Bianca's Media Musings : GENRE RESEARCH: MUSICALS

(More specifically, movie musicals. But I'll get to that later.)

Loved by many, despised by many more, few genres captivate me as much as musicals. Though musical theatre in itself could be considered an umbrella term - it does encompass both comedy and tragedy, after all - one unifying characteristic makes this group a most cohesive bunch: spontaneously bursting into song.

Musicals are known mostly for their lavish, jazzy, Broadway Spectacle quality, reminiscent of the early days of the genre. Though modern musicals have begun to drift away from the kicklines and tap dance breaks, the metallic sound of trumpets and the familiarity of the olden days can always be brought back in a revival. And, of course, a show cannot be a musical without the heightened emotions, accentuated by chilling performances and powerful vocals.

And yet, many characteristics of musical theatre are often left aside when adapting the play for the big screen. Though there are movies that accurately translate both the storyline and Broadway feels into the cinematic piece, most of the more recent film musicals seek to make the movie as realistic as possible - a tactic that ultimately ruins the magic of this type of storytelling. Nonetheless, since cinema is considered more "official," it's in the creators' best interest to make musicals - imaginative pieces unrestrained by the confines of the real world - more appealing to other audiences who would not normally be interested in the shows, and that means letting go of the formalist aspects of shows.

But in order to explain how movie versions of stage productions differ from the original pieces, we must understand the genre being discussed. So, without further ado, let us explore how the "family resemblance" is established.

WHAT MAKES A MUSICAL?

As mentioned before, a musical could never be considered such without songs. Certainly, throughout the years, the spontaneity of the singing numbers has been meddled with, sometimes even disappearing for the sake of illustrating that the musical performance is not happening in a character's head, but in "real life." The 2015 Off-Broadway production of William Finn's A New Brain perfectly exemplifies such a phenomenon: the curtains open to the main character, Gordon, besides a piano, singing. While other shows may use one's vocals to express their inner feelings, the establishment of Gordon as a musician makes it clear that there is no surprise in him being found singing - it's his job, after all. Still, the musical theatre component is not pushed aside: as soon as the man steps away from his instrument, non-diegetic score takes over as a backing track for his conversation, which is sung. Since all of the dialogue follows a melody, there is no clear break of reality - for the characters, their lines are perfectly normal.

In many movie musicals, however, the mere fact that a character breaks into song ruins the "credibility" of the events. Some production techniques also come into play in doing so: it is rare that a character will ever sing on set, for example. Though there have been exceptions to this rule (see the 2012 Les Misérables movie), songs are usually recorded before shooting. Though most movies attempt to stay within the realms of what is possible in real life, during musical performances, the sound perspective is way off. That is, creators prioritize being able to hear a character's voice over being able to provide a more realist approach.

Nonetheless, one thing is true: no matter how the song sounds like or its style, show tunes must be used to drive forward a narrative or at least develop characters. One scene in which a character visits a concert does not make a movie worthy of the title of "musical."

Within the category of musicals, there are many other smaller groups of shows: some are sung all throughout, and others may have fewer than ten songs throughout the 2-hour play. Even the timing of a musical has been altered throughout the years - Lin-Manuel Miranda's 14-minute 21 Chump Street was a record breaking one. However, the essence of the genre is still there.

As per my initial statements, musicals have long been characterized by extravagant, over-the-top productions. Shiny sets and fluffy plumes, too, are trademark components of a musical. In older musicals, a more simplistic story usually takes center stage, revolving around a main romance. A frequently reused scenario is that of a period piece (Grease, for example).

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The Pink Ladies in Grease (1978).

INSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS AND MONEY-MAKING

About 65% of Broadway theatergoers are tourists. That said, it is no wonder that the expensive productions have been done over and over for years on end. If there is one thing corporations know how to do well, it is to extract money. The repetition of the same themes - and the same overt marketing strategies - is what drives the industry. How else would they catch the attention of a passerby? Bright lights and the iconic glowing panels certainly play a part in attracting potential audiences. However, the tactics go beyond what is seen before entering the famous theaters of New York: shows themselves use the repetition of topics to guarantee more viewers.

Additionally, a study found that, during the 2017-2018 show season, the average age of theatergoers was the lowest since 2000. The shift in target audiences, in its turn, provoked even more changes to the musical genre. The usually operatic singing has begun to fade into the background as a technique called "belting" rises. The content of shows, too, has changed to target more teenagers. Notably, ever since the acclaimed Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen, other productions have begun to portray more and more high-school situations, and have even come as far as to cast teenagers in professional theatre. Although many appreciate the better representation, it is important to point out that there are ulterior motives to providing the public with what they want.

With the rise of shows such as Mean Girls, The Prom, and Heathers, the shift in target audience was essentially inevitable - if not scrupulously planned. Heathers, based on the 1988 movie of the same name, would typically be marketed to audiences who may experience the nostalgia from the original film. Instead, the pop songs and modern language make it clear that the spectacle is intended for a younger demographic. Yet another musical that employs the same tactic is the jukebox musical Jagged Little Pill, which takes its lyrics from Alanis Morissette's discography: the songs appeal to older viewers, but the language is clearly contemporary.

Not to say that there is not a good side to the evolution of theatre. In fact, both The Prom and Jagged Little Pill were of extreme significance to the LGBTQ+ community, as it pushes for more representation. The latter show, for one, includes a sapphic relationship between an openly bisexual girl and her best friend. And, of course, there was the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kiss to promote The Prom - a landmark for the community. Still, in light of the big corporation's motives - making money - one cannot help but wonder if the representation is but another marketing strategy to attract more viewers.


