The Sunday Giveaway: Life is a Cabaret – On Blu-ray!
Just last week, Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Michael York and more attended a fancy fortieth anniversary of the movie Cabaret at the Ziegfeld Theatre, where the movie first premiered! (My Macbeth, who won a Tony for his Emcee on Broadway, was there too!)
And if that wasn’t enough of a party, now we’re going to give away a free copy of the newly restored version of the classic flick.
Here’s how you can win Cabaret on Blu-ray!
Simple – what movie should be musicalized, that hasn’t? Give me your fav. Ready, set, go!
(Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below! Email Subscribers, click here then scroll down to say what’s on your mind!)
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Crossing Delancey – change the little bookstore into a small independent music store (like the old Petelson’s on 56th St.) Make the author characters composers, instead. “She Loves Me” for today!
“Connie and Carla” It already has a performing back story as part of the plot and offers two plum female leading roles.
A Summer Place.
The Princess Bride. I would have said Animal House, but I believe the Barenaked Ladies are working on that one.
The first one I though of!
Trading Places. Good vs. Evil. Plenty of characters to write songs for, and an eleven o’clock number at the stock exchange. Even a Holiday theme!
Clerks. Language cannot be a barrier after Mormon. I’m not even supposed to be here today as an I don’t want song. Someone crazy good as Silent Bob, who sings his inner thoughts. And Come on, Kevin Smith has toyed with making Clerks III for the stage anyway.
Rush seats . . . $37 bucks. I don’t know about anyone else, but I need this to happen
“Pulp Fiction”, of course.
Oh I hope I win this time. “Cabaret” is my all-time favorite movie! It has it all.
THE OOGIELOVES IN THE BIG BALLOON ADVENTURE…this year’s animated version of MOOSE MURDERS
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.
I would love to see “Moonstruck: The Musical”
The Shawshank Redemption, starring Hunter Foster and Norm Lewis.
I would like to see what someone could do with Predator as a musical!
Die Hard! How fun would that be lol 🙂
A League of Their Own – staring Sutton Foster as Dottie Henson, of course!
The Hangover – Staring Aaron Tveit, Gavin Creel, Cheyenne Jackson, and Brian Darcy James.
Star Wars with Norm Lewis as Vader
haha I could do this all day!
The Princess Bride.
Spaceballs would make the best musical.
Downton Abbey all the way!
Lincoln – the 1776 for our generation!
For sure, HOUSE OF CARDS. People are already salivating for Season Two. And GUESS WHO could play the lead? Your favorite MacBeth! He is absolutely devious enough to do it.
Forrest Gump!
Django Unchained…. hands down would be amazing!
Father of the Bride!!!! And Martin Short still be in it? Cause I love seeing him on stage!
Easy question! PLEASE make a musical out of SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. PLEASE!!!!
Okay — actually not so easy a question because there are many . . . .Les Miz (oh yeah, they already did that), August Rush, ET, and my very favorite . . . LADY AND THE TRAMP.
Harry Potter
Wet Hot American Summer.
The first thing that leaped into my brain was “The Princess Bride.” I can almost hear the tunes to “Inconceivable” and “As You Wish” now.
Second Thought — “A Fish Called Wanda”, because an insult song sung by Sutton Foster in the Jamie Lee Curtis role would be hysterically brilliant.
Both of these would be amazing!
Easy. Fight Club.
Millions – A sweet little British movie about two young boys who find millions of British pounds. The youngest son keeps seeing saints.
Donnie Darko. With a really angsty soundtrack from Duncan Sheik.
This is too fun…
Anchorman
The Truman Show
Shakespeare in Love
“Great Expectations” – a wealth of great movie versions, rich with characterizations and plot, all with a song waiting to happen, but the original source is the Charles Dicken’s novel. The great CD wrote two different endings for this novel, and in keeping with the spirit of his other “musical,” i.e. Edwin Drood, you could invite the audience at each performance before they take their seats to vote the ending they would like to see that evening.. or rotate endings based on odd/even days.
A childhood favorite that I always thought would be a fun musical is an old Don Knotts, Tim Conway classic THE PRIVATE EYES. A fun and zany murder mystery that would make a fun night at the theatre.
Mrs. Doubtfire: A New Broadway Musical.
Several years ago, Mrs. Doubtfire was in the works for transitioning to Broadway
13 Going on 30!
I could see it having a fun, poppy, contemporary score with great dance numbers. It could be a good piece for Jim Calhoun or a young director.
(500) Days of Summer.
There’s 1995 John Schlesinger film called “Cold Comfort Farm” that I’ve always thought would make a great small musical. (I have one other, but it’s high on my list of things to write – don’t wanna give those away!)
