Podcast Episode #11 – From the stage to the screen. A chat with Academy Award Nominee Richard LaGravenese.


There have been a ton of Broadway musical to movie adaptations over the years . . . from Chicago to Hairspray to Rent to Into the Woods.

But there have been hardly any Off Broadway musical to movie adaptations.

And then all of a sudden, here comes a film version of The Last 5 Years starring A-lister Anna Kendrick and soon-to-be-an-A-lister Jeremy Jordan.

How did this movie happen?

Two words.

Richard LaGravenese.

Richard is an Academy Award nominated screenwriter behind a few little known movies like, oh, The Bridges of Madison CountyThe Fisher King, Unbroken and a whole bunch more.

So what drew him to The Last 5 Years?  And what does he think about our industry?

Listen to his podcast to hear:

  • The difference between writing plays and writing screenplays.
  • Why the business model of Broadway is much more attractive to writers than the business model of Hollywood.
  • Why there are a lot of writer/directors in Hollywood but not so much here.
  • And whether or not he’s got more musicals he wants to make into movies.

As more musicals and plays are made into movies, and as more musicals and plays are streamed online, the bridge between the West and East coast continues to get built.  Thanks to people like Richard.  And hopefully, people like you.

Listen in.

Click here to listen.

Listen to it on iTunes here.  (And give me a rating, while you’re there!)

Download it here.

 

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Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.

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