All tagged Sunset Boulevard
Nowadays, it has become the go-to fashion on Broadway to adapt films for the musical stage. Such movies asMoulin Rouge!, Back to the Future, and The Lion King have proven to be hits of this ilk. Most, however, have been terrible, pale replications of their screen counterparts. A handful, however, are truly amazing: artistic re-thinkings that improve upon their source material. This article is a celebration of the 10 best musicals that started as films … and three that surprisingly (for some of you) that didn’t make my list.
I cannot get enough of the band Collabro. From the moment I first heard them sing “Stars” on Britain’s Got Talent, I felt plunged into a joy of theatre music delivered in an angelic way that has never been equally captured through four-part harmony. Not long after my introduction to Collabro, I had the fortune of interviewing the four young men that make up the group. I soon learned that Michael Auger, Jamie Lambert, Matthew Pagan and Thomas J. Redgrave are not only extremely talented, but generous of spirit, kind, industrious, eloquent, and dedicated to their art of making showtunes sing with a special flair. It was a honor to speak to them and if their musical hadn’t already won me over, this interview would make me a fan for life. The announcement of their new album “Road to the Royal Albert Hall” was exciting news to me, but would it live up to expectations?
Broadway musical fans tend to be fans of film (particularly those made in Hollywood’s heyday of the 1930s and 40s), or at least that is the impression I get. We like things bigger, grander, and larger than life, with an elegance and style that is seldom found in contemporary film. There is just something about those old film and the allure of Hollywood itself that speaks to many of us. That got me thinking: how about looking at some showtunes that celebrate the world of film? Here is a fun list that I cobbled together for you to enjoy movie classics through the lens of Broadway showtunes. I hope you enjoy.
An American Institution,
The Broadway Musical reminds
That hope and optimism
Are alive in daunting times
The Tonys are just days away
But trophies set aside
Here’s a celebration
Of this year’s magic ride
