Movies, musicals, plays, books, poems, and more all take inspiration from many different places. Sometimes they’re inspired by someone’s life, sometimes they’re inspired by history, sometimes they even inspire each other. And if you’re not a big musical theater fan and Broadway isn’t on your New York City to-do list, you may not even realize that some of your favorite movies were Broadway shows first. From “Sweeney Todd” to “Funny Girl” and “Grease,” here are a few films that graced a Broadway stage before gracing your TV screen.
1. "Chicago"
Before it was an Academy Award-winning movie, “Chicago” was a Broadway show, co-written by Broadway legends, Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb, with music by John Kander. The show hit Broadway in 1975 and the star-studded film didn’t premiere in theaters until 2002.
2. "Mamma Mia!"
It’s easy to be entertained by the film version of “Mamma Mia!,” starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, and more, but the popular 2008 movie was based on the mega-popular Broadway show that premiered in 2001.
Both the movie and show are based on the music of Swedish group, ABBA, and tell the story directly leading up to Sophie’s wedding to Sky, in which she hopes that her dad will walk her down the aisle. The problem? She’s not sure which of her mother’s three suitors is actually her father.
3. "Grease"
Whether you’re a Broadway fan or not, you’re likely familiar with the film version of this story, starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. The movie opened in theaters in 1978, but is based on the Broadway show that premiered in 1972.
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