Friday, June 01, 2007

What other Mel Brooks films would make good musicals?

Following The Producers, Brooks should definitely I think have another crack at musicals. But the Producers fitted the form so well. What others would work?

The Twelve Chairs - I admit I haven't seen this one, but the plot -searching for various chairs - is something that could be musicalised. He would probably want to go extra "Jewish" on it, if that makes sense.Main problem it to avoid the story becoming repetitive.

Blazing Saddles - the basic idea - black man becomes sheriff - still has potency today, and Brooks has already written a number of songs: the title tune, "I'm Tired". Westerns don't traditionally adapt well to the musical format though - they're too action-orientated (could you call Oklahoma a Western?), even Blazing Saddles. Also what sort of musical style would you fix on? Would you make it "black" at all? I would still love to see it, if only to watch and see if Brooks could come up with a better ending.

Young Frankenstein - this at least mostly takes place in the onelocation, the castle. Like Westerns, though, horror doesn't always adaptwell to musicals - you could point to Phantom of the Opera, but thesetting of that made the reason for the songs obvious. Also that was aromance more than horror. The great horror stories - Dracula, Mummy,Wolf Man, Frankenstein - haven't resulted in any notable musicals...though there is Little Shop of Horrors. You'd have to think about whatsort of musical style you'd use - the brassy Broadway of the Producersmight not work in a Gothic setting.

Silent Movie - has obvious problems being a silent movie. Having saidthat early Hollywood would adapt well to a musical. But a musical called"Silent Movie"... I don't think its going to happen.

High Anxiety - Another genre that doesn't seem to adapt well to musical is the thriller - why break out into song?

The History of the World - Definitely could be a musical. This already has one knock out number, 'The Inquisition', and the knock-about nature of the original film would adapt to the rough house of a revue. You could easily imagine them breaking into song during the Roman sequence and the French Revolution might. You might even do it with an interval between each sequence - do the curtain on the basis of "The Inquisition".

To Be or Not to Be - although this is more Lubitsch than pure Brooks,the stage setting adapts well to a musical - make the stage performers do musicals instead of straight drama. The plot could easily be adapted to take place around the one location, if that it what you want, and The Sound of Music proved that fleeing Nazis works like a dream in a musical book. Brooks has already written one song, "To Be or Not to Be", though it may be too jokey for any stage show (as it apparently was for the movie.)

Spaceballs - Space dramas don't adapt well to space - too action-y - so probably miss on this.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights - There's no reason Robin Hood wouldn't work on stage as a musical - I remember Toadshow did a version of the story in the late 80s called Sherwoodstock. Thing is, Mel Brooks version of the story isn't particularly iconic so why adapt this movie in particular?

Dracula: Dead and Loving it - same problems as Young Frankenstein, with the added problem that the movie wasn't that successful.

Life Stinks - could work but not enough people saw the film.

On a related matter, for another comedy group, Monty Python - following the success of Spamalot I think Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life would make terrific musicals, too.

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