“Midnight in Paris.” I know, I know that Woody is doing a musical for “Bullets Over Broadway.” But Woody’s more compelling story for a musical is “Midnight In Paris.” It offers the possibility to time travel from the present to the past to the deep past. It’s a love story within a love story, it’s the perfect story for a musical even if Woody doesn’t realize it!
The Sting! What an awesome musical that could be.
Tootsie. With Alan Cumming
Have to go back to the 60’s with “That Thing You Do.” Norbert Leo Butz in the Tom Hanks role. Heck, the title song is already written!
texas chainsaw massacre (using the original period instruments)
Moulin Rouge!!! It would be an amazing breathtaking musical!!!
Hunger Games
Definitely The Breakfast Club. Could be star studded with lots of great songs to go along with the unique characters and their back stories!
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, the Opera, of course
(yes, you could do the musical, as well)
I saw DE-LOVELY today and thought it was ready made…sort of a jukebox musical I realize but would still be a wonderful night at the theatre.
That said, there are so many other wonderful ideas already here, including my favorite, MOONSTRUCK
The Godfather (I and or II)! – high stakes family drama, epic story, plenty of spectacle, fights galore, immediate interest from name recognition.
OR: a musical satire of The Godfather…
How I would love to see Dirty Dancing made into a musical!!!!!!!
Hi Jeannie,
Great idea… but Australians already beat you to it… It’s been a huge success…
http://www.dirtydancingontour.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Dancing#Stage_version
The Devil Wears Prada
Star Wars.
Nightmare on Elm Street
In & Out
Or
Mr Smith Goes to Washington
Gosh, so many options!
But i’m going to go with Austin Powers. And we should have Mike Myers be in it!
My favorite Barbara Stanwyck movie–BALL OF FIRE–would make a great musical.
Big Fish should be the next movie to musical!
It Happened One Night–great movie and would be a feel-good musical.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind!
All About Eve…
I’m aware that Applause was based on the same short story that inspired All About Eve but an actual stage musical version of the film has never been done and it’s a natural…
And here is an All-About-Eve themed film that could make one interesting Broadway musical: Showgirls!
What about the Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt movie
Interview with the Vampire.
THE PRINCESS BRIDE!!!!!!!!!!!
(I’ve already casted most of it)
Wesley – Aaron Tveit
Buttercup – Betsy Wolfe
Vicinni – Nathan Lane
Fezik – Shuler Hensley
Grandfather – Mandy Patinkin (just of irony’s sake)
IT’D BE PERFECT!!!!!!!!!
You’ve Got Mail. How cute would that be? 🙂
Sondheim has expressed interest in doing Groundhog Day, which I think would be brilliant, especially with him writing the score.
As for my original suggestion, I think THE HOURS has an innate theatricality to it, and those characters really have reasons to sing. I would love a score from the writers of Grey Gardens, and it should be done in a small black box space with just a piano. It should be beautifully haunting.
“Marty”
In & Out
Or
Mr Smith Goes to Washington
Cold Comfort Farm. The musical scene that would makeup the first scene exposition alone would be worth the price of admission alone.
Pootie Tang. Funniest and most under appreciated movie of the 21st Century.
The Help!
A beautiful, poignant story combined with some great comic moments – can’t you imagine a number about how ‘Minny don’t burn no chicken’?!
A Clockwork Orange (In & Out has already been mentioned)
Edward Scissorhands! I think there is so much theatricality in the movie that would translate really well on stage!
As Good as it Gets would be a good one.
Cloud Atlas- the actors playing multiple characters throughout time would be interesting
Heathers!
Fight Club would be an interesting musical!
I think ‘Rob Roy’ would be pretty good; there was a remarkable sort of pseudo-Scots song in the film during the murder scene but I think a full on musical would be great; with swords, and men in kilts!
And I thought I was the only fan of Cold Comfort Farm…
but my first choice would be “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
Just think of the royalties! After a somewhat successful Broadway run it gets made into a movie to be shown every Christmas from now until the earth freezes over! It would be like money in the bank….on second thought it would be better than money in the bank.
Princess Diaries could make a great musical! I’m thinking it would have a similar feel to Legally Blonde — fun, upbeat music!
Tootsie!
Albert Brooks’s “Defending Your Life,” no question.
SOME LIKE IT HOT would make an incredible musical. It has a lot to live up to, as the movie is a classic! But I think it has all the important ingredients of a great musical. Great characters, love, danger, comedy.
Mean Girls. 🙂
Moulin Rouge! Already has a built in soundtrack! And the costumes would be amazing.
“The Miracle” with Carol Baker and Roger Moore. Haunting.
“DEEP THROAT” …. the “OH, CALCUTTA” of the 21st Century.
The sexually repressed uptight Tea Party Republican STEPFORD HUSBANDS & STEPFORD WIVES will flock to this ‘snob hit’ of the season….
