show that made it so fun.
That’s not to say that this is an inevitability in the genre. Wicked (2024), which received two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and three Critics’ Choice awards, is a near-perfect example of a movie musical done right. Starring vocal powerhouse Cynthia Erivo and pop icon Ariana Grande, the vocals in Wicked still have a pop-ish quality to them, with each actress adding a bit of her own sound to the songs. Shirley Li of The Atlantic wrote that the film “satisfyingly combines the grandiosity of a musical and the intimacy of filmmaking.” It is still undeniably a musical theater film, though, and it’s not ashamed of its place in the genre, paying a delightful tribute to the original show.
Even with a talented cast with singing experience, and minimal changes to the music and plot, this doesn’t change the fact that some shows are only meant for the stage. Without a live and up close performance, the story may not hold up. Dear Evan Hansen (2021) is a victim of this. With a plot that deals with dark topics such as mental health and teen suicide, the show has been controversial since its debut, yet it managed to amass a wide fanbase, mainly for its emotional yet catchy music. Journalist Calum Cooper from In Their Own League wrote that the anxiety depicted “doesn’t always translate to a visual medium, so the film compensates by overdramatizing Evan’s anxiety through shaking [and] stuttering.” Without a stage to back it up, the story falls flat, and despite the amazing music, the flaws in the story shine more clearly than ever up on screen.
A controversial plot, however, doesn’t mean a great screen adaptation is impossible, and the 2021 film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s West Side Story is a prime example of this. Telling the story of the racial tensions between two rival gangs in a 1960s Romeo and Juliet retelling, the show uses a familiar storyline to bring about new conversations about race through music. The film manages to hold up to this standard with impressive grace and talent. With a talented cast of both seasoned Broadway performers and some fresh faces, the music and acting elevate the plot, though unlike Dear Evan Hansen, the plot doesn’t rely on the music.
While not every Broadway show can translate to the silver screen successfully, a success can turn the original stage show into something truly magical. A great cast, pride of the source material, and skillful use of the screen for a fresh twist will ensure that the story weathers the test of time, for new viewers to enjoy.
