Momma Rose and Tevye . . . Marty McFly and Bluto?
Yes, “Back to the Future” and “Animal House” — the musicals — are in the making, bound for Broadway. In a season filled with “Newsies,” “Once,” “Leap of Faith” and “Ghost: The Musical” — along with last year’s “Sister Act” and “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” — the Great White Way’s looking more and more like yesterday’s multiplex.
“A hit film is a brand, and it gives you that recognition factor,” says Manny Azenberg, who’s produced some 70 shows, including one movie-turned-musical bomb, “The Goodbye Girl.”
“It used to be that Broadway did musicals and they became movies,” he says. “Now the trend is to look for the film to make into an extraordinary moneymaker, like ‘Hairspray.’ It takes some of the creativity and originality out of the process.”
But for every “Hairspray” and “The Producers” — two movie musicals so successful, they were made back into movies — there’s a “Young Frankenstein” and a “Shrek.” And let’s not forget, though we may try, “The Wedding Singer,” “High Fidelity,” “Urban Cowboy,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Catch Me If You Can” and “Carrie.”
Ken Davenport is undaunted. The producer of the upcoming “Somewhere in Time,” based on the Christopher Reeve flick, says the failure rate for movies-turned-musicals is no higher than that of other shows.
“Only 20 to 30 percent of Broadway shows return their investment,” Davenport says. “Totally original musicals that aren’t based on anything are unbelievably rare, and have a big failure rate. I look for source material that will make a great musical, and I don’t care if it’s from a book, a movie or a postcard!”
While we await his “Greetings from the Grand Canyon,” here’s a look at what’s already in the pipeline. Details, especially the estimated time of arrival (ETA), are subject to change:
ANIMAL HOUSE: THE MUSICAL
The boys of Delta House are getting a new house band, or at least an original score: by the Barenaked Ladies (“Be My Yoko Ono”). Let’s hope Flounder and Co. get to “Shout!” the way they did in the 1978 classic. Casey Nicholaw (“The Book of Mormon”) is set to choreograph and direct. ETA: TBA
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Robert Zemeckis, director of the 1985 hit and its two sequels, is reportedly in the “very early planning stages” of turning this into a tuner. Lea Thompson, who played Marty McFly’s mom in the movie, has already thrown her hat into the ring. Hey, she’s played Sally Bowles! ETA: TBA
BIG FISH
Tim Burton directed this 2003 film about a Southerner who loved to tell his son whoppers. Susan Stroman (“The Producers”) is directing and choreographing; John August, who wrote the screenplay, is writing the book; Andrew Lippa (“The Addams Family”) is doing the music and lyrics. ETA: TBA
BULLETS OVER BROADWAY
Woody Allen’s not taking any chances with the book for this one: He’s writing it himself. It’s based on his 1994 crime caper/comedy about a playwright who, desperate to get his work produced on Broadway, agrees to cast a mobster’s talent-free girlfriend. ETA: fall or spring 2013
DINER
The 1982 movie about 20-something buddies in 1959 Baltimore launched the careers of Kevin Bacon, Ellen Barkin, Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke and Paul Reiser. No word yet on the cast for the musical, but Barry Levinson, the film’s writer/director, is doing the book, Sheryl Crow’s down for the music and lyrics, and Kathleen Marshall (“Anything Goes”) will choreograph and direct. ETA: spring 2013
FLASHDANCE, THE MUSICAL
What a feeling! This one promises all the hits from the 1983 movie — about a female welder who dances in bars but dreams of being a ballerina — plus 16 original songs. As if anyone could top “Maniac”! Sergio Trujillo (“Memphis”) will choreograph/direct. ETA: fall 2012
HONEYMOON IN VEGAS
Bring on the sky-diving Elvises! Tony Danza’s set to play a wiseguy in hot pursuit of a shy guy’s girl. Andrew Bergman, the film’s director and writer, is doing the book; Jason Robert Brown (“Parade”) the music. Maybe someone can get Nicolas Cage to stop making movies long enough to come to Broadway. ETA: spring 2013
KINKY BOOTS
Cyndi Lauper’s writing the music and lyrics for this one, based on the 2005 film about the heir to a rundown shoe factory who gets a lift from a drag queen. Harvey Fierstein’s writing the book; Jerry Mitchell (“Legally Blonde”) is set to choreograph and direct. ETA: spring 2013
ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS
Snap those fingers! This 1964 Warner Brothers flick gave wings to the Sammy Cahn/Jimmy Van Heusen songbook (“Come Fly with Me,” “All the Way”). No cast announcements yet, but Will Chase (“Smash”) did the last workshop. ETA: fall 2012
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE — THE MUSICAL
This one seems to be having a rockier time coming together than Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan did in the 1993 movie. Nearly all of the creative team was recently axed except for Jeff Arch, who wrote the film with Nora Ephron. ETA: TBA
SOMEWHERE IN TIME
There was a private reading two weeks ago for this one, based on Richard Matheson’s 1980 romance about a guy (Christopher Reeve) who travels back in time to be with the woman he loves. Matheson’s writing the book. ETA: fall or spring 2014