The arrival of Evil The film, which hits our screens next fall, is part of a long tradition of adapting Broadway hits. But other works took the opposite approach and were celebrated in our cinemas before making the jump to the stage. Here are some examples.
The devil Wears Prada
Vanessa Williams will play Miranda Priestly in the musical The Devil Wears Prada in London. “YouTube screenshot”
Miranda Priestly will soon establish her reign of terror on London stages. And it was none other than Elton John who was busy creating or implementing the musical universe of the classic story “The Devil Wears Prada”. When it came to performances on American soil in 2022, the critics weren't exactly kind. Let's hope Vanessa Williams – who will lend her facial features and voice to the title character – can appeal more to Brits.
Back to the Future
Doc and Marty now live their adventures on the Broadway stage. “YouTube screenshot”
Doc and Marty are no longer satisfied with traveling back in time… They are now leaving the screens and taking the plunge onto the stage. First in London, then on Broadway, the characters of the cult film now experience their adventures to the sounds of original songs by Glen Ballard, the former accomplice of Alanis Morissette and Aerosmith.
Kinky boots
Cyndi Lauper made Kinky Boots a hit musical. “File photo provided by Broadway Across Canada.”
It is thanks to Cyndi Lauper that the film “Kinky Boots” reached the lights of Broadway in 2012. The singer wrote and composed around fifteen songs to turn this story into a musical comedy in which a ruthless drag queen comes to the aid of a shoe factory on the edge. It was a huge success as the show was nominated for 13 Tony Awards the following year.
Pretty Woman
The cult film Pretty Woman became a musical in 2018. “Photo provided by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade”
We all know the classic story of this romance between a prostitute and a rich businessman. But the main threads of the original story have been updated for the needs of the musical of the same name – in addition to the original songs by Bryan Adams. Montrealers will also be able to discover this Pretty Woman 2.0 in a few days; The musical takes place at Place des Arts from March 5th.
Death suits her
Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis and Goldie Hawn starred in the 1992 film Death Becomes Her. “file photo”
More than 30 years after being elevated to cult film status, Death Becomes Her is getting a musical treatment in preparation for a show expected in April next year. Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard will succeed Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, respectively, taking on the roles of two stars willing to do anything to preserve their beauty and youth. It now remains to be seen how we will recreate or adapt the film's iconic image, including the gaping hole in the middle of Goldie Hawn's stomach or Meryl Streep's twisted neck in the final act.
Examples from Quebec
Marie-Ève Janvier will play Jenna in the Quebec adaptation of the musical “Waitress”. Photo provided by Just for Laughs
Quebec will also present a series of musicals inspired by films in the coming months. The Producers, Waitress and Tootsie were all celebrated on the big screen before being reincarnated on the Broadway stages. Their local versions – signed Serge Postigo, Joël Legendre and Alexis Pitkevicht – will soon follow each other at Espace St-Denis and Salle Albert-Rousseau.