Musicals and Movies: Why they should not be interchangeable

The media industry has gained two very distinct followings through two different mediums — movies and musicals. 

Almost everything about the productions are different— one is focused on dialogue while the other has dynamic musical numbers. But media companies shouldn’t try to change movies into musicals — and vice versa — because it ruins the original production. Trying to capitalize more off of the success is  lazy content, and insulting to the viewer.  

A movie draws its artistic expression from the use of cameras and editing. When it’s taken to stage, it loses the purposeful editing that adds to its beauty. 

The same is true for musicals. When a story is designed to be enhanced by live music, meant to have its very soul added by notes and voices resounding through the air, removing that part completely destroys the uniqueness of the production. 

Both forms of media have the potential to tell a great story, but for different reasons. When it comes to movies, something that majorly affects the quality is the cinematography. 

If the camera shakes too much, the movie would be dizzying and confusing. If done well, camera work can add a lot to a piece of media. The best example of this is the Bullet Time scene in “The Matrix.” Had the camera remained still, the shot would not have been too remarkable, but with the angles and video-editing, the scene is revolutionary.

Musicals, on the other hand, do not have cinematography. What they are known for is the very thing that separates them from film: live music and performance. A fantastic musical number with skilled blocking, dancing and singing, happening in the same vicinity as you can completely change the mood of a scene as well as the audience. 

In “The Phantom of the Opera” when the phantom starts to sing about his plan, the mood is enriched and the entire atmosphere changes from fear to a sense of tragic beauty. If there had been no singing it would just be a murder mystery, but with the music and singing, it becomes something far more emotional and meaningful, adding another layer onto the story. The music helps you connect with the story, and more importantly with the characters. 

An excellent example of this is Newsies. By no means is the musical bad, in fact it can be well done, but it was originally a movie. While the film has music and singing, it was originally intended to have cinematography. While the adaptation may be tolerable, it is nothing compared to the original work. 

Let movies be movies, and musicals be musicals.