Hollywood and Broadway intersect

What happens when Hollywood and Broadway collide? You get a win-win situation for musical theater devotees and die-hard movie fans. Musicals are back in the movie theaters and, in recent years, the movies are ending up on Broadway. This revolving-door exchange between stage and screen is currently among the hot trends in the entertainment world.

For years the best and brightest musicals from the Great White Way have made their way to the silver screen. During the latter parts of the twentieth century, movie audiences had grown tired with the song-and-dance style. Many felt they were silly, sappy and completely unrealistic. Several filmmakers had attempted to breathe new life into the genre without much success.

In 2002, the Broadway musical burst back onto the movie screen in a major way with the release of Chicago. An all-star cast featuring Rene Zellweger and Catherine Zeta Jones, creative directing by Rob Marshall and a brilliant adaptation by Bill Condon reminded audiences and Hollywood moguls alike that the musical genre still had some life left in it. Chicago received scores of critical acclaim and helped to expose a whole new generation to the movie musical.

In the four years since, more films have been released exposing the world to some of the best musical theater has to offer. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, Rent and The Producers have all made the journey to the big screen.

The trend shows no sign of stopping either as other new movie musicals are currently in development or production. A film adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls is in postproduction and stars Beyonce Knowles and Eddie Murphy. It has been speculated that a remake of Guys and Dolls, starring Hugh Jackman, is in the planning stages. There is also talk of a film version of Mama Mia in development. The Internet is teeming with rumors and gossip about other projects in negotiation, linking all kinds of Hollywood types to a variety of musicals.

On the flip side of this trend, many movies have found their way to the stage. Currently six of the musicals on Broadway are based on popular movies. The new musical The Color Purple combines elements of the brilliant book by Alice Walker and the great Spielberg film to tell the story onstage. The new musical comedies Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Wedding Singer both were movies of the same title before venturing onto the boards. Hairspray was first a cult film and is now a Tony award-winner. Monty Python even entered the mix as its "Holy Grail" inspired the box office record-breaking Spamalot.

There are even a few movies that have gone full circle — The Producers is one such entity. Its reincarnation from movie to musical gave birth to a movie of the musical. This interesting, but somewhat confusing, fad also shows signs of catching on. There are reports that the same chain of events will happen to Hairspray, with the possible casting of John Travolta, Queen Latifah and Billy Crystal in some of the roles.

Musical lovers are in for what looks like a string of exciting coming attractions. Whether for the stage or the screen, many will be lining up to purchase tickets to enjoy the fruits of this intriguing give-and-take of familiar stories and characters.