Movie Musicals I Can't Help Loving

I've spent the majority of my life in the theatre. And like many theatre folk, I started by doing musicals. These days, I'd rather do a cutting-edge absurdist piece by Nicky Silver or a classic by Shakespeare or Shaw. But every now and then, I still love a good musical. They don't always work on film, but when they do, look out. Here's a list of the ones I can watch over and over again.

The Wizard of Oz - Yes, it's gay cliche, but who cares? Victor Fleming's lush Technicolor movie is a beloved classic for many reasons, least of all the wonderful songs by Harold Arlen and E.Y Harburg. At least three other uncredited directors, including King Vidor and Mervyn LeRoy, worked on the movie, and Shirley Temple was originally wanted to play Dorothy (thank goodness contractual obligations prevented her from doing so). A box-office failure in '39, The Wizard of Oz has gone on to become the single most loved movie musical of all time.

Sweet Charity - Bob Fosse directed this adaptation of the Neil Simon musical about a dance hall girl (a polite term for prostitute) who dreams of doing something better with her life. Shirley MacLaine, Chita Rivera, Stubby Kaye and Sammy Davis Jr. lead a terrific cast (which includes a very young Ben Vereen and a very Continental Ricardo Montalban) in this very mod 1969 musical. Adapted by no less than Frederico Fellini, the script may seem tame by today's standards, but it was scandalous back in '69. Pure cheese and great fun.

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever - Vincent Minelli directs this Alan Jay Lerner musical about Daisy Gamble (Barbra Streisand), a psychic with a five pack-a-day cigarette addiction. Loud, crass and absent-minded, Daisy visits psychiatrist Marc Chabot (Yves Montand) in an effort to be cured of smoking through hypnosis, so she can make a positive impression on her boring fiance's employer. While she's under, Chabot discovers that in a previous life, Daisy was the fascinating 19th century psychic Melinda Tentrees. Unsurprisingly, Chabot is soon smitten with Melinda, though he practically despises Daisy. Released in 1970, this quaint, old-fashioned musical explores the concepts of ESP and past lives in an amusing and romantic way. Lerner's songs are both lovely and at times, hilarious and "La Barbra" gives one of her best film performances. On a Clear Day... also features a small, non-singing performance by a young Jack Nicholson as Daisy's step-brother Tad. A terrific movie to watch with a loved one on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Moulin Rouge - Australian auteur Baz Luhrman (Strictly Ballroom; Romeo + Juliet) reinvented and reinvigorated the movie musical in 2001 with this dazzling tale about the young playwright Christian (Ewan MacGregor) and the consumptive chanteuse Satine (Nicole Kidman) with whom he falls hopelessly in love. Complicating matters is the jealous Duke (Richard Roxburgh) to whom Satine has been promised by the Moulin Rouge's owner, Harry Zeigler (Jim Broadbent) in exchange for backing Zeigler's new musical, "Spectacular Spectacular." Combining modern songs from the likes of David Bowie, The Police and Elton John with original numbers and a plot as creaky as an old boot, Moulin Rouge proved that the movie musical was far from dead, paving way for films like Chicago and Hairspray. A romantic dream of a movie.

Cabaret - Bob Fosse again, this time with a screen adaptation of Kander and Ebb's musical version of John Van Druten's "I Am a Camera." Liza Minelli (daughter of Judy Garland and Vincent Minelli) plays Sally Bowles, an American singer working at the Kit Kat Club in pre-Nazi Berlin. Joel Grey plays the club's omnisexual MC and Michael York is the handsome British bisexual with whom Sally falls in love. The movie's 8 Oscars included Best Actor (Grey), Best Actress (Minelli), Best Director and Best Picture. Smart, sexy and chilling, Cabaret never lets us forget the horrors about to befall Germany and the world. An astounding Broadway revival of the show featured the amazing Alan Cumming as the MC, in a performance even more decadent than Grey's.

Chicago - More brilliance from Kander and Ebb (my favorite Broadway team), this time directed by Rob Marshall. Based on a 1930's potboiler, Chicago is the story of Roxy Hart, a woman who kills her philandering boyfriend and exploits the judicial system to advance her career as an entertainer. Marshall wisely turns the show's musical numbers into the fantasies in Roxy's head, making them more palatable for modern sensibilities. Renee Zellwiger is Roxy, Catherine Zeta-Jones is co-inmate Velma Kelly and Richard Gere is publicity-seeking lawyer Billy Flynn. Add an appearance by the show's original star, Chita Rivera and a star-making turn by Queen Latifah as "Mama" Morton; some expert choreography and commentary on the nature of fame, and you have one of the best film adaptations of a musical ever made.

