A Filmmaker's Guide to: Musicals

In this chapter of ‘the filmmaker’s guide’ we’re actually going to be learning about literature and film together. I understand that many of you are sitting in university during difficult times and finding it increasingly hard to study and I understand that many of you who are not at university or not planning on it are possibly stuck of what to do, need a break or even need to catch up on learning film before you get to the next level. This guide will be brief but will also contain: new vocabulary, concepts and theories, films to watch and we will be exploring something taboo until now in the ‘filmmaker’s guide’ - academia (abyss opens). Each article will explore a different concept of film, philosophy, literature or bibliography/filmography etc. in order to give you something new to learn each time we see each other. You can use some of the words amongst family and friends to sound clever or you can get back to me (email in bio) and tell me how you’re doing. So, strap in and prepare for the filmmaker’s guide to film studies because it is going to be one wild ride.

Musicals

What are they?

Musicals are narratives told with a mixture of original song arrangements and dance sequences that interweave with the stories. They come in the form of either stories of revolution and change and often depict some kind of major event in history such as The Civil Rights' Movement, Racial Tensions and Wars. Or, they can concentrate on everyday individuals living in turbulent eras, or (and becoming more popular today) are about certain people and their impact on entertainment culture.

Musicals normally come in book form to begin with and are then adapted for the stage from there. However, some sheet music and musicals are written specifically for the stage and their only source is the screenplay writer or the composer. But those really are the two types of musical there are.

Fun fact: when I was younger, I used to perform musicals. I also used to perform Shakespeare but that's for another time.

What about in film?

It is easy to see why film would want to make money from musicals. Not only do they sell well, but they are also a great challenge for anyone willing to accept it - mainly the director involved. The arrangements can end up making the film long, and yet the songs themselves can end up making the film one of the most memorable things you have ever seen. From Disney Animated Films to Andrew Lloyd Webber productions and even through to our own day and year, musicals are just about everywhere. The reason people remember musicals though is because the songs themselves are very memorable. Here are some musicals you would want to check out that are based on books:

1. Wicked
2. Les Miserables
3. West Side Story
4. Aladdin
5. The Phantom of the Opera
6. The Wizard of Oz
7. Mary Poppins
8. Guys and Dolls
9. My Fair Lady
10. Meet Me in St. Louis

And here are some musicals that are not based on books at all and were written for the sole purpose of being musicals:

1. Singin' in the Rain
2. The Sound of Music
3. A Star is Born
4. Chicago
5. 42nd Street
6. Top Hat
7. Grease
8. Moulin Rouge
9. An American in Paris
10. Funny Girl

But let us all be honest here, to see a musical live is somewhat better than seeing it performed in a movie. Apart from animated musicals, when it comes to performances, the live versions are always more immersive and feel more in-tune with what musical culture is all about - which is entertaining the audience that is sitting there at the time. I think when we get to musicals on screen, it feels very watered down and almost annoying at times. But that is just a personal preference.

Let's take a look at some further reading on the source materials and such that you can read on various musicals from screen culture only. We will not be focusing on stage musicals since we all know that those are better already. Okay, I'll stop that now.

Further Reading:

• Barrios, R (2020). West Side Story: The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Classic . 2nd ed. USA: Running Press Adult.
• Haver, R (2002). A "Star Is Born": The Making of the 1954 Movie and Its 1983 Restoration. USA: Applause Books.
• Leroux, G (2008). The Phantom of the Opera. UK: Wordsworth Editions.