"Mein Herr." "Bye Bye, Birdie." "Hopelessly Devoted to You." If you’re a movie musical fan, chances are you recognize these songs from the film adaptations of Cabaret, Bye, Bye, Birdie, and Grease!. But did you know they were created specifically for the movie?
Below are some notable numbers that debuted on film, then appeared on stage.
Cabaret
When Kander and Ebb adapted their Tony-winning Broadway musical for Hollywood, they wrote two new, high-energy showstoppers: “Mein Herr” and “Money.”
Despite frequent revivals, it took a while for the songs to make their debut on stage, not appearing until the Sam Mendes-directed West End production more than 20 years later. Originally, “Money” was combined with “Sitting Pretty” (which does not appear in the film) but it's been sung on its own ever since the 1998 Broadway revival starring Natasha Richardson.
Note: While “Maybe This Time” was written by Kander & Ebb, it wasn’t written specifically for the movie—so it’s not included on this list.
Evita
Show creators Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice won an Oscar for “You Must Love Me,” created specifically for the 1996 film. The song appears at the end of the film as the favored First Lady of Argentina, portrayed by a Golden Globe winner Madonna, begins losing her battle to cancer.
“[She] is dying and she knows she's dying,” said Lloyd Webber in an interview. “One reason she is saying, ‘You must love me’, is out of desperation. She’s also saying, ‘You must love me because you must have always loved me,’ so it’s a little word play, I guess, which Tim Rice has written.”
The well-received song wound up in several post-film stagings, including the 2006 London revival (the first major production after the movie was released) and the 2013 Broadway revival starring Elena Roger and Ricky Martin.
Grease!
Now considered canon for any Rydell High cheerleader, “Grease” by Barry Gibb and “You’re the One That I Want” by John Farrar were both created specifically for the movie, released in 1978.
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” was also written by Farrar as a solo for Olivia Newton-John. The number ended up earning the film its only Academy Award nomination.
However, it wasn’t until nearly 30 years later that all three fan-favorites made their Broadway debut, in the 2007 revival starring Max Crumm and Laura Osnes.
The Sound of Music
To add a musical accompaniment to Maria’s departure from the abbey, Richard Rodgers wrote “I Have Confidence” for the film. Additionally, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer were given “Something Good” to further romanticize the characters' relationship.
Since then, many stage revivals have included the two numbers, including the 1998 Broadway revival starring Rebecca Luker.
Dreamgirls
When Beyoncé signed on to play Deena Jones in the Bill Condon-directed film adaption, no one doubted a new song would be added.
Four songs were actually created for the film, but it was the Academy Award–nominated “Listen,” written by original Broadway composer Henry Krieger, along with Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, and Queen Bey, that resonated most. The song deepens the emotional climax when Deena ultimately leaves Curtis.
For the 2009–2010 U.S. tour, Willie Reale adapted “Listen” into a duet between Deena and Effie. It was included in the 2016 West End revival starring Amber Riley as Effie and Liisi LaFontaine as Deena.
Bye Bye Birdie
In 2013, Ann-Margret told The New York Post that director George Sidney wrapped up filming without Kim (played by Ann-Margret) singing the title song, which was not in the original Broadway production.
“Six months after shooting, Mr. Sidney had the idea for the front and back of the movie,” she said. “There was a wind machine going and I did the front and the back of the movie walking on this treadmill. Columbia, the studio, said, ‘No, we don’t need that.’ They certainly didn’t want to pay for it, so he paid for it himself. Then, when they saw the final cut, they reimbursed [him].”
The number is generally left out of stage productions, but it was used as the finale in Roundabout’s 2009 Broadway revival.
Guys & Dolls
In 1955, Frank Sinatra sang “Adelaide,” a new addition for the film adaptation of Guys and Dolls written by the musical’s creator, Frank Loesser.
It wasn’t used on stage until 50 years later, in the West End production starring Ewan McGregor as Sky, Jane Krakowski as Adelaide, and Douglas Hodge as Nathan Detroit, who sings the number.
Godspell
“Beautiful City” was written by Stephen Schwartz in 1972 for the film starring Victor Garber.
In the movie, it follows “By My Side” as an upbeat company number, but in the 2011 Broadway revival it was sung as a solo ballad by Jesus.
In other stage productions it has replaced the “Day by Day” reprise and “Tower of Babble,” served as the prologue, and been added to the end in depicting the Resurrection. Schwartz notably updated the lyrics following the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
South Pacific
Written by Rodgers and Hammerstein for the original Broadway production, "My Girl Back Home" was cut before opening.
The song made its way into the 1956 film and 2001 made-for-TV adaptation, and since the turn of the 21st century, the duet has been used in several productions, notably the 2008 Bartlett Sher-directed revival starring Kelli O’Hara, Paulo Szot, and Matthew Morrison.
Bonus: Anything Goes
While the song was originally written and used by Cole Porter for Red, Hot and Blue, starring Ethel Merman and Bob Hope, “It’s De-Lovely” was folded into the 1956 film version of Anything Goes, starting Donald O'Connor (Singin’ in the Rain) and Mitzi Gaynor (South Pacific).
It was first added to the 1962 Off-Broadway revival at Orpheum Theatre, and was subsequently used in the Tony-winning 1987 and 2011 revivals starring Patti LuPone and Sutton Foster, respectively.
