FEATURE: Top 10 Stage Musicals Based On Non-Musical Films
- James Tradgett
- 6 days ago
- 12 min read
On the back of the west end launch of "Beetlejuice", I thought it would be apt to, this month, explore those musicals that have most successfully adapted a story from the big screen onto the stage, whether these be Hollywood blockbusters or cult classics, any screen-stage adaptation will be eligible, even if the film was itself adapted from prior source material. Here are my picks for the top 10 musicals adapted from movies...
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10. HEATHERS
("Heathers" - 1988)
We start with a cult classic film whose musical adaptation is slowly building similar status in and of itself, with particularly consistent intrigue and popularity surrounding the show in the UK, although the recent off-broadway revival has given it a strong second wind in North America. Originally starring Winona Ryder as Veronica, this most unconventional, and surprisingly dark of 80s teen comedy films contrasts greatly with other similar titles of the day such as the "Breakfast Club" or "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", instead delving into the more brooding side of what it's like to be in the twilight of your childhood, satirising the typically optimistic nature of the genre, and presenting a far more cynical picture. And the titular "Heathers" (Chandler, McNamara and Duke) are a direct parody of the quintessential popular girls, acting as sworn enemies, yet also a means to an end for Veronica, as she attempts to navigate the high school social hierarchy. Then we have misanthropic yet charming J.D. acting as the semi-antagonist come love interest of the story, representing both a manifestation of teen angst, and a dark satire of the typical misunderstood rebel.
Fast forward two decades, and Laurence O'Keefe, fresh off his first major success with "Legally Blonde" (a show that also features on this list), decides to take this unabashedly grisly tale of murder, betrayal and power dynamics, and turn it into a stage musical. This may have raised a few eyebrows at first, but turned out to be one of the best media possible to retell this story; originally performed as a concert at Joe's Pub, the show had its full premiere in Los Angeles. It has subsequently performed off-broadway, in the west end, and in Australia and New Zealand, and over the years has provided a plethora of emerging talent with a breakthrough platform, from Jeremy Jordan and Annaleigh Ashford to Carrie Hope Fletcher, Jamie Muscato, Jordan Luke Gage and Christina Bennington.
9. LEGALLY BLONDE
("Legally Blonde" - 2001)
In what would seem like a list dedicated to Laurence O'Keefe (I promise it isn't), we feature the second of two of his musicals in our next entry, this time it's the show that arguably put his name on the map as a serious contender in the world of musical theatre, as he teamed up with wife and long-term writing partner Nell Benjamin to adapt the 2001 Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith film of "Legally Blonde", itself an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Amanda Brown, first published that same year. The story follows Elle Woods, who is not your typical Harvard Law School entrant, as she is privileged, perky, and almost preposterously pink, but don't be fooled by her undying peppiness, this is a woman who means business, and knows how to play to her strengths to thrive in her chosen field, with her picking apart of opposing clients' use of haircare products and fashion to win her cases.
The original stage production had its pre-broadway tryout at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco almost 20 years ago, in a production starring Laura Bell Bundy, Christian Borle, Orfeh Andy Karl and Annaleigh Ashford, later transferring to the Palace Theatre on broadway, where it ran for a year and a half, and over 600 total performances. Though it has never experienced long-term success in and of itself, its legacy, as well as how well it adapted the original source material, is regularly touted as one of the most successful movie to musical adaptations, as it retains the spirit and vibe of the film, whilst also expanding on its feminist themes and emotional depth.
8. THE OUTSIDERS
("The Outsiders" - 1983)
Adolescent anger, brotherly love and gang warfare are at the heart of the core thematic makeup for this hard rocking, fast driving story, often compared with other similar musicals like "West Side Story", due to its representation of feuding groups from opposite sides of the same city, but with a much more rock and roll style score andmuch dirtier aesthetic. Originally a 1967 book by S. E. Hinton, who wrote the story when she was a teenager, the film adaptation came out a decade and a half later, and starred an impressive range of early career actors who would go on to become Hollywood mainstays, including Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze and Tom Cruise. Set in Tulsa Oklahoma, it's the story of the poor east side 'Greasers' and much more privileged west side 'Socs', constantly at each others' throats for the sake of territory, class resentment, and a mutual sense of prejudice. It's the former group from whom we meet our primary protagonist Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade, brothers Darrel and Sodapop, and fiercely loyal fellow member Dallas Winston, all of whom look out for him in very different but equally committed ways, as he tries to navigate the ongoing conflict.
The original book by Hinton has since become a major part of American school syllabuses, often considered a rite of passage by teens in the US, so the enormous success of the musical adaptation of the story is entirely unsurprising. With a score by Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance and Justin Levine, and book by Levine and Pulitzer finalist Adam Rapp, "The Outsiders" first opened at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego in 2023, transferring to broadway the following year, and becoming an 11-time Tony nominated production, winning 4 awards including for best musical. The musical still remains a majorly popular broadway mainstay, currently running at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, where it has performed for now over 2 years, with a projected London premiere currently in the pipelines...
