Typically, you think of films being inspired by books. Or, in some cases, films having a novelization created after the fact. Something you may well overlook is the relationship between the big screen and the theater. There are various theater productions that were turned into films and various films that have since been adapted for the stage.
We’ve collected five times where the film was better than the stage show, and five times where the stage show beat the film.
Better: School Of Rock
When the creation of a theater version of Jack Black’s incredible School Of Rock was announced, audiences were somewhat shocked. It sort of came out of nowhere. However, the idea of a school full of kids learning to play instruments and then putting on a great live show actually makes perfect sense.
Since its release, the stage show has received incredibly positive reviews for everything from its script to its music, with the kids on stage actually playing everything themselves! Despite all of that, you just cannot deny that the film is a masterpiece of modern comedy which will probably never be topped.
Worse: Woman In Black
Creating a theater show that actually can truly scare its audience is an impressive feat. That is what The Woman In Black has managed to do. Taking up a residency that has lasted over thirty years in London’s Fortune Theatre, the minimalistic three-person show is told from the perspective of a man seeking to retell his terrifying experience of a haunted house in the form of a play. While Daniel Radcliffe’s performance in the film is great and it is a truly scary experience, it loses the incredibly artistic touch of the play.
Better: Carrie
If there is one book that you wouldn’t think would work as a musical, it would be Carrie. The Stephen King book is a horrifying tale of a teenage girl with destructive telekinetic powers. Adapted for the big screen on two occasions, both have proved to be classics in the horror genre.
Way back in 1988, Carrie premiered in England and ended up a huge bomb. It was brought back in the early 2010s, with the music being adapted, changes to the staging and the introduction of a 2015 immersive edition, but it still failed to make waves (of blood) like the films and book.
Worse: Les Misérables
With both the film and musical being based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo, the backbone was exactly the same. However, the musical edition of Les Mis came way back in 1980, with an incredible soundtrack and visuals leading to its current position as the longest-running West End musical ever. The film drew an incredible cast including Huge Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter together and was well received, but the story is destined to be told on stage, rather than through a screen.
Better: Lion King
This is another tight choice. On the one hand, you have an iconic Disney film, animated to perfection with an incredible voice cast and an enduring legacy that gains new fans with each generation. On the other, a magical stage show that transports you to the heart of Africa and surrounds you with live renditions of some incredible music. The film just about tops this one, simply because it came first. Without the existence of the film, we’d have never ended up being able to see it brought to life on stage.
Worse: The Last Five Years
Moving in the exact opposite direction, The Last Five Years does not work in film format. Or at least, it hasn’t worked yet. The 2015 film starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan received very mixed reviews and failed to make an impact, ending up as a run of the mill romantic music with the attempted artistic approach not working particularly well. On stage, interspersing the reverse-chronological story of Cathy with the traditional forward-moving story of Jamie works perfectly.
Better: Matilda
With Roald Dahl’s novel serving as the inspiration, it would be pretty hard to go wrong. Matilda is a brilliantly unique tale of a magical girl and her experiences growing up in an abusive family and attending an abusive school. Tim Minchin adds some incredible music to the musical version, and it won seven Oliver Awards back in 2012.
This was, at the time, the most awards held by one show. However, the nostalgic innocence and charm of the 1996 film is hard to beat, with Mara Wilson’s perfect portrayal of the titular character impossible to replicate.
Worse: Hair
Known as one of (if not the) first rock musical ever, the sexual, hippie-led revolutionary story of Hair is almost unadaptable. Using a racially integrated cast (back during its initial run in 1967) was an incredible feat for the time, and the invitation for audience members to come onstage at the conclusion is something that, of course, a film can never do. With so many changes made to accommodate a big-screen adaptation, the original creators were unhappy with the film. While it might not be a bad film per-se, it just lacks the spark the stage brings.
Better: A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange is another one of those films that seems very difficult to adapt for the stage. With various depictions of rape and incredibly graphic violence, it seems like something that might concern some viewers. As such, the various theatrical adaptations aren’t hugely known, with London’s Park Theatre running an all-male version which gives the film a more artistic, metaphorical flair. There is nothing bad about it, but if you have to compare this adaptation to Kubrick’s absolute masterpiece of a film, it isn’t going to take long to make your mind up.
Worse: Cats
The final entry on this list may well be the most obvious. Despite having a very strange story and a premise built on something about as odd as you can imagine, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical has been widely loved for many years. When the likes of Judi Dench and James Corden gathered to make a film adaption, people across the world were rather excited. The film ended up being panned relentlessly for just about every single element of its existence, and rightly so.
