These actors took their roles from stage to screen. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most notable times musical theater stars reprised their stage parts on the big screen.
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00:00 "Hello gorgeous."
00:02 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most notable times musical theater stars reprise their stage parts on the big screen.
00:12 "Zork! Life is disappointing? Forget it. In here, life is beautiful."
00:20 Number 10. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, the producers.
00:25 "The cast is great, the script is swell, but this we're telling you, sirs, it's just no go, you've got no show without the producers."
00:34 The musical version of The Producers is one of the most successful Broadway productions of all time.
00:39 The show snagged 12 Tony Awards, including a win for Nathan Lane and a nomination for Matthew Broderick.
00:45 Lane and Broderick became synonymous with the producers, so it's no wonder they were both cast in the 2005 film adaptation.
00:52 "Leo and Max, back on our tracks, we're back on top Tuesday."
01:00 The movie wasn't incredibly successful, but none of that can be blamed on this dynamic duo.
01:05 The actors took the delightful interplay and chemistry that made them so watchable on stage and perfectly translated it to the big screen.
01:12 "We were fated to be mated, where the others stopped and blew."
01:25 Number 9. Jesse L. Martin, Rent.
01:28 "We'll pack up all our junk and fly so far away, devote ourselves to projects that sell. We'll open up, we're restin' up in Santa Fe."
01:42 When Hollywood decided to make the hit musical Rent into a feature film, casting was of the utmost importance.
01:49 The movie ended up using the majority of the 1996 Broadway production's original cast.
01:53 Now, some people may have mixed opinions on whether that was the best move or not, considering the amount of time that had passed.
02:00 However, there's no denying that there were some standouts.
02:03 "Take me for what I am, who I was meant to be."
02:11 Idina Menzel proved she could still send us Over the Moon, and Jesse L. Martin absolutely stole the show.
02:17 As Collins, Martin delivers a sensational and empathetic performance that's just as captivating as it was on Broadway.
02:23 "I long to discover something as true as this scene."
02:32 Number 8. Tim Curry, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
02:36 "Come, we are ready for the floor show."
02:41 The Rocky Horror Picture Show has become a cinematic phenomenon since it first debuted in 1975.
02:47 After all these years, it's genuinely impossible to separate Tim Curry from the lead role.
02:52 Well, musical theater fans will know that that was also the case when they were casting the movie.
02:57 "Why don't you stay for the night?" "I need a bite." "Or maybe a bite." "Bite."
03:02 "I could show you my favorite obsession."
03:06 The 1975 film is based on a stage production called The Rocky Horror Show, which premiered on the West End in 1973 before later moving to Broadway.
03:14 The musical starred none other than Tim Curry as Dr. Frankenfurter,
03:18 delivering a mesmerizing performance that no doubt solidified his inclusion in the film.
03:23 "I'm going home."
03:34 Number 7. Olga Merediz, In the Heights.
03:37 When In the Heights hit the Broadway stage in 2008, it made an absolute splash.
03:42 Thirteen years later, we had all been waiting patiently for the show to hit the big screen.
03:46 "I am Usnaviyeh, you probably never heard my name. Reports of my fame are greatly exaggerated."
03:52 When it finally did, pretty much none of the original cast were included.
03:56 And if they were, they weren't reprising their roles. However, there was one notable exception.
04:01 "Stars are out tonight. Look at the fireworks. You're not alone tonight. Light up the night sky. You're not alone tonight."
04:13 Olga Merediz, who originated the part of Abuela Claudia on the stage, also played the character in the movie.
04:19 And she did so wonderfully, we might add. Merediz has a comforting presence to her that resonates both on stage and on screen.
04:26 "Oh my mama, what do you do when your dreams come true? I've spent my life inheriting dreams from you."
04:38 Number 6. Dick Van Dyke, Bye Bye Birdie.
04:41 It's hard to imagine a world without Dick Van Dyke in the movies, but before 1963, that's exactly the type of world we lived in.
04:49 "Pick out a pleasant outlook, stick out that noble chin. Wipe off the full of doubt look, slap on a happy grin."
05:00 Though he had his own sitcom, Van Dyke was mainly a Broadway baby at the time, having just starred as Albert Peterson in the 1960 production of Bye Bye Birdie.
05:09 When Hollywood decided to make a film version of the show, he made the transition from stage to silver screen.
05:14 "Life is one sweet, beautiful song to me."
05:20 The performance would be followed by many more wonderful Van Dyke showings that defined many a childhood.
05:25 From Mary Poppins to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we have a lot to thank Bye Bye Birdie for.
05:30 "Don't explain." "No, because I..." "You owe me nothing, even though you were molded by me."
05:36 Number 5. Ellen Green, Little Shop of Horrors.
05:39 "Suddenly see, show me your way, yes you can."
05:48 It's hard to imagine anyone but Ellen Green as Audrey in the 1986 movie version of Little Shop of Horrors, but that's almost what happened.
05:55 Although Green brought the character to life in both the off-Broadway as well as West End productions, she was not the original choice for Frank Oz's film.
06:03 "Where they rip your slips." "Down, down." "Where relationships are not good."
