Clip The Wings On Those Broadway Movies

"Urban Cowboy: The Musical" ran on broadway for only 60 regular performances, and I was at one of them. It's the worst musical I've ever seen.

Although the music in the show is unmemorable, I do remember that the producers had worked in product placement for Anheuser-Busch. (The cowboys were swilling Budweiser during the bar scenes.) If the only thing you can remember about the show is its sneaky advertising, this is not a good thing.

My second least-favorite musicial is also based on a movie. "Sleeping Beauty" received its "world premiere" at the Muny in St. Louis in the 1980s. Truth be told, this is actually the worst show I've ever seen, but because it was meant as a kids show, I graded it on a curve. So it's the second worst.

So these pieces of terrible theater ... were both based on movies. This, today, is a trend on Broadway. The Wedding Singer. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Tarzan. Mary Poppins. The Lion King.

What can we look for next? "Shrek The Musical" will be coming in 2008, as will "Legally Blonde" next April. And DreamWorks has plans to bring the musical version of "Catch Me If You Can" to Broadway.

Might it not be better if these producers came up with something original -- the shows that will be remembered and sung 50 years from now? Would producers in 1975 have opted for musical versions of The French Connection and The Godfather instead of A Chorus Line and Chicago?

This week, in St. Louis, the world premiere of a new musical is taking place at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. And it is a completely original idea. The name of the show is "Ace." The show is now in development, and it's not perfect yet, but it's good. Very good.

This show has a terrific score and deserves a broader audience. Go see it.

If we support original shows like this, maybe we can help prevent "Silence of the Lambs: The Musical."

Or do you want "The Bridge on the River Kwai: The Musical?"