The cast of Jagged Little Pill in a modern dance number. From the clothing and neon lights, it is noticeable that the show indeed targets a younger demographic.

Movie musicals, specifically, use other targeting strategies. As opposed to classic theatre, the main reason stage productions are made into films is to expand the audience. Musicals, however, are a rather niche topic when compared to movies in general - not everyone enjoys the seemingly "out of nowhere" singing or the overall basic plots. To reconcile with the diminished audience, Hollywood brings its own players into the scene: they cast celebrities.

Celebrity casting in movie musicals is no new feature: from the casting of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady to James Corden in a variety of new musicals, the tactic has proven to be quite effective. Curiously, many of the famous actors cast in singing roles are not singers themselves: Hepburn's singing voice in the aforementioned movie was, in fact, Marni Nixon's. The latter also sang as Maria in the 1961 version of West Side Story, starring Natalie Wood in the same role.

I got: Maria ! Which 'West Side Story' Character Are You? | West side story characters, West side story, Anita west side story

Natalie Wood as Maria in West Side Story. Though she starred the role, her singing voice was Marni Nixon's. Nixon later told The Times: "The anonymity didn’t bother me until I sang Natalie Wood’s songs in West Side Story... I was giving my talent, and somebody else was taking the credit."

Repetitively casting the same actress, too, became a famed technique with Hollywood musicals. Julie Andrews, for one, had quite a share of movie musicals: The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, and Victor/Victoria all counted towards the actress's popularity. Andrews, however, was a singer with Broadway roots; in fact, she was the one who originated the role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Regardless, the extensive casting of the actress in movies became a useful marketing tactic: the film seems much more reputable if the star is known for successful musicals. Another actress who underwent the same phenomenon is Barbra Streisand. The protagonist of Funny Girl, Yentl, and Hello, Dolly! rose to wondrous heights as her fame only increased. Of course, her breathtaking vocals also helped.

Hello, Dolly! | Hello dolly movie, Hello dolly, Dolly

Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!

Since then, movie musicals have attempted to cast as many celebrities as possible. Sadly, not all succeed - not everyone can be Hairspray. As of late, films of this genre have prioritized the casting of stars over having an accurate representation of the show. The upcoming The Prom movie received backlash from fans who claimed the famous actors had more screen time than the actual protagonists of the show.

First Teaser for Ryan Murphy's 'The Prom' from the Broadway Musical | FirstShowing.net

From left to right, Andrew Rannells, Meryl Streep, James Corden, and Nicole Kidman in the trailer for the upcoming The Prom movie. Arguably, all are celebrities.

In addition to production choices, a common theme in musicals (especially comedic ones) is the self-aware humor. Be it Spamalot, Something Rotten, or The Producers, the same kind of humor is shamelessly recycled: all three poke fun at Broadway culture or reference old musicals. The meta-comedy is no news to straight plays as well as sung ones; and yet, the crowd still goes wild every time.

When adapting Broadway shows to the big screen, though, is where most of the characteristics of film musicals come in. Movies are generally shorter, since there is no intermission; that said, many numbers can be cut off. Dance numbers, when existent, usually vary between exaggerated performances with Broadway pizzazz or a more minimalist/modern choreography, depending on both the type of show and the target audience. In addition, shots from various angles not only simulate the three-dimensional stage, but also provide even better angles that cannot be seen from afar in a typical show.

Rent (2005) dir. Chris Columbus

RENT

Jonathan Larson's 1994 musical, Rent, was adapted into a movie in 2005. The show, inspired by the opera La Bohème, was originally sung all throughout - not an uncommon characteristic of most Broadway shows. Because even dialogue is sung, the melody can often be monotonous, but it is still a common aspect of musicals. In the movie, however, the dialogue happens naturally - it is spoken and matter-of-fact, save for the moments in which the lines rhyme. In an attempt to make it more realistic and less "Broadway," the only sung parts are the "iconic" songs, which have their own guitar and drums accompaniments. Remarkably, since the characters internal turmoil is so apparent on screen - yet another aspect of musicals - the songs flow almost naturally. "One Song Glory," for instance, manages to capture Roger's indignation both with flashbacks and shots of his performance - the lyrics alone often are not able to fully capture the picture, especially if the audience is not used to look for meaning in one's performance.

One feature of this movie musical that breaks from the traditional movie musical is its cast. Instead of casting big names to attract viewers outside of the usual audience, the movie cast is composed mostly of the original actors from the Broadway show. One could argue that, following the success of Wicked, Idina Menzel herself was somewhat of a star in popular culture. Taye Diggs, who starred as Benny, also could be considered a familiar name since he was in the award-winning 2002 production of Chicago.

The musical does not feature a big, classic number, but that is given the musical's classification as a dramatic one as opposed to one full of vanities. The set translates well from stage to screen, especially as it focuses on bringing forward a more realistic view of the characters' lives.

Moulin Rouge! (2001) dir. Baz Luhrmann

MOULIN ROUGE!

I will admit, Moulin Rouge is not one of my favorites. Yet, the aspects that bother me are the same that made the film a success: the jukebox musical features anachronistic renditions of modern songs, all the while following a narrative. The appeal is the same of any other jukebox show: songs everyone knows, rebooted, paired with a main romance storyline. This production also casts famous stars to expand the audience.

The show also uses the "showbiz theme" so common to movie musicals.

Arguably, the best part of this film - which I am not too crazy about - is their "remixed" version of The Police's "Roxanne." As opposed to the rest of the movie, "El Tango de Roxanne" provides a truly unique take on the song, mixing elements from both pop and tango, and throwing in some original lyrics.

Contrary to other movie musicals, Moulin Rouge fully embraces the absurdity of bursting into song, with a side of psychedelic elements.