art & design
Chicago – A City of Musicals?
Few cities can rock a musical about their history like the Windy City. Chicago, the prohibition-era musical (airing this month on Ovation), has it all–glitter, jazz, vaudeville and murder. But what other Chicago-based films might make great musicals? Let’s take a look:
Sixteen Candles
High school drama, nerds vs. cool kids, this could be like a suburban West Side Story. John Hughes’ classic teen angst movie about Samantha Baker’s disastrous 16th birthday is a perfect vehicle for dreamy Jake Ryan singing and dancing his way into Samantha’s heart. There’s even a wedding for the finale. Also, a high school bathroom/underwear scene probably hasn’t been done on Broadway – and isn’t it about time?
Risky Business
The prostitute that corrupts young Joel in this classic comedy is like a modern-day Velma Kelly from Chicago. There’s also a built-in dance number (to loosely describe Tom Cruise’s iconic underwear moves to Old Time Rock n’ Roll). Risky Business highlights downtown Chicago, the suburbs and don’t forget that train scene–bringing some steamy sex along with humor to the Great White Way.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
This high school teen’s skip day takes us from the Sears Tower to Wrigley Field to the Art Institute of Chicago. Next step: set it to music! Ed Rooney is the perfect foil to Ferris, and a musical number to enhance this relationship would be perfect. We’re envisioning an Abe Froman song and a parade mashup of Danke Schoen and Twist & Shout.
My Best Friend’s Wedding
This movie already has the structure of a musical –Julia Robert’s attempts to thwart her best friend’s nuptials is classic 30’s screwball comedy with misunderstandings, confusion, and a climatic wedding. Throw in a dashing gay best friend (for a little song and dance), and some scenic Chicago backdrops and you’re set for Broadway.
The Untouchables
What is more quintessentially Chicago than Al Capone? This 1987 award-winning film has all the elements for an awesome musical: good guys, bad guys, gun fights, bootleggers, all set during the glamor of the Roaring Twenties. It might be hard to fill the shoes of Sean Connery, Robert DeNiro and Kevin Costner, but you already have the lyrics for a great number: “They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That’s the Chicago way!”
Tune in to Ovation on February 22nd at 8 and 10:30pm for Chicago, the sizzling 1920′s musical starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere.
Claudia Maittlen-Harris is a writer and comedian based in Los Angeles. She is the co-creator of the how-not-to dating/relationship blog, The Zeros Before the One.
Image: Monika Thorpe
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