I’m in a very musical theatre mood, so I’ve been watching movie musicals and listening to countless cast recordings, including multiple recordings of the same show. It’s incredibly entertaining to watch and/or listen to multiple versions of the same show for the sake of comparison. It’s amazing how much the enjoyment of a show can fluctuate from something as small as a directorial change or cast swap. However, as I’ve been listening, I’ve been reminded of a larger change, one that seems odd but is actually very common in movie musicals: an added song. In most cases, movie musicals are shorter than their onstage counterparts, and more often than not at least one song from the stage gets cut. It seems odd, then, that there are often new songs in the movies. As a general rule, I’m skeptical of this. I understand additions if there are gaps in the existing material, but it’s harder to justify cutting a popular song for one that is untested (and particularly if the song was added purely as awards bait). It’s certainly true that some of these song swaps are unjustifiable mistakes but, to my surprise, I actually found a few that are not only welcome but actually wonderful.
Without further ado, here are ten movie musicals that, for better or for worse, tried something new.
“What Ifs” from Mean Girls
- Notable songs cut (or drastically shortened): “Where Do You Belong?”, “Meet the Plastics,” “Fearless,” “Stop,” “Whose House is This?,” “More is Better,” and “Do This Thing”
- Song swapped: “It Roars”
- Original songs written by Nell Benjamin and Jeff Richmond
- New songs written by Nell Benjamin, Jeff Richmond, Michael Pollack, and Reneé Rapp
Left: Movie Cady during “What Ifs.” Right: Onstage Cady and Damien during “Stop.”
For the record: I saw the show onstage long before I saw the movie, and went into the film knowing the original songs very well.
I was hyped when I heard about this movie. I like the original movie, but I LOVE the musical adaptation; I followed the production of Mean Girls closely and was excited by most of what I heard. In particular, the casting of Renée Rapp and Jaquel Spivey had me particularly enthusiastic: movie musicals don’t always hire bona fide Broadway vocal talents, and it struck me as a very good sign that this one had. Despite my interest, I didn’t make it to the theatre and therefore had time to read a bunch of online reviews (and get one from my sister) before I saw the show myself. I was warned that the songs have a different feel in the movie than onstage, so I was prepared for it. While Janis and Damien still get to have very theatrical sung moments, most of the other characters have their songs shifted subtly for a less overtly Broadway sound. Their songs are a little more pop-y, more tiktoky. This might be a controversial opinion but I was kind of into it. I absolutely missed the songs that were cut—Spivey is SO GOOD as Damien that cutting anything he would have sung feels like a mistake, and “More is Better” is thematically an important song, not to mention beautiful) but on the whole I really liked the movie. I had a great time with it and will happily watch it again.
With this new direction, “It Roars” doesn’t exactly fit Cady’s vibe… or her voice. It has been said before and often that actor Angourie Rice doesn’t have the vocal dynamism (or, in any case, wasn’t directed to showcase the vocal dynamism) for Cady’s more powerful songs. I’d argue that Janis and Regina are more the protagonists of Mean Girls the musical than Cady is (they have all the best songs! And Janis sings “I’d Rather Be Me,” which is arguably the big solo of the show, the type that would normally be reserved for the hero), but onstage Cady still has some big vocal moments. The movie removes them. Her verses of “Apex Predator” are given to Damien (it’s not the best thematic choice, but it sounds amazing so I’ve forgiven it), “More is Better” hit the wastebasket, both “Stupid with Love” and “Stars” are sung much smaller (except a verse that is sung by a different character), and “It Roars” is swapped for the much meeker “What Ifs.” It’s a cute enough song. It’s pretty, and it has a less theatrical, more popish sound that fits in with what the movie seems to be doing with Cady. The energy after “A Cautionary Tale” drops quickly being followed with “What Ifs,” in a way that I don’t like, but I don’t hate it. I can see movie!Janis singing “It Roars,” but movie!Cady doesn’t have that energy, and that song wouldn’t work with the soft, flat sound she maintains throughout the movie. If you asked me which song I prefer I would take “It Roars” every time, but I get what was intended with “What Ifs” and I wouldn’t call it a failure.
Verdict: A qualified miss
“Still Holding My Hand” from Matilda
- Notable songs cut: “Pathetic,” “This Little Girl,” “Loud,” “Telly”
- Song swapped: none directly
- Original songs written by Tim Minchin
- New song written by Tim Minchin
Left: The movie’s Miss Honey and Matilda during “Still Holding My Hand.” Right: Mr. Wormwood performing “Telly” onstage.
