Musical Movies Mixture Trivia Quiz

Answer: Carousel

Both the film and stage versions of "Carousel" were in turn based around "Liliom", a play that was written by the Hungarian playwright, Ferenc Molnár.

"Carousel" centres around the romance between Billy Bigelow - a barker working on a carousel - and Julie Jordan - who works at a local mill. When he falls in love with Julie, Billy is fired by the jealous owner of the carousel, Mrs Mullins. Julie in turn is fired from her job by the mill owner, Mr Bascombe for breaking the curfew rule he had imposed.

Marrying, Billy and Julie move into the home of Julie's cousin Nettie. Both struggle to find work, however, Billy is offered the chance to take part in stealing money from Mr Bascombe. However, when the robbery fails, it ends in tragedy with Billy fatally stabbing himself by accident when he tries to escape.

Fifteen years later, Billy's spirit is offered the chance to return to Earth for a day to put things right, appearing to his daughter Louise but not telling her who he is. When Louise flees to her mother, Julie catches sight of Billy before he disappears, sensing he has returned for a reason. Later, Billy silently reappears at Louise's High School graduation day in the hope of giving Julie and Louise confidence in themselves and to let Julie know he loved her.

A number of changes to the film version of "Carousel" were made from the original stage version. In the stage version, Billy commits suicide after the failed robbery of Mr Bascombe instead of accidentally stabbing himself, falling from a pile of crates. Also, for much of the film, Billy's life is depicted in a series of flashbacks.

The song "You'll Never Walk Alone" is first sung by Nettie, trying to comfort Julie as Billy dies in her arms. It is subsequently sung again by the cast at the end of the film on Louise's graduation day ceremony.

A number of different recording artists have made versions of "You'll Never Walk Alone", including Gerry and the Pace Makers, Judy Garland, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley.

Supporters of Liverpool FC adopted the song as the club's anthem during the 1960s when the club regularly played the top ten hit songs before each home game at Anfield. Since then, other football teams including Celtic, Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund have likewise adopted the song as their club anthem.

Answer: ABBA

The plot for "Mamma Mia!" centres around a young girl named Sophie who secretly invites three men to attend her upcoming wedding, believing one of them is her father. However, Sophie's mother - Donna - is unaware of her daughter's plans, preparing herself for the arrival of her former friends, Tanya and Rosie. When Donna finds out her former lovers are on the island she asks them to leave since even she is uncertain which one of them is Sophie's father.

The film received mixed receptions from critics when it was shown. Although some praised the film, others picked up on certain cast members' singing abilities, in particular Pierce Brosnan who was described as sounding like a "donkey braying" and a "wounded raccoon".

Although ABBA had been formed in the early 1970s it was after winning the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest that they found wider fame outside their native Sweden. The majority of the songs written by ABBA were composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus - with occasional help from their manager Stig Anderson.

A little known fact though is that Agnetha Fältskog - one of ABBA's lead singers - also contributed to writing a song recorded by ABBA. However, despite Agnetha being an accomplished singer/songwriter herself she never felt her songs were worthy of being recorded by ABBA.

Another little known fact is although Agnetha and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida) sang most of the lead vocals on the group's albums, Bjorn also sang lead vocals on a few tracks, one of them entitled "Does Your Mother Know" which is included in "Mamma Mia!".

"Mamma Mia!" was not the first musical that Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus became involved with. Along with Tim Rice, they wrote music for the stage musical, "Chess" in the early 1980s.

Answer: Elsa

One of Disney's most successful films, "Frozen" is based on the story of "The Snow Queen" written by Hans Christian Andersen.

The plot centres around a young queen named Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) who was born with the power to create snow and ice. Having accidentally hurt her younger sister Anna with her powers, Elsa had been raised in isolation, her parents fearing that Elsa may be viewed with fear by the people of the Arendelle - the country where "Frozen" is set.

At her coronation, Elsa is reunited with Anna, however, Anna upsets Elsa with her plans to marry a prince she had just met named Hans. With her powers revealed to all, Elsa flees to the mountains. It is there that Elsa sings "Let It Go" as she gradually comes to terms with her powers as she builds an ice palace to live in.

With songs written and composed by Robert Lopez and wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, "Let It Go" is the best known song from the film's soundtrack, winning an Oscar for Best Original Song - along with the film winning Best Animated Feature.

Such was the power of the song "Let It Go" it actually changed the character of Elsa from being portrayed as a villain - as was originally intended - to be one of the film's main protagonists. In addition, a number of people have felt able to identify themselves with the song, including the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community, seeing the song as a metaphor for coming out about their sexuality.

Although singer Demi Lovato released a version of "Let It Go" as a single, Idina Menzel's version - as used in "Frozen" - generally had better success in the singles charts around the world.

Answer: Rent

Directed by Chris Columbus, "Rent" is based upon the stage musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson. The plot for "Rent" was itself based upon "La bohème", an opera by Giacomo Puccini.

Set across a year, "Rent" tells the story of a group of friends, struggling with various problems from drugs, sexuality and being able to pay rent on their apartment. In addition, some of the characters are living in the shadow of having been diagnosed with AIDS.

