Simon Morris’ Five Television Shows That Need a Musical Spin-Off

Could a True Blood musical be in the works? That’s the rumour flying around and it got me thinking, there are five shows I really believe, Simon Morris reader, need a musical spin-off!

There’s An Awful Lot of Bloody Good Telly on the Box Right Now

I admit that I’ve been somewhat sceptical of TV shows being revamped for musical theatre before; look at the disaster that was the X-Factor musical. Furthermore, we have to admit that although it’s far more often done for movies, it doesn’t always work even then (cough… Spiderman… cough).

But I’ve got to admit, the news of a True Blood musical does excite me. We aren’t living in the television landscape of ten years ago anymore, when movie production still outstripped its small screen counterpart. Figures show that audiences are deserting the box office in droves and they are turning to television. That’s because, quite frankly, there’s an awful lot of bloody good telly on the box in the year 2014!

These Five TV Shows Would Make a Fantastic Musical!

I’m not a fan of True Blood, so I really don’t care about the actual musical, but the concept excites me and here are five TV shows that I believe would so totally work:

1)      Orange is the New Black: The hottest show around right now, Orange is the New Black has all the essential ingredients for the perfect musical. It’s dramatic, comedic, boasts well rounded characters an audience can identify with, and most of the action takes place in one location, making it really easy to stage! Plus, I see some reinvention of the ‘Cell Block Tango’ coming!

2)      Glee: I had to include this one, it’s a whole show that’s staged like a musical. Of course it’d be of the juke box variety in homage to the TV show, and again, the almost singular setting of the original show would make it a dream to stage. I’m thinking something along the lines of Wicked – you know- social outcast girl forges on through everything her peers can throw at her to become a success!

3)      Revenge: There’s nothing more dramatic than Revenge; the show dedicated to socialite Emily Thorne’s quest to avenge the memory of her late father. The high drama that seeps through Revenge’s very pores would translate beautifully to the stage. As Evita proves, we all love the ‘saint or sinner’ trope.

4)      Friends: How could I not mention what in my opinion is the best comedy of all time? Again, the limited setting of the original works really well for musical theatre, and we’ve seen through RENT that a story based on the relationship of a group of friends, makes for compelling viewing.

5)      The Young Ones: An unusual choice, but in honour of the late, great Rik Mayall, it’s one I had to include. This early 80’s student classic is bonkers enough to work on the stage, would make people crack up and would give us all another chance to moan about Thatcher, which as members of the British population, we never pass up. I’m so thinking an Avenue Q type soundtrack would work here - ‘It Sucks to be me’ could even be Rick’s song!

Simon Morris Explores Musical Theatre as a Vehicle of Social Change

The truly timeless musicals are more than just the script, the score and the production. They tackle controversial issues and drive social change. On the Simon Morris blog this week, I want to explore just what this unique genre has contributed to the world as it has moved into the age of modernity.

A Musical Provokes Debate and Discussion

It’s often said that one of the greatest compliments an artist can receive is to be censored. To be banned is to spark a reaction, to provoke debate and discussion, which opens people’s minds, spurring change. I would argue that musical theatre in doing so, often acts as an indicator of the trajectory of society’s modernisation.

There are many clear examples of this throughout musical theatre history, examples that have tackled different social issues and been at the vanguard of their respective societal movements, and today, I want to examine two to prove my point: West Side Story and RENT

West Side Story: From Two Different Worlds

This most classic of musicals, which seems tame in the modern day, was actually pretty ground breaking when it was first released, and that it was it featured an interracial love affair between its white and Latina protagonists.

Coming at the vanguard of the civil rights movement, it was indicative of the turbulence that would follow a decade later, including the infamous Loving vs. Virginia case in the US, which established the right to interracial marriage nationwide.

RENT: Shedding Light on the Normality of Gay Relationships

RENT, the musical exploring the relationship between a group of friends in Alphabet city, followed in a similar vein when it was first released in the 90’s, as it acted to shed light on the normality of gay relationships – something that is a standard perception in today’s society, but was somewhat less understood back in the 90’s.

It’s important to note at the same time, the same-sex marriage debate was just starting  to rock state legislatures across the Union, and that it would be less than ten years later that the first state, Massachusetts, would act to legalise same-sex marriage. RENT captured a zeitgeist before it’s time.

