I don't know about you guys, but I love musicals. Music and theatre are two of the greatest loves of my life. And when you combine the two into movie format, I love them even more. I grew up watching The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and Hello, Dolly! among others, and I enjoy musical movies...when they're done and cast right.
Yeah...we're going to talk about some of the more questionable casting choices in musical movie history.
Regardless of whether or not you like musical movies, I think everyone agrees that the actors should at least sing well and sound nice enough for us to sit through 120+ minutes of screen time. In the golden age of musical film, you definitely got that. Actors like Gene Kelly, Barbra Streisand, and Julie Andrews gave you great voices along with great performances, and it was through those performances that they became famous. Nowadays, however, you get famous actors in musical movie roles, but you're not always guaranteed good or decent singing voices. And while you may love a certain actor for all the cool movies he's been in the past, you might leave the theatre wishing you'd never heard him sing in your life.
Examples?
Well, to show that even the golden age of musical film wasn't perfect, let's look at one of my favorites, the 1955 film adaptation of Guys and Dolls. This comedic musical film is filled with fun and romantic songs, and it also came with a pretty good cast. You had Frank Sinatra as the charismatic Nathan Detroit, Marlon Brando as the smooth Sky Masterson, Jean Simmons as Sargent Sarah Brown, and Vivian Blaine as Miss Adelaide. Of course, Sinatra sounds wonderful (he even got a song written just for him for the movie), Blaine does just fine, and Simmons sounds lovely. But Brando...sigh!
I feel a little bad having to say this about a famous actor, especially one whose origins are based in my home city, but I have to say this: I can't stop laughing every time I hear him sing!! He sounds like he's got a cold and it makes it so hard to concentrate on the scene (especially with songs like "I'll Know" and "(Your Eyes Are the Eyes of) A Woman in Love").
I mean, Sinatra was already in the cast - did you really need another celebrity to boost your movie?
Moving on to more modern examples, I'll pick on Gerard Butler next. Oh yes, for those who didn't know, Mr. Leonidas from 300 was chosen to be the Phantom in Joel Schumacher's 2004 film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera. As if one of my favorite musicals being remade by the "Bat Credit Card" guy isn't bad enough, Butler's voice just made things worse. He doesn't sound like the Phantom - he sounds like he's trying to sing rock...I think...I'm still not sure to this day. His voice is in no way operatic or even the slightest bit trained. With a role like the Phantom, you absolutely need someone who sounds good. He's supposed to be the Angel of Music!
If you think Gerard Butler is bad, however, you do not know the true meaning of bad until you've heard Pierce Brosnan in the awful film adaptation of Mamma Mia! I wish I'd never known the torture that is his voice. I feel really bad saying this, because throughout the movie, I felt like Brosnan was trying to pull things together. With the flaky story there is and the little character he's got, I can understand how hopeless it must have been. But to have him sing on top of all this just seems like punishment for something. His voice is as raw and ragged as you can get, topped off by a weak range and no breath control.
Not that his singing partner Meryl Streep was much better in that movie, either. At least, she had a chance to redeem herself in Into the Woods, where her voice had improved some.
Over the past several years, more musical movies or music-related movies have become popular. And as more musical adaptations come along, one of the biggest questions to ask is this.
Do we need celebrities in musical movies?
Obviously, there are some people who would say yes. Not everyone likes musical movies, and sometimes the only thing that will make them interested in seeing it is if a celebrity is set to star. At the same time, audiences who love celebrities may also be curious to know if their favorite actors are talented enough to sing well enough for such a movie.
Do all celebrities do well with this?
Well, from the examples I've given, some of you might be thinking "No". But even that's not entirely true. Hugh Jackman - the actor everyone knows and loves as Wolverine - has sung successfully in adaptations of Oklahoma! and Les Miserables. Anna Kendrick has sung in the Pitch Perfect films and sounded beautiful as Cinderella in Into the Woods. And if you do a little research and look up some movie clips, you will find there's actually an amazing amount of famous actors out there who can sing (Ewan McGregor, James Corden, John Barrowman - Robert Downey Jr. sounds almost exactly like Sting!). So, obviously there is a pool of celebrities out there who do have the talent for musical movie roles, and if a film really must have one or two stars, directors will know who to turn to.
On top of all this, there's no rule saying you have to have celebrities in a muscial movie. In fact, pulling in unknown actors with talent is a wonderful choice. The world is teeming with multi-talented actors/actresses who sound amazing and deserve a chance to shine on the big screen. The more new vocal talent is put up on screen, the more new acting talent we have, as well. And that's always a plus.
I guess I'm just saying cast with talent in mind. Remember, this is a 120+ minute movie we're talking about...and you're going to have to sit through all those minutes listening to the same voices.
Unless you want to make an infamously bad musical movie...like Mamma Mia!
Cast wisely, people!
~Maud
Official Night Owl
P.S. What are your thoughts on the whole musical movie business? Which casting choices did you love or hate? Who would you cast in your dream adaptation? Also, within the next three days, I'll be posting my first movie review - I'm keeping the title a surprise, but I'll give you hint: it features the legendary David Bowie.
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