06:11 Reportedly, Cyndi Lauper was offered the role first, and Barbara Streisand allegedly had to say no before the studio turned to Green.
06:18 And boy are we glad they did. She brings the perfect mix of cheese and earnestness to make Audrey feel real.
06:24 "Between a frozen dinner and a bedtime 915, we snuggle watching Lucy."
06:35 Number 4. Carl Anderson, Jesus Christ Superstar.
06:39 "All I ask is that you listen to me, and remember I've been your right-hand man all along."
06:48 Sometimes you don't need huge, super-experienced movie stars to make a great movie musical. The 1973 film version of Jesus Christ Superstar is proof of this.
06:58 Many of the performers came straight from the stage, almost all of them having acted in the original Broadway production the flick was adapting.
07:05 This choice means that all of the actors have incredible singing voices, but we've got to talk about Carl Anderson specifically.
07:12 "You wanted me to do it, what if I just stayed here and ruined your ambition? Christ, you deserve it."
07:20 Anderson reprises the role of Judas and delivers not just a phenomenal vocal performance, but an acting one that blows everyone out of the water.
07:28 "Did you know your magic act would be a rocker breaker? Don't get me wrong, don't get me wrong, don't get me wrong."
07:40 Number 3. Joel Grey, Cabaret
07:43 "Bilkome and bienvenue, welkome, fremde, etrangee."
07:51 Sometimes your performance is so iconic, it's your way or the highway. So is the case with Joel Grey in Cabaret.
07:58 Grey originated the role of the Master of Ceremonies in 1966. His performance in the original Broadway production was so lauded that he won a Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.
08:09 "I like it, dee dee dee dee dee dee, ze like it, dee dee dee dee dee dee, ze do for fun."
08:16 Apparently, director Bob Fosse didn't care so much about that. Indeed, Fosse reportedly didn't want Grey for the MC role in his movie.
08:25 However, production stepped in. Fosse was essentially told that he could cast Grey or leave the project. We're glad he picked the former.
08:32 "Money makes the world go round, the world go round, the world go round. Money makes us go round the black people's shore. I'm being poor."
08:44 Number 2. Rex Harrison, My Fair Lady
08:47 "I'm very grateful she's a woman, and so easy to forget. Rather like a habit, one can always break."
08:59 Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison were the first to take on the roles of Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins on stage in the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady in 1956.
09:08 Famously, Andrews was not selected for the 1964 film version, which instead starred Audrey Hepburn in the titular role.
09:15 However, Harrison did go on to star in the movie to great acclaim.
09:19 "You should get a medal or be even made a knight."
09:22 "Oh, it was nothing. Really nothing. All alone you hurdled every obstacle in sight."
09:28 He won one of the film's many Academy Awards, and for good reason.
09:32 He is excellent in the dramedy, bringing the same curmudgeonly charm that made him so wonderful in the stage version.
09:38 "Would I start weeping like a bathtub overflowing? Or carry on as if my home were in a tree? Would I run off and never tell me where I'm going? Why can't a woman be like me?"
09:52 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:56 William Bramley, West Side Story.
09:58 Gee, he's a fantastic Officer Krupke.
10:01 "Listen, I know you guys was cooking up something to dance tonight, so don't think you're gonna put nothing over on me."
10:06 "Hey, Sergeant, come on quick, we gotta 10-13."
10:08 "Now go on, get a move on, all of you."
10:10 Paul Lynde, Bye Bye Birdie.
10:12 Something might be the matter with kids today, but nothing's the matter with Lynde's portrayal of Harry McAfee.
10:18 "Why can't they be like we were? Perfect in every way. What's the matter with kids today?"
10:26 Robert Preston, The Music Man.
10:28 A capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for Preston.
10:32 "We've surely got trouble. Right here in River City. Remember the main, Plymouth Rock and the Golden Rule."
10:39 Ted Neely, Jesus Christ Superstar.
10:42 Neely's work as Jesus Christ truly is the stuff of superstars.
10:46 "Oh no, just watch me die. See how, see how I die."
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11:19 Number 1. Barbara Streisand, Funny Girl.
11:22 Many people have played Fanny Bryce, but Barbara Streisand will always be the one that makes our hearts sing the loudest.
11:29 "What's the difference if I say I'll go away, when I know I'll come back on my knees someday."
11:42 She brought the iconic woman to life in the original Broadway production of Funny Girl in 1964
11:48 and was nominated for a Tony for her phenomenal performance.
11:51 While she didn't win that award, she wasn't done.
11:54 "Don't tell me not to fly, I simply got to. If someone takes a spill, it's me and not you.
12:00 Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade."
12:04 In 1968, Streisand became Fanny in the Funny Girl movie, making her feature film debut with Swagger.
12:11 And guess what? She won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
12:15 Whether she's on Broadway or gracing our movie screens, she embodies Fanny like nobody else.
12:20 "Have you guessed yet, who's the best yet? If you ain't, I'll tell ya one more time."
12:30 Which of these performers is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
12:34 "I see you shiver with anticipation."
12:41 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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12:50 [MUSIC]
13:00 you