In this edition of “Everything Old is New Again,” or “Haven't I Seen You Somewhere Before,” the entertainment business continues to invest in making-over every property they already own.
If you read the book, saw the film, and now need a musical score to complete the set, start saving your money for the stage musical version of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Meanwhile, the stage musical version of Pretty Woman hit previews just a couple of weeks ago. Critics report that the script is extremely faithful to the film, with the book written by the late director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, and the musical ably directed by Jerry Mitchell. Also in previews is the stage musical adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!, led by librettist John Logan and director Alex Timbers. And look for old favorites from the stage coming to a cinema near you—new versions of Cats, West Side Story, Wicked, and more are lining up for screen treatment.
Other news from Broadway: taking a cue from ABBA's Mamma Mia is Head Over Heels, which uses music from the Go-Go's catalog to hang a story from; the story chosen is based on “The Arcadia,” a massive narrative poem by Elizabethan Sir Philip Sidney. Shakespeare was also inspired by parts of the poem, which he used to great effect in As You Like It, so if you see the musical, you will recognize the pairs of lovers lost in the woods, encountering others before finding their way back to their true loves.
