Musical based on Far From Heaven

[Broadwayhunk]

This seems like a bizarre choice for a musical. I loved the movie, based on the works of the great Douglas Sirk, but can a musical format really capture the shadings and mood of the film? It will be interesting to see what they come up with.

[Proper Villain]

It is a bizarre choice, but no more than an opera based on a musical that doesn't base any of the score on the previous one which was really the main draw in the first place (Dancer in the Dark ~ Selma Jezkova).

[Owen22]

I am hoping they find a musical theatre equivalent of the Sirk style, which was the whole raison d'etre for the film. If not, its just a typical story of repressed homosexuality and racism.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

I'd be more worried if the wonderful team behind GREY GARDENS wasn't involved. I thought they captured the feel of the documentary perfectly well, I think if there's gonna be a FAR FROM HEAVEN musical (an intriguing and challenging choice), they're the best team to do it. I think it'll be interesting to see how the Sirk style that Todd Haynes so perfectly created can be translated to musical theatre. The casting is spot on so far though.

[EricMontreal22]

Owen, that's exactly my fear. I loved the movie, and am a massive Sirk fan, but when I first heard about this, it actually seemed like it would make more sense to do their own adaptation of All That Heaven Allows--which seems to be the main Sirk film Haynes drew from in his approach. But I suppose its themes may seem too old fashioned for a modern musical.

While I am not quite the fan of the musical of Grey Gardens that most people I know are, it does seem like they are the best current team to adapt the material. It is an ideal cast (nice to see BroadwayWorld has kept to their tradition of choosing poor photographs in their news report--I don't think I've ever seen an unattractive photo of Pasquale until this one). Allen Moyer seems an ok choice as director too, though it'll be harder to replicate that Sirkian use of shadow and reflection as dramatic shorthand on stage, compared to Haynes' film. Regardless, this is the one upcoming, new musical that has me the most intrigued.

[After Eight]

I enjoyed the film, mostly due to the score and the photography. It did a good job of capturing the mood of the time. It was a homage to Sirk, and done in his manner, but it was a facsimile of his work anyway, not a replica, and not as good as All That Heaven Allows. So let's hope the musical manages to find its own idiom in which to tell the tale. The Grey Gardens team seems like a good choice.

And Eric is right. The photographs here, especially at openings, often seem to show people at their worst.

[tazber]

I don't really think it's an odd choice considering the talent involved.

It's certainly no more odd than Grey Gardens.

[Auggie27]

I am major fan of the film, and consider it a small masterpiece. Just about everything about its lush visuals, pacing and haunting score (Elmer Bernstein's last) is bold and perfect. Its plot could be laughable at any turn; yet the tone remains pitch-perfect, controlled by extraordinary performances. All of the leads are remarkable, but after multiple viewings, Patricia Clarkson's relatively minor supporting character strikes me as the key to what works in the film. Coolly measured, without a whiff of send-up. Yet entirely period-specific. Clarkson's scenes with Moore anchor the film's quiet sense of deep anxiety under a glossy too-smooth surface. It's a movie in which the rare occasions when anyone raises his voice (i.e. the two or three explosions by Frank) are shocking in their ability to disturb the carefully modulated world. The sustained hush is part of its strange magic.

So the challenge is to find that same sense of style, a specific homage without camp or overly heightened tone. But because the emotions are so large, and the show is about all kinds of withheld and repressed desire in a repressive era, it almost begs to sing. I think it's a terrific idea for a musical, and agree with the posters that this is the team to explore it. That casting only makes me more excited. Is anyone more ideal that O'Hara?

[best12bars]

City of Angels did a great job capturing the B&W "film noire" era, so hopefully they'll be as creative here. I think it's possible, at least.

The big mistake will be if they choose to ignore the fact that they are adapting a movie that pays tribute to a specific genre. If they lose that aspect, they will lose what was so special about it in the first place. It was the juxtaposition of that taboo storyline against the framework of a Sirk film.

I would almost like to see it start as an actual film on stage, then let the characters come to life out of the film. That would establish the framework in a very clear (and fascinating) way.

[finebydesign]

This is certainly my kind of musical... but I just don't understand who else would go see this.

[newintown]

Everything the movie is about - specific cinematic visual style, internal [not external] conflict, repression - seems antithetical to the theatre and intrinsic to cinema. But who knows? The boys did a good job (I thought) with Grey Gardens, although it must be admitted that those characters were already pretty theatrical (unlike the characters of Far From Heaven who don't express their feelings or thoughts audibly).

I fear, though, it could easily be a humorless, solemn series of musical monologues... I hope they find some way if adding a bit of action.

[Owen22]

We do have to remember that these are the boys the wrote the score for "Happiness" at Lincoln Center, possibly one of the worst scores in recent A list New York production history.

