For theatre lovers, there’s a special kind of thrill in watching a classic film reimagined for the stage. The transformation of iconic characters, memorable lines, and cinematic moments into live-action theatre is nothing short of magic. Whether it’s a bold reinterpretation or a faithful homage, these musicals and plays based on movies offer a fresh lens on the stories we thought we knew.
Christmas in Connecticut Book by Patrick Pacheco & Erik Forrest Jackson, Music by Jason Howland, Lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz, Based upon the Warner Brothers Picture
Photo by BW Productions, 2023 Pioneer Theatre Company production
Aspiring writer Elizabeth Sanders moves to New York City wanting to change the world, but first she needs to make rent. Out of desperation, she takes a job as a columnist, doling out advice about domestic life in the country—something she knows nothing about. Under the pseudonym Liz Lane, she skyrockets to fame, writing weekly about cooking, marital bliss, and life in her bucolic farmhouse in Connecticut…all the while living alone in her city apartment. When Liz’s biggest fan, a beloved war hero, is invited to her nonexistent farm by her publisher, Liz is forced to find a house and husband in Connecticut to maintain the façade…and her job. Throw in a team of co-conspirators, madcap locals, and a toe-tapping Broadway-style score, and holiday hijinks abound as Liz tries to pull off the hoax.
Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical Created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin, & Roger Kumble, Based on the film by Roger Kumble
Image courtesy of 2022 Australian Tour
Rulers of their elite Manhattan prep school, Sebastian and Kathryn have placed a mischievous bet: Can Sebastian successfully deflower the innocent Annette Hargrove, the headmaster’s daughter? As their vengeful crusade wreaks havoc on the students at Manchester Prep, the two devilish step-siblings become entangled in their own web of deception and unexpected romance in this raucous jukebox throwback.
Grey Gardens Book by Doug Wright, Music by Scott Frankel, Lyrics by Michael Korie
Based on the beloved documentary, Grey Gardens is the hilarious and heartbreaking story of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s eccentric and upper-class aunt and cousin, Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale, who became East Hampton’s most notorious recluses. Featuring a shatteringly beautiful score, and the opportunity for two star turns, this musical will thrill and delight audiences.
It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play adapted by Joe Landry
This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.
The Shark Is Broken by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon
The first summer blockbuster movie is being filmed—but no one working on the film would know it. Dive deep into the tumultuous, murky waters of the making of a major motion picture with testy, feuding costars, unpredictable weather, and a shark prop whose constant breakdowns are looking like an omen for the future of the movie. In this comedy co-written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, the short tempers of Jaws stars Robert Shaw (father of co-writer Ian), Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider take center stage as they bond, argue, drink, gamble, and pray for an end to the shoot, not knowing it will change their lives forever.
Days of Wine and Roses by J.P. Miller
In the fast-moving milieu of Madison Avenue, social drinking is almost an occupational necessity, and one that fast-rising young Joe Clay adopts with too ready ease. Unfortunately the girl he meets and marries shares his proclivity, and while they continue to tell themselves that they drink because they choose to, it is soon apparent that their habit has become a serious problem. But their failure to acknowledge this plunges them headlong into the shattering events of the play—a career in shambles, a marriage destroyed, the esteem of friends and family lost, and a child who has become the innocent victim of their obsession. In the poignant ending of the play a spectre of hope arises but, more important, so does a galvanizing awareness of the depth of their torment, and of the lesson that their compulsive self-destruction must have for others.
Misery by William Goldman, based on the novel by Stephen King
Misery follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home. While Paul is convalescing, Annie reads his latest book and becomes enraged when she discovers the author has killed off her favorite character, Misery Chastain. Annie forces Paul to write a new Misery novel, and he quickly realizes Annie has no intention of letting him go anywhere. The irate Annie has Paul writing as if his life depends on it, and it does.
The Da Vinci Code adapted by Rachel Wagstaff & Duncan Abel, based on the Novel by Dan Brown
In this thrilling play, based on Dan Brown’s bestselling international phenomenon, Professor Robert Langdon is called to the Louvre in the dead of night, where he unwittingly becomes the center of a murder investigation. When cryptologist Sophie Neveu arrives at the scene, she alerts Robert that, not only is he being asked to solve the crime, he is also the prime suspect. Soon they are in a race against time to clear Robert’s name and decipher a labyrinthine code before a shocking historical secret is lost forever.
The Shawshank Redemption adapted for the stage by Dave Johns and Owen O’Neill
When Andy Dufresne is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in the notorious Shawshank prison, he must find a way to keep himself and his hope alive by using his wits and forging friendships. Based on the novella by Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption brings the story of resilience made famous by the acclaimed film to the stage.
