New movie musicals

[jo]

Interesting discussion on why male actors are not very good singers in movies as a general rule, save for Hugh Jackman!

www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jul/23/mamma-mia-why-cant-male-actors-sing

The Lamest Showmen: why can’t male actors sing?

As the new Mamma Mia! hits cinemas, we explore why male actors hit the bum notes in modern movie musicals

Steve Rose
Mon 23 Jul 2018 10.00 BST


here are many reasons why the first Mamma Mia! movie was such a smash hit, but we can all agree Pierce Brosnan’s singing was not one of them. He sounded like a labrador trapped under a blanket. Undeterred, judging by a clip of Hugh Skinner singing Waterloo in a style best described as “posh geography teacher whose necktie is too tight”, forthcoming sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again looks set to be continue this tradition of masculine musical ineptitude.

The Mamma Mia! enterprise hinges on a rarely acknowledged truth of modern movies: when it comes to actors singing, women are better at it. Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried and Lily James can hold a tune pretty well. It was a similar case with the Pitch Perfect movies. They hired Anna Kendrick and Hailee Steinfeld, both of whom have had bona fide hit songs. In earlier times, when musicals were a Hollywood conveyor belt, singing ability was a route to success, and performers would have paid their dues on stage or in vaudeville. However, today’s movie musicals must either cast genuine singers with limited acting ability, or genuine actors with limited singing ability. In the latter department, it is the men who come off worst.


La La Land was a classic example. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling: fine actors, passable singers, but if you had to give one a recording contract, it would be Stone by a mile. Same with Enchanted: James Marsden does well; Amy Adams knocks it out of the park. The Jungle Book? Bill Murray belts out The Bare Necessities; Scarlett Johansson’s Trust in Me is velvety and sensuous. Richard Gere muddled through Chicago, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger pulled off their tunes with aplomb. Gerard Butler’s Phantom of the Opera sounded like a Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist. Or look at Les Misérables: Anne Hathaway was fine; Russell Crowe sounded like a man giving himself a hernia.


Hugh Jackman is the exception that proves the rule. Jackman has anchored stage musicals and sell-out solo concerts, he’s that good. He really is The Greatest Showman, which isn’t saying much considering the competition.

Time and again, it seems, male actors almost revel in their vocal ineptitude. Looking back, you wonder how on earth Richard Harris’s transcendently cheesy MacArthur Park could have become a chart hit in 1968. Likewise Lee Marvin’s throat-infection rendition of Wandrin’ Star (from Paint Your Wagon), a No 1 single in 1970. It kept the Beatles’ Let It Be off the top spot! And Rex Harrison didn’t bother singing at all and simply spoke his lyrics, yet still led smash-hit musicals such as My Fair Lady and Doctor Doolittle. His Fair Lady, Audrey Hepburn, was dubbed by a professional singer – a solution that does not seem to have occurred to today’s performers. It can’t be that men are naturally worse singers. Perhaps it’s more to do with the selection process that favours certain stereotypically “masculine” attributes in male actors, attributes that only overlap with singing ability once in a Hugh Jackman. Or perhaps the men feel they can get away with simply “having a go”? To his credit, Pierce Brosnan gamely accepted criticism of his performance in the first Mamma Mia! (which earned him a Razzie for worst supporting actor). But that hasn’t put him off having another try in the sequel. So here we go again indeed, although this time at least, he has been taking extra singing lessons.

[jo]

Assuming the male actor can actually sing well...can he dance? That seems to be the more difficult talent to cultivate

[mamaleh]

It's so nice to read such compliments about HJ's singing. I hope he has the opportunity to do another movie musical. But I still disagree about the negative comments ascribed to Russell Crowe's musical ability. I thought he did fine in LES MIZ; plus he led his own bands, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts and The Ordinary Fear of God.

Ellen

[jo]

I agree with you on Russell 100%. I thought he was the perfect Javert. He was forceful, remorseful, cunning, introspective, rigid, righteous, troubled...the man of the law! Excellent acting as always but never intruding into Jackman's acting space. His singing was what the role demanded -- showing both the conflicted lawman as well as the avenging angel! He knows his music!


Their CONFRONTATION was such a perfect reflection of the conflict between the fugitive and the hunter! Dramatic, action-oriented, and tense! That duet/fight reflected the essence of Victor Hugo's portrayal of the conflict between the right and the righteous!

Next to Valjean's SOLILOQUY as an excellent character portrayal done in song, His STARS was an introspective interpretation of a character who has become unsure of what drives him on. One was finding the way to the light/right...while the second was also undergoing a character change on what is the light/right!

