Playbill has reported that Hairspray (the movie) will soon hit the $100 million mark. This is lovely news, as I’m all for the revival of movie musicals. It’s especially good when it bumps the New York attendance, like Hairspray recently.
The question is, does it always work? On one hand, having a successful movie can be a great marketing tool: Chicago (the musical) is still chugging along since the great success of the Oscar-worthy movie. Yet, look at The Producers – a flop so bad that it seemed they were applying the plot to real life. And now the show is closed. And the Hairspray (the movie) soundtrack is enjoying excellent success, so who wants to buy the musical soundtrack version in addition or instead? AND yet…
I think the differences are you need to have the audience fall into such deep love with the story that they become anxious to see other takes, other people. That is what drives them to the Great White Way instead of Blockbuster.
There is no magic formula. But I have a feeling it will become more and more important as time chugs along. I just hope that the industry doesn’t begin to rely on movies to promote Broadway.