7. WAITRESS
("Waitress" - 2007)
This story about a pregnant pie baker has become such a major part of the musical theatre landscape, it's almost inconceivable to think that, prior to 2015, the story was still a fairly niche piece of media, originally released in 2007 as an indie film written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly. Jenna Hunterson is a talented but downtrodden young woman working in Joe's Pie Diner in the southern US, she has complete creative autonomy over the pies serves, however is stuck in a toxic marriage with controlling, abusive husband Earl, so when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she plots to try and escape her deeply unhappy life, with the help of her two best friends and fellow waitresses, the outspoken, unfiltered Becky, and timid, hyper-organised Dawn.
Since its broadway premiere in 2016, running for 4 years at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre (now the Lena Horne), the Sara Bareilles-penned stage musical version of the story has reached a whole new generation, with many girls and women in particular being given a voice, especially those who have also been victims of domestic abuse. Following its west end premiere in 2019, where it ran at the Adelphi Theatre until March 2020, when it was forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After theatres began to reopen, it was both the first musical to reopen on broadway in 2021, and one of the first touring productions to begin performances on this side of the pond, with a second tour currently ongoing in the UK & Ireland. It just goes to show that, with a little sugar, butter and flour, and a whole lot of love, you can bake yourself up a beautiful screen to stage adaptation.
6. BEETLEJUICE
("Beetlejuice" - 1988)
Over 30 years after Michael Keaton first brought this titular bio-exorcist to life (well, death), Eddie Perfect decided that it was time he made his stage debut, and so crafted this chaotic, kooky new musical that retains all of Tim Burton's weird and wonderful characters, lore, and moral ambiguity that have made this such a fan favourite over the years. First appearing on the silver screen in the late 1980s, "Beetlejuice" is a mischievous, chaotic ghost whom has been dead for over 600 years, and acts as a "bio-exorcist", helping the ghosts of the recently deceased scare new occupants from the houses they once occupied. However he is only able to manifest in the mortal world if someone living says his name out loud three times unbroken...enter Lydia Deetz, whom Beetlejuice manipulates, and tried to force to marry him, so that he can inhabit the living world permanently.
There are distinct differences to the stage show, most notably the fact that, unlike in the film where Keaton only appears on screen for around 17 minutes, the title character appears on stage during most scenes, regularly breaking the fourth wall, making crude, often topical jokes, and acting as a narrator of sorts through the story. First adapted to the stage by Scott Brown, Anthony King and Eddie Perfect, the show opened at broadway's Winter Garden Theatre in 2019, following a tryout in Washington D.C. the previous year. It has had three separate runs in New York, and though they were not necessarily the most critically or commercially successful, there has always been screams for Beetlejuice to return, and a London transfer was always going to be a possibility.
5. AMÉLIE
("Amélie" - 2001)
A most unlikely of movie to musicals next, but also one that initially didn't necessarily do the source material justice, according to both audiences and critics. Before it took to the stage, "Amélie" was a 2001 French language film by Guillaume Laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, which followed the titular Parisian waitress, brought up in a sheltered, socially isolated environment due to an overprotective parental situation, (exacerbated by the untimely loss of her mother), who in adulthood endeavours to help change the lives of those around her for the better, whilst simultaneously trying to deal with her own sense of isolation and loneliness. More than anything the film holds up a mirror to modern Parisian life, but in a whimsical and inherently humorous manner.
The stage adaptation experienced something of a false start, with the original broadway staging was often considered excessively Americanised, and in spite of a strong score by Daniel Messé and Nathan Tysen, as well as Philippa Soo's critically acclaimed lead performance, it failed to capture the essence of the original film. Thankfully, the show's journey back to Europe took it back to the drawing board, with re-orchestrations, a rearrangement into an actor-muso staging directed by Michael Fentiman, and a distinctly more rustic design palate, and the story finally got the faithful adaptation it deserved, invigorated by Audrey Brisson's far quirkier, and arguably more French take on the lead role. It may have taken a couple of tries, but we finally ended up with an adaptation worthy of the original Oscar nominated film.
4. KINKY BOOTS
("Kinky Boots" - 2005)
Everybody say yeah! This exponent of US singer songwriter Cyndi Lauper and playwright Harvey Fierstein is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, taking a Geoff Deane and Tim Firth film from the mid 2000s, and giving it all the sparkle and pizzazz of the stage that was, quite clearly, missing from the original iteration of the story. "Kinky Boots" truly is an amalgamation of two completely different worlds, that of stuffy, shy shoe factory beneficiary Charlie, and the more extravagant, colourful landscape inhabited by the drag community who, in their search for someone to make them the most fabulous heeled boots imaginable, find themselves intertwined with Price & Son's business, and out of this, an unlikely friendship between Charlie and drag queen Lola (birth name of Simon) starts to blossom. The film by Deane and Firth was arguably not a big success, receiving a mixed response from critics, and only grossing around $10m.
