We at Barking Mad About Films always keep an eye on all things film, and we have noted that of late, there is now a growing trend to take movies to the stage for plays or musicals.
We always share news and offers for tickets when we see them on our facebook page. Fans of our page will have seen that most recently to our stage, we have had plays based on films ranging from big hits such as Groundhog Day to smaller British films such as Made in Dagenham and Bend it Like Beckham.
Elsewhere, this trend has followed with films ranging from Spider-Man to Rocky hitting the American theatre stage as well as smaller cult classics such as Waitress.
It is not really a surprise when you consider the success that The Lion King has been, Disney also had success with Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin musicals.
Eric Idle had great success taking Monty Python and the Holy Grail to the stage with Spamalot as well. Big movie characters such as Shrek; Mary Poppins and more recently, Buddy the Elf, brought to life on screen by Will Ferrell, have graced the stage.
It is only fair of course, as recently cinema has been looking to the stage for ideas as well, with recent hits including Les Miserables; Mamma Mia; Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods.
Not that this is a recent idea, other films based on musicals include Grease; West Side Story; Evita and Annie as well as cult classics such as The Producers and The Rocky Horror Picture Show!
But it did get us thinking, what film could be a great musical? The obvious one for us has to be Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. Fantastic characters and already wonderful Danny Elfman Songs, this could be a big hit we feel. It’s run could cover both Halloween and Christmas, that would appeal over a seasonal only show. We think you could even argue it that it could play all year round!
It already has a massive fan base as well, so could probably guarantee a great audience. It also had a great love story between Jack and Sally, which could appeal to couples, looking for a great date night or event for a special occasion!
Of course, the merchandise options would also be endless too, although they may be running out of things you can put Jack Skellington on =)
There would be crowd pleasing numbers, not just from Jack and Sally, but fan favourites such as Lock, Stock and Barrel. Oogie Boogie was born for the stage with his
Oogie Boogie was born for the stage, with his show-stopping tunes and the film even, has a Zombie Band ideal for playing tunes during set changes as well.
We think this could be great, plus it would unlikely do too much damage to viewing the film, whereas a sequel film may do.
Tim Burton has done a Musical in Sweeney Todd, so sure he could see it go in the right direction if he wanted to get involved. His work has already had some success with Edward Scissorhands, which was turned into a ballet/dance show by Matthew Bourne.
Do you think The Nightmare before Christmas could work as a seasonal stage show or even an all year round one? What film do you think could make a great Musical/Stage Show?
We would love to hear from you here at Barking Mad About Films
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