Recently movies have been making their way into the Broadway in a way that some would say are taking over. This can be seen from the lens of pure Broadway fans who believe musicals such as “Wicked” and “Into the Woods”  are the classics that should be put on on these stages while the other side sees movies as perfect source material to build off of in an interesting way.

The fanbase of these movies is also a major propeller of such productions because of the relevance they promise when they are being put on. Those who say not to adapt movies into Broadway believe that taking source materials from an industry that is not like the one they are in is cheap and not as self standing. Plays such as “Hamilton” show how a good play is truly the source and the way in which the story is told.

“Wicked”, as mentioned before, is seen as one of the greatest classics in Broadway and is an original story that is built off a movie itself: “The Wizard of Oz”. These are still an original and a classic because it creates its own story of the movie itself. So where is the line between an original and a cash grab from the original movie?

Movies had been adapted into productions on Broadway from “Lion King” to classics like “Singing in the Rain”. These almost immediately began to pick up speed and popularity since they had been opened. Due to these successes, more and more began to arise following along the lines of comedy.  Movies like “Mean Girls” and “Heathers” are becoming some of the most popular plays as of today because of their comedic capabilities from the movies they grow from.

Seeing the play “Mean Girls” myself, I can say that the acting had been amazing along with the comedic timing of the screenplay as well.

What had interested me the most was the fact that they added new material and jokes above the original movie truly making the performances their own. Actresses such as Erike Henningsen who played Cady Heron had made the role their own by even mixing in some moments of tension throughout the story. “The comedy integrated within the plays through the sets and delivery of lines alone made the entire audience laugh” Gabby Mccutchan (11) stated after watching the production.

Though they may be used for the publicity, plays that derive from movies can be grown into an even better production within themselves that can have layers added onto them through their humor and circumstance.