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The Most Beloved Stage-to-Screen Musicals

4/21/2020

We're all missing the live theatrical experience right now. Fortunately, Hollywood has adapted many of our favorite Broadway musicals for the silver screen! While some interpretations are more successful than others, here are TMTP's Staff picks for their favorite classic stage-to-screen selections. Just click on the photo or title to stream on AmazonPrime while "sheltering in place."

Jodi Kirk on Camelot
"I feel the film captures so much of the heart of the story, not only the ideals of King Arthur but the personal conflict of the love triangle between Arthur, Jenny and Lance which is beautifully and achingly portrayed. In addition, being able to fully experience the epic battle scenes and most especially the joust adds to the richness of this period piece."

Joanna Cullinan on Dreamgirls
"The film so perfectly captures the look and feel of the music industry in the 1960s & 70s. The casting is delicious...Jennifer Hudson's breakout performance is one for the ages, but the supporting turns by Eddie Murphy, Anika Noni Rose and Beyonce are equally strong. And the new songs written for the film are knockouts!"

Bill Rudman on Fiddler on the Roof
"Because the director Norman Jewison had a career-long dedication to exploring socially conscious themes, and we see that in Fiddler as powerfully as in any of his dramas. Though this film lacks the sheer musicality of the stage production, he tells the story without turning away from the harsh reality of life in a shtetl. The pogrom scene is perhaps the most harrowing ever conceived for a film musical."

Heather Meeker on Into the Woods
"I saw the film adaptation before seeing a stage production and was blown away by Sondheim's clever concept. The musical teaches deeper lessons about the fairytales we've known since childhood. In my favorite song, 'I Know Things Now,' Little Red sings, 'although scary is exciting, nice is different from good.' That's just so TRUE, as is the last lyric, 'Isn't it nice to know a lot!/ And a little bit not.'"

Heidi Lang on My Fair Lady
"Even though it always bothered me that Audrey Hepburn didn't sing in the movie, I have always loved how the movie really reflects everything I love about the stage show. And the Ascot Gavotte gets the full Hollywood treatment! What's not to love about this show?"

Bridie Srsen on The Sound of Music
"When I was a little girl I wanted to play Gretl, and then I was old enough to play Marta, then Brigitta, Louisa and finally Liesl. But once I was finally old enough to play Maria as an adult was probably the most exciting. I grew up with all of these fantastic characters and this powerful story and I cannot wait to show my future children and sing all of the music with them!"

Nancy Maier on West Side Story
"The ability to film it in that actual dilapidated section of NYC gave it such an immediate reality. The casting is perfect, even with the dubbed singing voices of Maria and Tony. And I think the decision to place a few of the songs differently, and also revise the song 'America' to include the Sharks’ men, worked better dramatically for the piece as a whole."

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TMTP Staff Picks Documentaries to Watch at Home

4/6/2020

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Since The Musical Theater Project's mission is to educate as well a entertain, we thought we'd share our favorite Broadway-themed documentaries to catch up on while you're spending time at home. Most of these are available for streaming, some even for free. Check out the trailers for all of them right here and add these to your Watch List!

Nancy Maier recommends Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened about the short-lived Merrily We Roll Along. "It truly captures the high hopes of Merrily's original young company and their ultimate disappointment when the show failed. Heartbreaking and exhilarating at the same time - and transformative for them all."
Available on: Netflix and iTunes.

Bill Rudman recommends Pennebaker's Original Cast Album: Company. "It MUST be seen by anyone who has collected cast albums over the years because it captures all the disciplined but frantic art and craft of taking one medium (stage) and making it work for another (recording). Pennebaker makes you feel you’re there and every MINUTE of this it is riveting."
Available on: DVD on Amazon

Bridie Carroll Srsen recommends Every Little Step about casting the revival of A Chorus Line. "This was fascinating to me when it came out because I knew people involved in the production and this was what what I did for a living. To see it all out there, raw and real of how it actually happens is intense!"
Available on: Amazon Prime and YouTube

Heidi Lang recommends Annie: Life After Tomorrow. "Growing up in the late 70's and early 80's, I this was one of my all-time favorite musicals. I had big dreams of playing an orphan or even the lead role of Annie. It's very eye opening to see that the lives of those 'stars' that I idolized were not as glamorous as I imagined.
Available on: Amazon Prime and YouTube

Heather Meeker recommends Merely Marvelous: The Dancing Genius of Gwen Verdon. "The rare clips of her dancing are stunning, but what the film really shows off is her unparalleled work ethic. You can see in the interview footage with current dancers what she meant to them and how she really changed the shape of Broadway."
Available on: Amazon Prime

Joanna Cullinan recommends Show Business: The Road to Broadway. "The film follows four shows from one Broadway season: Wicked, Avenue Q, Caroline or Change, and Taboo. What's cool is you get to look at the shows from all different aspects of the business from the early writing stages to production and even how critics and the media play a role in a show's success. It's a real insiders look."
Available on: Amazon Prime

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The Most Beloved Stage-to-Screen Musicals

TMTP Staff Picks Documentaries to Watch at Home

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