Whoopi Goldberg presents 'Something Borrowed', the fifth documentary in Radio 2's season of programmes celebrating The Musical.
Whatever your taste in musicals - whether it's the latest, most innovative show or tried and tested favourites from an earlier century, they all make their impact by using music to transform the commonplace into the exceptional. In its early life, the musical was sometimes the product of East Coast Broadway impresarios. And at other times, it was the work of Hollywood's West Coast movie moguls. Inevitably, Broadway started looking to successful film stories, along with plays, as sources of inspiration for plots in musical theatre:
'All About Eve' became the musical 'Applause', a musical based on the film 'Ghost' is now in development and there's even a West End show based on a film about a cabaret singer disguised as a nun hiding from the mob in a convent.
In 'Something Borrowed', Whoopi looks at shows inspired by plays and films including 'Sunset Boulevard', 'West Side Story', 'A Little Night Music' and 'Nine'.
With contributions from Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Patti Lupone, Don Black, Michael Grandage, Jerry Herman, Tim Rice, Maury Yeston, Liz Robertson, Gillian Lynne and Richard Stilgoe.
'Something Borrowed' is written by Brian Sibley and produced by Malcolm Prince.
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