By Ethan Kaye in
Daily Lists, Miscellaneous
Monday, Jan. 11 2010 @ 8:02AM
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Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is aiming to change all that with a U2-fueled pajama romp that's costing more than you and your children will ever make in your entire lives. It's ambitious, but hardly the first time that music and nerdity were united, for good or ill. And while none of these showstoppers were actually considered for any Tonys, they all show one thing: geeks are ambitious. Here's a selection of the shows that took their inspiration from the darkest corners of the midnight movie indie theaters and comic store shelves! 10) Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling, and that old mangina-sporting son-of-a-gun Buffalo Bill actually worked themselves into an award-winning New York Fringe Fest musical in 2005, with songs like "Are You About a Size 14?" and "Put the Lotion in the Fucking Basket!" Songsmiths Jon and Al Kaplan put the hit Off-Off-Broadway together as an internet lark that evolved into a show that took the Fringe's "Outstanding Musical" award. Fans of the gory film will be happy to catch the live show in January 2010, when SILENCE! The Musical (the show's full name) opens for a month-long run at London's Above the Stag Theater.
9) The Last Starfighter
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8) Captain America and Ragnarok (tie)
Proving that this list isn't in order of importance, the Captain America and Thor musicals didn't even get past the scripting and scoring phases, but they prove what happened in the past when Marvel wanted to bring tights and capes to the Great White Way. Captain America sticks out in fans' minds thanks to a casting notice published in Marvel comics in the mid-'80s. Not for a dashing tenor who could handle the Captain America lead, but for a little girl who was Cap's special companion. Music was provided by Mel Mandell and Norman Sacks, both of whom you wouldn't know unless you knew Off-Broadway musical theater. Ragnarok was a Stan Lee-penned take on Thor and the gods of Valhalla, done to music. It never got out of the pre-planning stages, but it was meant to be a feel-good romp, a la Godspell. Except with no Jesus.
7) Reefer Madness
Reefer Madness is the only show on the list to be a cult film first, a musical second, and a cult film again third. Originally meant as a scare film to keep kids off the grass, it amassed a huge underground following amongst generation after generation of college students who thought the idea of laughing at propaganda was awesome. So, it was turned into a musical by authors Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney in 1998. The smash "hit" traveled from LA to New York, where the cast was headed up by none other than Veronica Mars herself, Kristen Bell. Bell stayed with the show when it was adapted into a Showtime television movie with Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, and Neve Campbell, and both the DVD and CD can be easily purchased from Amazon.
6) Evil Dead
Shows like Silence of the Lambs may have only played a few festivals, and Ragnarok never got off Stan Lee's word processor, but the 2003 Evil Dead musical has been staged around the world by dozens of companies. All the humor and carnage of the Sam Raimi original are left intact, including the evil hand, the chainsaw hand, and the boom stick, accompanied by catchy tunes like "Do the Necronomicon" and "What the Fuck Was That?" And like any self-respecting Raimi tribute, there's blood. Tons of it. In fact, audiences are encouraged to shield themselves with plastic if they sit in the front few rows, as that is designated the "Splatter Zone." And this wasn't just some fly-under-the-radar gig, the soundtrack debuted at #4 on the Billboard Show charts!
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82 comments
Comments
Plaidstallions said:
Viewing of Evil Dead the Musical should be mandatory or else you have your geek card pulled.
UncleTim said:
I'm surprised the infamous Carrie musical didn't make the list.
Greymattersplat said:
Is it sad that I own stuff from almost half of this list? And I'll probably bring that up to fully half when I buy the soundtrack to Last Starfighter this evening after work...because that's awesome.
Gotta say though, I'm a little surprised to not see things like "The Musical That Shall Not Be Named" (AKA Shoggoth on the Roof), Chess, and Young Frankenstein on the list.
Ethan Kaye replied to Greymattersplat:
I really, really want to see Shoggoth on the Roof. From what I've read though it's only had a few scattered performances by college troupes and the big premiere at a Lovecraft festival. Something to do with character rights.
You're right, I should have included it!