Simon Morris on the Power of Musical Theatre

In conclusion, Simon Morris readers, there is a clear connection to the portrayal of controversial issues and the acceptance of these issues throughout society in the following days, months and years. This further illustrates just how adept the genre is at understanding and communicating with its audience.

Why Did The Producers Work?

If you’re looking for a comedy musical then you can’t do any better than The Producers. Your sides will literally be left splitting, but considering its somewhat controversial take on sensitive topics, this week I wanted to ask, why did The Producers work?

You have to be really careful when it comes to comedy – it’s a balancing act. Despite the often serious nature  of most musical productions, there are a whole raft of shows from The Producers to Avenue Q to The Full Monty that manage to balance controversy with skill to get their audiences to crack a smile instead of picket the next night with a host of placards.

Springtime for Hitler: A Runaway Smash!

For those of you who don’t know, The Producers is a musical about an attempt to make a musical. However, the people in charge don’t actually want it to succeed. They’ve crunched the numbers and realised that they’d actually make more money out of a flop than a hit.

They proceed to intentionally stage the most controversial play ever. They pick up this darling little script, ‘Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden.’ I don’t even think, Simon Morris readers, I need to let you know just why it was offensive.

They oversell the production, find the worst actor in human history (with the possible exception of Adam Sandler) and proceed to stage a show so shocking it’d turn your hair white. Turns out, they’ve got a hit on their hands and they’re officially screwed.

Art Imitates Life: A Runaway Smash!

Of course, The Producers proved just as big a hit with audiences as ‘Springtime for Hitler,’ and I believe that there are certain parallels. Essentially, it is a comedy that through the very use of the word Hitler, braved mass indignation that could have cut it off at the knees.

And yet outside of the play-within-a-play it’s so camp, so out there and ridiculous that you know it’s a comedy and you can see the funny side. It’s a case of we don’t find the invocation of such a man offensive, because the show goes to pains to make sure we understand that they are very much laughing at him, not with him.

The Producers worked quite frankly because it shouldn’t have. Sometimes the best art is the kind that breaks all the rules and these pieces, risky as they are, tend to live in infamy, delighting viewers across the world for years after the final curtain call.

If you have any questions regarding my musical interest, please contact Simon Morris.

Why Was the Lion King So Successful?

The musical adaptation of Disney’s The Lion King has been one of the most successful musical theatre productions of all time. This week on the Simon Morris blog I want to ask what was it about this beloved Disney classic that translated so well on stage.

Every kid loved The Lion King. This tale of a young orphan lion who struggles against the odds and return to the land of his birth to avenge his father’s death has touched the hearts and minds of a generation, managing to gross a staggering $987,483,777 million at the box office.

However films don’t always translate effectively onto the stage – just look at the disaster that was Spiderman. So what was it about this film that made it perfect for musical theatre?

The Lion King: A Fact File

The musical version of the film basically chronicles the same story and employs the same musical score, with adaptations and expansions incorporated into the production to make it more suitable for a Broadway audience.

The show first opened in the US city of Minneapolis in 1997, before moving to Broadway the same year and the West End in 1999. It was a raging success, bagging the coveted Tony Award for Best Musical in 1998, grossing more than $1 billion to date and playing in cities on every major continent.

For a show that may not have necessarily translated onto the stage, it did so with a fierceness that has to be admired, but it leads me to ask, what is it about the stage version that was such a hit around the world?

Simon Morris on the Popularity of The Lion King

Having had the enviable opportunity to catch this show more than a few times, I can emphatically argue that there are several reasons at least why audiences fell in love all over again once it hit the stage:

· Those songs: The songs that Disney crafted for its movie original, including ‘Circle of Life,’ ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ and ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ were simply superb and manage to entrance audiences just as much on stage as they ever did on the silver screen.

· A Careful Calibration: the stage production isn’t a verbatim copy of the original, yet it doesn’t stray too far from the script. It adds a layer of depth that lends a new appreciation for the characters and the story it tells.

· The Production: Have you ever been to a stage production of The Lion King? They spare no expense. The costumes are detailed, the sets elaborate and the feel authentic. You’re transported to Pride Rock!


The Lion King has transcended its title as a Disney classic to become a staple of the musical theatre world, and it’s a place the production rightly deserves. Simon Morris readers if you ever get a chance to attend a performance of this modern classic, take it with both hands!