“West Side Story, released in over 2,800 theaters this weekend, earned only $10.5 million at the box office this weekend, underperforming even modest estimates. 2021 has been a disaster for the future of musicals in movie theatres, with three musicals wildly underperforming expectations, with 2 of them having strong critical praise.
So what do we make of this?”
Read More“There are 20 film adaptations and some remarkable performances to note, namely Alastair Sim, Bill Murray, and, Jim Carrey, among many other live-action and animated versions. So why is the one featuring the Muppets the definitive ‘A Christmas Carol’ movie?”
Read More“I have to admit, there was a lot more tenderness, depth, and sincerity here than I’d initially anticipated.”
Read More“In the midst of this weird decade for animation, in 1987 a film came out that I would later realize had a huge impact on my love of singing and dancing, The Chipmunk Adventure.”
Read More“It’s not that a musical can’t ever translate well on screen. Grease, Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Annie, West Side Story, Hello Dolly! – these worked. I also have hope for other upcoming adaptations, such as Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. In cases like these, the switch in medium makes sense and serves an artistic purpose. For Spelling Bee, it has the potential to do the opposite.”
Read More“With the film adaptation of ‘In the Heights’ officially released to the general public (both in movie theatres, and on HBO Max), the time for Easter egg hunting has begun. Below are 13 of our favorite cameos, ranging from original Broadway cast members to legendary public radio hosts.”
Read More“To me, if half the soundtrack stays with the audience after it ends, the movie musical succeeded. Is it a low bar? I guess, but ultimately, the goal of a movie musical is for the music to engage the audience long after the performance ends.”
Read More“I can’t think of anything less fun than a Grease prequel – especially one that details the tumultuous, yet still somehow boring relationship between Danny and Sandy. That is because Danny and Sandy’s relationship is the least important aspect of Grease.”
Read More“I love nothing more than when an actor uses creative or obscure material in an audition or in class. Out of context or perhaps with an entirely different emotion, you might find something in the text that you hadn’t noticed before. Actor and comedian Lisa Gilroy has figured that out and what she’s done is downright brilliant.”
Read More“Disney announced in March that the hit Disney movie trilogy “Descendants” is now adapted and licensed for schools to perform. Because the musical left off so many good songs, we wanted to get into the entire catalog and rank from best to worst. “
Read More“Despite its vast stylistic differences from the musicals we see being developed today, Singin’ in the Rain has managed to hold on to its popularity. So what is it that has allowed Gene Kelly’s masterpiece to persist in popularity over the decades since its release and remain firmly rooted in public consciousness and affection?”
Read More“Much of the drama in the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film will be based on rumors or completely made up. So the creative teams will have to come up with something intriguing for viewers, meanwhile, the histories of Black performers in the Golden Age of Hollywood haven’t been highlighted nearly enough. One such case is The Nicholas Brothers.”
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