Musicals: you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. Do you enjoy when characters suddenly burst into song? Or does it make you cringe? When it comes to science fiction and fantasy, adding a musical element can push the boundaries of what’s believable… sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge coined the term “suspension of disbelief” to explain how we willingly ignore logic for entertainment. This is really tested when we mix sci-fi, fantasy, and musicals. Here are ten such productions that definitely took a leap of faith.
Related: 10 Surprising Musical Moments From Popular Shows
10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Coming Out of Their Shells
The power of toys in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s was unmatched. The craze around the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was huge. Based on a comic, the Turtles got a cartoon, toys, and tons of merchandise. To promote it all, they even considered a musical.
The Turtles did have some successful musical moments, like a number-one hit tied to their first movie. Their second movie even featured Vanilla Ice! But their stage show, Coming Out of Their Shells tour, is mostly forgotten.
The plot was pretty simple: the Turtles are on a musical tour and want to meet fans, but Shredder and Baxter Stockman interrupt them. The Turtles have to figure out how to beat their enemies.
It’s hard to find highlights, but “April’s Theme” is a sappy song by their reporter friend, and “Skipping Stones” is sung by Splinter, their rat mentor. Pizza Hut sponsored the show, which was broadcast on pay-per-view television and VHS.[1]
9 Via Galactica
The ‘70s were a strange time for sci-fi. The moon landings had just happened, but the tech boom was still to come. People had wild ideas about the future, involving ping pong balls, trampolines, aluminum foil, and ballads.
Via Galactica was created by Christopher Gore and Judith Ross, with music by Galt Macdermot, who had success with the musical Hair. Hollywood legend Raul Julia and Fame actress Irene Cara were also involved, but they couldn’t save the confusing plot and set.
The musical was about outcasts living on an asteroid, but it was canceled after seven nights because of the bad plot. The set had trampoline surfaces that actors would sink into! The radio mics even picked up emergency service bands and broadcast police radio to the audience. Cara got stuck in the rigging, and Raul Julia was once stuck in a spaceship above the audience.
The initial title was “Up,” planned for the Uris Theatre. Once someone pointed out the problem, the name was changed.[2]
8 Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark
Imagine a great director who made Disney’s Lion King a million-dollar hit on stage, plus U2’s pop music, and the most famous superhero ever. What could go wrong?
The idea for a Spiderman musical came up after the first Spiderman movie was a hit. But things got tough when the producer, Tony Adams, passed away. Then the financial crisis hit, and investors backed out. Besides money problems, the musical had tech issues.
The lead actor got stuck while web-swinging above the audience! A crew member had to poke him down with a stick while he hung there like a piñata.
The web-swinging equipment was expensive and often hurt the performers, with concussions and broken bones reported.
Even the music was weak. U2 supposedly didn’t know much about musicals, so someone made them a CD of Broadway’s best songs from the past 60 years. Imagine U2’s Joshua Tree mixed with the Les Miserables soundtrack—that might give you an idea.[3]
7 Carrie: The Musical
Carrie is a horror story about a girl coming of age. It’s hard to see how those themes fit into a musical. Based on Stephen King’s novel, it only lasted five shows and is known as one of the biggest musical failures.
The movie adaptation was a hit, so the screenwriter, Lawrence D. Cohen, and composer, Michael Gore, decided to create a musical. Gore had worked on the hit Fame, so he should have known better.
Carrie started in the UK in 1988 and had tech problems from the beginning. One actress quit after almost getting hurt by a stage piece. The famous scene where Carrie gets covered in pig’s blood kept causing the actress’s microphone to short out.
When the show moved to the U.S., it was already doomed. The press was as mean as Carrie’s bullies. Despite the audience’s boos, the show sold out every night, as if people enjoyed seeing a terrible show.[4]
6 Moby Dick: A Whale of a Tale
Whale hunting and teenage girls as objects of desire are outdated concepts. Imagine a musical that mixes both into one uncomfortable play.
Robert Longden and Hereward Kaye created the musical as a silly tale where a girls’ school puts on a play of Moby Dick. With a drag-wearing headmistress and suggestive jokes, it toured universities like an early Ru Paul’s Drag Race.
After many sold-out shows, they decided to go bigger. It played at the Piccadilly Theatre in London’s West End but got bad reviews and closed after four months. It moved to the U.S., but they removed the more controversial parts.[5]
5 Repo! The Genetic Opera
This one’s a movie. Repo! has a cool idea: in 2056, organ failure is everywhere. GeneCo sells replacements on a payment plan. Repo men hunt down those who miss payments and take back the organs. Sounds good, right? Until it’s an opera and Paris Hilton is in it.
The movie came from a 2002 musical by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich. Smith was inspired by a friend’s bankruptcy and imagined a future where body parts were property. It became a hit with gothic movie fans, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. They made a ten-minute trailer to pitch to movie studios.
The cast and writers promoted the movie, but the plot didn’t deliver, and the songs were just okay. Paris Hilton won a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress.[6]
4 Raggedy Ann: The Musical Adventure
Raggedy Ann had a good run before her musical. Johnny Gruelle’s books led to a 1977 animated movie with Raggedy Ann and Andy. But her musical took a dark turn.
The story is about a dying child from a broken home. Her dolls come to life and take her to the Doll Doctor to save her. It has a happy ending where she reunites with her father, but it touches on genocide and sex, which aren’t for kids.
The musical only lasted three days. Bootleg recordings keep it alive, and people have tried to revive it, but without much success.[7]
3 The Toxic Avenger
A Toxic Avenger musical makes sense. From cult movie studio Troma, it’s about a janitor who falls into toxic waste and becomes a crime fighter. He overthrows a corrupt mayor and becomes a hero. The movie flopped at first but gained a cult following, with sequels, video games, and a cartoon.
The movie’s humor works well in a musical. Reviews were good, and it won awards. It started in New Jersey, then toured the U.S., Australia, the UK, and played at festivals.[8]
2 Starmites
Starmites isn’t a huge hit, but it has lasted longer than many musicals. It ran for two months on Broadway and even has a version for kids to perform. Starting in 1980, it has returned for different performances.
The story is about Eleanor, a shy teen who loves comic books and dreams of being a hero. The musical takes place in one of her dreams, where the Starmites battle the Shak Graa. It’s a good example of a sci-fi musical that doesn’t go too far.[9]
1 Evil Dead: The Musical
It seems like everything’s getting a musical adaptation. This one is based on the cult Evil Dead movie serious. A group of teenagers accidentally unleash undead and demonic entities while on holiday in the woods.
Like Toxic Avenger, it has the dark humor of its movie. The jokes are great, and the musical numbers are funny. It has been performed over 300 times worldwide, but be warned: the audience gets covered in fake gore and guts![10]
Which of these musicals would you dare to watch? Let us know in the comments below!
