Universal StageX / From Screen to Stage: The Artistic Challenges of Adapting Films into Musicals

Artistic perspectives｜By Vanessa Chou

In recent years, adapting classic films into musicals has become a major trend in international theater. From The Lion King to Frozen, and more recently, The Wedding Banquet musical, transforming a film into a stage narrative is not just a technical adaptation but also a reinterpretation of artistic language. This process involves multiple considerations, including text, music, stage design, and performance style, each step filled with challenges and creativity.

Theatrical Adaptation: Restructuring Narrative and Storytelling

One of the key differences between film and musical theater lies in their storytelling methods. Films rely on editing, camera movement, and special effects to present their narratives, whereas musicals depend on live performances and stage direction to drive the plot. Therefore, in the adaptation process, it is crucial to condense and restructure the original film’s story, ensuring that each scene functions effectively within the limitations of a stage.

Moreover, musical storytelling must integrate music seamlessly with drama, often using songs to advance the plot or deepen a character’s emotions. For example, Sister Act enhances its characters and storyline through powerful gospel and pop music elements, while The Wedding Banquet musical employs music to portray the inner conflicts between family expectations and personal identity.

The Wedding Banquet musical explores the conflicts between family and self-identity, using music to express the characters' psychological depth. Photo © The Wedding Banquet Musical

How Music Becomes Part of the Narrative

One of the greatest challenges of adapting a film into a musical is the creation and arrangement of music. While a film’s soundtrack typically serves as a background to enhance the visual experience, a musical’s songs must actively contribute to the storytelling. Deciding which moments should be expressed through song and which should remain as dialogue is a crucial aspect of the adaptation process.

Additionally, the choice of musical style significantly impacts the overall atmosphere. For instance, The Lion King blends African musical elements with traditional Broadway structures, while The Wedding Banquet integrates Western musical theater compositions with Taiwanese-style arrangements, creating a unique cultural fusion.

The Lion King Musical combines African musical elements with traditional Broadway styles. Photo © The Lion King Musical

How Stage Design and Technology Compensate for Film’s Visual Effects

Films can create expansive worlds through special effects and dynamic scene changes, whereas musicals must rely on stage design and lighting to achieve similar visual impact. For example, Beauty and the Beast uses intricate props and lighting to replicate the magical world of the animated film, while The Wedding Banquet musical employs dynamic set transitions and lighting effects to swiftly transport audiences through different time periods and locations.

Furthermore, an actor’s performance and physical expression become crucial in replacing the detailed facial expressions that film close-ups provide. In musical theater, actors must use exaggerated body movements and vocal delivery to convey emotions effectively.

In musical theater, actors must use more expressive body movements and vocal delivery to convey the emotions of their characters. Photo © The Wedding Banquet Musical

The Value of Film-to-Musical Adaptations from an Audience’s Perspective

Beyond familiarity and marketing appeal, film-to-musical adaptations offer audiences a brand-new theatrical experience. The live nature of musicals, coupled with real-time performances, allows audiences to engage more directly with the emotions of the story. The interactive dynamic between performers and the audience further enhances the immersive quality of the production.

For theater creators, adapting films into musicals is not just an artistic challenge but also a cultural dialogue. While staying true to the essence of the original work, they utilize music, dance, and stage storytelling to reinvent the narrative in a fresh and compelling way, enabling classic stories to resonate with audiences in new forms.

Transforming a film into a musical is both an intermedia challenge and an artistic adventure. Through narrative restructuring, musical composition, stage design, and performance adaptation, classic stories are reborn under the spotlight of theater. Whether adapting timeless masterpieces or bringing contemporary films to the stage, this transition not only extends the life of the story but also provides audiences with an unparalleled visual and auditory experience.