Why is there so much hate towards his vocal performance?

*The stage musical purists think there is only one way to portray Javert musically-speaking -- always aiming for the money notes, always showing off the vocal range...and acting takes a backseat.
*The theatre community seems to think that they should have the only right on who gets to portray musical characters -- only from the theatah!

Yesterday, I caught the mid-point of a rerun of LES MISERABLES. I never get bored watching it. I did not expect to get a bit teary when Bring Him Home came on the first time. It was such an impassioned performance from Valjean/Jackman. It mirrored the conflicting feelings of a father who looks at the young man who is winning his daughter away but at the same time caring for the young man who is loved by his beloved daughter. A father looks at his son! Then there was the reprise of Bring Him Home when Valjean was close to dying-- that is such a reminder about one's mortality.

Btw, Hugh was wearing a set of teeth prosthetics for the second Bring Him/Me Home -- Hooper's idea to make him look very aged and weathered. How he managed to sing with the prosthetics is nothing short of amazing. Also, I wonder if that was part of what was troubling Hugh when he filmed the scene, as this was the exact scene he was referring to when he thought he might not just be good enough for the part ( and that was when Deb assured him that getting nervous and bothered by his performance at that point was why he was right for the part).

I could watch the movie every now and then... and get swept by the drama and its musical expression. People sometimes forget that it is a dramatic musical - where acting is key and the musical expression simply complements the drama taking place!

Jo

[jo]

Scott Mendelson of Forbes.com revisits the movie musicals genre --

www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/10/15/lady-gaga-a-star-is-born-highlights-the-enduring-appeal-of-the-hollywood-musical/#70d35c5568f6

[njr]

Anybody else looking forward to seeing Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda in Mary Poppins sequel? Looks great! Dick Van Dyke is in it too, playing the son of the old banker he cameoed as in the original. There was a “making of” special on last night.

Nancy

[alma]

I sure am looking forward to it, Nancy! I watched the special last night and it looks promising.

Alma

people.com/movies/dick-van-dyke-paid-walt-disney-play-banker-mary-poppins/

[jo]

Glenn Close was recently quoted that the film adaptation of the stage musical SUNSET BOULEVARD is getting " inches and inches closer" to becoming a real film!

deadline.com/2018/12/glenn-close-on-her-15th-golden-globe-nom-and-the-sunset-boulevard-film-1202515432/

As for the future, Close said progress is “inching closer and closer” on a big-screen adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Sunset Boulevard. Inspired by the classic Billy Wilder film, the musical goes into the shuttered life and home of Norma Desmond, a big-time silent-film star who remained larger than life — at least in her own mind. “It’s the pictures that got small,” Gloria Swanson intoned in the Desmond role in the 1950 classic. Close has portrayed Norma Desmond in two productions of the show, one in the 1990s, and then another in New York last year.

“The version we did in New York last year was quite different and it opened up a lot of people’s eyes, I think,” Close said. “The story is just brilliant. She’s one of the great characters ever written. If I have the privilege of doing that on film, that would be thrilling to me. I’m fascinated by the challenge of putting something on film that originated on the stage. It’s a tricky proposition.”

Close said the Sunset Boulevard project is still an unpaved road, but she hopes it gets the green light that would keep it moving toward reality.

“I don’t know if I even should be talking about it. But I think we have a great team forming, and I have my fingers crossed,” Close said. “I hope it happens. It’s just a delicious feast of a story.”

This would have been a great film role for Hugh Jackman. He also played and sang the role of Joe Gillis as his second stage job ( circa 1996?). But if they are to follow the original screenplay and the lyrics of the song, Hugh has now aged out of the role. But if Glenn Close is going to star in it ( she is 71 in real life), would they cast an actor, as Joe Gillis, who is only in his 30's or even 40's. If they go much younger ( late 20's or early 30's), that would almost seem as cradle-snatching. They might as well go with Hugh because the age difference with Glenn Close is about 21 years ( close to the approximate difference in age between Norma Desmond who was 50 and Joe who was likely in his late 20's or early 30's (having already lived in Hollywood as a-down-and-out screenwriter). This is a dramatic musical that is very suitable to Hugh's looks and acting and singing talent!

Btw, the original movie made by Billy Wilder remains one of the beloved film noirs of all time --

[njr]

Yep, 1996. You got $200 to blow?

www.amazon.com/Jackman-SUNSET-Australian-Preview-Program/dp/B00YSU8JZQ

[jo]

I already have that souvenir program - got it from eBay sometime time ago. I am a big fan of SUNSET BOULEVARD - saw it twice in London and I do have the cast album. I also found a copy of an unofficial recording of a performance of SB in Melbourne recorded sometime in December 1996. Eventually, I got a copy of Billy Wilder's original movie.

Talking of souvenir programs -- I did not originally bother to buy one when I saw Oklahoma! in London (1999). I didn't bother because the leads were completely unknown to me. I only went to see it because Rodgers & Hammerstein were one of my favorite composers ( although I did have the DVD of the movie, which was my least preferred of their famous musicals).

Of course, at some point I did get a copy from eBay-UK -- the Oklahoma souvenir program from the Lyric Theatre ( where Oklahoma! transferred from the Royal National Theatre), which is where I saw the musical. This is a much better souvenir program because there is a lot of features on the original Broadway staging and the team-up of Rodgers and Hammerstein. There are quite a few photos from the Jackman version. Hugh is featured in the same way as the other cast members ( that was where I picked up that he was awarded Most Outstanding Graduate at WAAPA in his time).

And I was lucky enough to have Hugh sign it when I brought it along during his arena tour for TBFO in Sydney in 2006. That would even be rarer than the Sunset Blvd program - a signed Oklahoma! souvenir program

Eventually, I also got an Oklahoma! cup souvenir, which was even rarer to get - I saw it offered only once on eBay-UK.

But we are lucky that Trevor Nunn worked it out to get the stage version with Hugh filmed! Everyone is now able to watch the first musical which brought Hugh Jackman to the attention of the world...and to Hollywood ( XMen producer Lauren Shuler Donner saw it in London)!

Jo

[jo]

Glenn Close is optimistic that filming of SUNSET BOULEVARD may start in 2019, for release in 2020 --

Who's going to be Joe Gillis?

It will be quite a stretch ( and almost weird) if they chose an actor in his late 20's or early 30's...and Glenn is in her early 70's.

Better to maintain the 20 year-ish difference between Norma and Joe. William Holden played him already a down-and-out screenwriter who had seen bad times in Hollywood. William was probably in his early 30's then...in relation to the character played by Gloria Swanson ( the lyrics specifically said that she was 50!).


Will this be sung-thru, as in the original stage musical version ( which eerily picked up most of the lines from the original movie by Billy Wilder)? You will need a real singing actor to be able to do a sung-through version.

Unlikely to be Hugh, as he will be busy with the TheManTheMusicTheShow.



Btw, the film rights are owned by Paramount - which is now headed by Jim Gianopulos ( who was partly involved in the Fox studio approval of The Greatest Showman)!


Jo

[jo]

Glenn Close has just won Best Actress-Drama at the Golden Globes! If she marches onto the Oscars -- funding for SUNSET BOULEVARD will get a big boost!


Jo

[jo]

What a pity that Hugh may not be able to reprise this role anymore ( although I am not yet losing hope )!


22 or so years ago --





How young he looked!

[njr]

Jan 8, 2019 10:10:06 GMT -5 jo said:

What a pity that Hugh may not be able to reprise this role anymore ( although I am not yet losing hope )!


22 or so years ago --





How young he looked!

Says it’s blocked. ☹️

[jo]

It also says that you can watch it on YouTube -- there is an underscored link.

Jo

[jo]

May I share these comments which I posted on the BWW thread on the potential Sunset Boulevard filming news --

Billy Wilder's film noir classic SUNSET BOULEVARD is one of the most admired movies, despite its critique of the Hollywood system.

The video release is a keepsake and makes a good basis for judging whether the musicalized version by ALWebber ( with approval by Billy Wilder) comes close to the dramatic appeal of the movie.

In this excellent commentary on the movie itself, one gets a glimpse of the way the movie classic is both a testament against the Hollywood machine but also a testament to the art of filmmaking. I wouldn't mind if what they simply remade is the film noir classic itself ( which can broaden the casting choices). It gives us a closer glimpse of the characters of Joe Gillis and the woman who unexpectedly enters his life while continuing to live in the past. I think what attracted me to the stage musical is the drama that the composer tried to translate into a musical theatre gift.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gbknao5D-U

I would be sorry to see if the casting of the musical version laid more emphasis on the singing than in the very essence of the dramatic aspects - it has to be an acting masterpiece where singing complements the acting choices! Glenn Close, in that respect, would be excellent in the role of Norma Desmond! Equally important would be the casting of Joe, not simply as an adjunct to the telling of the story of Norma... but a man not just caught in the sad testament of the Hollywood system ( exemplified by the character of Norma) but someone whose conflict about his own artform ( writing) is another key issue in this story of Hollywood! Excellent acting not just boyish looks or excellent vocals! William Holden himself was given first billing over Gloria Swanson in Billy Wilder's film classic.

