Actress Kathryn McCormick, actor Ryan Guzman and director Scott Speer attend the after party for the Los Angeles premiere of Summit Entertainment's "Step Up Revolution" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on July 17, 2012 in Hollywood, California. Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
In the new film“Step Up Revolution,” a crew of street dancers is pitted against the world’s best hip-hop dancers. Ever since the days of Fred and Ginger and “West Side Story,” music and dancing have had audiences kicking up their heels. But although “Rock of Ages” and the recent version of “Footloose” stumbled at the box office, big screen adaptations of musicals continue to be popular.
The 2009 film “Mamma Mia!” surpassed Titanic as the U.K.’s highest grossing film of all time, an impressive feat. Closer to home, 2007’s “Hairspray” became the record-holder for biggest sales at opening weekend for a movie musical, only to be surpassed in 2009 by “Mamma Mia!” Meanwhile the newest adaptation, the upcoming “Les Miserables,” has garnered buzz from fans and critics for its star-studded cast.
The small screen latched onto the trend in 2006 with the TV movie “High School Musical,” which spurred an incredibly popular franchise that eventually made its way to movie theaters and paved the way for “Glee” and “Smash.”
What are your favorite movie musicals? Does “Singin’ in the Rain” have you dancing in the aisles? Do you think the trend will last, or do you think it’s on its way out? Are you tired of all the movie musicals and song-saturated TV shows? Or can you not get enough of them?
Guests:
Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and L.A. Times Community Newspapers
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and dearhenrysheehan.com