Top 10 Biggest Changes in Movie Musicals

Audiences fell in love with “Dear Evan Hansen” when it debuted on Broadway in 2016. The more people analyzed Evan’s choices, though, the more apparent some of the show’s narrative issues became. The film adaptation - for all its faults - at least tries to rectify this in the final act. In the stage version, Evan confesses to the Murphys that he lied about his friendship with Connor. Although the family is heartbroken, Zoe ultimately forgives Evan, who doesn’t face any real consequences for telling such a colossal lie. If anything, he’s celebrated for it. In the movie, Evan posts a video on social media, admitting everything and absolving the Murphys of online hate. Evan becomes a social outcast again as he seeks redemption.

When it was announced that Disney was adapting “Into the Woods,” we feared the musical might lose its “Grimm” edge. To our delight, the film remained mostly faithful with several characters meeting twisted fates. One character is given a much happier ending, however. The last we see of Rapunzel in the film, she rides off with her prince after turning away the Witch who imprisoned her. The movie omits an entire subplot in which Rapunzel becomes pregnant, giving birth to twins. The film version of Rapunzel is also less emotionally tormented by the pain her adoptive mother inflicted. Most significantly, Rapunzel survives the film whereas in the show, a giant stomps on her. Much was left on the cutting room floor along with Rapunzel’s hair.

In any musical adaptation, it’s not uncommon for the filmmakers to switch up the song order. Sometimes that hurts the pacing, but the 1961 version of “West Side Story” significantly improved upon its stage counterpart in this respect. “Gee, Officer Krupke” may be the musical’s funniest, most lighthearted song. So, it always felt out of place in the show’s second act after Riff and Bernardo were killed. Stephen Sondheim agreed, which is why the film moves “Gee, Officer Krupke” to before the rumble. It’s swapped with “Cool,” which felt more appropriate for the darker second half. The 1961 film also moved up “I Feel Pretty,” although Steven Spielberg’s remake shifted Maria’s signature number back to the beginning of Act II.

As beloved as “Grease” is, audiences understandably have reservations about Sandy’s character arc. In the end, she essentially conforms to please Danny, adopting a new wardrobe and persona. While the film doesn’t change this, it does cut Sandy’s most out-of-character moment. The stage version of Patty Simcox is more antagonistic, trying to steal Danny away from Sandy. When Sandy shows up in greaser attire, Patty calls her a floozy. This prompts Sandy to give Patty a black eye. Their rivalry is removed from the film along with this physical altercation. “You’re the One That I Want” was such an uplifting addition to the movie. We think the song’s feel-good nature might’ve been tarnished if it followed a scene where Sandy punches out Patty.

In virtually any “Wizard of Oz” adaptation, Dorothy is a farm girl from Kansas who dreams of a more adventurous life. The stage version of “The Wiz” is no exception, but the 1978 film made some questionable choices. In addition to swapping Kansas for Harlem, Dorothy isn’t a young girl in this interpretation. She’s a shy 24-year-old school teacher played by a then-33-year-old Diana Ross. While Ross’ singing gifts can’t be denied, Motown CEO Berry Gordy wasn’t the only one who felt she was too old for the role. Gordy had his eye on Stephanie Mills, who originally played Dorothy on Broadway. When Ross convinced Rob Cohen of Universal to finance the picture if she was cast, though, Gordy gave her the silver slippers.

Where Diana Ross was seen as too old to pull off Dorothy, Barbra Streisand was a much younger Dolly Levi than theatre audiences anticipated. Carol Channing was in her early 40s when she originated the role on Broadway, winning a Tony. When Streisand got cast in the film, she was in her 20s. Age aside, Channing and Streisand have very different acting and singing styles. Dolly was bound to change as a result. Channing made it no secret that she wanted to reprise her role, but producer Ernest Lehman felt “her personality [was] just too much for the cameras to contain.” After Streisand booked the part, Channing wished her luck in a telegram. Yet, even Streisand felt they “should have used an older woman.”

In 2005, mainstream audiences generally assumed that all musicals had some dialogue. So, if an average viewer saw “Rent” on stage, they may be surprised to discover it was almost entirely sung through. Hollywood seemingly didn’t think moviegoers were ready for this when “Rent” hit the silver screen. While the show’s most iconic numbers are preserved for the most part, many of the songs were substituted with dialogue. This might’ve made the material more accessible to normies, but Jonathan Larson’s words undeniably packed a more powerful punch as lyrics rather than straightforward lines. This change seemed to alienate Broadway loyalists without attracting many new fans. When the movie remembers that it’s a musical, though, we’re given a glimpse of what could’ve been.

This musical saw several changes on its journey from stage to screen, but the most hair-raising alteration is saved for last. Claude spends most of the stage version rebelling against the draft before being sent to Vietnam. The film drastically overhauls Claude’s character arc, turning him into a wide-eyed innocent from Oklahoma who arrives in New York after being drafted. On his way, Claude gets sidetracked as a hippie tribe introduces him to free love. Instead of Claude, tribe leader Berger ultimately takes his place and dies in Vietnam. Although the film was a success, lyricists Gerome Ragni and James Rado felt their musical has yet to truly receive the screen treatment. Fans are still waiting for Hollywood to let the sunshine in.

Despite his Broadway background, Bob Fosse took his film adaptation of “Cabaret” in a different direction. With Liza Minnelli playing Sally Bowles, the lead went from English to American. Likewise, Cliff Bradshaw (renamed Brian Roberts) became British instead of American. With his bisexuality being more openly discussed, the character of Maximilian is added to create a love triangle. Most notably, Fosse’s film cut a substantial subplot involving Fräulein Schneider, a gentile landlord, and Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit shop owner. Schneider still played a minor role, but Schultz was cut with several songs. In place of their star-crossed romance, the film introduces two new characters, Fritz Wendel and Natalia Landauer. Although different from the show, these additions draw from the source material, “I Am a Camera” and “Goodbye to Berlin.”

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable - or in some cases dishonorable - mentions.

A Wonderful Town, “On the Town” (1949)
Because “Helluva” Was Too Edgy For Censors in 1949

Flashbacks, “A Chorus Line” (1985)
Zach & Cassie’s History Takes Center Stage

Tobias’ Fate, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007)
After Slaying Todd in the Stage Show, Toby Gets Caught at the Meat Grinder

Albert Is a Research Chemist, “Bye Bye Birdie” (1963)
He’s No Longer an Agent or an Aspiring English Teacher

Several Characters, “Cats” (2019)
Victoria’s The Protagonist, Macavity’s A Villain, Old Deuteronomy’s Female, & Everyone’s… Friskier

Even for a show with a human-eating plant, “Little Shop of Horrors” ends on an astonishingly dark note with our romantic leads dying and the world invaded. But hey, as long as the actors return to take a bow, the audience will leave with closure. Frank Oz didn’t realize this when an estimated $5 million went into shooting his film’s ending, which remained faithful to the stage version. After two disastrous test screenings, Oz and Howard Ashman relented that another ending was needed. In addition to removing the finale, new footage was shot with Jim Belushi filling in for Paul Dooley. While Seymour and Audrey live happily ever after in the theatrical cut, the original ending has been restored in all its mean, green glory.

Which changes do you think were for the best (or worse)? Let us know in the comments.