To Daniel Rodrieguez above…they already made a musical out of SOME LIKE IT HOT = ‘SUGAR’
Boogie Nights
THAT would be cool!
Tough one:
Those Lips, Those Eyes
Waiting for Guffman
Star Wars: The Original Trilogy: THE MUSICAL!
The Sandlot
Goodfellas would be great with a big jazzy gangster kind of score! Also, I haven’t seen Warm Bodies yet, but that plot reminds me very much of a very campy, fun musical.
My best friends wedding
FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF. Matthew Broderick could play Ferris’ father.
Little Darlings
Working Girl
The Jerk
I say we need another strong Mel Brooks musical. I lean towards “Blazing Saddles.” I had heard at one point this was in the works so I hope it happens! Either than or “Robin Hood: Men in Tights!”
WICKED
enough said.
A Streetcar Named Desire
American Beauty.
I’m thinking of three – the first is ‘Fly Away Home’ – imagine the geese puppetry work 🙂
The second is an old favorite of mine called ‘The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming.’
And the third is ‘The Frisco Kid’ Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford are precious in that!
my original thought (which has already been posted)….The Princess Bride. Such a cult classic.
going off of that idea…..Neverending Story. (looks like it was presented Off-Broadway in March, 2012….and sounds like it missed the mark, but I still think it has potential).
I also agree with others about Moulin Rouge….in fact, I’ve dreamed about presenting it in our little spiegeltent here in Seattle (aptly nicknamed ‘The Moulin Rouge’). And, of course, get Baz Luhrmann to direct it.
Weird Al’s UHF is already a pretty musical movie, but I would LOVE to see him take them next step and put it onto the stage.
Not like a jukebox musical of his best songs, but something even better.
I think Ghostbusters could be a fun musical. The design elements of the show could be spectacular what with all of the ghosts and the lasers. Plus, who doesn’t want to see a giant marshmallow man on stage?
The Help, Brokeback Mountain – could be interesting, Sleeping Beauty – imagine the possibilities
Stand By Me, Philadelphia (would make an EXTREMELY powerful musical and would definitely strike home in the theatre community), Across the Universe (…why HASN’T this been made a musical???)
A Love Affair – been remade several times in movies – would make great tearjerker musical or chamber opera.
Steel Magnolias
I think this was a stage play originally, but has great potential as a musical.
I would look through the Woody Allen catalog, but not the classics which are too iconic. Purple Rose of Cairo? Manhattan Murder Mystery? Or maybe the best idea, Vicki Christina Barcelona, the Spanish music would be hot!
The Help, with Lilias White as Minnie having all the big numbers including “Minnie Don’t Burn No Chicken” and the show stopping “Eat My $&#!”. Broadway gold….
“Sabrina”
‘Mean Girls’ all the way!!!
MEANGIRLS!!!!!!
Disney’s The Jungle Book. Could recycle scenery from Tarzan. Big search for new child star to play Mowgli. Stephanie J. Block as Kaa, Raul Esparza as Bagheera, Michael McGrath as Baloo, Will Chase as Shere Khan, and Ben Vereen as King Louie. Rob Ashford to direct and choreograph. William Ivey Long costumes. Anna Louizos scenery.
You could do The Artist, but as a dansical, like Contact. Not even offstage singers, the story is told entirely by dance!
THAT THING YOU DO!(1996–directed by Tom Hanks)would be so fun and be multi-generational!
Ferris Buellers Day Off!
I think one of the John Hughes’films would make a great musical — Pretty In Pink, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles all could fill the void of seeing Wicked too many times.
The Libeled Lady. It’s a 1936 Spencer Tracy film. Could use an original score or maybe songs from Porter/Gershwin/Arlen. Love the old romantic screwball comedies and think they lend themselves well to stage adaptation.
ALICE’S RESTAURANT. Sure, Arlo Guthrie’s folk classic was an apt and charming framing device, but I want a full menu of tunes for these characters and (time capsule) situations.
I’m a fan of the musicals that already have a built in score…Nightmare Before Christmas, Moulin Rouge, The Prince of Egypt, Anastacia (which I know has had a reading). These would all be beautiful onstage and with a few new songs from the original Composer/Lyricists(Danny Elfman, music industry,Stephen Schwartz, Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty) these would be gold.
But if you are looking for movies without singing but should have lyrics and music written…
– Anything by Wes Anderson. His films are all about the quirky characters and would be wildly entertaining on stage. (The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, Fantastic Mr. Fox)
– Anything by Tim Burton. I’ve very excited for Big Fish, this is such perfect source material for a musical. But also Edward Scissorhands, I’m imagining the wonderful scene with the giant topiaries and the snow. Matthew Bourne already made this into a ballet, but why not a musical?
8 Mile
Maybe “Airplane”. It was already a very successful spoof, maybe it would make a successful musical.
Lonerwor@aim.com