For full transparency: While I had listened to the original cast recording many times before seeing the movie adaptation, I have never seen the stage version of Matilda.
Matilda is one of the best movie musicals I have ever seen. It is absolutely delightful. Everything about it is charming in the extreme, and despite the multiple cut songs when it came down to picking a recording of the show to purchase, I went with the movie soundtrack. There are benefits to both versions. The Broadway has fewer instrumental-only tracks and includes the hilarious song “Telly.” “Telly” is the only original song that I miss in the movie version, though I do like the narrative juxtaposition between “Loud,” the song Mrs. Wormwood sings in criticism of Matilda, and “Quiet,” Matilda’s answer to it. My preference is almost entirely due to “Still Holding My Hand,” a duet sung by Matilda and Miss Honey at the very end of the movie. It has beautiful vocals—Natasha Richardson is the definitive Miss Honey—and while “Revolting” is a rousing, joyous romp, a quieter and more contemplative finale works better for Matilda as a whole, being as it is a story about an introspective young girl’s quiet strength.
Verdict: Hit!
“Beautiful Ghosts” from Cats
- Notable songs cut: “The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles”
- Song swapped: none directly
- Original songs written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S. Eliot
- New song written by Taylor Swift
Left: Movie Victoria during “Beautiful Ghosts.” Right: Munkustrap singing “The Awfull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles” in the 1998 proshot.
For the record: I have seen Cats onstage many times. It is one of my favorites musicals and has been for as long as I can remember. I grew up with the 1998 filmed version and Cats was the one of the first shows I ever saw onstage (it’s the first I remember, but various members of the family have informed me that Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was first).
The movie musical Cats made a ludicrous number of unnecessary and irredeemable missteps, the head-scratching stunt-casting chief amongst them. As a fervent, lifelong fan of both the stage show of Cats and the brilliant 1998 filmed version, I knew that this movie was doomed when I saw the cast. Dozens of named characters and barely a dancer amongst them in a famously dance-heavy song! I could have handled some of the stunt casting (it’s a good idea to cast a famous older actor as Gus, and it’s forgivable to make Old Deuteronomy a name), but when I realized they had made Mister Mistoffelees a non-dancing role I knew the whole thing would be a bust. “Beautiful Ghosts” is far from the worst thing in Cats, though it is blatantly there to capitalize on Taylor Swift’s massive popularity. It’s not a terrible song on its own, but it doesn’t fit well into the musical landscape of Cats overall and the thesis of the song—that Grizabella, an outsider ostracized from the Jellicle Ball, has it better than Victoria, who is welcomed and cherished for her youth and beauty, because Grizabella has lovely memories—kind of misses the point of Grizabella as a character, which is particularly bad considering that Grizabella is the emotional heart of the show and the only major plot thoroughfare.
Verdict: Miss
“I’ve Been Waiting,” “The Bloodmaster,” and “It Would Be Funny” from 13
- Notable songs cut: “Get Me What I Need,” “What it Means to Be a Friend,” “Any Minute,” “Being a Geek,” “It Can’t Be True,” and “If That’s What It Is”
- Song swapped: “Hey Kendra” (for “I’ve Been Waiting”) and “All Hail the Brain/Terminal Illness” for (“The Bloodmaster”)
- Original songs written by Jason Robert Brown
- New songs written by Jason Robert Brown
Left: Kendra and Brett’s movie duet “I’ve Been Waiting.” Right: the onstage cast of 13.
For full transparency: This movie was my first exposure to this show. I have since listened to the OBC recording but have never seen the show onstage.
The biggest change between the original musical and the movie of 13 is that the latter is far more sincere. The kids onstage are all little assholes to some degree. Evan disinvites Patrice to his party when he’s forced to choose between her and the popular crowd. Archie happily guilt-trips people into doing what he wants by using his illness. Lucy constantly schemes behind her best friend’s back. Brett is slimily obsessed with giving Kendra “the tongue” and thinks nothing of swapping her for Lucy. Pretty much everyone ditches Evan at the end when he’s no longer useful to them. On the other hand, onscreen everyone except Lucy basically means well. Kendra and Brett are looking for a chaste, fairy-tale kiss. Evan’s “brainy” plans aren’t as blatantly manipulative and self-serving. Everyone is dealing with parental pressures and stress and it is largely understood that the worst things they do are errors in judgement rather than personality flaws or active ill-will.