[jo]

It seems it will be Paramount which is considering the film adaptation of the musical version of Sunset Boulevard -- based on this report last August 2017:


www.thewrap.com/glenn-close-star-sunset-boulevard-movie-musical-paramount-exclusive/


It is taking some time to get the final greenlight? Glenn has said that the plans are for filming to start in 2019 ( for release in 2020).

[jo]

I've unearthed this difficult interview to find -- Billy Wilder's reactions to the stage adaptation … and what he thought of the changing Hollywood system.


articles.latimes.com/1993-06-27/entertainment/ca-7585_1_sunset-boulevard

One thing that is very thought-provoking are his comments of whether this premise can still work today.

Q: Essentially, of course, "Sunset Boulevard" is a four-person character study, isn't it?


A: Yes. The silent movie star, the unemployed writer. Erich von Stroheim's character (Max, the devoted butler and former husband and director to Norma Desmond) is very interesting.

But what made it work would not work in pictures today. "Sunset Boulevard" was made in 1950, and back then you could still dramatize and have a very valid background, the demise of silent pictures.

In other words, this was when we had big stars like John Gilbert, who just disappeared with the advent of the talkies. And of course, Gloria Swanson was one of them. To dramatize that today, with some star who's simply out of the spotlight--it's not as good as having someone who was one of the biggest stars here, but suddenly there are no parts for her.

Hmm...

Could a new movie that takes after the premise of Sunset Boulevard but set more with the current Hollywood system where the movers/shakers ( media giants, including soon-to-be media competitor Disney)), no longer the actor/the director/the producer, etc., dictate what is box office magnet or not?

Also, I would be very interested to know what direction Paramount CEO Jim Gianopulos is headed insofar as the film adaptation of the stage adaption ( musicalized version) of the original Paramount/Wilder film noir classic is concerned?

Jo

[njr]

Jan 8, 2019 22:35:49 GMT -5 jo said:

It also says that you can watch it on YouTube -- there is an underscored link.

Jo

Here’s the direct link:

youtu.be/5TKkDgpylq0

[jo]

Not even a rumor -- just a wish list

We know Jake can sing ( Sondheim's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE)...but can he dance? As in dance like a true triple threat?

If he can...maybe he can do the comedic role of Donald O'Connor and Hugh can be Gene Kelly in a possible remake of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

If it really materializes.

Here's THR report on the filmization plans --

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/glenn-closes-sunset-boulevard-movie-musical-finds-director-1191627?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral

Paramount had no comment.

Paramount owns the film rights to Sunset Boulevard. I guess until Paramount officially announces the project, I would not be too hopeful yet. Could be that Paramount is trying to cast the Joe role first, before an announcement is made? Paramount's new boss is Jim Gianopulos, who was with Fox with the finale workshop for Greatest Showman was held. He had supposedly run to Keala after she sang This Is Me and told her that she had just made her first major motion picture contract (paraphrasing, as told by Hugh).


Jo

[jo]

The theatre chatterati are speculating on the casting of Joe --

From ATC --

re: Who will play Joe?
Posted by: robert_j 11:45 pm EST 02/28/19
In reply to: Who will play Joe? - SouthernBway 09:14 pm EST 02/28/19

I would think Jackman. The romance seems more plausible than it would be with Efron. Plus, Joe Gillis is supposed to be a bit of a has been (or never was) so should not be too young.

Efron and Close ( that would be a 40-year age difference...would sound more like cradle snatching and ludicrous)

Timberlake was also suggested but opinion is that he is a bit of a lightweight and not just right for the part. You need a strong dramatic actor who can sing the part for this role!

Jake G was also suggested -- they need some big name casting as Glenn is not a true box office draw now. Jake is pretty well-known but he is not a box office magnet. Jake is a good actor and can likely handle the part ( having sung the part of Georges Seurat in SUNDAY IN THE PARK), but how would the chemistry with Glenn work out?

Bradley C - his sound is country music. Does he have the training for this? Sunset Blvd is a sung-through musical ( like Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera) and will need someone with real vocal chops and strong experience.

Gerard Butler was the Phantom in the sung-through film version ( with a bit of dialogue) but his singing was dissed by many ( although I thought he was okay in the film adaptation because he seemed like a good actor)...and he is not a true box office draw except for SPARTA.

Stage actors are not well known for a studio to cast any of them, as they might need to promote this movie heavily.

There is something though that bothers me about the chatterati's opinions - most of them say they hate Sunset Boulevard but they all actively participate in casting the roles of Joe and maybe Max...or even Betty.

