pittsburghlive.com
March 20, 2005
For the first time in decades, we're on the verge of a renaissance in movie musicals that will bring "Rent," "The Producers" and "Hairspray."
Its breadth and duration will depend on a combinations of three factors:
A movie can take in a ton and still go down as a loser if the profits are not greater than the expenses.
We're talking here about traditional live-action "book musicals" such as "Singin' in the Rain" and "West Side Story," not musical cartoon features ("The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast") or films in which a trunkload of new or catalog recordings are pumped into the background ("American Graffiti," "Saturday Night Fever").
The three most notable examples in the past 10 years were "Evita" (1996), "Chicago" (2002) and "The Phantom of the Opera" (2004).
All had multiple Oscar nominations, but only "Chicago" scored on Oscar night, with one of its wins being for best picture.
But awards are icing that regenerate a genre only if they help bring in more dough.
"Evita" cost $55 million to make, excluding promotional costs of perhaps $30 million. Figure it needed $85 million to break even.
It took in $50 million in North America and another $91 million abroad. Of that $141 million, roughly $70 million reached the film company. It needed at least $15 million in ancillary revenue to break even. It probably got there.
"Chicago" was a sleeper. Made for $45 million, plus $30 million in promotion, it grossed $171 million in North America and $136 million abroad despite being an indigenously American subject in a genre that traditionally did not sell well overseas. Very profitable. No doubt about it.
"The Phantom of the Opera" cost $70 million to produce, plus perhaps $35 million in promotion.
It's played out in North America, where it took in $50 million. Abroad, $92 million and just about finished. The grosses are almost identical to those of "Evita." But "Evita" did its earning eight years ago when prices and average grosses were lower. The film "Phantom" might not turn a profit.
So what's on the horizon? At least three more movie adaptations of Broadway musical blockbusters.
"Rent" is based on an edgy Broadway musical whose plot borrowed from the opera "La Boheme." There was talk it would be directed by Baz Lurhman ("Moulin Rouge"), former Pittsburgher Rob Marshall ("Chicago") or Spike Lee ("Mo' Better Blues").
Luhrman, not incidentally, also did the recent Broadway musical version of "La Boheme." But he's out.
"Rent" finally went before the cameras under director Chris Columbus, known for "Home Alone" and the first two "Harry Potter" movies. Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, Anthony Rapp and Rosario Dawson head the cast. It will open Nov. 11.
"The Producers," which just went into production, will land in December, while "Rent" is still in theaters, but with an older-skewing demographic. Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell will join four of the stars of the Broadway version, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Roger Bart and Gary Beach.
Susan Strohman, who choreographed and directed the Broadway version, will make her debut as a feature film director on the movie.
Mel Brooks won an Oscar for his original screenplay of the nonmusical 1968 film comedy. The Broadway musical adaptation for which he wrote music, lyrics and the book, and co-produced in the bargain, won a record 12 Tony Awards.
He's promising that Strohman will be a "head-to-toe" director, meaning she won't keep cutting away, MTV style, to different angles and body parts. She'll film it with an eye toward the spatial relationships of dancers to their environment.
He cites Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing in "Top Hat" as an example of head-to-toe direction.
Brooks told the trade paper Variety that "Chicago" director Rob Marshall "did a great job, and he also had never done a movie before. But he may have bowed just a little too much to cinema. And (Luhrman's) 'Moulin Rouge' never had enough stage head-to-toe in the process.
"We don't want to be too tricky, with too many cuts and too many close-ups. Susan will do a very lovely curtsy to cinema."
"Hairspray" also started as a nonmusical movie that was turned into a musical for Broadway.
The "Hairspray" film is being rewritten with an eye toward filming beginning in September. Almost every role and job on the picture is up for grabs. It may be co-directed by Jerry Mitchell and Jack O'Brien.
Bill Condon is writing and will direct a film of "Dreamgirls" for release in 2006. Condon wrote the screenplay for "Chicago" and wrote and directed "Gods and Monsters" and "Kinsey."
Also projected are remakes of "Guys and Dolls," "Bye-Bye, Birdie" and "Damn Yankees."
Music to my ears.