BWW Blog: Dear Disney, It's Time for Tangled on Broadway

Before we get too deep into this blog, I would like to establish a couple of things. First of all, yes, the picture accompanying this post is one of me as Rapunzel. This my official statement saying I would like to be considered for the part of the lost princess (or director) if Tangled ever makes it to Broadway. Secondly, I want to warn you, this post may be full of bias, as I am just a woman who loves Tangled more than life itself, but the point of this platform is to share what I, as a college theatre major am interested in and passionate about, which is Tangled. All this to say, read at your own discretion.

I'll start with the only argument I've seen against Tangled on Broadway, which is that Disney was directing Tangled fans towards the series. However, this argument is no longer relevant, as the series has ended. Even when the series was airing, there were still rumors of Tangled getting a live-action movie. The issue with this is, it would oppose a trend that has been set in the past. Aside from Mulan, Disney movies that contain music have gotten a stage production before they received a live-action movie. The examples: Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. Not to mention that other Disney movies have been adapted into stage productions and have yet to receive a live-action movie, such as The Little Mermaid and Frozen. Many of these, among other successful Broadway shows, were composed by legend Alan Menken. He is also the composer of Tangled, making it a shoo-in for success.

Tangled would actually be much easier to adapt for the stage compared to some films, as it already appears on Disney Cruises. Granted Finding Nemo is also on stage at Animal Kingdom and I doubt that it will make it to Broadway anytime soon. I'm not saying all Disney stage productions belong on Broadway. It's the fact that Tangled already has a stage adaptation so it will be less time-consuming to make it ready for Broadway. Creators can work with what the cruises have already done, rather than adapting from the animated film from scratch.

Speaking of how to adapt it, twitter user @abbyphilpott has an incredible thread of "Things that a broadway adaptation of Tangled could do that would be perfect" which I highly recommend reading, especially you, Disney producers. The only thing I think she left out is that the music for bows should be "Something That I Want" by Grace Potter, which can be heard during the credits of the film. Abby and I are just two examples of how much people love Tangled. Maybe I'm in a Tangled bubble, but it seems many others feel the same way. I have seen many tweets comparing Tangled to Frozen, where Tangled is favored. I've seen posts saying how Tangled is underrated, when in reality, it is as loved, it's just underrepresented.

My final argument for why Tangled should be on Broadway, is it is timely. When Broadway does open back up, what better story to tell than one of a girl who is finally getting to experience life after being locked up for so long. It's one we can all relate to. I also think Rapunzel is the positive influence we need in such trying times. Similar to how The Spongebob Musical had underlying themes of racism and politics, Spongebob acted as light and taught us to still do the right thing, even in the face of fear. Rapunzel can teach us to see the good in people we may not expect, as she did with the Ruffians. She can also teach us it is okay to reevaluate our opinions and change how we see those we surround ourselves with, as she did with Gothel.