Movies

‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Joins a List of ’90s Movies Transformed Into Broadway Musicals

Mrs. Doubtfire,” one of Robin Williams’ most successful comedies, is headed to Broadway. Last week, Variety learned there will be a stage musical based on the 1993 movie about a cross-dressing dad who poses as a nanny to spend time with his kids after a difficult divorce. Will the adaptation be a hit? Here’s a look at some other ’90s favorites that migrated to Broadway — with mixed (but mostly successful) results. 

The Bridges of Madison County 

Movie opened: 1995; Broadway debut: 2014; $6.7m Broadway box office; 4 Tony nominations; 137 performances

The film starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood grossed $182 million. But onstage, not even Kelli O’Hara could save this musical saga of a housewife’s affair with a magazine photographer from becoming a bomb.

The Lion King

Movie opened: 1994; Broadway debut: 1997; $1.6b Broadway box office; 11 Tony nominations; 9,164+ performances

Julie Taymor’s dramatic reimagining of Simba’s story — with the jungle animals coming alive in the form of human puppets — is the most successful Broadway show in history.

Newsies

Movie opened: 1992; Broadway debut: 2012; $109m Broadway box office; 8 Tony nominations; 1,020 performances

The musical of the sleeper live-action Disney movie about singing paperboys at the turn of the 20th century became a surprise smash onstage. 

Pretty Woman

Movie opened: 1990; Broadway debut: 2018; $51.1m Broadway box office; 0 Tony nominations; 447 performances

This production closed after only one year, proving that you should stick with the Julia Roberts movie. 

Sister Act

Movie opened: 1992; Broadway debut: 2011; $52.m Broadway box office; 5 Tony nominations; 589 performances

The musical received strong reviews, but it never surpassed the movie,  which starred Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer who enters the witness protection program as a nun.

Popular on Variety

Articles You May Like

‘Sing Sing’ Cast Reuniting to Perform the Play From the Movie Live in New York City (EXCLUSIVE)
Tony Slattery, Actor and Comedian Known for ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?,’ Dies at 65
‘Squid Game 2’ Becomes Netflix’s Third Most-Watched Season Ever, After ‘Squid Game 1’ and ‘Wednesday’
‘Kneecap’ Dominates Irish Academy Awards Nominations With 17 Nods
Live Nation Plots ‘FireAid’ Benefit Concert for Los Angeles Fire Victims

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *