Stage to Screen

Drama and Theater > American
Film > Analysis, Criticism, Etc.
Music Studies

Stage to Screen

This paper looks at the issue of staged musicals and film and compares versions of two Broadway productions that have appeared also on film.

3,660 words () | 13 sources | APA | 2005 United States

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer examines the differences between two Broadway productions, their film counterparts, and cultures within which they were released. The writer first discusses 'Kiss Me, Kate' opening on Broadway in 1948 and opening on film in 1953 during the "Leave it to Beaver" baby-boom era of post-World War II. The writer then looks at 'Rent' that opened in 1996 and 2005. The writer maintains that what makes musicals on film different from their stage versions is the time constraints, censors, audience and directorial choice. The writer concludes that the way in which a musical is portrayed on film is a mirror onto current cultural, social, and political atmospheres.

Outline:
Then and Now
Kiss Me, Kate
Rent
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"It is first sung by Lily in her dressing room admitting that she is still in love with Fred and always will be. This is her soliloquy, a very passionate and intimate moment. In the second act, Fred also sings the same song after Lily has left him alone backstage. These soliloquy songs pull the audience into the minds of the characters; the audience can feel their desire. In the film, however, the song is changed to a duet between Fred and Lily, but as a song intended for the play within the play or film in this case. Though the audience can see the tension and awkwardness between the two characters, they do not feel their desire and love for each other."

Sample of Sources Used:

Arbor, Ann. Movies, Censorship, and the Law. The University of Michigan, 1966.
"Burstyn v. Wilson (1952)." About. 2005. The New York Times Company. 20 Nov 2005 < http://atheism.about.com/library/decisions/religion/bl_l_BurstynWilson.htm>
"Chris Columbus Interview." About. 2005. The New York Times Company. 25 Nov 2005 <http://actionadventure.about.com/od/news/p/aarentpreview.htm>
Green, Stanley. Broadway Musicals: Show by Show, 5th Edition. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp, 1996.
Henderson, Amy and Dwight Blocker Bowers. Red Hot and Blue: A Smithsonian Salute to the American Musical. Washington: Smithsonian Institute Press, 1997.