Hair - How do you adapt a musical with no plot? If you're director Milos Forman (Amadeus), you do it with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Then unknowns Treat Williams, John Savage, Annie Golden (late of Broadway's "Xanadu") and Beverly D'Angelo are part of the excellent ensemble in this anti-war musical, brought to the screen nearly a decade after it appeared on Broadway. James Rado's and Jerome Ragni's excellent rock score is mostly intact, though the show's anarchistic style is supplanted by a story about a young man's brief adventures in Hippiedom before he enlists to serve in Viet Nam. Ren Woods (Xanadu; Brother from Another Planet) sings a rousing version of the show's opener, "Aquarius," and Nell Carter and Laurie Beechman (both, sadly, deceased) are hilarious in the number "Black Boys/White Boys." On a bizarre trivia note, Hair is the first film to show urination on screen. On another bizarre note, Hair is the first movie I saw on a straight date.

So, what movie musicals do you love? Let me know. I'd love to hear from you.

Broadway Review: "Xanadu."

People were seriously upset that the creators of this show had not only joined the "Let's turn a movie into a stage musical!" bandwagon, but that they choose this particular movie to do it to. For you young 'uns out there, Xanadu is a terribly cheesy movie musical from 1980, starring Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck and the late, great Gene Kelly. It's a story about an unfulfilled artist and the Muse that inspires him to open a roller-disco and their efforts to get an old song-and-dance man to help them. That's it. The whole plot. A perpetual punch-line, this ridiculous movie had one thing going for it: a terrific soundtrack by Newton-John and ELO (Electric Light Orchestra).

Opening last year Off-Broadway, "Xanadu" recently moved into the Helen Hayes on 44th, and is the most energetic (and quite possibly the funniest) musical I've seen in years. Playwright Douglas Carter Beane (As Bees in Honey Drown; The Little Dog Laughed) does for the movie, what the 'Brady Bunch' movies did for that series, and his book is a perfect blend of cheese and parody, providing plenty of laughs along the way. Tongue planted firmly in cheeks, the fantastic cast not only looks great, but look like their having a great time, as well.

Sonny (Curtis Holbrook) has done a sidewalk chalk drawing of the Nine Muses, ancient Greek demi-goddesses who inspire art and culture. Thinking no one appreciates his work, Sonny is about to kill himself when his portrait suddenly comes to life (through a very clever mix of projected animation, a huge overhead mirror and hydraulic trap doors). Clio (the astounding Kerry Butler), has decided the muses must lend Sonny their help, and she takes his case personally, "cleverly" disguising herself by changing her name to Kira; donning roller skates and legwarmers and adopting a super-exaggerated (and totally hilarious) Australian accent. Soon, Sonny and Kira are falling for each other, and Clio's jealous sisters Calliope (Jackie Hoffman) and Melpemone (Annie Golden at the matinee I saw) plot to overthrow her by cursing her to fall in love with Sonny, something forbidden by their father, Zeus. Meanwhile, Sonny and Kira try to convince real-estate mogul Danny Maguire (Tony Roberts) to give them the use of an old theatre (The Xanadu) for free. Roberts later has a funny appearance near the end of the show as Zeus atop Olympus.

Butler is perfect for Clio/Kira and understands fully the material she's parodying, and her sweet singing voice is just an added bonus. Holbrook started off slow, but as the show gained momentum, his performance improved and the chemistry between he and Ms Butler became apparent. Hoffman and Golden are expert character actors, and their performances garnered a good deal of the shows' many yuks. The last thing I saw Tony Roberts in was "Victor/Victoria" and I must admit, I was less than thrilled with his performance (but I was just there for Julie, anyway), so I was dubious about his appearance in this show. But he did a fine job, and while he is no Gene Kelly, his voice is still strong and clear and he obviously understands comedic timing. The rest of the supporting cast is terrific, but the stand-out member of the company has to be Ryan Watkinson in multiple roles ranging from one of the Nine Sisters to a young Danny and a very funny turn as one of several mythical beasts.

The score uses all of the movie's songs and adds a few others as well, such as "Evil Woman" and Newton-John's "Have You Never Been Mellow?" (in one of the funniest of the show's many funny scenes, which also features a cyclops, Medusa and an hysterically executed centaur). Coming in at a crisp 98 minutes with no intermission ("Short?" Calliope remarks, near the end. "Next door, Lupone hasn't even humiliated her first daughter yet!"), "Xanadu" never gives its audience the time to question its silliness, so we just go right along with it. David Gallo's simple and functional set evokes the ruins of a Greek amphitheatre and Hal Brinkley's lighting is the perfect compliment.

Good fun for the whole family, "Xanadu" is perfectly suited for the intimate Hayes, where there are no really bad seats. Some audience members (about 20 or so) do get to sit on stage, though I think I would want to see it from the house, instead. "Xanadu" was nominated for the 2008 Best Musical Tony Award, but lost to "In the Heights." It also garnered noms for Best Book of a Musical (Beane) and Best Choreography (Dan Knechtges). Who knows? If the original film was half as intentionally funny as the show, it might actually have been a hit. **** (Four Stars)