Not another teen movie musical! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best stage musical adaptations of teen movies and documentaries.
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00:00 "Newsie stopped the world. Now there's a headline even I'mma could sell."
00:04 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best
00:08 stage musical adaptations of teen movies and documentaries.
00:12 "Big fun, big fun, big fun!"
00:15 "I'm actually having big fun!"
00:17 Number 10. Carrie
00:19 "Hey Carrie, let's think about this now. I mean, it might be terrific,
00:23 you might have a really good time."
00:24 Look, hear us out. Stephen King's story about a teen girl with telekinetic powers
00:29 taking revenge on her classmates doesn't exactly sound like a musical.
00:33 Critics of the original Broadway production agreed. It was a tremendous and notorious flop.
00:39 However, a cult following has grown around the musical, which has some intense emotions,
00:44 strong ballads, and truly spectacular moments worthy of the great actors who have performed it.
00:49 "Mama, I was so scared, and they all stared, then I started crying, thought I was dying."
00:58 It doesn't totally gel together, even in its best restagings. Still, there's something at
01:03 its core that makes people want to see if it can work as a show the way it did as a teen flick.
01:08 "Oh, my life is gonna take flight, can't wait 'til Saturday night."
01:14 Number 9. Crybaby
01:15 "Well, one for all and all for one, and all we want is a half-sodden fun."
01:25 John Waters' 1990 original was one of the movies that brought Johnny Depp to the fore
01:29 of young Hollywood. Drawing on cheesy 1950s teen movies, Waters' twisted but ultimately
01:35 good-hearted musical flick about a squeaky-clean teen and a leather-clad bad boy made it to
01:40 Broadway in 2008. "Gonna make a new start, I'll escape to find my darling." "I've paroled him
01:47 from my heart." Despite its short run and mediocre reviews, the show was nominated for several Tonys,
01:53 and was said to be as quote "well-crafted" as it was "incredibly funny." Many were most bowled over
01:59 by its incredible dance scenes. It may not have been as successful as another John Waters
02:04 adaptation, more on that later, but Crybaby still has plenty of fans. "We're jumping at the bins,
02:11 and the wait is gonna wait, until everyone's a little obsessed." Number 8. Sing Street
02:20 "Are you ready? This'll be all of us first and last gig, man, you ready to do it?" "Let's go."
02:25 Writer-director John Carney's 2007 movie Once ended up receiving a highly awarded Broadway
02:30 adaptation in 2012. His 2016 coming-of-age movie musical Sing Street has the potential
02:36 to follow in its footsteps. "I'll be in your band, I'll play guitar, and I'll help write songs."
02:43 Following an Irish teen's attempts to woo his crush by forming a band, it's a charming story
02:48 with a great 80's New Wave inspired soundtrack. The stage version got pretty good reviews with
02:53 its 2019 production, and even better ones for its 2022 Boston run. However, its Broadway debut in
03:00 March 2020 was circumvented by the COVID shutdowns. Whenever it officially comes to Broadway,
03:06 it's sure to find more fans and more success. "Up where the world won't let us down, la la la la."
03:15 Number 7. Everybody's Talking About Jamie "I've wanted this day for so long.
03:20 Now I'm doing this for me, before I even get out to face the critics."
03:25 Jamie Campbell made a splash in the BBC documentary Jamie, Drag Queen at 16,
03:29 which follows him as he endeavors to become a drag queen. It's a movie brimming with more joy
03:34 than you usually see in fictional stories about queer youth, let alone real ones. When the musical
03:40 premiered on the West End in 2017, it was a smash. "Out of the darkness, into the spotlight,
03:46 there is a new star, shining so bright." Effervescent and spirited, the show was
03:53 nominated for several awards, and it's been toured and mounted in several different countries.
03:58 Amazon Prime Video even released a well-received film adaptation in 2021,
04:03 bringing its laughs and themes of acceptance and strength to audiences everywhere.
04:07 "And when you're old like 32, you'll all remember Jamie New,
04:12 the kid who learns to fly, 'cause I'm gonna kiss the sun."
04:17 Number 6. Bring It On, the Musical. "You wanna make it rain? Then when you go to nationals?"
04:23 Bring It. Here's another movie you wouldn't think would make a great musical, but actually does.
04:28 Bring It On seemed somewhat revolutionary when it was released, chronicling the rivalry
04:33 between two cheerleading squads ahead of a big competition. Setting its high-flying
04:37 cheerleading routines and themes of racism to music was a big task. Bring It On the musical
04:43 toured the U.S. before enjoying a successful limited run on Broadway. "Who's in? I'm in.
04:50 I'm in, I'm in, I'm in, I'm in, I'm in, I'm in, I'm in."
