Musical Theatre From Musical to Film it

Musical Theatre

From Musical to Film

It is rare to find a quality musical that is beautifully adapted from the stage onto the screen. In fact, throughout the years, American cinema has ping-ponged between deaths and revivals where musical film adaptations are involved. Flops such as Rent (2005) and The Phantom of the Opera (2004) have shown the world the disappointing result of adaptation. Yet in essence, a successful adaptation is possible; this is evident in the likes of such musicals as Chicago (2002) and Mamma Mia! (2008), all three of which brought back the reason why people view musicals in the first place: for the glitz, the glamour, and the flair of character, song, and dance number. Yet with all of these adaptations, there is no denying the fact that each musical has carried over the same core elements that allow for the production of a movie of the same name. These elements include the musical integrity of the songs, the canonical setting of the production, and the character personalities as shown on stage.

Firstly, in all musical adaptations, it is important to follow through with the musical integrity that had been popular in the stage productions. After all, the heart of the musical is in the utilization of "popular-style songs" that "either tell a story or showcase the talents of the writers and/or performers" (Kenrick). Songs are necessary components of musicals, and should the musical prove popular to the public, it makes logical sense to use the same formula when it comes to film production of said musical. Before The Phantom of the Opera, Rent and Mamma Mia! even arrived on the big screen, the music industry had already enjoyed profitable enterprise in album sales for such popular musicals. Phantom elevated the status of musical genius Andrew Lloyd Webber to superstardom put Sarah Brightman on the map of "who to watch." Rent brought about critical acclaim for its rock opera musical numbers, and has since garnered success in pop culture. Mamma Mia! follows the success of the previous two musicals by revolving the story around hit songs produced by pop culture hit ABBA.

Another aspect of musical translation is the use of setting. On a stage production of a musical, setting becomes a little more difficult to showcase, with audience members facing exactly one angle during the show. A film production changes this aspect, giving the audience a more comprehensive look at the scenery of the musical. In this way, it is important to preserve the story of the musical production within the boundaries of relevance. For example, Chicago is set in a specific historical time period; the American 1920s, in the corrupt, dangerously criminal city of Chicago, while Phantom took place sometime in the early 1880s to the early 1910s in a Parisian opera house. While Chicago retains its historical backdrop, other musicals are a bit more flexible on the time period, though the setting is still relevant to the story. Mamma Mia! takes place in an island off the coast of Greece, and Rent revolves around events taking place in New York City bohemia. These stage elements are duly carried over to the screen in order to further preserve the relevance of the story that has been seen on stage. Without this poignant carry-over of setting relevance, the magic that had worked so well on the musical theatre stage would soon disappear at the viewing of the film.

Perhaps the most important element that should be carried over from musical theatre to film is the aspect of character personality. After all, Sarah Brightman originated the popular role of Christine Daae in Phantom. Without these personalities, the characters of the musical would fall flat, no matter how well the songs are produced. This is where the success factor really lies when it comes to the translation of musical theatre productions to film productions. Unfortunately, with the high-quality performance created by the likes of Brightman and Michael Crawford (as the Phantom), the stone-like performances given by Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum could not hold a candle to the original. Likewise, the majority of the cast of Rent seem lackluster and the originals have lost their usual stage presence when translated on film. On the other hand, it is clear that even with the altered cast, personalities such as Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia! And the likes of Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, and Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago lit up the stage and brought about the old "razzle dazzle." So is this truly an element that should be regarded as an important aspect of translation? Definitely.