Broadway has long borrowed from the movies. Studios own famous stories, audiences already know them, and a stage version can turn a beloved film into something live and louder.
The results have ranged from long running hits to short lived experiments. Here are eight well known examples, each based on a Hollywood film, with the basic facts of how they reached the stage.
The Lion King
Disney’s animated film from 1994 became a stage musical that opened on Broadway in 1997. Julie Taymor directed it, and her puppetry and mask designs became the show’s signature look. The score keeps the film’s songs by Elton John and Tim Rice and adds new material.
It’s still running on Broadway as one of the longest running shows in the history of the street. It has also played in many countries around the world. Few film adaptations have lasted this long.
Hairspray
The musical Hairspray comes from John Waters’ 1988 film of the same name. It opened on Broadway in 2002, with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The story follows Tracy Turnblad, a teenager in 1960s Baltimore who wants to dance on a local TV show.
The production won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2003. It later returned to the screen in a 2007 movie musical, which was itself based on the stage show. That makes it a story that traveled from film to stage and back again.
The Producers
Mel Brooks adapted his own 1967 film The Producers for the stage. The musical opened on Broadway in 2001, and Brooks wrote the music and lyrics. It follows two schemers who try to profit from a deliberately terrible show.
It won twelve Tony Awards in 2001, a record that still stands. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick led the original cast. The show later got its own film version in 2005.
Billy Elliot the Musical
Billy Elliot began as a 2000 British film, though it was widely released in Hollywood’s market. The stage musical premiered in London in 2005 and reached Broadway in 2008. Elton John wrote the music, and Lee Hall, who wrote the film’s screenplay, wrote the book and lyrics.
It won ten Tony Awards in 2009, including Best Musical. The story of a miner’s son who dreams of ballet suited the stage well. Young performers in the title role became a notable part of its history.
Kinky Boots
The 2005 film Kinky Boots was inspired by a true story about an English shoe factory. The Broadway musical opened in 2013 with songs by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein. It centers on a struggling factory owner who partners with a drag performer.
It won six Tony Awards in 2013, including Best Musical. Lauper won Best Score, becoming the first woman to win that category on her own. The show ran on Broadway until 2019.
Mrs. Doubtfire
The 1993 comedy starring Robin Williams became a Broadway musical that opened in 2021. Its music is by Wayne Barker and Karey Kirkpatrick, and Kirkpatrick wrote the book with John O’Farrell. The story follows a father who disguises himself as a nanny to stay close to his children.
The show closed on Broadway in 2022 after a run cut short by pandemic disruptions and shifting audiences. It has since continued with tours and productions elsewhere. It shows how hard it is to follow a performance as famous as Williams’.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film Moulin Rouge! inspired a stage musical that opened on Broadway in 2019. Like the film, it uses a collage of existing pop songs, with new additions from more recent hits. Alex Timbers directed.
The show won ten Tony Awards in 2021, including Best Musical. It returned to Broadway after the pandemic shutdown and has also played on tour and in London. Its lavish design is a major part of its appeal.
Back to the Future: The Musical
The 1985 film Back to the Future became a stage musical that premiered in Manchester in 2020 and later opened in London’s West End in 2021. It reached Broadway in 2023, with music by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard, and a book by Bob Gale, who co-wrote the film. The show brings the DeLorean time machine to the stage.
Broadway audiences have seen it at the Winter Garden Theatre. Its creators include the film’s own writer, which helps explain its close ties to the original story. It stands among the more recent examples of Hollywood hits making the leap to the stage.