Greymattersplat replied to Ethan Kaye:
I know of a group here in Indianapolis that is looking into putting on a performance of it for a local convention...but it may not happen until 2012
IisAwesomecakes said:
I can't decide between Evil Dead or Spamalot :S
LJSLarsson said:
What? No War of the Worlds - the musical?
RGC said:
Fairly good list, but I agree with Larsson. Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds Musical should have been there. As should A Shoggoth On The Roof and Little Shop Of Horrors. and nearly any stage musical based on an anime produced in Japan [Sailor Moon, Code Geass, etc.]. Oh well, there could always be another list.
THE PR0F3550R replied to RGC:
The Japanese make pop-musicals and plays all the time so I'm not sure if productions like Sailor Moon or Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney should be put on this list. I mean that would be the equivalent of American productions such as Disney on Ice or Seussical the Musical.
cptpost said:
Aww, No Repo?
Greymattersplat replied to cptpost:
Repo is AWESOME! Though I've gotta admit, an opera (which Repo truly is) is slightly different from a musical.
If we're gonna include operas though, what about the Too Much Coffee Man one?
Tally replied to Greymattersplat:
I love Repo! I force everyone I know to watch it.
I would love to see a list of Nerdy/Awesomely Great Operas.
Plus, Repo is an original piece, not based on anything that ties with geek culture...though it does have Giles in it, which is my favorite part and allows me to stomach Paris Hilton in it.
I actually thought Paris was pretty good in the role of a vapid looks-obsessed spoiled rich druggie. :) I adore Repo!!! I also saw Evil Dead the Musical in Toronto three times, Spamalot's touring company once, and I have a copy of the Shoggoth on the Roof script. :)
That she was. Really no acting stretch for her. Unfortunately, complimenting her "performance" just further validates her life choices. I'll praise everything else in the Repo musical, just not her.
blahh replied to MattK:
i honestly think paris is a great actress. its just people dont give her cred. plus repo is da shit.
Lay said:
No love for Shoggoth on the Roof?
Greymattersplat said:
OH! I remembered another one that definitely counts as a "nerdy" musical: The Return of Captain Invincible
Not only is it a musical about a superhero, but the movie version stars Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee. And the songs were written by the guy who wrote the music for Rocky Horror.
Anonymous replied to Greymattersplat:
I think Rocky Horror itself deserves a place.
Keithmh said:
Where is my favorite nerd musical Chess - ABBA music and Chess what isn't to love?
J replied to Keithmh:
the abba music
cocacolaoso replied to J:
oh come one don't be so snarky! I think it is the best work that Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson have ever put together! And Elaine Paige knocks your socks off with every song she sings! "Nobody's on nobody's siiiiiiideeee"
Kaeli replied to Keithmh:
Never fret, Keithmh. You are not alone in your love of Chess. It's my favorite musical hands down; I've been lucky enough to perform in it once, and now I'm privileged to be directing and music directing a production of it this December. I have a great love for the material - and it is, most definitely, a nerdy show.
If you're anywhere near TN, you should come!
amarygma said:
A superstitious, cowardly lot!
Kelly said:
Best. List. Ever!
Though I am both a LOTR geek AND a huge musical theater geek, I have to say that the Lord of the Rings musical was beyond bad. Really super pull-out-all-the-stops bad. I saw it in London right after it opened, and I was blown away by the sheer ambitious horribleness of it all. It was outrageously long, with two intermissions, and contained not a single good song. There were orcs on jumping stilts roving through the audience. There were body-painted glitter-elves writhing on stage wires. There were be-wigged hobbits dancing merrily.
And there were injuries! The night I saw it, a Ranger's leg was crushed by the revolving stage:
Nameless said:
No Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark with 'Swiss Miss'?
Kelly said:
Best. List. Ever!
Though I am both a LOTR geek AND a huge musical theater geek, I have to say that the Lord of the Rings musical was beyond bad. Really super pull-out-all-the-stops bad. I saw it in London right after it opened, and I was blown away by the sheer ambitious horribleness of it all. It was outrageously long, with two intermissions, and contained not a single good song. There were orcs on jumping stilts roving through the audience. There were body-painted glitter-elves writhing on stage wires. There were be-wigged hobbits dancing merrily.
