9 movies about theater to stream while stages are dark
With Chicago area theaters dark for the foreseeable future, films offering behind-the-scenes glimpses into theater-making may provide some consolation for fans eager for curtains to rise again.
To find out where to stream the following films, check reelgood.com.
"42nd Street" (1933)
One of 1933's biggest hits was the classic backstage musical about a Broadway producer desperate for a hit, a leading lady who's dating the show's wealthy backer but carrying a torch for her former Vaudeville partner and an aspiring chorus girl eager for her big break. The film was choreographed by Busby Berkeley, known for his lavish, kaleidoscopic production numbers. Besides the titular number, the Oscar-nominated film included such songs as "You're Getting to be a Habit with Me" and "Shuffle Off to Buffalo."
"All About Eve" (1950)
Bette Davis' performance as Margo Channing in writer/director Joseph Mankiewicz's devastatingly witty satire of theater insiders and the ambitious outsider determined to penetrate their inner sanctum is considered one of her greatest. Davis plays a Broadway diva who takes under her wing a young woman named Eve (Anne Baxter), an adoring fan who repays her by trying to steal her career and her lover. The newcomer usurping the veteran is a familiar plot, but Mankiewicz's incisive examination of ego, ambition and deceit - which received a then record 14 Academy Award nominations - still holds up 70 years later.
"Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" (2014)
A film actor known for his portrayal of a winged superhero tries to redeem himself as an artist and revive his failing career by writing, directing and producing a Broadway show in Alejandro G. Inarritu's Oscar-winning dark and fantastical comedy. Michael Keaton stars as the washed-up action hero in the film, which critic Dann Gire described as expertly portraying "the Manhattan backstage experience with all its confusion, quirky personalities, angst, roiling libidos, frustrations and intertwined, combustible relationships."
"Bullets Over Broadway" (1994)
Woody Allen's backstage comedy about a Prohibition-era gangster who agrees to bankroll a new play as long as his girlfriend gets a starring role, comes with a host of stock characters. They range from a boozy Broadway legend and a weight-obsessed leading man, to a modestly talented playwright and a tough-guy bodyguard who turns out to be a more gifted artist than any of the professionals.
"The Muppets Take Manhattan" (1984)
After their college musical "Manhattan Melodies" gets enthusiastic reviews, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and the rest of the gang take the tuner to Broadway. When a con-man producer dashes their dreams, the gang scatters, but the plucky frog perseveres in true "hey kids, let's put on a show" tradition.
"The Producers" (1967)
Writer/director Mel Brooks' cheeky satire revolves around duplicitous theater producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and his nervous protégé Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder), who realize they can make more money from a flop than a hit opened to mixed reviews. The film became a cult classic thanks in large part to its signature number - the deliciously tasteless "Springtime for Hitler," which Brooks and writer Thomas Meehan re-imagined for the hit musical (and film adaptation) that followed.
"Shakespeare in Love" (1998)
Screenwriters Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard imagine up-and-coming playwright William Shakespeare struggling with writer's block and scrambling to finish commissions for his nearly bankrupt theater in an endearing, Oscar-winning tale of how genius and love begets great art. Add to that wily owners, temperamental actors, investors, competitors and audience members eager to be entertained and you have a scene not so different from today's.
"Topsy-Turvy" (1999)
A celebration of the theater which the late film critic Roger Ebert named among that year's best films, "Topsy-Turvy" chronicles the efforts of librettist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan who reunite after a flop to create and produce their operetta "The Mikado." An examination of the creative process and the imagination, hard work, conflict and compromise that underscores it, the film also offers glimpses into the preparation, rehearsals and the general business of putting on a show.
"Waiting for Guffman" (1996)
From the great minds behind "This is Spinal Tap," the mockumentary about a faded British heavy metal band, comes an affectionate tribute to community theater and participants whose enthusiasm outstrips their ability. Christopher Guest directs and stars as drama teacher Corky St. Clair, who stages a history play for a 150th anniversary celebration in a small, Missouri town. However, news that a Broadway producer may attend the opening has these wannabe stars packing their bags for the big time.
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Equally entertaining snapshots of theater life include "The Dresser" (1983), "Gypsy" (1962), "Kiss Me Kate" (1953), "A Chorus Line" (1975) and "Noises Off" (1992), all of which premiered on stage and were later adapted to the big screen.