The 37 Best Broadway Musicals Adapted From Movies

Some of these shows kept the movie's best lines and rebuilt everything else, while others turned a little-seen indie into a Tony sweep. Animated blockbusters share the stage with cult comedies and art-house imports.

1. 1
   Death Becomes Her

   A 2024 musical based on the 1992 film about two rivals who drink an immortality potion, starring Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Spamalot

   Eric Idle's musical ripped off from the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical.
   953pts
3. 3
   The Producers

   Mel Brooks's adaptation of his own 1967 film, which opened on Broadway in 2001 with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick and won a record 12 Tony Awards.
   846pts
4. 4
   Thoroughly Modern Millie

   A musical based on the 1967 film about a small-town girl in 1920s New York, which won the 2002 Best Musical Tony and made Sutton Foster a star.
   786pts
5. 5
   A Little Night Music

   Stephen Sondheim's 1973 musical suggested by Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night, featuring the song Send In the Clowns.
   786pts
6. 6
   Priscilla Queen of the Desert

   A jukebox musical based on the 1994 Australian film about drag performers crossing the outback by bus, which opened on Broadway in 2011.
   718pts
7. 7
   Mean Girls

   Tina Fey's 2018 musical adaptation of her 2004 film about a newcomer navigating a high school clique, with music by Jeff Richmond.
   636pts
8. 8
   The Little Mermaid

   A 2008 Broadway musical based on Disney's 1989 animated film, expanding Alan Menken's score with new songs written with Glenn Slater.
   636pts
9. 9
   Little Shop of Horrors

   Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's musical based on Roger Corman's 1960 film about a man-eating plant, which reached Broadway in a 2003 production.
   636pts
10. 10
    Kinky Boots

    A 2013 musical based on the 2005 British film about a struggling shoe factory, with a Cyndi Lauper score and six Tony Awards including Best Musical.
    636pts
11. 11
    Beauty and the Beast

    Disney's first Broadway musical, adapted from its 1991 animated film, which opened in 1994 and ran for more than 13 years.
    636pts
12. 12
    42nd Street

    A 1980 musical adapted from the 1933 Warner Bros. film (itself based on Bradford Ropes's novel) about a chorus girl who replaces an injured star, winner of the 1981 Tony Award for Best Musical.
    538pts
13. 13
    Moulin Rouge!

    A 2019 jukebox musical based on Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film, winner of ten Tony Awards including Best Musical.
    538pts
14. 14
    Anastasia

    A 2017 Ahrens and Flaherty musical inspired by the 1997 animated film and the 1956 film about a woman who may be a Romanov grand duchess.
    538pts
15. 15
    Promises, Promises

    A 1968 Burt Bacharach and Hal David musical with a Neil Simon book, based on Billy Wilder's 1960 film The Apartment.
    538pts
16. 16
    Hairspray

    A 2002 musical based on John Waters's 1988 film about 1960s Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical.
    538pts
17. 17
    Once

    An adaptation of the 2007 Irish film about a Dublin street musician, in which the actors play their own instruments; it won eight Tonys including Best Musical in 2012.
    538pts
18. 18
    Tootsie

    A 2019 musical based on the 1982 Dustin Hoffman film about an actor posing as a woman, for which Santino Fontana won a Tony.
    538pts
19. 19
    The Lion King

    Disney's 1994 animated film staged by Julie Taymor with puppets and masks, opening on Broadway in 1997 and winning six Tony Awards including Best Musical.
    418pts
20. 20
    Aladdin

    A 2014 Broadway adaptation of Disney's 1992 animated film, for which James Monroe Iglehart won a Tony Award as the Genie.
    418pts
21. 21
    Frozen

    Disney's 2018 Broadway version of its 2013 animated film about sisters Elsa and Anna, adding new songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
    418pts
22. 22
    Grey Gardens

    A 2006 musical based on the Maysles brothers' 1975 documentary about Big Edie and Little Edie Beale, for which Christine Ebersole won a Tony.
    418pts
23. 23
    The Wedding Singer

    A 2006 musical based on the 1998 Adam Sandler film about a 1980s wedding singer left at the altar.
    418pts
24. 24
    Shenandoah

    A 1975 musical based on the 1965 James Stewart film about a Virginia farmer during the Civil War, for which John Cullum won a Tony.
    418pts
25. 25
    Sweet Charity

    A 1966 musical directed by Bob Fosse and based on Federico Fellini's film Nights of Cabiria, featuring the songs Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now.
    418pts
26. 26
    Back to the Future

    A 2023 Broadway musical based on the 1985 time-travel film, which won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in London.
    418pts
27. 27
    Waitress

    A 2016 musical with a Sara Bareilles score based on Adrienne Shelly's 2007 film about a pie-baking diner waitress.
    418pts
28. 28
    Nine

    Maury Yeston's 1982 musical based on Federico Fellini's film 8 1/2 about a blocked film director, which won the Tony for Best Musical.
    418pts
29. 29
    Sunset Boulevard

    Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of Billy Wilder's 1950 film about faded star Norma Desmond, which won the 1995 Tony for Best Musical.
    0pts
30. 30
    The Band's Visit

    David Yazbek and Itamar Moses's musical based on the 2007 Israeli film about an Egyptian police band stranded in a desert town, winner of ten Tonys in 2018.
    0pts
31. 31
    School of Rock

    Andrew Lloyd Webber's 2015 musical based on the 2003 Jack Black film, in which the child cast plays its instruments live.
    0pts
32. 32
    Beetlejuice

    A 2019 musical based on Tim Burton's 1988 film about a bio-exorcist ghost, which returned to Broadway in 2022 after closing during the pandemic.
    0pts
33. 33
    Billy Elliot

    A musical with an Elton John score based on the 2000 film about a miner's son who wants to dance ballet, winner of ten Tony Awards in 2009.
    0pts
34. 34
    Sister Act

    An Alan Menken musical based on the 1992 film about a lounge singer hiding in a convent, which opened on Broadway in 2011.
    0pts
35. 35
    Groundhog Day

    Tim Minchin and Danny Rubin's 2017 musical based on the 1993 film about a weatherman reliving the same day in Punxsutawney.
    0pts
36. 36
    Some Like It Hot

    A 2022 musical based on Billy Wilder's 1959 film, winner of four Tony Awards including one for J. Harrison Ghee.
    0pts
37. 37
    Newsies

    A 2012 musical based on Disney's 1992 film about the 1899 New York newsboys' strike, which won Tonys for its score and choreography.
    0pts

Comments