And there were injuries! The night I saw it, a Ranger's leg was crushed by the revolving stage:
Anonymous said:
I guess Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog following is still too small to be considered for this list.
Dave said:
Some people I know put on Jurassic Park: The Musical in Lincoln, NE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmncdI0FLuo
demoncat said:
can not believe refer maddness was not higher on the list like the top five. though glad to see spam a lot up there.plus also seeing this list. some one must really like the last star fighter and of all tthings silence of the lambs to do musicals of them. which would be interesting to see Hanibal singing. as for the superman musical that is one thing that only is mention when some tries to do comic book musicals as not what to do. and Evil dead the musical Sam Ramie gave the makers the okay to do a movie version of it.
RemySims replied to demoncat:
Unfortunately, the big-screen version of the Evil Dead Musical is no longer going forward, as far as I know. I am a storyboard artist and was brought in to board the musical for the producers who were pitching it around. I storyboarded all the musical numbers and they looked great. They were planning for a RealD release (with all the flying blood, how could you not?) but because Raimi is not the only holder of the rights, the production never truly got off the ground. That's the last I heard, anyway.
Ah well, at least I got to draw some kick-ass storyboards from an Evil Dead film that I can never show anybody.
demoncat replied to RemySims:
a pity the movie version of the evil dead musical is not going to happen at least you have something evil dead fans will forever envy you even if you can never let it see the light of day.
Adam37 said:
Whedonites weep at woeful want of "Once More With Feeling"...
Tyler W said:
Interesting side note- It's a Bird, It's a Plane... is being revived at the Dallas Theatre Center this spring. The music will remain the same but the script has been rewritten by comic/play/TV writer Robert Aguirre-Sacasa. The NY co-producers hope the thing will be a hit and possibly have Broadway in its future.
Rubyroses said:
A very potter musical?! :(
chudleycannonfodder replied to Rubyroses:
Yeah! Harry Potter the Musical is HUGE among the Harry Potter community, who are giant geeks. I mean, we have our own subgenre of music (wrock/wizard rock) because we love songs about the series that much.
The Man With Two Brains said:
TOM Curry?!
You mean TIM Curry, right?
MDK said:
What, no Young Frankenstein the musical? just caught it at the Kennedy Center and it was truly awesome.
Hmmm... said:
The only composer who should be working on a Batman musical is Danny Elfman.
rickicker said:
you know, rob, you should really designate if this is a ten BEST or ten WORST, since though i agree the superman musical is -facemelt-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, "Spamalot" should have come first if this was a ten best list. it's catchy, it's ridiculous, and definitely crafted to get lots of laughs out of you.
details, details, details, mr. bricken!
chudleycannonfodder said:
Sad that there's no Shoggoth, but glad to see Toxie made it.
If you wanted a real oddity to put there, I suggest Zipperface??!?, a musical based on a random horror movie from the early 90s that no one remembers. It was part of NYFringe last year and was very successful.
Oh, and I stand by my belief that Evil Dead the Musical is the greatest musical I've ever seen. Suck it Phantom, suck it.
VerbalGurl said:
Toxic Avenger is *easily* one of the best things onstage here in NYC right now. If you you find yourself in the Apple, it's a must-see!
Lithroe replied to VerbalGurl:
Up here in Toronto they are playing it as well. My girlfriend suprised me with tickets as a Christmas gift on the 23rd. I had no idea we were going until I saw the huge toxic waste containers in the distance. Loved every second of it.
Ethan Kaye replied to Lithroe:
I think it closed here in NY, but I'm glad to see it's moving to Toronto. Is the lead the same? He had done it since its initial run in Jersey and was great in the role.
Lithroe replied to Ethan Kaye:
Not sure, doubt it though. Too lazy right now to do the research, which is very lazy.
SuperDevil said:
This is the absolute worst list ever. Not just on this site either. Lists are always based on the list makers opinion, which is why people like them. Arguing over position, who was left off, etc.