I loved the movie. It’s adorable. The kids are massively talented. The songs are catchy. It’s a feel-good musical about friendship and the awkwardness of growing up. When I went back to the original cast album, I loved that too but it was a little jarring to go from the movie’s well-meaning kids to the little shits from the show. “Get Me What I Need” and “Terminal Illness” were particularly jarring the first time around, but even as I was surprised by the content I enjoyed it all. The show and the movie both do a great job at what they’re attempting. The show is about a bunch of hormone-crazy teens running amok, and the movie is about chaos ensuing from a sweet young romance.
“I’ve Been Waiting” is a cute romantic duet that is functionally a younger and more innocent “Summer Nights” from Grease that swaps in for the sleazier but funnier “Hey Kendra.” “The Bloodmaster” simplifies Evan’s plans and removes the dark gallows humor of “The Brain/Terminal Illness” in favor of lighter, sillier fun. And “It Would Be Funny” provides some family context for Evan that is absent in the kids-only stage show. It’s just a different flavor. Both versions have heart and humor and equally catchy songs. I might feel different if I’d been hugely attached to the original version before seeing the movie, but I saw the movie first and can truly say I love both versions equally.
Verdict: A qualified hit!
“The Anonymous Ones” and “A Little Closer” from Dear Evan Hansen
- Notable songs cut: “Anybody Have a Map?,” “Good For You,” “Disappear,” “To Break in a Glove”
- Song swapped: none directly; indirectly a reprise of “Waving Through a Window” for Alana and “Disappear” for Connor
- Original songs written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
- New song written by Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, and Amandla Stenberg
Left: Movie Alana during “The Anonymous Ones.” Right: Onstage Evan during “Good For You.”
For the record: I listened to the Dear Evan Hansen OBC recording first, then read the novelization, and then saw the stage show. By the time I got to the movie adaptation, I’d had a relationship with the show for several years.
I’ve written at length about what went wrong with the movie adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen, which—onstage—is one of my favorite musicals. The movie absolutely misses the point of it with its mindboggling cuts. There is absolutely no excuse for cutting “Good for You” (removing that song didn’t singlehandedly ruin the movie, but even if everything else had been done right, the omission would still be an insurmountable misstep) and the fact that the movie had time for not one but two new songs makes the absence even more grievous. If you’re going to cut “Good for You,” you’d better absolutely blow it out of the water with whatever you put in instead, especially if you’re also going to remove “Anybody Have a Map?” (which sets the tone for the whole show) and “Disappear” (a personal favorite). I understand in theory why “The Anonymous Ones” and “A Little Closer” were added. The former adds more context for Alana, showing that she is—like Evan and Connor and untold others—in the same boat of loneliness and anxiety and depression. I like that Alana gets a bit more time than she does in the stage show, but what a lot of people forget is that this moment isn’t new for Alana. Onstage she sings a brief reprise of “Waving Through a Window,” and the truth is that that reprise, short as it is, is far more powerful than the whole of her new song. What I love most about Alana’s verse onstage is that it echoes Dear Evan Hansen‘s major point: even when we feel the most isolated and lonely, there are others going through the exact same thing even if we don’t see it. “The Anonymous Ones” tells us that; the “Waving Through a Window” reprise makes us feel it. Evan and Alana not only feel the same loneliness, they’re singing the same song. I felt more from just a few words from Alana onstage than I did in the movie. Dear Evan Hansen doesn’t have a lot of songs. There are just fourteen tracks on the OBC recording (most musicals have around twenty, and some like Hamilton have up to forty); there was room for additional songs. If “The Anonymous Ones” were simply added, I’d be fine with it. But it’s there instead of better songs.
I like “A Little Closer” in theory. One criticism of the show is that Evan creates a fake version of Connor to keep alive. This new song, sung by the real Connor while he was still alive and seen via a recording, corrects that a little bit, leaving a bit of the real Connor to be remembered. It’s not a deeply memorable song. It’s a bit repetitive and as a general rule I prefer non-diegetic music in musicals. Adding “A Little Closer” doesn’t change the end of the events of the stage show, which has Evan reading Connor’s list of favorite books in a bid to know the real him a little better, and like “The Anonymous Ones” it simply isn’t as good as what it replaces. “Disappear” makes me cry. Whether it is Connor’s ghost or Evan’s guilty conscience singing it, that song is beautifully sad and emblematic of the show. Because “Disappear” is Connor’s big song onstage and “A Little Closer” is his big song in the movie, it feels like the latter is replacing the former and in a head-to-head competition… “Disappear” works much, much better at least for me.
