In the last year we have learned about many new movie musicals including Dear Evan Hansen, a Cinderella remake, In The Heights, West Side Story, and they are still trying to make Wicked happen. I have to admit that movies are not really my thing. I’d much rather be in a theater watching it all live. But I’m very interested in how these movies are going to turn out. Here are my two cents on some of the upcoming releases.
West Side Story
Stephen Spielberg directed the new West Side Story adaptation with newcomer Rachel Zegler. The trailer looks magical and we know that the music of WSS is gorgeous. I’m excited to see a new face as well as some Broadway actors including interviewee Ariana DeBose shining on the big screen. I have only seen the show live once at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and I was captivated. The music and the dance just fill you with the story and I think that is what grabs me. So I’m interested to see how this new version will live up to the magic of the stage.
Watch the official trailer here:
In The Heights
I’m super interested in In The Heights (ITH). We all know that ITH came before the little show called Hamilton. I think that since Hamilton came out ITH has been revisited by a new group of Lin Manuel-Miranda fans. So I’m interested in how the movie will be received by those who aren’t musical theatre fans as a second job. Hamilton touched so many beyond the theatre fans and I’m happy that for some people that was their first musical ever. Especially with the pro-shot being released on Disney+. I actually don’t know In The Heights but I’ve heard a few songs from the show and I can hear many moments that Lin stole from to create the beats in Hamilton. I’m excited to see this movie adaptation and I’m excited to see so many Broadway performers in the movie as well.
Watch the trailer here:
Dear Evan Hansen
The big one and most recent one that everyone is talking about is Dear Evan Hansen. The most recent discussion is about Ben Platt and his ability to play a high schooler at the age of 27. I do agree that there were other actors closer to the high school age that could have played the role in the movie *cough Andrew Barth Feldman cough.* However, how many Broadway actors do we get to see play the role they originated on Broadway in the movie adaptation of that show? VERY FEW! Let’s also address the fact that many of the actors we see playing high schoolers in movies and television shows are well beyond their teen years so I don’t think that this is really an argument that you can win. I do have to say that I personally think Dear Evan Hansen would do better as a straight movie with musical motifs in the orchestrations but I’m always here to hear Ben Platt sing “For Forever".”
Watch the trailer here: