Attend The Tale (15 Days From Now)

Oh man, if I wasn't already excited about it before, I am really excited now. Early critical response for the movie adaptation of Sweeney Todd has been pretty solid. Almost ecstatic at times. The reviews so far on Rotten Tomatoes are 100% 5/5 positive. A columnist on broadway.com has called it brilliant and meriting oscars for Depp and Burton, as well as Sondheim, although he isn't eligible since the score isn't original. Lastly, Playbill.com reports that the national board of review named it a top 10 film of 2007. Burton was also named best director by the same group.

I think I'm gonna die of excitement before Christmas break. Sweeney Todd would make the 3rd straight major movie musical to do solidly both in terms of reviews and box office (after Hairspray and Dreamgirls). The genre really needed it after the previous 3 big ones: Rent, The Producers and The Phantom of The Opera all did poorly with critics and box office. (despite perhaps having more potential to do well because they were based on better known shows). Admittedly, I liked Rent and PoTO (The Producers was thoroughly unsatisfying) but it's nice to see the last couple have a more broad appeal, because it is courting new fans that will propagate the musical genre, both on stage and screen.

On the topic of adaptating a movie to the stage, I recently took in a screening of Legally Blonde: The Musical on MTV. Despite having a score written by Laurence O'Keefe (writer of Bat Boy: The Musical--if you've never heard the score and you are a theatre person, you need to hear it NOW) which was occasionally tuneful and catchy, the script into which the songs were placed was thoroughly unenjoyable. Laura Bell Bundy was also not very good as Elle, and few in the cast were able to really compensate. Overall, disappointment abounded. If they had to pick a teen-oriented musical to show on MTV, I have no idea which one to choose instead. Oh yeah, how about Spring freakin' Awakening? Like a legit good show. I really should be in television. I would be so much better at pickin' stuff like that. If only...