Musical Mondays: The Stage on the Silver Screen

Last week we discussed when television shows decide to do musical episodes, and today I want to talk about another way to consume some fun musicals. It’s not every day you can go to the theater (less so if you live outside of New York), but fortunately you can bring the stage to you. The first time I remember experiencing this was with the broadcast of Cats in the mid-to-late 90s. It was a filming of the West End production, and I was enthralled with the costumes, the music, and the flair. It was amazing. While you can still watch Cats on iTunes I believe, I want to talk about two more recent musicals brought to film as well as one coming to theaters tonight!

Shrek the Musical (2008)

Currently on Netflix is a fun filmed production of the 2008 Broadway production of Shrek. The story, which is identical to the 2001 film of the same name, is fine but not particularly memorable. Also, there is admittedly no individual character that was as loveable to me as Eddie Murphy’s take on Donkey from the film. What makes the musical so fun is the costuming—this was a very expensive show, and it really shines on the filmed version. There are plenty of close ups where you can appreciate the details but also wide shows that show off the vast scenery. It won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Costume Design for a reason. The songs are fun, and Brian d’Arcy James makes a fun Shrek. The only negative about the filming is Dreamworks decided not to include the curtain call but rather has still images with credits. Curtain calls are an important part to the show, and it definitely feels like an abrupt, disappointing ending. Still worth a watch.

Newsies (2012)

Newsies is a 1992 musical-comedy that tells the story of newspaper sales boys striking in 1899 for better wages and working conditions. I adored the movie, but even I admit that the stage version was a welcome expansion on the source material. The 2012 Broadway production won the Tony Awards for Best Choregraphy and Best Original Score. All of the Newsies, save the three leads, are very accomplished dancers. They’re dancers first and singers second, and it makes each and every dance break really pop. Disney spared no expense in the filming and the close up shots at emotional moments show just how talented the actors are. An additional nice touch that Shrek could have benefitted from is the film still has some of the crowd noise. It feels like I’m actually in the theater—just with a better seat than anyone could ever imagine.

Bandstand (2017)

Coming to movie theaters tonight is a production of a musical I saw last year. Bandstand tells the story of World War II veterans who are struggling to adapt to normal life after the horrors of war and their attempts to cope by playing music. Another Tony Award winner for Best Choreography, it is a pretty show that, to its credit, doesn’t shy away from the fact that sometimes the worst scars left by war are the ones we cannot see. As it is in theaters for the first time tonight, I can’t comment on the way it’s been shot, but it is always an incredibly fun time to have a musical large and loud on the screen in front of you. Go check it out!