Though I agree "Grey Gardens" is one of my favorite scores in the last ten years.

[newintown]

I agree - Happiness is one of the dullest book musicals I've ever suffered through. Not THE dullest, but definitely one of the dullest.

[Mister Matt]

I could definitely see this working if the score is approached in a similar style to Light in the Piazza. Let the book function as a roadmap for the plot, and the score reveal the emotion and psyche of the characters. I think any attempt at pastiche to capture the era in the score will be too distracting.

[Auggie27]

Heavy pastiche (what, say, OVER HERE did well with the 40s) would be a mistake, but the 50's pop sound is very potent, lush and evocative, and it's hard to imagine them eschewing all period musical influence. After all, in a sense the period is a "character" in the story. The sequences in Miami for New Years, for instance especially cry out for a nod to the era. PIAZZA does have some italiano pop in its score, and it's welcome.

[finebydesign]

I'm not going to pretend to know anything about this production, but I assume they're trying to capture the tone of the film. If so, it's going to be a bunch of self-indulgent whiny ballads. There are a few moments in the film where upbeat numbers make sense (the party and the "date") but it's gonna be a dreary evening.

This is seriously depressing subject matter. I think it may have been better to explore Hayne's Superstar or Mildred Pierce. Both have way better protagonists. Part of Julianne's character was the quiet, reserved, giving a her a voice seems counter-intuitive. It was fascinating watching her step outside of of that homonogized world. I'm sure it can be done on stage, songs seem like a real quick way to kill that subtly the movie had.

[best12bars]

The way around it is if the ballads are more soaring, passionate, and even overly romantic. And songs should change tone and meter. It's an emotional roller coaster.

Heightened '50s drama, just like the films of Douglas Sirk.

Not "small" or introspective, simple ballads (which would be completely wrong for this and would sink it like a stone).

EDIT: More along the lines of "The Most Happy Fella" for the ballads, in other words ... which often feels like a Douglas Sirk film to me anyway.

[GavestonPS]

I'm not going to judge a musical no one has seen. (I learned my lesson with that ridiculous rumor of a musical about popping people into meat pies.)

But I have to point out that what we think of as "50s' pastiche" is not the music the characters of the movie would be listening to. Oh, I suppose Frank might be exploring new cultural worlds as he comes to accept himself, but the other adults would listen to music of THEIR youth: standards and swing.

[Auggie27]

It's hard to say what music might speak to these characters, but I don't think it would be a single style that serves all of them. Instead, maybe jazz for Raymond (per the outing in the black club), pop for Frank, 40's nostalgia for Kathy. If the show incorporates their influences, its eclecticism could be powerful.

I like Best12's observation, that soaring, Loesser-like music might be ideal. I hadn't thought of MOST HAPPY FELLA, but I now see that perhaps that's indeed the way to go.

Yeah, we're all just throwing out ideas that may be lightyears from the result. But this is a wonderful idea for a musical. As always, if it works.

[GavestonPS]

My point was merely that most of us form our primary musical tastes during adolescence. (There are exceptions: I learned to like opera in my 20s and rock when my kids started watching MTV.)

40s' music wouldn't be "nostalgic" to young adults of the 50s. It would just be the music of their generation.

More importantly, they wouldn't be doing the Stroll to "Teen Angel".

(ETA MOST HAPPY FELLA does make sense. Along with MY FAIR LADY, it might even be an LP the family bought for their new Hi-Fi!)

[aasjb4ever]

My biggest concern comes from the casting: Doesn’t Nancy Anderson play significantly younger than Patricia Clarkson as Eleanor?

[EricMontreal22]

When AfterEight mentioned the original's score, I was just goingto ask if it was Elmer Bernstein's last, but I see someone answered that. I remember it being instantly memorable and striking when I saw it in the theatre (something I don't feel about movie scores, particularly, usually on first hearing).

Speaking of what kind of score the musical should have, I assume most have already read this, but the Williamtown site does say "With a lush score that is both jazz-inflected and hauntingly lyrical".

[someone.else's.story2]

Wow, I am so excited to hear about this!!!

I think that the heightened style of Far From Heaven will translate wonderfully to a musical. And, I actually prefer the less happy musicals- though I know I'm probably in the minority.

[Auggie27]

"Jazz inflected" says a great deal.

[jv92]

I'm looking forward to this. GREY GARDENS was just wonderful, HAPPINESS less so. Hopefully Frankel and Korie write a score worthy of the GG glory days.

[Broadwayhunk]

wow, everyone's comments were really good and insightful. This certainly would be the team to pull it off, however, a big difference between this and Grey Gardens is that there were two larger-than-life characters in Grey. Seems like it might be harder to write for more of a "slice of suburban life" from the fifties. As I say, it will be fascinating to see their vision.