Verdict: Miss
“This Was Me” from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
- Notable songs cut: “If I Met Myself Again,” “Limited Edition Prom Night Special,” “Ugly in This Ugly World,” “Prom Song”
- Song swapped: “The Legend of Loco Chanel”
- Original songs written by Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae
- New song written by Dan Gillespie Sells and Tom MacRae
Left: Movie Hugo revisiting his past during “This Was Me.” Right: Onstage Hugo as Loco with Jamie.
For full transparency: I’d listened to the full cast recording before seeing the movie, but I have still never seen the stage show.
This is a fantastic movie musical overall. It’s funny and also deeply affecting. The movie removes a few of the stage show’s glitzier numbers to give itself an overall more down-to-earth energy, particularly when the titular Jamie isn’t singing. While the cut songs are all very fun and engaging to listen to, the movie doesn’t really suffer from their absence, with the possible exception of “If I Met Myself Again,” which lets us spend a little more time with Jamie’s mother. The added song is a more direct swap than others on this list. Instead of adding a song to a place that needed some fattening up, it is traded one-for-one with another song. Instead of telling the dramatic and over-the-top history of his drag alter ego, Hugo—a drag queen who becomes a mentor to Jamie—sings instead about his own history, swapping the glitz and murder of Loco Chanel for a heartbreaking first-person take on the trailblazing queer community and the havoc wrecked upon it by AIDS. It transforms the scene into something much sadder but somehow even fiercer, and it provides a great intergenerational context for the show. “The Legend of Loco Chanel” is a great song, but “This Was Me” is better storytelling.
Verdict: Hit!
“We Got It” from The Wiz Live
- Notable songs cut: “I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday” (replaced by “You Can’t Win,” as it was in the 1978 movie)
- Song swapped: n/a
- Original songs written by Charlie Smalls
- New song written by Ne-Yo and Elijah Kelly
Left: The Wiz Live‘s cast singing “We Got It.” Right: The scarecrow sings “I Was Born on the Day Before Yesterday” onstage.
For full transparency: This version was my first exposure to The Wiz. While I have since listened to other versions and seen most of the 1978 movie piecemeal on YouTube, I like this version so much more that every time I want to listen to or watch The Wiz, I go for this one. I do have tickets to see the touring production next year, though.
The Wiz Live was my first introduction to The Wiz, and I immediately loved it. I know that the 1978 movie is a classic, but I don’t have the same fondness for it. The songs are slower and on the whole it all feels far less vibrant. Because I’d never seen The Wiz before, I did not immediately realize that “We Got It” was written specifically for the production. Even in retrospect it’s somewhat unbelievable because it fits in so well both musically and narratively. The music itself is upbeat and catchy with some great vocal harmonies that utilize all four of the main stars. It is also a very satisfying song from a storytelling standpoint, giving all of the characters a moment within the same song to show off their personalities and adding some narrative tension as the adventure turns from journey to the Emerald City to a mission to fight a wicked witch. Letting Scarecrow, Tin Man, and particularly Lion express doubt and fear at their new task both adds gravity and gives Dorothy the opportunity to step up as a leader. It’s hard to imagine The Wiz without it and in fact when I think about The Wiz it is one of the first songs that pops into my head.
Verdict: Hit!
“Suddenly” by Les Misérables
- Notable songs cut (or drastically shortened): “Dog Eat Dog,” “Turning,” “Drink With Me”
- Song swapped: none directly
- Original songs written by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, and Jean-Marc Natel
- New song written by Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, and Herbert Kretzmer
Left: Valjean and Young Cosette in the movie. Right: Enjolras and Grantaire during “Drink With Me” at the 25th anniversary concert.
For the record: While the Les Misérables movie was my first exposure to this show, I have since seen it onstage and listened to just about every cast recording available (I am partial to the 10th anniversary mostly because I love Philip Quast as Javert, though everyone else I love Ramin Karimloo—pictured above—as Enjolras in the 25th).
