Once upon a time, the biggest plays and musicals that graced Broadway made their way to the movie theater. From The Music Man and Wicked to A Streetcar Named Desire and Hamlet, the idea was to go from stage to screen.
But recently, that trend has reversed, with the latest film-turned-Broadway show based on Paranormal Activity, the 2007 found-footage scary movie that spawned 6 sequels. Titled Paranormal Activity — A New Story, the play is independent of the films and follows a couple moving from Chicago to London to escape their past. Of course, there is no running from the past, as they will soon find out in haunting ways.
Big musicals and plays are getting a boost with nostalgia. But as movie favorites make the leap from screen to stage, producers, writers, and audiences must adjust their expectations. Big spectacle from 1980s films doesn’t translate seamlessly to a theater setting, but they can still be entertaining and showcase talent within their limited stage space.
Here are 5 movies that became hit Broadway shows and why audiences connected with them.
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