Tootsie Tickets

Tootsie, the popular American comedy film released back in 1982, has been adapted for Broadway as a musical. The story is about Michael Dorsey (played by Dustin Hoffman), an actor who struggles to find work due to his reputation of being difficult to work with. He creates a female persona - Dorothy Michaels - to land a role on a soap opera and effectively becomes a sought-after star.

The adaptation of Tootsie for the stage can be seen as a symbol of how theater has evolved over the years. While most productions rely on original scripts, more and more shows are using established works from other mediums such as movies and novels. Musicals, especially, are known for adapting movies for the stage. The success of shows such as The Lion King, Mean Girls, and Waitress suggests that audiences are willing to pay to see familiar stories retold onstage.

But adapting a movie like Tootsie into a musical is not an easy feat. For one, the medium of storytelling is different. In a movie, the camera does all the work in showing the viewer what they need to see; in theater, everything has to be done live and on stage. This requires the creative team to make significant changes to the story and characters to fit them into the new medium.

Another challenge is capturing the spirit and tone of the original movie while making it unique and fresh for a new audience. The team behind Tootsie the Musical had to navigate this during the show's development and production. But reviews have shown that they were able to successfully balance these competing demands, making the show both nostalgic and relevant.

In addition, the casting of a male actor in a female’s role presents another challenge to the play's production team. The character of Dorothy Michaels is central to the plot, and the actor playing her must be convincing in their portrayal. Since Tootsie the Musical premiered on Broadway in April 2019, Santino Fontana has taken on the challenging role and has received critical acclaim for his performance.

Overall, Tootsie's adaptation into a stage musical with new songs and choreography represents a new era in theater. With audiences craving familiarity and Broadway producers searching for unique and innovative ways to tell stories, it is no surprise that adapting movies and other pre-existing works into theatrical productions will continue to remain popular. Tootsie and other similar adaptations give hope that, despite the challenges of making theater relevant in the digital era, the art form still has a bright future ahead.