Musicals have long been a favorite for many viewers, as they typically take the same type of story found in movies but add a variety of musical numbers. While there have been some musical flops, the overwhelming majority of musicals have definitely been well-received and beloved by fans.
There are certainly some specific traits that help a musical rise in popularity: an enticing plot, catchy musical numbers, and a dash of spectacularness that can only be found in live performances. However, there are still a variety of reasons why specific musicals do so well—especially when compared to their movie counterpart.
10 The Music From The Mean Girls Musical Outshines The Movie's
Mean Girls, which debuted as a film in 2004, quickly gained a cult following and continues to be a favorite of many. After the success of the film, it was adapted into a musical that premiered in 2018. Both productions tell the story of Cady Heron when she moves to the U.S., enrolls in public school, and ultimately tries to navigate the high school popularity hierarchy.
The musical comes across as an updated version of the movie, featuring big and emotional musical numbers to better convey the highs and lows of high school as Cady tries to fit in. While the movie is in no way bad, the musical simply adds a whole new layer that makes the story even more accessible and hard-hitting with its new jokes, catchy lyrics, and dazzling numbers.
9 The Prom Movie Is Not As Bright As The Musical
The Prom tells the sweet but emotional story of Emma, a young girl in a small, conservative town who just wants to take her girlfriend to prom, and the chaos that ensues when four Broadway actors decide to selfishly support her cause. While the musical is fun, sad, and ultimately genuine, the Netflix adaptation falls comparatively short.
One of the biggest criticisms comes from James Cordon's (a straight man) very stereotypical performance of a gay man. In addition, the movie simply wasn't able to capture the same energy and vibrancy of the live performance, with many of the bigger and more emotional numbers falling flat in comparison.
8 The Into The Woods Movie Loses Viewers In The Second Act
Into the Woods is a retelling of several fairytale stories, featuring a variety of characters in search of their happily ever after. However, while the movie based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim does its best to capture the essence of these characters, it ultimately doesn't follow through on delivery like the stage-play.
The movie is fairly faithful to the musical in the first act, but it makes significant changes to several characters in the latter portion that didn't go unnoticed. The movie changes several storylines, which completely changes major moments and even the ending. Plus, while many of the cast were extremely talented, many of the musical numbers simply end up coming off as unmemorable and plain.
7 The Lightning Thief Musical Is A True Adaptation Of The Book
The very popular first book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians YA series led to both a movie and musical titled The Lightning Thief. This book is fans' first introduction to Percy Jackson, a demi-god, and follows him as he tries to resolve a feud between the Gods by finding and returning a stolen lightning bolt to Zeus. However, while the movie was heavily criticized as an adaptation of the book, the musical received immense praise.
The musical sticks true to its source material, unlike the movie, using catchy songs and enthralling choreography to better tell the story of Percy Jackson on his quest. It was well-received by many fans disappointed by the lackluster movie that came out years prior.
6 The Les Misérables Musical Has More Life
Les Misérables follows Jean Valjean, a convict, as he struggles to start a new life once he's released. It tells the story of his life as he eventually becomes mayor, raises a child, and tries to avoid being caught.
While the story and songs remain mostly the same between the movie and musical, the movie did receive a decent amount of criticism over its casting choices—while many of the performers who were Broadway actors were well-received, those who were strictly blockbuster actors were overall found to have not been at the same caliber vocally. In addition, most of the energy generated lived during scenes involving the revolution simply could not be recreated the same way in the movie.
5 The Lion King Movie Can't Match The Immersion Of The Musical
The classic movie, The Lion King, tells the story of Simba, a young lion, and his journey to becoming king after his uncle plots to overthrow the throne. It's a beloved Disney movie by all, but the theatrics of the musical simply make the musical so much more dazzling.
The musical does add a few new songs and scenes to the original story but is otherwise mostly the same. It's the immersion and costumes of the musical that really make the show. All of the characters are dressed to portray life-like versions of their characters, in extensive pieces similar to puppets that work well to morph the humans. The Lion King also receives a lot of praise for its use of the entire theater, with actors walking through the aisles to fully immerse the audience.
4 Music Adds More Comedy & Relatability To Heathers
Heathers, the dark 1980s teen comedy starts as a movie about a popular clique and romance but quickly turns into a dark comedy about murder. This cult film is regarded as a coming-of-age story that spins a dark twist on the popular John Hughes movies of its time. The newer musical takes the essence of the film and only makes it better.
The fact that the film is so popular and well-regarded only speaks to how great the subsequent musical is. The music adds a whole new layer to many of the characters, both comedic and dark, developing the characters into much stronger versions of themselves.
3 The Usage Of The Audience Helps The Cats Musical
Cats is a more unusual musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is about a group of Jellicle cats on the night they make the choice of who among them gets to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be born anew. While the musical had amazing success during its run, the 2019 film did not.
This musical has always been a more whimsical story with great choreography and a handful of mysteries. At multiple points, the movie tries and fails to understand what is going on in a scene, which makes the movie feel muddled and confused. The popularity of this musical is also definitely tied to the in-person energy, as many audiences love the way the cats weave down the aisles and even over chairs, bringing the viewers into the show as well.
2 The Phantom Of The Opera Musical Uses Opera Better
The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show on Broadway, and for good reason. The story follows Christine Daae, a young soprano that is the obsession of a mysterious, masked man, as she becomes the lead of the opera house and falls in love, leading to multiple murders and conflicts.
The biggest difference between the musical and the 2004 movie is that the musical stays very close to the source material, whereas the movie does not. Besides altering the appearance of the phantom, one of the most important themes in the musical is the use of opera to unify the story. While in the musical all of the songs have operatic qualities to them, the movie only uses minimal operatic elements for the songs that take place on stage in the story, which takes away from the experience.
1 The Last Five Years Is Smoother As A Musical
The Last Five Years is a popular story that uses a non-linear timeline to tell the story of Jamie and Cathy as they fall in love and eventually break up. Its strongest impression in both productions is the way it uses time, as Cathy tells the story starting from the end and moving backward, while Jamie starts at the beginning and moves forward.
However, while the movie was fairly similar to the musical, it overlooked one important detail that made the musical great. The show focuses on the subjective nature of both narrators—it relies on the fact that they are both unreliable and certain, exact details are left out so that the audience doesn't necessarily get to be more sympathetic for one character over the other. However, the movie does show both perspectives during each character's side and does include the exact details that allow the audience to criticize or support the characters appropriately.
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