This, however, was not the end for "Kinky Boots", as Lauper and Fierstein completely reinvigorated the story, primarily by shifting its focus to themes of very real human bonds, self acceptance and tolerance of others regardless of their background or history. Not only this, but the overall character and relationship development is some of the finest in musical theatre, which is down to its emotional resonance, as well as the characters' consistent desire to understand each other, and meet one another in the middle. Whether or not you feel like you fit in, this most uplifting of musicals will certainly give you the feeling that you do, and it truly is a party to which everyone's invited.
3. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
("The Little Shop of Horrors" - 1960)
Though this is a musical later adapted to the screen itself, the original stage show is actually based off an earlier, non-musical film from the 1960s, directed by Roger Corman and written by Charles B. Griffith, and featuring a cast that included one of the very earliest on-screen appearances by Jack Nicholson, who played the masochistic dental patient Wilbur Force, a character who did not make it into the stage musical. Over two decades later, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken took the story of shy, unassuming florist's assistant Seymour and his man-eating alien plant, added a 1960s doo-woop/rhythm and blues style score, and gave us what has become one of the most popular cult classic musicals of all time, still selling out regularly at its off-broadway home of the Westside Theatre.
This is also one of only two shows on this list to later be re-adapted into a movie musical, with original off-broadway and west end performer Ellen Greene reprising the role of Audrey that she originated on stage, alongside the likes of Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, Miriam Margolyes and Bill Murray among others. Another example of a show which, on paper, would draw raised eyebrows aplenty from audiences and critics alike, however it has more than staked its claim to a place in the annals of musical theatre, with its perfect blend of dark comedy and more heartfelt moments, and seemingly endless potential for interpretation from directors, the sky truly is the limit for this dark, disturbing, yet oddly endearing cult musical.
2. THE PRODUCERS
("The Producers" - 1967)
Another musical based on a comedy film from the 1960s (and the second to be re-adapted into a movie musical), this behemoth of a show is arguably Mel Brooks' magnum opus, not only becoming the most Tony winning production of all time with 12 total wins, but also earning the comedy legend himself an EGOT in the process. Before it took broadway, and latterly the west end, by storm, this unhinged satirical story was one of Brooks' best loved cinematic exponents, with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder presenting the story of two broadway producers attempting to stage an unqualified flop in order to pocket millions of dollar of oversold shares of the play, but end up accidentally overseeing one of the all time musical hits, in spite of the highly controversial subject matter. Where did they go right indeed?
Brooks was initially reluctant to develop the stage show, believing that the original film was "perfectly fine on its own", however it was producer David Geffen who persistently tried to convince him to make the move, and finally in 1998, Brooks relented, and made contact with author and playwright Thomas Meehan to begin working on the musical's book. After an out-of-town tryout in Chicago, "The Producers" opened at the St. James Theatre in April 2001, where it ran for 6 years and over 2,500 performances, and made Tony Awards history in the process. In many ways, the story is perfectly suited for a theatrical setting due to how steeped it is in broadway culture, however if it weren't for Geffen, we may well still be waiting for it to happen. This entry may well have topped this list were it not for my own deep personal attachment to the final show, with that distinction going to...
1. BILLY ELLIOT
("Billy Elliot" - 2000)
Screenwriter Lee Hall won a BAFTA award for best screenplay for the 2000 film "Billy Elliot", starring Jame Bell and Julie Walters, before going on to adapt it into one of the most successful shows of all time in terms of both critical acclaim and accolades swept up, as well as overall audience popularity. The film tells the story of the titular son of a striking miner from county Durham, who lives in a society driven by toxic masculinity, but dreams of becoming a ballerina after discovering his love for the art form after accidentally stumbling into Mrs Wilkinson's class after his own boxing tuition. His father, and the wider community are initially incredulous to why a boy would want to do ballet, but after seeing how much it means to him, and how well he took to it, he does the unthinkable, and crosses the picket line in the name of his love for his son.
Hall later teamed up with Elton John to adapt this beautiful tale to the west end stage, opening the show at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 2005, though it originally planned on premiering at the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, a preview period which fell through due to financial constraints. Following its broadway debut at the Imperial Theatre, the musical made a killing at that season's Tony Awards, picking up 10 wins from 15 nominations in all but one category, becoming one of the most successful musicals in the history of the awards. Having had lengthy runs on both side of the Atlantic, a flurry of international productions, and an upcoming west end revival, this musical and cinematic cultural phenomenon is one that has, and will endure through the decades, especially for myself as a native of Tyne & Wear.
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Did I miss any of your favourites? Which movie to musical adaptations do you love? Let me know below, or via my Instagram page.
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