September 11, 2006
"Hi-Fidelity, The Musical: Oh, Lord."
I just opened an email from Editor Larry with the subject line "You gotta blog about this!" He's usually
pretty hands-off about this blog business, so I figured this was gonna be good. Or bad. Depends on
what we're talking about.
What we're talking about is "High Fidelity," a Broadway musical based on the John Cusack movie
about America's most immature music-loving bachelor, which was based on the Nick Hornby book
about Britain's most immature music-loving bachelor.
(Turns out those guys are everywhere.)
Anyway, because the entertainment community has lost all ability to have an original thought, some
genuises, likely inspired by the stage success of "The Wedding Singer," decided to root through the
dusty DVD files for more pop culture-rich odes to male cluelessness. Apparently, "Roadhouse: The
Musical" would be too expensive (all those broken bar chairs and beer glasses cost some serious
bank), so they settled on "High Fidelity."
And I curse them for it.
First of all, I'm afraid that they're gonna lighten it up into satire or sheer goofy "let's put a peppy
number here" comedy, and miss the wonderful, painful truth about the book and the movie. And it is
this - "High Fidelity" is a pretty dark little piece of business. Underneath all the Top Five lists and the
ha-ha funny vignettes about finding ex-girlfriends to explain why they dumped you, is the story of a
desperately floundering man who's terrified of growing up, and of the fact that growing up means
accepting responsibility for being a horrible person. It was one of the most shockingly real romantic
comedies (if that is, indeed, what it was) I've ever seen.
And how do you put something that complex to music? What's the big emotional number? "The 'I'm
Sorry I Cheated On You And Drove You To Abort Our Baby' Blues?"
I have no faith at all that anyone involved is going to get the complexities of this book and the movie,
and that it's going to completely bastardize the very things that made "High Fidelity" so amazing.
I hope I'm wrong.
I would encourage you to look at the creatives and producers involved before you go spouting off about things you know nothing about.
Posted by: Mark Rolly at September 11, 2006 11:01 AMUntil you actually see the show, maybe you shouldn’t say that the musical will lose the “dark little pieces� that made the movie and book so special. There have been numerous movies turned into musicals lately and they are wonderful shows and have not lost the integrity of the movie they are based on. When the show opens, why don’t you go see, but I think someone else will have to review it since it appears you have already made up your mind to not like it.
Posted by: lis at September 13, 2006 1:15 PMI said that I hope I'm wrong. It's an opinion, and my personal fear. I hope it's good.
Posted by: Leslie at September 13, 2006 1:31 PMYou have no clue what you are talking about. You are clearly not a theater-goer and probably never seen a show.
"An original thought" like you describe, is open to interpretation. Almost every musical that comes out is a concept either from a movie or a book. Wicked was a book before a musical and people like you said it would never work. Rent is an original show based on La Boheme. What do you consider an original idea then? Anything written can be staged, whether it is a book, a movie or a concept. There have been multiple musicals made from books or movies, and vice versa, there are many movies made from Broadway musicals.
Nick Hornby's book was amazing, but don't forget the movie was differnt and really great too and no doubt the musical - (which by the way, is not a soundtrack but has unknown actors and original music) will be amazing too.
I'd also like to add to the list of books and/or movies made into musicals that are still running on Broadway successfully:
-The Producers
-Lion King
-Beauty & The Beast
-Hairspray
-The Color Purple
-Spamalot
-Tarzan
-The Wedding Singer
-Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (just closed)
This is off the top of my head. So before you judge a show that hasn't even come out yet, maybe you should do a little more research about shows, how they are conceived and who is behind the project. Otherwise, you might sound like a moron. Whoops, too late.
Leslie, you could not be more wrong. You very nearly burned my eyeballs out of my head with the sheer wrongness of this blog entry. I may require electroshock.
I doubt very much you have ever even walked by a theater, or seen a movie where some of the scenes take place in a theater (or theatre, like you'd even know that's the fancy way of spelling it). High Fidelity: The Musical! will be nothing short of brilliant. I'm already anticipating my life being changed, and am planning a new hair-do accordingly. Original music? Fantastic! Especially for a story in whose very DNA is twined rock 'n' roll, and a modern guy's unbreakable, devoted relationship with it. Blah blah blah. Who wants Jimmy Page and Joy Division when you can have something close but not quite right (like, say, Ukranian heavy metal)? I sure hope there are lot of embarassing, operatic guitar solos and synthesizers!
Not that you would know anything about this.
No, I see no point in questioning a musical that can't even acknowledge how deeply one's identity and relationships can be tied to certain rock songs and certain bands. Just make up new ones!
In conclusion, you are wrong wrong wrong, and I am shocked and appalled. Cancel my subscription to this blog, if I have one.
Posted by: Furious at September 15, 2006 12:35 PM
