Of all the film and animation companies in the world, there are none as prolific as Disney when it comes to adaptation into the world of live musicals. While certainly not their original intent, the fact remains that Disney out-performs many purposely developed theatrical productions, both in terms of quality and popularity.
The most obvious component of this comes down to the fact that Disney films themselves often incorporate music and song. Not just from screenwriters, these soundtracks have been known to include collaborations from musical royalty. Elton John made The Lion King for many of us, and other contributions from the likes of Billy Joel and Shakira have helped draw in both classical and contemporary appeal.
Given these songs as a starting point, it makes sense to move major hits from the screen to the stage. Not only do these translate perfectly, but they also come with a legacy which ties into our nostalgia, which is a common theme for driving initial appeal.
This nostalgia plays another important part in creating a show with enough initial viability to draw in viewers. Disney films, for many of us, played a big part of our childhoods. Seeing a new Disney film wasn’t just going to the cinema, it was an event. These films became not just part of us, but also of our cultural consciousness.
Embracing this understanding is what helped them cross over into so many other mediums, as the base interest was there, and Disney’s tight grip on quality meant that any interpretation was likely to be one of quality. This is a common theme among the biggest names in film, with the likes of Sony and Fox following suit when it comes to toys and games which bear their names.
This isn’t just the traditional video games and action figures either, as even developments as far as the slot games Jumanji and Planet of the Apes hosted on websites like those listed on Casinowings.com, such as 888casino, share a similar interest in placing quality first. The idea here is that bad interpretations lead to a lack of faith in the original property, so Disney, like these other examples, takes care in appealing to nostalgia, but not relying on it.
The final aspect which makes these Disney films such a strong topic of conversation is born from the themes and appeal of their films. While at least advertised as targeting the young, the elements within these stories aren’t as much dedicated to the younger viewers, as they are understandable by this audience.
By relying on the grandeur of scope, of the fight between good and evil, the themes of Disney properties become understandable by everyone, yet flexible enough that viewers of all ages will be able to draw their own appreciation. In our youth, this might seem more black and white, while as adults we will inevitably draw compassions more apt to the great social and political world. For all ages it isn’t just a marketing tagline, and both the film and musical interpretations understand that.
With Frozen setting records all over the place, it is safe to say that upcoming Disney musical conversions have a strong future. Longevity has never been an issue for the company, and with Frozen 2 and Toy Story 4 on the horizon, we can’t wait to see what the world of musicals does next.
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