My suggestions --

Talking about Max - how about Russell Crowe? He can play the silent, hulking type but romantic inside.

Betty - maybe Anne Hathaway? Betty has an ingenue personality and Anne can still pass for that.


Have you seen the Billy Wilder film noir? Although controversial at that time, it became one of the most iconic movies ever made in Hollywood.

William Holden was cast as Joe. He had top billing probably because the story was told from his point of view. Norma Desmond was portrayed by Gloria Swanson and her portrayal became a template for the stage musical adaptation. The romantic liaison ( albeit that is debatable) at least looked credible between Holden and Swanson, because Holden was a virile type of leading man and portrayed a down-on-his-luck failed screenwriter. Holden was around early 30s then and Swanson was around 50 ( an age emphasized in the musical...and maybe in the Wilder original movie, too). So, it would not be too credible to cast a late 20's/early 30's actor now and match him with the 70-year old Glenn.

The Wilder movie was obviously non-musical. Andrew Lloyd Webber and his lyricist adapted not just the storyline, but practically a very high percentage of the dialog word for word … and simply set them to music. It produced 2 iconic Norma songs ( With One Look and As If We Never Said Goodbye) and the title song sung by Joe ( Sunset Boulevard). My favorite song though was the Joe-Betty duet Too Much In Love to Care... which I was happy to know from that interview with the young Hugh was also his favorite).

Will this happen?

I will wait for the official announcement from Paramount ( unless they sold their rights to another studio or a major producer/financier) though.

Jo

[jo]

This is one of the major reasons why I would love to see Hugh reprise the role of Joe Gillis --

[jo]

GUYS AND DOLLS due for a remake!

variety.com/2019/film/news/guys-and-dolls-movie-tristar-1203171850/#article-comments

HOME Film News
March 26, 2019 9:00AM PT

‘Guys and Dolls’ Getting Remade at TriStar (EXCLUSIVE)
By Brent Lang and Justin Kroll


“Guys and Dolls,” the venerable Broadway musical, is set to return to the big screen.

TriStar Pictures has purchased remake rights to the original Damon Runyon short stories about gamblers and gangsters that inspired the shows, as well as the rights to the Broadway musical with its book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows and its music by Frank Loesser. The studio has also acquired remake rights to the previous 1955 film adaptation from the Samuel Goldwyn company. That version of “Guys and Dolls” starred Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, and Vivian Blaine, and was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who also wrote the screenplay.

Movie musicals have been robust box office performers in recent years. Hit adaptations of stage shows include “Hairspray,” “Chicago,” and “Les Miserables,” and original musicals such as “The Greatest Showman” and “La La Land” have also been successes. In the case of “Guys and Dolls,” the show boasts one of the greatest collection of showtunes. Its list of highly hummable numbers includes “If I Were a Bell, “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “Luck Be a Lady,” “Adelaide’s Lament,” and “A Bushel and a Peck.”


“Guys and Dolls” first premiered on Broadway in 1950, where it ran for three years and captured five Tony Awards, including the best musical prize. It has been oft-revived over the years, including an acclaimed 1992 version that helped make a stage star of Nathan Lane.

John Goldwyn (“I’m Not There”) and Marc Toberoff (“Bottle Shock”) are set to produce the new adaptation for TriStar, and Meyer Gottlieb (“Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World “) will executive produce. Hannah Minghella and Nicole Brown will oversee for TriStar.

This is interesting.

The rights for a remake was first purchased by FOX for a Hugh Jackman starring vehicle...but it seems Hugh was not inclined to do that, as that was just after Les Miserables.

The next round had Channing Tatum and another actor being billed to do the remake.

Now the rights from all concerned have been purchased by TriStar.


Here's an interesting sidelight --

When Tom Rothman was let go at FOX, he found his next job to head TriStar, a subsidiary of SONY Pictures. Now Tom Rothman is the studio chief of SONY PICTURES itself. SONY is also now recovering from its financial doldrums since last 2017, esp with its Spiderman and Jumanji franchise ...and if I am not mistaken another family-friendly movie (Peter Rabbit?), all under Rothman's watch.

Tom and Hugh have kept in touch even after Tom has left Fox. I remember Hugh attending an event that was personal to Tom in recent years.

Since Hugh seems to be the acknowledged leading movie musicals star ( and with his coming return to Broadway in The Music Man, he will be even more so be regarded as the musicals leading man of this generation), I would not be surprised if Tom Rothman courted Hugh to lead the remake!

Besides, Hugh has included LUCK BE A LADY as part of Back on Broadway, Broadway to Oz..and maybe also part of his upcoming music tour!


Just speculating

Jo