Top Ten Tuesday: Chick Flicks we wish were Musicals

Hello Besties and welcome to the brand new series, Top Ten Tuesday! In this weekly series, we will be counting down some of our favourite stagey moments. Whether that’s costumes, song or education, there is sure to be something for everyone. 

This week, we will be counting down the top picks for chick flicks that we wish were musicals. From the catchy tunes of Legally Blonde to the incredible production value of Pretty Woman, the classic ‘chick-flick’ has been storming the Broadway and West End stages and here are a few more that we will keep our fingers crossed.  

10. 13 Going on 30

Coming in at number ten, we have chosen 13 Going on 30. The central character Jenna has a poor experience during a game of ‘Seven Minutes in Heaven’ and wishes that she were 30 years old. In the true chick flick fashion, her wish is her command, and she wakes up the next day in 2004, at the age of 30, having no memory of the last 17 years.

But why would this make an entertaining musical? Can you not just picture it, Besties? Jenna wakes the next morning in a state of confusion. The lighting changes as she walks around her life as a 30-year-old, confused over her lack of memory, singing a song about it, while the ensemble comes out of the wings and does a synchronised dance number around her. 

Chaotic but entertaining. 

9. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Now this Disney classic, starring Lindsay Lohan, has the perfect amount of drama to be placed on the musical stage. After all, the central character (Mary) is a theatre fiend and always strives to be the centre of attention. 

This story could introduce a modern backstage musical as we see the musical within the show unfold alongside the main story itself. And how perfect would it be to see the rock star character of Stuart Wolff enter the stage with the same ego and bravado as Stacey Jaxx from Rock of Ages? 

The heightened drama of this film is something that would work really well on the stage and dramaturgically, the music could be really interesting.

8. Confessions of a Shopaholic

Another classic chick flick! Confessions of a Shopaholic tells the story of a fashion driven woman facing debt, due to her shopping obsession. In order to maintain her finances, she must find a job and in doing so, she lands a job at the biggest business magazine in the area. As she and her boss become closer, they fall in love and it’s all bright and happy at the end. 

In the film, she constantly envisions the mannequins of the shops are alive and enticing her to buy more – and although some might find this slightly creepy, it would make for a very entertaining musical number. 

We all love redemption and as Becky progresses on her journey of self-help, it could provide a well-rounded and wholesome musical for audiences to immerse themselves in. And the marketing strategies would be endless. Imagine – you walk into the lobby of the theatre and find that it resembles a department store. Cool!

7. The Proposal

We all need a bit of musical comedy in our lives and this film would be the perfect candidate. With a relationship between Margaret and Andrew being very reminiscent of Fred and Lilli in Kiss Me, Kate, this enemy to lover story would make any musical theatre audience blush.

Similarly to the film, Andrew’s Grandma would also steal the show and provide flawless comic relief. Not only this but the possibilities are endless when it comes to recreating the beautiful location of Sitka, Alaska. 

6. 27 Dresses

All I can say for this one is 27 different musical signatures and styles for 27 different dresses. Think Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat mixed with the fast-paced element of ‘Not Getting Married’ from Company. 

5. Clueless

It would be simply rude to not add this to the list. Clueless - already based on Jane Austen’s novel Emma – is a fun, dramatic and entertaining story that audience fall in love with repeatedly. We have a Wicked-esque makeover scene, a sweeping romance and high school debates. 

You’d have to be clueless (get it!) to not see the musical potential behind this film.

4. Bridget Jones’ Diary

Bridget Jones is a clumsy and awkward national treasure, and it is time for her to have her moment on the stage. Bridget would light up the stage in a way that warms our hearts and makes us cringe at the same time. Daniel Cleaver would work his way across the stage with the same ill-founded humour of his, and Mark Darcy would charm audiences until the curtains fall at the end of Act Two.

This collection of characters – including all the secondary characters – would give a musical version an incredible number of layers both visually and vocally. 

3. Wild Child

The story of an American troublemaker who gets sent to a British boarding school. Though she spends most of the film trying to escape from the school, she begins to find the reason as to why she should stay. 

A beautiful story of love, trust and friendship that would bring a wide smile to any audience. Given the last 18 months we have all had, a musical version of Wild Child might give us the nostalgic boost that we all need. 

2. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

With the amazing rise in technology over the last year and how we have seen it in action – specifically with Be More Chill, Dear Evan Hansen and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – the journalism aspect of this film could be so creative. 

As we see the written story unfold on the screens, we see the romantic story unfold on the stage in front of us. And as the characters of Andie and Ben come to the final crossroads, the screens and articles could fizzle away and all we are left with is these two in their current life.

A musicalised version of this show could become a perfect metaphor for how we spend so much time in front of screens that we should take a step back and appreciate the life in front of us.

1. The Devil Wears Prada

This made it to number one because there is already work happening for a musicalised version of The Devil Wears Prada – and can we really be surprised, Besties? 

Beth Leavel (The Prom) is said to be playing the iconic role of Miranda Priestley, with Taylor Iman Jones (Hamilton) as Andy. While the pre-Broadway run was postponed due to COVID, it is set to premier in Chicago from 13 July – 15 August 2021! 

With the success of its predecessors, such as Pretty Woman, and the original films themselves I think many will have high hopes for this adaptation.

And there we have it, Besties. Our top picks for chick-flicks that we wish were musicals. Let us know in the comments if you agree and let us know what other chick flicks you’d like to see on the musical stage!