Musicals have been a part of theater and a staple of stage productions throughout the past century and have experienced mild acclaim in the past as film adaptations of famous stage productions. The musical experienced a golden age from the 1930s to the 1950s but fell of the map for a while until more recently. The 1990s however, has brought the musical back into the limelight and since then has experienced a strong resurgence in the film genre through various adaptations. The genre has even begun to merit critical acclaim as far as Oscar nominations and even the best picture award, which went to the adaptation of the musical; Chicago. Film musicals draw their background from an eclectic source of inspirations which led to the multitude of adaptations viewers have become enthralled with today.

One of the first musicals that began turning heads in recent decades was Evita, starring Madonna, which was an adaptation of an album that was released in 1975 and also based on the historical events that centered around Juan and Evita Peron’s dictatorship over Argentina. In 2001, Moulin Rouge! raised the interest of the genre to new heights with its nods to pop culture and its impact among the younger demographic of filmgoers. Its adaptation was rooted in a book written in the 1930s, by the same name, exemplifying the diversity of sources film musicals have been adapted. Following not long after in 2002, Chicago was adapted from a Broadway theatrical production into the film gem that won a plethora of critical acclaim. Since then, the genre has exploded which even resulted in an adaptation from the Broadway musicals Phantom of the Opera and Rent.

One of the reasons for the resurgence of the genre can be credited on the aspects that modern film-production can offer in relation to the elaborate nature of sets and dance numbers as well as camera angles the audience can experience that they otherwise couldn’t when watching a traditional theatrical musical. The film musical typically integrates elements of theater while performers perform for the camera as if they were performing for an audience that was right before them. This allows the viewer of the film to experience it as if they were actually there in a diegetic sense.

The cinematographic techniques that can be used also enhance the viewing experience of the musical film. Dramatic aspects that could not be performed to such a lavish extent in a theater can easily be brought to a film adaptation. Pop culture has also played a part in bringing the genre more popularity by enlisting pop stars like Mya and Christina Aguilera who were part of the promotional single that accompanied Moulin Rouge!. Mya also played in Chicago, further blending the boundary between music and film. Adaptations of film musicals have drawn inspiration from more than just previous musicals, ranging from historical movements, to books to the Broadway plays. With such a rise in popularity and boundaries blending away, there seems to be no limit as to what a film musical may be adapted from in this modern day.

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