Let's Stop Pretending We Don't Have The Talent Base For Great Movie Musicals
Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 10:00PM Over at IndieWire Max O'Connell writes an impassioned essay about the terrible direction that keeps sinking movie musicals. While I do not agree that Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys is the best-directed musical of the past 10 years (yikes!) the case is stronger than I was expecting that that is at least debatable.
Why does Hollywood have such a hard time making musicals?
Many of the essay's points are memorize / share worthy. I merely wish that Max didn't succumb to the tired notion that there simply aren't enough charismatic stars with musical theater chops for the genre to really be alive again. This notion is brought up nearly every time people talk about the state of the film musical (or when they're casting and have to defend strange choices) but it's just patently false.
Here's that bit of the otherwise stellar article:
Maybe there aren't enough modern equivalents to Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers or Judy Garland has made it difficult to churn out great musicals on a regular basis.
That last bit might have a lot to do with it: Few movie stars have the song-and-dance skills required to knock a musical out of the park, and not all musical theater performers have the charisma required for the camera. That leaves a lot of directors to choose between Russell Crowe and Pierce Brosnan warbling their way through well-known songs or John Lloyd Young, the original star of "Jersey Boys," who reprised his role in Eastwood's film, showing up and singing beautifully -- but lacking the fire to keep Frankie Valli interesting when he's not singing. There is a third option of pulling a Marni Nixon and dubbing Michael Cerveris singing over Johnny Depp or Patti LuPone over Helena Bonham Carter, but then you've got a star's ego to deal with.
(Sigh)
Repeat after me: There is ALWAYS a better choice than Crowe vs. Brosnan vs. Someone People Have Never Heard Of Who Isn't Great on Camera. [More...]
Hollywood just has to try harder and be braver. There are PLENTY of stars that have vocal and/or dancing chops. They're just rarely asked to use them. My go to example is this: Rob Marshall originally wanted Toni Collette (a true triple threat) for Chicago but the studio wanted Renée Zellweger who can't sing or dance. A slighly happier example: Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway are both huge stars and musically gifted and they were both Oscar nominated for Les Miz. Weirdly it's the only movie musical Jackman has ever starred in though practically everyone in the world knows he's a song & dance man.
I'm about to list people who have sung and/or danced in other medium but their musical talents are (mostly) not being used for film musicals. And, most importantly, please know that this list is off the top of my head so it's surely only scratching the surface. I didn't even do research other than to double check my memory on some of the people who started as dancers. Surely casting directors and on up the food chain of Hollywood could do better than they've been doing in casting musicals.
Stars With The Full Song & Dance Package: Catherine Zeta Jones, Patrick Wilson, Neil Patrick Harris, Toni Collette, Hugh Jackman, Alan Cumming, John Travolta, Zac Efron, and Taye Diggs. (Please note how many of them have only made 1 movie musical, if that)
Anika Noni Rose doing "I Can Do Better Than That" which we'll hear
Anna Kendrick sing soon in the movie version of The Last Five Years
Stars Who Can Sing (Not Sure About Dancing): Anna Kendrick, Anne Hathaway, Oscar Isaac, Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Scarlett Johansson, Kristen Bell, Amanda Seyfried, Glenn Close, Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst, Rosario Dawson, Ewan McGregor, Eddie Redmayne, Ryan Gosling, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mare Winningham, Garrett Hedlund, Jeremy Renner, Diane Keaton, James Marsden, Robert Downey Jr, Emmy Rossum, Andrew Rannells, Christian Bale, Zachary Levi, Anika Noni Rose, and Evan Rachel Wood
Stars Who Can Dance (Not Sure About Singing): Mia Wasikowska, Channing Tatum, Charlize Theron, Claire Danes, Judy Greer, Zoe Saldana, Neve Campbell, Juliette Binoche, and Jamie Bell
like all sensible people Jonathan Groff is obsessed with Sutton Foster
Great in Musicals on Stage AND They Have Screen Presence (at least on TV): Jonathan Groff, Sutton Foster, Laura Benanti, Megan Hilty, Aaron Tveit, Audra McDonald, Katie Finneran, Cheyenne Jackson, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Krakowski, Norm Lewis, Raul Esparza, Steven Pasquale, Annaleigh Ashford, and Donna Murphy... why is no one considering them for movie musicals?