2012’s Les Misérables made a huge impression on me when I saw it in theatres. I wasn’t familiar with Les Misérables in any format before then, but I was so affected that I quickly got to know it extremely well (in addition to obsessively listening to various cast recordings, I also read the book a few times in various translations). I learned very quickly that the song “Suddenly” isn’t in any other version of the show. I understand why it is there narratively (to emphasize Valjean’s bond with his new daughter Cosette) and why it’s there financially (movie musicals always gotta go for that original song Oscar), but ultimately it doesn’t make a strong case for itself. Unlike the rest of Les Misérables, “Suddenly” isn’t particularly memorable. There’s hardly a song in this show that won’t worm its way into your mind and break your heart, and despite the promising emotional premise, “Suddenly” doesn’t stick with me in the same way. It also feels divorced from the rest of the music in a way that is uncharacteristic of the rest of the show. “Valjean’s Soliloquy,” for instance, has the same melody as “Javert’s Suicide.” “On My Own” and “Come to Me” are likewise musically linked. Musically and thematically, the songs speak to each other all across Les Misérables and “Suddenly” doesn’t. It feels transplanted because it is. It’s not a terrible song by any means. When I first watched Les Mis I thought nothing of it because I didn’t know the show at all. Now that I do, I wish the time spent on it had been otherwise allocated. “Dog Eat Dog” is a grim song but an important part of the overall picture, and I would have loved to have a full version of “Drink With Me” with the movie cast because the young revolutionaries are the vocal standouts of the movie and I’d have liked to see them shine a bit more.
Verdict: Miss
“Listen” from Dreamgirls
- Notable songs cut: “Family,” “I Miss You Old Friend,” “Ain’t No Party”
- Song swapped: none directly
- Original songs written by Henry Kreiger
- New song written by Henry Krieger, Scott Cutler, Preven, and Beyoncé
Left: Movie Deena recording “Listen.” Right: Effie, Deena, and Lorrell onstage.
For full transparency: This movie was my first major exposure to this show. I have since listened to the OBC recording but have never seen the show onstage.
I love “Listen.” It’s a beautiful song, and I’ve never liked Beyoncé more than I do in this movie. Dreamgirls is a very famous show with some very, very famous songs. Even though I’d never experienced the show in any complete way before the movie, I had heard the best-known songs out of context: “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” “One Night Only,” and “Dreamgirls.” It’s next-to-impossible to be a musical theatre fan without knowing “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” at least in passing. Dreamgirls is an excellent movie full of incredible vocalists. Emotionally, “Listen” is fantastic and it makes a lot of sense that Deena would have a solo moment to find her own strength, but from what I can tell the movie emphasizes her role in general. I understand why they would do that, particularly because of Beyoncé’s insane popularity, but it does strike me as a somewhat odd decision considering that the plot of the show is how Effie gets pushed out of the spotlight for the more widely appealing and conventionally attractive Deena. For the movie to do the same strikes me as a little strange. There’s also the fact that Deena is supposed to be the lesser singer (if Deena and Effie were vocal equals, it wouldn’t be such a slight for Curtis to have pushed Effie to the background). Still, I can’t argue with the song itself.
Verdict: Hit
“I Fell in Love With Love,” “The Sweetest Sounds,” and “There’s Music in You” from Cinderella (1997)
- Notable songs cut: none of note
- Song swapped: n/a
- Original songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
- New songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (taken from other musicals)
Left: 1997’s Stepmother singing “I Fell in Love with Love.” Right: 1957’s Cinderella.
For full transparency: This movie was both my first exposure to the show and a major part of my childhood. Since then, I have listened to the Broadway cast recording and watched the 1967 version and as of this week have seen my sister’s delightful community theatre production of the show. The onstage version is actually newer than the 1997 version, however; R&H’s Cinderella was originally a made-for-TV movie!
I know that I’m not the only person convinced that 1997’s Cinderella with Brandy and Whitney Houston is the definitive version of this musical. It is perfect. It is colorful and energetic and full of phenomenal vocalists. There are sweetly romantic numbers and hilarious ones. Every single character is wonderful, and as this was my first exposure to the show it is hard to imagine the show without some of these songs. Bernadette Peters singing “I Fell in Love with Love” is iconic. Bernadette Peters is an all-time favorite Broadway star, and the idea of this show without a showstopper for her is incomprehensible. Plus, it is a fun song that breaks up all the sincerity. Then there’s “There’s Music in You.” If you have Whitney Houston in your movie, you give her a massive song to sing at the end. That’s a no-brainer. It’s a beautiful, inspiring finale. And “The Sweetest Sounds” sets up the central romance so that you can see a connection between Cinderella and Christopher before they meet at the ball, making it harder for the romantic skeptics of the world to shake our heads about falling in love at first sight. These songs are all wonderful and arguably as iconic as anything that was in the original set list, and seeing or listening to Cinderella without them feels odd (though, for what it’s worth, I Fell in Love with Love did not make it to the onstage version).
Verdict: Hit!
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