Never felt so LIVE!
Friday, April 1, 2016 at 11:00AM Filmed stage productions are becoming more and more common with The National Theatre in London finding great success streaming their high production shows across cinemas all over the world. Cinephiles and theatre goers are big overlap on the venn diagram. A live TV production seems like the next logical step. As recently reported, Aaron Sorkin’s play-turned-film A Few Good Men is getting the live TV treatment in 2017 on NBC. This follows in the successful footsteps of live musicals The Sound Of Music, Peter Pan, The Wiz and Grease but is certainly an ambitious task without the razzle dazzle of musicals or the tomfoolery of live comedy to smooth over the awkward edges live TV can contain.
Whilst these filmed non-musical stage productions have found success, particularly when big names are headlining, there is always something missing that makes in an incomparable experience to being in the theatre with them. By tailor making the work for at home audiences, this could be overcome. An Aaron Sorkin script seems the perfect vehicle. The pace of his scripts in the hands of a strong cast is edge of your seat viewing, and anyone familiar with his work on stage on screen will be excited by the prospect of seeing those character sparks fly live. There’s no word on cast yet, but so far NBC have (mostly) done a good job of casting their live productions, and have a particular knack for picking up and coming stars.
Should this prove fruitful, there’s an array of plays and films that could be all the more tantalising with the electricity of live performance. Let’s speculate after the jump on some other plays and even films that could make the transition after the jump...
August: Osage County by Tracy Letts
This one will need a bit of breathing space first from the film version with its towering actresses, with a lacklustre delivery of this delicious script. If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to see a version on stage, particularly the Steppenwolf Cast you’ll know how this scripthas the potential to be the most gripping three hours in a theatre you’ll ever experience. With the acclaim this script has left in its wake wherever it’s been performed, there will be a regrowing appetite for it to have another life in some other way.
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
Parallel stories in the one house, told across time. Arguably Tom Stoppard’s masterpiece, this play runs a mile a minute covering everything from religion, science, love, death, time to astrophysics. It would demand audience focused and a director with a knack for actors. With the right selection of acting powerhouses, this is a production that could crackle. Stoppard himself who has written for both stage and screen successfully (Oscar win for Shakespeare in Love) could even write a new adaptation.
Closer by Patrick Marber
One of the best aspects of this play, and was well achieved by the film, is that in each version with a new cast and at a new time brings with it different sexual and gender politics. Regardless of the mix, the play feels as urgent as hot as ever. It would be thrilling to see a new generation sink their into the quartet of roles that are every actors dream. Imagine a version directed by Lena Dunham to either your horror or delight. Regardless, the odds of NBC airing a scene of one man commanding a stripping to remove her bedazzled g-string? Not likely.
Noises Off by Michael Frayn
Beloved by every amateur, professional and school theatre group the world over, Noises Off is reliably hysterical when done right. The film version in 1992 was just so, but the tongue in cheek slapstick story set in the theatre loses its fun “winks” in a film version. A live TV version may not suffer from the same lapse irony. The casting potential is giddy worthy, with every character getting an aria of comedic moments to perform and SNL alumni would be crawling over themselves to be cast in a production so directly in their wheelhouse. If the production was as tightly choreographed as the theatre productions, audiences could be left howling.
Revolutionary Road screenplay by Justin Haythe, novel by Richard Yates
The film version of this classic novel was crippled by Titanic sized expectations and a script that felt far more stagey than cinematic. In a live format, some of the one the nose dialogue may be more palatable and the opportunity for two heavyweight actors to follow in the footsteps of Winslet and Dicaprio are Emmys waiting to happen. The simple settings and sparring structure of the scenes could result in some well-paced, gripping television that is easily doable in a live format.
What other plays or films would you like the opportunity to see live? Will this risk pay off? Project to the back row in the comments.
Reader Comments (16)
It's an appetizing notion, but I'd hope the TV plays would be more bravely cast than recent film adaptations have been. An AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY or DOUBT relies on the star wattage of a Meryl Streep to get its green light, and maybe at the expense of a less massive star like Sissy Spacek that would be a more appropriate fit.
Would love to see something by Terrence McNally to get a go a this. "Mothers and Sons" would be my first choice, but maybe "Master Class" would make a more flashy TV showing.
Another one that came to mind is "Visiting Mr. Green" by Jeff Baron.
Sissy Spacek's recent career does not reflect the depth of her talent. Just to think that a while ago her name was mentiond alongside Meryl Streep to star in a remake of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane!
I still stand by my statement that Kate and Leo should do RR on Broadway. Such a theatre-bound piece.
Can we discuss how fantastic Roberts was in Closer.
I think the biggest step here isn't just doing a play instead of a musical, but the idea that this isn't aiming for a broad family audience the way their musical choices have. If they can actually find an "adult" audience for these events, it could really open things up.
I wonder if a live "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf" would work? I feel like a film remake would feel redundant since there's not much to alter in the staging, but the live production would really underline that this is a performance showcase.
mark-Roberts was FANTASTIC in 'Closer' and the MVP of that film, though she got little to no credit. The role was originally Blanchett's, but, and I can't believe I'd say this, I think Roberts does things in the role that Blanchett couldn't have.She was great and a real testament to the fact that while she usually coasts on charisma, she's all a pretty stellar actress.
Yasmina Reza's Art and God of Carnage, certainly. Anything August Wilson.
But I'd also enjoy a Streetcar, Private Lives or You Can't Take It with You.
I LOVE the idea of Arcadia (which is probably too wordy/in love with words to work on screen although with a good director it could easily be gorgeously done) and Closer (the play is much funnier than the film, good as it is), but if I had to pick one play to get a televised treatment it's Albee's famous Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which is one of the greatest plays ever written, a terrific showcase for all four actors, and would easily survive a filmed stage version. Plus, the casting possibilities are endless. While I'd love the chance to see Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin reprise as George and Martha (I was in college far from NYC when they did it on Broadway), I can think of plenty more pairs that would tear it up. I mean, they're technically too young, but can you IMAGINE Taraji P. Henson and Terence Howard in those roles?!?!? Or Jessica Lange and Dennis O'Hare?
I LOVE this idea. I've been hoping that the success of the musicals would lead to live plays, something I've been wanting for a LONG time. There are some really good suggestions here.
I think Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar would also work well. I'm sure there are others but I'm drawing a blank right now.
Neil Simon's "Rumors" or "Other Desert Cities".
Ugh, Julia Roberts was terrible in Closer. Owen and Portman gave excellent performances.
The play is like a movie of the week so it will work fine
Any guesses on the cast for A Few Good Men. I think the Nicholson role has JK Simmons written all over it. Probably a couple of tv stars for the Cruise and Moore roles. Justin Theroux and Keri Russell? Might be too old. Any thoughts?
It's certainly a new and altogether fantastic way for actors to earn the E in EGOT without having to resort to, like, The Big Bang Theory or crime procedurals. I remember the live thing was the novelty of FAIL SAFE many years ago - the one with, I think, George Clooney? Although nobody seems to talk about it these days.
Wasn't there an announced streaming service for Broadway shows? You could pay a certain amount a month and stream actual filmed performances of even popular Broadway shows? I feel like that was a thing recently.
julia roberts was terrific in closer. i think if you think she's terrible in that, you pretty much think she's terrible in everything. she was haunting and nails the melancholia of that role.
i know this is for plays but why hasn't there been a film/tv adaptation of miss saigon??!?!