Since these are off the top of my head, there are surely countless others who *might* have it all but they'd have to be screen tested or given a shot.
the 1-2-3 punch, the thrilling rebirth of the film musical genre
The IndieWire article is correct that the movie musical genre needs its contemporary Vincent Minnelli, Busby Berkeley or Bob Fosse something terrible. Amen. (The revival started off so well with strong directors like von Trier, Mitchell and Luhrmann but since then...) But there is more than enough on camera talent out there for the ballsy gifted director if he or she is willing to look for it and has the stomach for fights with the studios. The studios will always, no matter the genre, ask for the bigger name whether or not they have the chops or are right for the role. Not only does the musical need better directors, it needs directors with a backbone who want to nurture the right kind of talent, and make them names ... not work around the weaknesses of stars who think it might be fun to try carrying a tune. It probably needs a director willing to take a chance on a stage star and make an original musical like a Mary Poppins rather than a star driven stage-bound transfer like a My Fair Lady.
Reader Comments (61)
Stephanie--That's a rumor? I am so bummed...JGL's duet with Lady Gaga was adorable. Would he have been Nathan or Sky?
Mike---Jack Black? YES! Love Tenacious D.
The whole package is really important, and some times audiences forgive less-than stellar singing and/or dancing if the actor/performance is good. I certainly do. Was Rex Harrison a great singer? No, but he was the definitive Professor Henry Higgins and the Academy thought so too. Russell Crowe? Not really, but he's a great actor and did well as Javert. Pierce Brosnan? Not at all, but his rendition of the Parting Glass in Evelyn is nice and suited the story. Plus he had great onscreen chemistry with Streep in Mamma Mia helping to make that jukebox musical a major stage-to-screen hit. Does anyone even remember who played the part in original London or Broadway production? Smash! the TV show was ruined for me when it focused on McPhee's and Jordan's characters. They can both sing and dance well, but boy, they are beyond boring actors.
Will Chase, Charles Esten and the rest of the singing Nashville cast are doing great work, so I'd like to see any one of them in a movie musical. Laura Benanti's videos make me laugh, so would LOVE to see her in a comedy musical.
I really wish Joss Whedon would direct a musical, he could even write it himself! He surely fits the bill "ballsy gifted director" :)
Pam, the rumors had JGL cast as Nathan and Channing as Skye.
Patrick Wilson. Swoon.
Throwing it out there, Ryan Gosling is a great dancer. He's got those Disney Mouseketeer feet working for him.
I might be in a minority here (or elsewhere).... No, I AM definitely in the minority who actually likes it when musicals are not only cast perfect singers at all.
An example? Okay, take Chicago: it's main character Roxie is a wannabe star, so I don't think Renée Zellweger is miscast. She's not a perfect singer, but she sings quite nice. It fits imo.
Or Mamma Mia! Good lord that takes place on a sunny Greek island and although Brosnan can't hold a tone, he brings much authensity with it, because he's just an architect. Do Architects sing well? I doubt it.
Of course that does not mean it has to be all "bad" singers of course. *lol*
But I can take a few not so good singers, if most singers are great.
I wish someone finally made up their mind and adapt Sunset Boulevard and cast Glenn Close in it. And, by the way, give her an Oscar for it!
When will they make The Boy from Oz the movie?
It will have HUGH JACKMAN as a gay man! Garland and Minelli also.
Hollywood is crazy if they don't make this movie.
Look at all these comments, obviously this topic really touches a nerve. In terms of casting, perfect singing and dancing are not always required. Mamma Mia was a hit and is extremely re-watchable due to it's wonderful cast; Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Colin Firth, and yes Pierce Bronson -they fit the roles and bring a high degree of charm and fun. Another example is the surprising Pitch Perfect -that cast is diverse (Rebel Wilson) and I'm really looking forward to the sequel. I long to see more of Sutton Foster and Laura Benanti, both of them have the talent and the comedic skills to do something really terrific. If Hollywood musicals are a thing of the past perhaps we could resurrect the variety show??
sorry, this may be a bit gross, but I think I just have an erection listening to Patrick Wilson sings....
That list of three recent musicals at the top of the post vs the three great ones at the bottom is one of the most depressing things I've seen in a long time. Then again that period seemed like a Renaissance, a new golden age of moviemaking that just - didn't last.