‘Wicked’ is just the latest in a long line of movies adapted from Broadway musicals
The Stephen Schwartz musical “Wicked” has been bewitching audiences since it premiered on Broadway on Oct. 30, 2003. Adapted from Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which was inspired by L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and the beloved 1939 MGM production, “Wicked” tells the story of the friendship between Elphaba, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda, better known as Glinda the Good. The musical has played over 8,100 performances on Broadway — still at 100% capacity-winning three Tony Awards, seven Drama Desk Awards and a Grammy. The musical has spawned countless record-breaking productions worldwide.
And Part I of the long-awaited film version starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (stepping in for Idina Menzel) and Ariana Grande as Galinda (replacing Kristin Chenoweth) is continuing to weave its magical spell. In fact, over the Thanksgiving holiday, which marked the film’s second weekend in release, it is already the highest grossing musical at the domestic box office based on a Broadway musical with $270 million, which is more than the lifetime gross of the previous record holder, 1978’s “Grease.” Earlier this week, “Wicked” won three National Board of Review trophies for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Collaboration.
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The musical directed by Jon M. Chu has also enchanted critics and the film has become a strong contender this awards season. But it’s a rarity an adaptation of a Broadway musical has won over both audiences and critics. Let’s face it, for every “Wicked” there is a “Cats.” The 2019 version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber blockbuster scratched its way to a mere 19% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave it two claws down. The film, which had a $95 million budget, only managed to eke out $27.2 million domestically.
Other turkeys include 1972’s “Man of La Mancha” — wait until you hear Peter O’Toole croon “The Impossible Dream”; 1974’s “Mame” starring Lucille Ball — you may love Lucy but it’s hard to warm up to her Auntie Mame — and 1977’s “A Little Night” starring a totally miscast Elizabeth Taylor.
But instead of dwelling on the bad and the ugly, let’s look at some of the good, albeit great musical adaptations from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
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Arguably the greatest adaptation of a Broadway musical was Bob Fosse’s 1972 “Cabaret,” which was based on the multiple Tony Award-winning 1966 musical set in Berlin, Germany just before Hitler and the Third Reich. Unlike the play, the Fosse-fied musical numbers were set in the decadent Kit Kat Klub — save for the terrifying “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” — which becomes a microcosm of what was happening in Germany. Several songs were excised from the original musical including “Don’t Tell Mama” and composers John Kander and Fred Ebb penned new ones such as “Maybe This Time.”
Keeping the musical numbers in the club, heightened the film’s dramatic moments allowing stars Liza Minnelli and Michael York to do their best work. Going into the Oscars in 1973, “The Godfather” was considered the frontrunner. But when the dust settled “The Godfather” only won three awards: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for Marlon Brando. “Cabaret” took home eight Oscars including Best Director, Best Actress for Minnelli and Best Supporting Actor for Joel Grey, who also won a Tony for his role as the ominous Master of Ceremonies.
Back in 1936, the New York Times declared James Whale’s production of “Show Boat” was one of the “finest musicals I’ve ever seen.” The 1927 landmark Jerome Kern–Oscar Hammerstein II musical “Show Boat,” which was based on the 1926 Edna Ferber novel, was adapted for the big screen three times. Though the 1951 Technicolor version with Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, and Ava Gardner is the best known, Whale’s 1936 version is the most satisfying. And for good reason — the cast is terrific. Irene Dunne, who was in the touring production in 1929, shines as Magnolia; torch singer Helen Morgan tears at your heart recreating her Broadway turn as the tragic Julie; and the legendary Paul Robeson, who played Joe in the London production in 1928, stole the film with his classic rendition of “Ol’ Man River.” Despite the fact it was a critical and commercial hit, “Show Boat” wasn’t seen for decades. The reasons? Louis B. Mayer brought the rights and all prints for Universal when he decided to do the 1951 remake. The film was also kept out of circulation because Robeson was blacklisted.
In 1944, Jerome Robbins choreographed the ballet “Fancy Free” set to the musical of Leonard Bernstein for the American Ballet Theater. That same year, the ballet was transformed into the Broadway musical “On the Town” bout three sailors on a 24-hour leave in New York City. George Abbott was brought on to direct; Bernstein wrote the music and Betty Comden and Adolph Green. And of course, Robbins did the choreography. MGM helped fund the Broadway production which also gave the studio the film rights.
And what a film. Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen made their directorial debuts with the Technicolor delight. Besides co-directing, Kelly choreographed and starred with Frank Sinatra and Jules Munchin as the three sailors on leave who find love, trouble and a lot of fun in 24 hours. Kelly, who was one of the studio’s biggest stars, insisted the production travel to New York to shoot at Columbus Circle, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Rockefeller Center. Location shooting was still a real rarity in 1949, so this was boon to the production. Joining the trio were Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller, and Alice Pearce. The film is not flawless, as only four of the original songs were used in the movie with new tunes provided by composer Roger Edens with lyrics by Comden and Green. Bernstein, in fact, boycotted the film. Still, the cast is joyous, and Kelly and Vera-Ellen are magical together. “On the Town” won the Oscar for best music-scoring of a musical picture and Comden and Green won the WGA for best written American musical
Speaking of Donen, in the late 1950s, he and veteran director Abbott collaborated on bringing two of the decade’s smash musicals to the big screen-1957’s “The Pajama Game” and 1958’s “Damn Yankees.” In fact, Jean-Luc Godard loved “Pajama Game,” the movie which revolves around union unrest at a pajama factory who demand a raise. Godard described it as “the first left-wing operetta.” Whatever it is, the colors just pop and so do the dancers and performers-several who did the Broadway show including John Raitt and Carol Haney. The adored Doris Day replaced Broadway’s Janis Paige. Fosse won the Tony for choreographing the 1954 Broadway show and though there are no jazz hands in the movie, the dance numbers are exuberant fun. A year after “Pajama Game” the Donen-Abbot-Fosse trio reunited for “Damn Yankees.” Though not as enjoyable as “Pajama Game,” the film features Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston reprising their Tony Award-winning performances; Verdon steals the film with her signature “What Ever Lola Wants” number. And she and Fosse, whom she would marry in 1960, duet on the exhilarating “Who’s Got the Pain?”
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