I have never seen a list that excludes things that exist over things that don't. Little Shop of Horrors isn't on this list. Dr. Horrible isn't on this list. Rocky Horror isn't on this list.
But, musicals that were never made are on this list. Batman the musical was never made, therefore it never existed.
Ethan Kaye replied to SuperDevil:
No, no, no, it's musicals based on nerd properties, which Dr. Horrible and Rocky Horror are not. Little Shop of Horrors may be a Corman cult film, but line up a hundred geeks and I bet you couldn't find ten who've seen the original.
SuperDevil replied to Ethan Kaye:
You wrote "Here's a selection of the shows that took their inspiration from the darkest corners of the midnight movie indie theaters and comic store shelves!"
Movie indie theaters would include Little Shop of Horrors, which was a cult classic shown on WOR (channel 9) in NYC for years. The reason the musical was made in the first place, was because the film was a cult classic.
Rocky Horror is obviously based on Frankenstein, and if you are including Spamelot, then Rocky Horror has too be included.
It also doesn't changed the fact that musicals that never existed are included on a list. If I were making a 10 greatest superhero movies list, I wouldn't include James Cameron's Spider-Man, JJ Abrams' Superman, or 1970's inspired Batman reboot, because those movies don't exist.
Just like Batman the musical doesn't exist. Especially the Thor and Captain America musicals, since you state they never reached pre-planning stages.
Baltimoron replied to SuperDevil:
Wow. That's a lot of nerdragey words over a short list of nerdy musicals. Have you been diagnosed with some sort of psychological disorder? Do you have Aspergers?
Oh nerds. Not a day goes by in which something I see doesn't make me ashamed to be counted among your numbers.
Ethan Kaye replied to Baltimoron:
Score!
SuperDevil replied to Ethan Kaye:
Well, I am happy that you have sock puppets to fight your battles.
The point of a message board is to post opinions, is it not?
I didn't insult you, just your stupid fucking list. Too bad you couldn't do the same.
Church said:
No love for Star Wars: The Musical?
http://www.infauxmedia.com/
Ethan Kaye replied to Church:
Looked into it while doing the research, but they say flat out on the site that it hasn't been performed anywhere yet and exists only as a concept album.
Church replied to Ethan Kaye:
Read their 'News' section. It played at least once, in 2005.
Mr Bumpy replied to Church:
There's a different Star Wars The Musical than this one that I've yet to find more info on.
I have some really old video clips (capped from VHS) of a high school? stage production where they flow through all of Episode IV really amazingly good.
If anyone knows anything about it, e-mail me! :)
Anonymous said:
Reefer madness was awesome.
KillerTilapia said:
I was in the Austin production of Evil Dead the musical. It was the most fun I've had doing a show and the audiences ate it up...we were sold out just about every night.
Rob said:
You realize that the video you posted for Silence! the Musical isn't actually a song from Silence! the Musical?
Manwards said:
I got the cast recording of "Evil Dead: The Musical" a few years ago, and immediately fell in love with it. The Evil Dead Trilogy are some of my favourite films of all time (I'd say ED2 IS my favourite of all time), and the musical perfectly captures the playful spirit of them, with clever lyrics and great singing. I'm not ashamed to say I can sing pretty much every song from memory!
Dave said:
You forgot Zombie: The Musical which was great and featured the splash zone idea of Evil Dead..also i would have included High Fidelity the musical, a movie about huge music nerds made into a musical about huge music nerds.
Why is Batman on here, it hasn't been performed as of yet, you were just grasping to find 10 weren't you?
Ethan Kaye replied to Dave:
Grasping for 10? Ha! There are a ton of these, for good or bad, small or large. I included Batman simply because there was a lot of push behind it initially and because it's TERRIBLE. But how many Bat-fans were aware of its existence? A few probably found out about it through this article, and for that, I'm happy. Seriously though, it's some of the worst art rock I've ever heard.
jidasfire said:
One day, I am going to write "Total Recall: The Musical" and it will blow all of these away.
