‘The Phantom of the Paradise’ May Discover New Life as a Stage Play

The Phantom of the Paradise, the vastly underrated horror-tinged rock opera from the minds of Brian De Palma (Carrie) and Paul Williams (The Muppet Movie), may be getting a brand new musical adaptation. Movie Maker reports that Williams and Sam Pressman, whose father Ed Pressman produced the 1974 cult movie, are at the moment creating it as a stage manufacturing.

“I’m enthusiastic about having an opportunity to ship what followers have been suggesting for years… POTP as a stage musical,” Williams stated in a press release to MovieMaker. “I feel its time has come!” American Psycho writer Bret Easton Ellis has been approached to pen it (please, no), however he’s not dedicated based on the report.

In the event you’ve by no means heard of The Phantom of the Paradise, get thee to a revival theater screening or hire it on-line—particularly should you’re a Muppets fan. I do know it appears bizarre to attract a line from “Rainbow Connection” and “no cheeses for us meeces” to a glam and gory ’70s riff on The Phantom of the Opera, however stick with me for a second. Not solely did the De Palma and Williams musical predate Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway tackle the Gaston Leroux novel, however it impressed so many artists we all know and love immediately. After its launch Williams went on to change into the Muppetational thoughts behind the music of The Muppet Film and The Muppet Christmas Carol. In the meantime, De Palma continued to style hop from horror to mob motion pictures and began the Mission: Not possible franchise.

The Phantom of the Paradise loosely adapts The Phantom of the Opera by the use of Faust with a splash of The Image of Dorian Grey however re-imagined into masterful musical mayhem. It follows a lowly composer named Winslow Leech who chases a take care of the satan within the type of music producer Swan, performed by Williams in a tasty flip for the multi-hypenate. (He later additionally performed the Penguin in Batman: The Animated Series.)

Because of his affiliation with Demise Data, Leech’s musical abilities are ripped away and pressed similar to his face into information that don’t give him credit score for his songs. This consists of the tunes that rework Leech’s crush Phoenix, the ingenue performed by Jessica Harper (Suspiria), right into a pop star. Vowing revenge he turns into the Phantom of the Paradise and violently haunts each artist Swan tries to provide his music to, till they enter a deal that Leech’s music will solely go to Phoenix. And from there issues get actual messy and bloody, however man, the needle drops are legendary.

So legendary that the movie, very like its inventive minds behind it, additionally impressed artists throughout mediums too. Guillermo del Toro is a vocal fan of the movie and has been instrumental in ensuring it stays within the horror zeitgeist. He even has one of many Phantom’s helmets in his Bleak Home assortment, which I completely didn’t think about pulling a heist for on the LACMA when it was on show there.

The movie has additionally change into a touchstone for different musicians. One that basically struck me personally was discovering out that My Chemical Romance was heavily inspired by the film. I didn’t see it till I used to be an grownup, which I deserve a disgrace circle for as a Phantom of the Opera Common Monsters and unique novel fan—however I knew MCR’s The Black Parade. The no-skips album is actually a rock opera and it made whole sense to search out out Gerard Means was closely influenced by Phantom in its creation. If something, Means ought to write the e-book for Williams’ upcoming staging and star in it too.

One other act that’s come underneath Phantom‘s spell provides an much more enjoyable realization: Daft Punk. Right down to the helmets, aesthetic, and sound of the Phantom, that film actually gave us the best digital duo to ever spin. Williams truly appeared on Random Entry Recollections observe “Contact,” which sounds prefer it was yanked from a time machine as a Phantom of the Paradise B-side.

The Phantom of the Paradise was forward of its time and the announcement of its stage musical  provides me hope it’s going to discover its viewers. In the event that they modernize it, I wouldn’t hate it as a result of I see the imaginative and prescient. The themes are timeless even in our digital age the place content material creators with expertise who attempt to construct a following get ripped off by synthetic influencers with clout. That may be very Leech/Phantom versus Swan-coded for certain. Williams is a stone chilly legend and his music mastery is a present that’s nonetheless giving—he headlined Coachella this yr with Yo Gabba Gabba!

Whereas the report talked about De Palma has been approached concerning the staging, he’s not an introduced a part of it. “We actually need Brian to really feel honored,” Pressman stated within the article. “I went to go see Brian final fall, to speak concerning the dream. Phantom was an early and vital movie for him and I’d say the favourite movie of my father in his profession. I feel the chaos and originality of the entire expertise was deeply inspiring.”