Coming Soon: Ghost: The Musical
I think Ghost is a film that has an unnecessarily bad rap. Yes, the effects are rather dated. Yes, it's a little schmaltzy. But the performances are strong and it's a compelling little romance. It's paranormal romance, people. Are you expecting the most naturalistic and grounded film ever created? However, part of what makes that film so over the top for some is what makes it a perfect choice to adapt for the stage. I don't know if the post exists on this site, but I do distinctly remember doing a write-up of the preview tracks from Ghost: The Musical somewhere. From what I heard back then, it sounded like a sweet little pop show that might work. I couldn't be more wrong.
Ghost: The Musical is going to open on the West End (London's big theater scene) very soon and they released a trailer for the production. It's gorgeous. It's a multimedia extravaganza of lights, sounds, projections, music, and really cool staging. The performances don't look to shabby, either. Whoopi Goldberg even pointed out at the Tony Awards that the show looked like it coming to Broadway. I hope it does. Forget Spider-Man, Ghost looks like it's redefining the stage spectacle.
That's some solid use of projection screen sets right there. I want to know how Sam Wheat is being attended to by the paramedics while he's standing onstage in his ghost form. I want to know how the subway gets destroyed and how Sam is always surrounded by the otherworldly blue light. That's just a great design choice and an excellent conceit for the production. I'm excited.