18 Iconic Film-to-Stage Adaptations

1. 18 ICONIC FILM-TO-STAGE ADAPTATIONS Presented by: The New York Film Academy School Of Performing Arts

2. 42nd Street One of the earliest film-to-stage adaptions, impressively still holds up today. The adaption faced some challenges as the dance numbers in the film could not be directly translated to stage due to their reliance on camera angles.

3. Calamity Jane Originally released in 1953, the musical film produced an Oscar-winning song: “Secret Love.” The film was adapted for the stage in 1961.

4. Cinderella An adaption of an adaptions, Cinderella was a written fairy tale prior to being first performed live on TV in 1957. This performance was then brought to the stage. It has since been one of the most remade and adapted stories of all time.

5. Cry-Baby A 1990 film by John Waters that was later adapted for the stage as a musical by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger. Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan took part in creating the book (they had also previously adapted Waters’ “Hairspray” for the stage).

6. Dirty Dancing In 1987 Vestron Pictures was planning on releasing “Dirty Dancing” in theaters for just one weekend before sending it to home video. However, the movie took off and instantly became a hit with a popular musical score to boot. It has since been internationally adapted as a stage musical.

7. Fame The 1980 film won two Academy Awards, both for its music. IT was a natural pick for adaptation to the stage. But it is unique in that it was also adapted for television and used as inspiration for a reality show.

8. Flashdance The 1983 musical film exploded onto the scene. It created a star out of lead Jennifer Beals, and the soundtrack sold over 20 million copies with the help of constant exposure on MTV. The stage adaptation of the film premiered in 2003 in the UK.

9. Footloose The 1984 film has become an icon of the 80s. All about teenage rebellion….through dance…the film was a perfect candidate for a stage adaptation. The stage show premiered in 1998 and won two Tony awards.

10. High School Musical The 2006 Disney Original Film instantly became a huge hit. The very next year “High School Musical On Stage”, the stage adaptation of the film, premiered its USA tour.

11. Marry Poppins P.L. Travers published the first of 8 Poppins books in 1934. 30 years later, Disney released a musical film based on the iconic character. A huge hit, the film was nominated for 13 Oscars and took home 5. The 2004 West End adaption for the stage won 2 Olivier Awards, while the 2006 Broadway production took home 7 Tonys.

12. Newsies In 1992 Disney released this live-action musical film. It bombed and received some very harsh criticism from the critics. But the film stayed alive and gained a cult following through the internet. In 2012 the Broadway adaptation of the film premiered to much greater success than the film. The show sold out instantly and won two Tonys.

13. The Producers The Mel Brooks 1968 comedy classic was not only adapted for the stage decades after the original film release, but the stage show was the re-adapted for film. While the stage-to-film adaptation didn’t see much success, the original film launched Mel Brooks’ long career. And the stage adaptation has won 12 Tony Awards, the most any Broadway production has ever received.

14. Silence! The Musical An oddball addition to the list is “Silence! The Musical,” The self-proclaimed unauthorized parody of “Silence of the Lambs.” The original itself was far from a musical. Rather, it was a very serious, dark, award-winning drama. This off-broadway production turned the mood on its head and told the story through music (and with great success).

15. Xanadu The original 1980 film was inspired by a 1947 Rita Hayworth film, which was inspired by a poem. The convoluted origins translate to the screen. The strange story failed at the box office but gained a cult following. So much so that it was later turned into a comedic musical for the stage which gained Tony Award nominations.

16. Beauty and the Beast As Disney often does, they took a classic fairy tale and turned into a hit animated film. Several years later, the film was adapted for the stage in the form a Broadway musical. Several nominations, wins, and international shows later, it solidified itself as the eighth longest running musical in Broadway history.

17. The Lion King Another creation of Disney, the original film debuted in 1994. The stage adaptation premiered in 1997 and was an instant hit. It has been running on Broadway, and internationally, since – making it the fourth longest running show in Broadway history. It has also surpassed Phantom of the Opera as the highest grossing film/stage production.

18. Billy Elliot The dramatic film premiered in 2000 and the stage adaptation followed several years later. The musical debuted in 2005 at the West End with music by Elton John. It was an instant hit, nominated for nine Oliver Awards and winning four. IT also went on to win several Tony awards.

19. The Little Shop of Horrors The original 1960 horror-comedy film was shot over a period of two days for just $30,000. It slowly built up a cult following and eventually debuted as an Off-Off-Broadway production in 1982. This production ran for five years. But several productions (including a Broadway adaptation) have followed since, as well as a film reboot in 1986.

20. Get More… For more great content visit: https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/musical-theatre/ Want a career in the performing arts? Learn more by visiting: https://www.nyfa.edu/musical-theatre/ https://www.nyfa.edu/los-angeles/performing-arts-school/