Charlie said:
I was once in a community theater production of BIG the musical, you know, the one where Tom Hanks is a 12 year old? Not that it's in the same league as these, but I feel people should know it exists. Also, we built one of those dancing keyboards. That was awesome.
James Strocel said:
So no one remembers the He-man: The Masters of the Universe Power Tour? I am shocked, internet.
Greymattersplat said:
A friend of mine had the brilliant idea to turn one of our favorite bad movies into a musical. We sat down and started coming up with ideas, and were really happy with what we were coming up with...when he found out that someone had already done it as a rock opera. I'm purposely not mentioning it by name because I'm still trying to convince him to do it anyway, but it was slightly heartbreaking as it would have been truly awesome.
Also, I actually own a copy of Night of the Living Dead: The Musical, which was done as a small, zero-budget thing a couple of years ago but is actually a LOT of fun!
sal said:
no Cannibal! The Musical????
JimmyBoots said:
I find it odd that no one has thought of producing a Deadpool Musical
FadR said:
I realy missed Trey Parker & Matt Stones TROMA Flick "Canibal - The Musical". Ok it probably was never performed on Stage but for me its the best Musical ever.
Ethan Kaye replied to FadR:
Was performed on stage more than a few times, as far as I know. U of Colorado did a production that was featured on the first Cannibal DVD. I've heard that other companies have done it as well, but I haven't looked into whether or not a script is readily available. But again, not based on a nerd property.
ElectricMayhem said:
Enjoyed the list, but don't get your hopes up too much about the Spiderman Musical. Word on the street is that Bono spent all the money and the actors have been released from their contracts.
josh42042 said:
wtf, where is dr horrible?
Beppo said:
What, no Robocop: The Musical?
Shame!
Actually, I don't think there is a Robocop: The Musical, but if there isn't there should be and it should have a place of honor on this list.
Timothyen said:
I am not really a huge fan of musicals. But I went to see Evil Dead in Toronto on Valentine's day a few years ago, and it was awesome from start to finish. I even sat in the splatter zone and got blood sprayed on me from a real looking heart. Best Valentine's Day ever...too bad I was single. Oh well, yay Evil Dead!
Ink said:
There's also a Japanese Bleach musical, and a Harry Potter Musical on Youtube. The Potter musical is genius, though.
Frost said:
What about Night of the Living Dead THE MUSICAL?
Asat said:
SERIOUSLY? This website runs a list of nerdy musicals and "Cobra Christ Superstar" not only isn't number one, but isn't EVEN ON THE LIST?
Is there some sort of Cobra moratorium I haven't heard about? Hell, TR is where I first heard about the Cobra musical TRILOGY.
Chad Wise said:
We've produced musical versions of:
Manos: The Hands of Fate
The Karate Kid
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Office Space
Army of Darkness
and Evil Dead (6 months before the Canadians)
unicornskckass said:
I didn't even know a Shoggoth on the Roof existed, but I bet that its madness. Would love to catch that. Evil dead musical is a must see. "what the fuck was that" hooked me. And demonic undead boobies jigglin around helped too. And toxie would be rad, troma's silly as shit on film, would love to see em on stage.
Shiro Kuma said:
What about "Shoggoth on the Roof"? 'tis a musical, 'tis nerdy, 'tis a frickin shoggoth on a roof! Cthulhu reference in a musical reference..... Or rather Cthulhu geeks referring to a musical, I guess
Ramone said:
Spamalot on Broadway was awesome.
skankingmike said:
Where's Avenue Q?
Puppet sex, making fun of Gary Colman, and a song about porn? I mean seriously people it even won a Tony!
Doug said:
Wait, Kevin Murphy from MST3K co-wrote the Reefer Madness musical? Awesome!
Also, "A Shoggoth On The Roof" should get an honorable mention. It's almost never performed on-stage since the HP Lovecraft estate keeps a tight rein on the rights to his stories. But consider this: "Tradition" becomes "Tentacles", and "To Life" takes on an entirely new meaning when sung by Herbert West.
