Today we've turned the blog over to Tom Mizer, one half of the songwriting team Mizer & Moore...
Musicals have alwasy been adapted from non-musical material
by Tom Mizer
Can I admit something and you promise not to judge me? My writing partner and I are working on adapting some movies into stage musicals. If eye-rolling made a sound, I bet I would hear a thousand violent swooshes. “Not another movie made into a musical! Why can’t there be original musicals?”...
Here’s the deal: musicals have always been built largely on the foundations of other forms, whether adapted from novels (South Pacific, Show Boat) or straight plays (Oklahoma, My Fair Lady) or, yes, movies. Musicals are incredibly difficult to make work; there are so many moving parts that having the framework of a good story already in place can be an enormous advantage...
Thirteen random thoughts on last night's Tony Awards.
• Glenda Jackson won the Emmy and two Oscars in the 1970s but after a three decade break from acting, she returns triumphant with a Tony win, giving her the Triple Crown!
• Remember when Melissa McCarthy surprised everybody by winning the Emmy for Mike & Molly that one year? After the shock wore off everyone collectively decided that the Television Academy gave her that prize because of Bridesmaids that same season. I kinda think this is what happened with Laurie Metcalf winning a second consecutive Tony -- this time for Three Tall Women in a category people expected to go elsewhere. Not that Three Tall Women isn't brilliantly acted, but we're guessing her miracle performance in Lady Bird helped put her over the finish line. We're choosing to interpret it as Tony voters slapping Oscar's hand. Oscar deserved a slap for that one...
Though I have not seen as much Broadway theater as I'd hoped to this year, I have finally managed to see all of the nominees in the big kahuna Tony category: Best Musical. This is the marquee category each year in that it's the one that matters financially and for bragging rights the way "Best Picture," "Drama Series," and "Album of the Year" are saved for last at the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys respectively... even if you might personally think other prizes more significant or telling. Let's rank the nominees after the jump, shall we?
Hey Tri-state area readers! Only a few of you have come out to Show-Score's Stage & Screen events this spring that I've been moderating. Here's one last opportunity for you.
I'll be interviewing Tony-nominated director David Cromer and Tony-nominated Book writer Itamar Moses of "The Band's Visit" this Sunday at 3:00 PM just before a screening of the movie that inspired the Tony nominated musical. We'll be talking about translating the film for the stage and then we'll all watch the film!
If you've never seen the Israeli film The Band's Visit (2007), you really must. It's quite charming and it stars the late great Ronit Elkabetz (of Late Marriage and Gett fame) and was a sleeper hit at US arthouses in 2008. It also won 8 Ophirs (the Israeli Oscar) in its year including Best Actress. You can get tickets here.
Salon Sandra Bullock to play Texas senator Wendy Davis, who famously filibustered an anti-abortion bill for 12 hours. Oscar #2? Variety interviews actor/playwright Tracy Letts who is really having a good year you must admit. Lady Bird is a hit in theaters and his new play just opened in Chicago Hollywood Reporter has a good interview with Steven Soderbergh Instagram Lupita Nyong'o loves her natural hair and is upset with a magazine for airbrushing it away Variety Replacing Kevin Spacey in All the Money in the World is going to cost at least 2.5 million MNPP Do Dump or Marry: Thor Ragnarok edition
Stage Deadline this is a surprise the Tony Awards have declared the recent production of "1984" ineligible for prizes. They have not stated why exactly. Playbill reviews are in for Broadway's new musical The Band's Visit, based on the Ronit Elkabetz film of the same name if you remember that one Theater Mania photos of Kelli O'Hara and Patrick Wilson rehearsing for Brigadoon. Hope it's swoon-worthy Playbill Jake Shears (of Scissor Sisters fame) joining Kinky Boots on Broadway next year. Damn, I guess I'll have to see it a third time
Harassment Epidemic Updates AV Club on Hollywood's long overdue moral reckoning New Yorker Emily Nussbaum has a terrific piece on Louis CK's comedy through the lens of recent allegations New York Times Louis CK has confessed to the claims against him "These stories are true" Medium Actor Anthony Edwards has come forward to say he was molested by a producer when he was underage Guardian Ellen Page has detailed homophobic remarks director Brett Rattner made to her during the production of X-Men: Last Stand Washington Post showing their utter depravity GOP officials are now citing the bible to justify Roy Moore's sexual assault on an underage girl. And just think, last month they were slamming Hollywood for its depravity with Harvey Weinstein.
Oscar Campaigns Heat Up Awards Daily Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) to receive Rising Star award at Palm Springs Variety Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project) to receive Vanguard award at Santa Barbara
And cheeky Meryl Streep met with Anna Wintour (who she sent up in her Oscar worthy work in Devil Wears Prada) to promote her new star vehicle The Post
Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at 6:15PM 
Musicals have alwasy been adapted from non-musical material
