Top 5 Movie Musicals That Worked & 5 That Didn't

Adapted from his own 1967 movie of the same name, Mel Brooks’ 2001 Broadway farce about two crooked producers became the most decorated show in Tony Awards history at the time. Considering it had the same director and co-leads as the stage production, how could the movie version go so wrong? Well, for starters, they didn’t bother to adapt its humor for the screen. In some ways, the movie feels more like they just captured the stage play on camera rather than a movie in its own right. Loaded with theatrical gestures and fourth-wall breaking jokes that just didn’t play well for the camera, “The Producers” was a box office flop.

In 1961, Tony and Maria’s epic love story captivated movie audiences just as it had on Broadway 4 years earlier. Sixty years later, Steven Spielberg had a lot to live up to with his remake. “West Side Story” is the kind of melodramatic, dance-heavy musical that just isn’t as at home on movie screens anymore. But when the adaptation finally arrived, it infused the story with new life and a fresh, modern perspective without robbing it of what makes it so special and so thrilling. A clever alteration to the character Doc allowed for original star Rita Moreno to deliver one of the score’s most haunting songs. It’s a tribute to Spielberg’s ability to celebrate the past while still remaining in the present.

It took nearly 20 years for this one to make it to the big screen. Maybe they should’ve waited a little longer. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s show is legendary for its extravagance, its romance, and its incredibly demanding music. The minimum requirement for its stars should be that they can sing. As the Phantom, Gerard Butler is already a bit too young and handsome, but his dodgy vocals rob the character of his charm. And the problems only start there. The movie feels overly long, stuffed with sets that are underlit and musical numbers that are robbed of much suspense. For many fans, it’s enough. For everyone else who hadn’t seen and loved the musical, it might’ve left them scratching their heads and wondering what all the fuss was about.

Based on the real-life careers of musical acts like the Supremes and the Shirelles, the 1981 production of “Dreamgirls” was a Broadway sensation. The 2006 film was pitched perfectly to the modern-day audience. Starring Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, the movie blended everything that made the show so great with incredible cinematic technique. Its chart-friendly score, incredible ensemble, and iconic moments helped it gross over $100 million at the box office. Coming out after some other less successful musical adaptations only helped it stand out for everything it got right.

The last time director Rob Marshall had directed a musical, it was a smash hit. His 2009 follow-up about a director in crisis took on a meta quality when it bombed. Based on the 1982 Broadway musical, which has as its source the Italian film “8½,” “Nine” is a slick, but shallow and joyless rendering of a fascinating story. Star Daniel Day-Lewis is a great actor. However, he’s not exactly a music man. The show is a series of vignettes that bounce back and forth between past and present, but this didn’t translate well to the screen. The addition of unnecessary original songs didn’t help matters much either. Critics were fairly consistent. “Nine” is all flash, no substance.

A few years before “Nine” tanked at the box office, director Rob Marshall was celebrated for practically reviving the entire movie musical genre with “Chicago.” From the unforgettable “All That Jazz” to the deliciously deranged “Cell Block Tango,” the Kander and Ebb musical got a lurid and splashy update for the 21st Century. While the story takes place in the jazz age, it was a musical for the present. This wasn’t some outdated and naive song and dance show. Dark, sexy, and ingeniously staged, “Chicago’s” sense of wicked irony captivated audiences and scored major awards attention. It was the first musical in over three decades to win the Best Picture Oscar.

Ben Platt won a Tony for his work as this title character. But what made him great on Broadway didn’t come across on screen. To combat Platt’s advanced age in the role of a high schooler, the filmmakers made the decision to give him a hairstyle that bafflingly aged him up another ten years. But that’s just the beginning. If you’re gonna have a protagonist who makes as many morally questionable decisions as Evan Hansen, you’re gonna have to make your movie overwhelmingly good. The show doesn’t exactly absolve Evan of his sins, but the movie seems determined to make him more of a bystander in his own story. Taking itself way too seriously, it’s not even fun to watch in a campy way.

Audiences who weren’t lucky enough to catch Barbra Streisand’s star-making performance on Broadway in 1964 finally got to experience it on screen 4 years later. While the original show was plagued by script problems, the movie salvaged the best parts of the story and swapped out some songs to fit Streisand’s movie debut. As a movie, it’s a classic, but as a star vehicle, it’s unimpeachable. “Funny Girl” is as much about Streisand as it is about the woman she’s playing. From her allegedly offbeat looks to her crystal clear voice, the movie became a perfect showcase for everything that was endearing about Streisand herself.

Before we unveil our top picks, here are a few honorable mentions.

Didn’t Work: “A Chorus Line” (1985)
The Movie Fundamentally Misunderstands What the Original Show Is About

Didn’t Work: “Rent” (2005)
The Whimsy of Its Bohemian Ideals Were Lost in the Transfer From Stage to Screen

Worked: “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986)
Even a More Upbeat Ending Couldn’t Dull “Little Shop”’s Edges

Worked: “Hairspray” (2007)
Had People Dancing in the Aisles

Worked: “Grease” (1978)
The Decision to Revise the Original Story Paid Off Big-Time & Made It a Classic

Director Tom Hooper’s mix of overwrought operatics and gritty realism didn’t endear everyone to his vision for “Les Misérables,” but at least that movie was competent. “Cats” is a nightmare come to life. Given the show’s threadbare plot, a movie version was always going to be an uphill battle. But instead of leaning into its fantastical elements and sense of whimsy, the movie tries to streamline the narrative in a way that just reveals its weaknesses. It was a bomb in every department. From its Snapchat-like filter effects to its musical numbers, which look less like Broadway and more like the uncanny valley, it’s gone down in history as an all-time low for the genre.

Here’s an example of a screen adaptation that perfectly adapts the source material. “Cabaret” received a massive overhaul on its way to movie theaters. Bob Fosse’s masterpiece cut several elements from the original 1966 production. Many songs, entire characters, and major subplots are done away with, but it never feels like you’re missing anything. Focusing on nightclub singer Sally Bowles and her relationship with an English writer in 1930s Berlin, the themes of creeping fascism are conveyed through editing and sound design. Its numbers have become iconic in their own right, and some of the new songs written for the film were even added into the show’s score for subsequent live stagings.

What other movie musicals could have made this list? Tell us in the comments.