While some films perfectly lend themselves to a musical adaptation, others very much don’t…not that it’s stopped some daring creative types from trying!
It might not seem the most obvious inspiration for a musical. But Titanique – a comedy based on the sinking of the Titanic – opened the prestigious Champs Élysées Film Festival in Paris.
The cult stage hit retells the story of James Cameron’s 1997 film from the perspective of Celine Dion. Here, we take a look at some more unlikely musicals…
A Slenderman Musical
He’s a folk tale for the internet age – a thin, unnaturally tall humanoid with a featureless white face, wearing a black suit. Tales of the sinister Slender Man been around on forums since 2009. So of course, in 2015 he got his own musical, released as a three-act audio album by Paul Shapera.
Human Centipede: The Musical!
You might think there’s nothing more shocking than the Human Centipede movies. They all involve a mad surgeon stitching people together, mouth to anus, to form the titular arthropod. But imagine if it started singing? Thanks to writers Liam Hartley and Oliver Catton, you don’t have to.
Me and My D***
A lot of blokes feel like their manhood is something to sing about. But a group of students from the University of Michigan, US, took things further in 2009 by writing a whole musical dedicated to the organ. If you’re interested, it’s still available to watch on YouTube.
Silence! The Musical
Chilling 1991 movie Silence of the Lambs stars Anthony Hopkins as serial killer Hannibal Lecter. It’s not exactly crying out for a cheery chorus line. It’s still got one though, thanks to US composers Jon Kaplan and Al Kaplan. Highlights include the Buffalo Bill number “Put the F****** Lotion in the Basket”.
Carrie: The Musical
Carrie is a classic 1976 horror film starring Sissy Spacek as a bullied teenage girl. It’s not a musical. Right? Well, you know where this is going. Carrie: The Musical was co-produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered on Broadway in 1988. For some reason, it didn’t last long.
Evil Dead The Musical
The 1981 film The Evil Dead is a riot of gory mayhem. There’s people getting chopped up with axes, a decapitation and a supernatural sexual assault. And according to lyricist George Reinblatt, it’s perfect for the stage. Evil Dead The Musical is currently touring the US and comes to London next March.
Rockabye Hamlet
Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet tells the story of a Danish prince who plots revenge on his uncle for killing his father. It’s hard to imagine Hamlet dancing. But he still does, thanks to Cliff Jones’ Rockabye Hamlet. In the original production, staged in New York in 1976, singer Meatloaf appeared as a priest.
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc was a 15 th century French military leader who was famously burned at the stake. And musical producers can’t seem to leave her alone. Her story has inspired at least four so far, including 2017’s Joan of Arc: Into The Fire, by Talking Heads icon David Byrne.
Cats
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s cat-themed musical is disturbing enough on its own. But according to legend, there was once an accidental “butthole cut” of the 2019 film that gave all the characters realistic anuses. The mind boggles.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