04:56 Needless to say, the dance numbers were the main event. The show was also a groundbreaker in terms
05:01 of representation, as La Cienega is widely cited as the first transgender high school
05:05 character in a Broadway musical. "Paparazzi always coming 'round, I know. And it doesn't
05:10 matter, we'll be playing baseball. Everything we get is gonna be top show."
05:15 Number 5. Mean Girls. "Does it bother you that they still use your original choreography?"
05:20 "Shut up." If you're gonna tackle a movie that's as beloved as this one,
05:24 you better bring something to the table. Fortunately, original screenwriter Tina Fey
05:28 returned to write the show's script, preserving its unique and iconic brand of humor. With songs
05:34 by Fey's husband, composer Jeff Richmond, and legally blonde lyricist Nell Benjamin,
05:39 Mean Girls is a faithful adaptation of the 2014 comedy.
05:42 "And I am a massive deal. Fear me, love me, stand and stare."
05:51 The Plastics of North Shore High School made their Broadway debut in 2018 to surprisingly
05:56 good reviews. Critics generally thought the show was a worthy successor to the original movie,
06:01 capturing its humor, heart, and heft. Its successful,
06:05 Tony-nominated production would lead to a 2024 film adaptation.
06:09 "Get in, loser."
06:20 Number 4. Heather's The Musical. "Veronica, you look like hell."
06:26 "Yeah, I just got back." In 1988, Winona Ryder starred in this
06:31 controversial and highly quotable teen flick about a girl who feels trapped in a clique of popular
06:36 girls. Her new boyfriend's solution to her problem leads to a series of unexpected deaths and even
06:41 more shocking consequences. The Musical, which premiered off-Broadway in 2014, maintains the
06:47 movie's satirical and darkly funny look at the savage and merciless social hierarchies of high
06:52 school. Despite its bleak subject matter, Heather's is a rip-roaring good time with plenty
07:03 of silliness and clever lyrics to keep you hooked. It may not be for everyone,
07:08 but you can't say it isn't a wild ride.
07:18 Number 3. Newsies' The Musical. "Now is the time to seize the day.
07:23 Now is the time to seize the day. Send out the call and join the prey.
07:26 Send out the call and join the prey." Set during the real-life Newsboy strike of 1899,
07:31 Disney's original movie was actually a failure at the box office. This didn't stop Alan Menken,
07:37 Jack Feldman, and Harvey Fierstein from resurrecting it for Broadway.
07:41 The result was a musical sensation.
07:44 "Look at me, I've been pinned in New York. Wait and see, this is gonna make both the doll ladies
07:53 pee in their panties." While retaining certain tunes from the movie, the stage musical made
07:58 significant changes, removing scenes, songs, and characters to make way for new ones. It paid off,
08:04 as the ensemble of Newsboys in caps sang and danced their way into musical history.
08:09 The original Broadway production netted several Tony nominations and clinched two,
08:14 for Best Choreography and Best Original Score.
08:17 Number 2. Billy Elliott The Musical. "I'm just there, flying, like a bird,
08:31 like electricity." The heartfelt coming-of-age film Billy Elliott finds a boy exploring his love
08:39 of ballet. An unexpected success at the box office, audiences were charmed by Billy's passion
08:44 for dance, even if it meant defying his father. The premise feels like it almost cries out for
08:50 a musical adaptation. One would make its West End premiere just a few short years after the movie's
08:55 2000 release. "And suddenly, I'm flying, flying, like a bird, like electricity, electricity."
09:07 With music from none other than Elton John, with lyricist Lee Hall, the show eventually found its
09:12 way to great success in America as well. A barn burner of a musical, Billy Elliott The Musical
09:18 is a showcase of young talent that has to be seen to be believed.
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09:45 Number 1. Hairspray. "Tracy Turnblad, you are the queen of the hop tonight. Listen,
09:50 we're holding auditions for the council tomorrow. You ought to come down and stretch your stuff."
09:54 "Oh, Corny, do you really think I'm good enough?" John Waters' 1988 movie may have been his most
09:59 mainstream project to date, but his story about Tracy Turnblad had to have its edges softened
10:04 before hitting Broadway. It follows the irrepressibly optimistic Tracy as she lands
10:09 a spot on a teen dance show and ends up fighting for racial integration in 1960s Baltimore.
10:14 When it comes to this show, upbeat is an understatement.
10:17 The songs are unforgettable, mixing musical theater pep with pop-friendly catchiness.
10:29 Outfitted with the costumes and hairdos of the period,
10:32 this Best Musical Tony winner is designed for maximum joy.
10:35 Which teen movie do you think would make a great musical? Tell us in the comments.
10:47 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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