How to Properly Adapt Musicals for the Screen: Don't Be Afraid of the Broadway Sound

How to Properly Adapt Musicals for the Screen: Don’t Be Afraid of the Broadway Sound

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing the key to any musical’s journey from stage to screen: maintaining the Broadway sound.

From “Back to the Future,” to “The Notebook,” to “Moulin Rouge!,” people often ask why so many Broadway musicals are based on popular films. The answer is the same reason why a Hollywood studio won’t greenlight a movie musical unless it’s a hit on Broadway first. Brand recognition is everything… at least to those bankrolling the project. Just because a musical is a success on stage doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll have the same impact in movie theaters, though. Once Hollywood gets involved, it’s no longer a Broadway production. As such, what made the show special on stage can get lost in translation. Nowhere was this more apparent than in the adaptation that nearly killed the movie musical: 2019’s “Cats.”

Much has been said about where this catastrophe went wrong. The unfinished visual effects, Tom Hooper’s misguided direction, and the already difficult-to-adapt source material all contributed. What people don’t discuss as much, however, is the miscasting. That might sound odd considering that “Cats” assembles A-listers like Ian McKellen and Judi Dench. Great actors, but none of them possess the Broadway sound that this material requires. Sure, the cast also includes seasoned singers like Taylor Swift and Jason Derulo, although their voices are an afterthought compared to the distracting sexual energy they bring to their respective roles. The only one who hits it out of the park is Jennifer Hudson, but even then, her powerful rendition of “Memory” is drowned out by uncomfortable CGI.

When it comes to movie musicals, Hollywood is infamous for casting recognizable stars whether they can sing or not. Thus, we get Gerard Butler in “Phantom of the Opera,” Russell Crowe in “Les Misérables,” and Clint Eastwood in “Paint Your Wagon.” During cinema’s Golden Age, it wasn’t uncommon for studios to hire ghost singers. Audrey Hepburn had the star power to attract newcomers to “My Fair Lady,” although for showstoppers like “I Could Have Danced All Night,” Warner Bros. enlisted Marni Nixon. Some believe that dubbing caused Hepburn to miss out on an Oscar nomination. Ironically, Best Actress went to Julie Andrews, who originated Eliza Doolittle on stage, but wasn’t a big enough name for WB. She instead brought the Broadway sound to “Mary Poppins.”

The best movie musicals are usually the ones that bring Broadway talent to the screen. Not long after “Cats,” we got two of the best modern movie musicals with “In the Heights” and “West Side Story.” A few Hollywood names aside, both films populated their casts with stage stars like Anthony Ramos, Ariana DeBose, Mike Faist, and Olga Merediz, to name a few. They also took advantage of the film medium with atmospheric cinematography and editing immersing the audience in ways that a stage show can’t. They achieved the ideal balance with the Broadway sound and a cinematic touch. Unfortunately, nobody showed up to see either, be it due to residual ill-will from “Cats,” the COVID-19 pandemic, or audiences opting to wait for streaming.

That said, Netflix delivered two high-profile movie musicals during the pandemic, one that did everything right and another that did everything wrong. When people say that they don’t think movie musicals work, Ryan Murphy’s “The Prom” comes to mind. With oversaturated colors, over-the-top performances, and an over-reliance on camp, this is about as stereotypical as musicals get. Not as stereotypical as James Corden’s portrayal of a gay man, however. As for the rest of the cast, some actors manage to bring the Broadway sound like Andrew Rannells. Yet, bigger names like Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman are just… passable. And why settle for passable when we can have the 150% that Broadway actors need to deliver six days a week on average?

Conversely, you have “Tick, Tick... Boom!,” a who’s who of Broadway royalty. Even those who haven’t performed on Broadway, such as Alexandra Shipp, have the chops to hold their own against Andrew Garfield. Speaking of which, casting doesn’t get more perfect than Garfield as Jonathan Larson, possessing the look, the charisma, and the voice to do the late legend justice. The fact that Garfield is iconic to movie audiences and Broadway audiences also builds a bridge. Casting aside, director Lin-Manuel Miranda understood that for the source material to work as a movie, some changes needed to be made. “Tick, Tick... Boom!” thus functions as an adaptation of the musical and a Jonathan Larson biopic, again finding the balance between Broadway and Hollywood.

It was a better Jonathan Larson adaptation than 2005’s “Rent,” which cut out much of the musical’s songs in favor of generic dialogue. Maybe the filmmakers assumed that movie audiences weren’t ready for a sung-through musical, but the results satisfied nobody. While some fans appreciated seeing six of the original Broadway cast members return, they all appeared a little too old to still play these characters. Poor Ben Platt ran into the same problem when he reprised his role as Evan Hansen. It goes to show that bringing back Broadway cast members isn’t always the key to a successful movie musical. The same year “Rent” got the movie musical treatment, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick revisited “The Producers.”


That film didn’t have the age problem that proved offputting in “Rent,” but it didn’t bring anything new to the material. It even enlisted the same director as the Broadway show, Susan Stroman. Between Mel Brooks’ 1967 film and the stage musical, this movie musical gave us more of the same. Live-action Disney musicals generally suffer from similar issues. It doesn’t help when you replace Paige O’Hara with somebody who can’t sing like Emma Watson. Granted, Disney has injected more of a Broadway sound into their live-action remakes with Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Halle Bailey as Ariel. Again, though, those remakes have to compete with animated alternatives that possess superior pacing and visuals in addition to being more innovative.

It’s a tricky juggling act, functioning as a film that preserves the Broadway sound while threading the needle between familiar and fresh. Yet, we’ve seen it done in “Hairspray,” “Chicago,” and “The Color Purple.” Alas, a lot of movie musicals not only remain afraid of the Broadway sound, but are afraid to market themselves as musicals. While we can’t say we approve of false advertising, this tactic is seemingly working with “Wonka” and “Mean Girls” being hits. Audiences were especially surprised to learn “Mean Girls” was a musical. Apparently, the musical note in the logo wasn’t a giveaway. On a narrative level, the new “Mean Girls” doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from the 2004 film, although the songs and casting justify its existence.

Directors Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. capture the spirit of the stage musical while embracing the new possibilities that cinema offers, incorporating tracking shots and social media filters. While the film brings back recognizable talent like Tina Fey, the songs are entrusted to experienced singers like Auliʻi Cravalho, Jaquel Spivey, and Reneé Rapp, the latter of whom had her Broadway run as Regina George cut short by the pandemic. Star Angourie Rice might not have a Broadway belt, but considering that Cady is a reserved protagonist, her limited vocal range suits the character. It might not be among the all-time greats, but the film ultimately understands why people like musicals, even if the studio was afraid to market it as one.

Among the film’s standout numbers is Cravalho’s rendition of “I’d Rather Be Me,” which encourages people to be themselves and not change for the sake of those they don’t even like. This lesson can also be applied to adapting musicals for the screen. Some changes are inevitable, but they shouldn’t come at the expense of alienating musical fans in favor of mainstream moviegoers who won’t realize what they’ve been missing until they’ve finally experienced that Broadway sound.

Which movie musical do you think best encompasses the Broadway sound? Let us know in the comments.