Some changes were made by Chris Columbus omitting parts that were in the stage musical, including cutting part of the song "Goodbye Love", as well as filming alternative endings that were not in the stage version. These endings can be found on some DVD releases of the film.

In addition, the death of Roger's girlfriend - April - is briefly referred to in the film version of "Rent", but not how she had died. In the stage musical, it is mentioned that April had committed suicide after finding out she was HIV Positive. Although the discovery of April's body was filmed, Chris Columbus took the decision to cut the scene.

The film did feature some of the original Broadway cast members of "Rent", including Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal. Critically, the film received mixed reviews which generally rated the film as being average.

Answer: West Side Story

The film "West Side Story" is based upon the late 1950s stage musical of the same name, written by Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim, with the storyline by Arthur Laurents. The inspiration for the storyline however, comes from William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet" in that the tragic deaths of two lovers unites their feuding families. "West Side Story" draws upon this theme, however, changes it so the two lovers are from rival street gangs that live in New York.

The plot of the film centres around the love that a gang member of the "Jets" named Tony has for Maria, the sister of Bernardo - leader of the "Sharks". As tensions rise, Riff the leader of the "Jets" is killed by Bernardo, leading to Tony killing Bernardo.

As tensions rise between the rival gangs, Tony is given a message that a member of the "Sharks" named Chino has killed Maria, prompting Tony to confront Chino, taunting him to kill him as well. When Tony sees Maria is alive, he tries to reach her but is shot by Chino. Taking the gun from Chino, Maria urges the rival gangs to stop fighting, blaming them for the deaths of Tony, Bernardo and Riff.

In the film, the roles of Tony and Maria were played by Richard Beymer and Natalie Wood, however, the songs their characters sang were actually sung by Jimmy Bryant and Marni Nixon.

The film differed slightly from the stage musical version in when some of the songs were played during the storyline whilst a few characters had their names changed.

Answer: Camelot

Based upon the Lerner and Loewe stage musical of the same name, "Camelot" starred Richard Harris as King Arthur and Vanessa Redgrave as Guenevere - an alternate spelling of King Arthur's wife Guinevere.

The story begins with King Arthur preparing to battle with Sir Lancelot, a fight he had been forced into. When his mentor, Merlyn appears, Merlyn forces Arthur to reflect on his life from the moment he met Guenevere.

Ten years, after meeting Guenevere, Arthur has formed the Knights of the Round Table, when a knight from France, Sir Lancelot enters Camelot, seeking to join the other knights. Although he is welcomed by King Arthur, Guenevere takes a dislike to Lancelot. It is only when Lancelot saves another knight's life during a joust that her feelings change towards Lancelot.

The arrival of Arthur's illegitimate son Mordred sets of s chain of events as Mordred stirs trouble between Arthur, Guenevere and Lancelot, exposing Lancelot and Guenevere's affair. Although Guenevere is sentenced to death, Lancelot saves her, in turn setting the scene where he and Arthur are to fight each other.

Although the film version of "Camelot" generally followed the stage musical, a number of songs were cut from the film including, "Before I Gaze at You Again", "Persuasion" and "The Joust". However, including credits the film still had a run time of nearly three hours. When released at the cinema, further cuts were made, excluding stanzas from the songs, "C'est Moi" and "What Do the Simple Folk Do?".

Despite the original stage musical having received some positive reviews, the film version of "Camelot" did not, with one critic stating "Camelot" represented Hollywood at its best and worst, whilst another stating the film lacked "magic".

Answer: No

Released in 1963, "Summer Holiday" was a musical film starring Cliff Richard, one of a series of musical films he appeared in that included "The Young Ones" and "Expresso Bongo".

The plot for "Summer Holiday" centres around a group of mechanics, working in a London Transport bus depot. One of the mechanics named Don (played by Cliff Richard) persuades his bosses to lend him an old bus so he and friends can go on holiday to the south of France.

On their way to the South of France, the gang helps a group of girls who are heading to Greece. In addition, they pick up a hitchhiker who at first pretends to be a boy until it is revealed she is a girl. What they do not know is the girl is actually a well known American singer trying to escape from her controlling mother and manager.

The film produced a hit soundtrack album, with the songs "Summer Holiday", "Bachelor Boy" and "The Next Time" reaching the top of the UK singles charts.

It should be noted that the film "Summer Holiday" bears no relation to the 1948 Mickey Rooney film of the same name or the 2000 Hong Kong film of the same name.

The stage musical version was adapted from the film in 1996, premiering at The Opera House, Blackpool. The stage musical featured a number of songs that were not in the film, but were hits for Cliff Richard and the Shadows. In addition, the route of the journey to Greece was changed to go via Italy, and not what was Yugoslavia.

Answer: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Released in 1975, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" was based upon Richard O'Brien's stage musical, "The Rocky Horror Show". As well as writing the original stage show, O'Brien co-wrote the screen play for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", and reprised his role of Riff Raff.

A tribute to the Sci-Fi/Horror B movies that were once made from the 1930s until the 1970s, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" starred Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon, as a young couple named Brad and Janet who became stranded, seeking shelter in a strange castle near Denton, Ohio. There, they encountered Dr Frank N Furter, along with his staff, Riff Raff, Magenta and Columbia.

As the night progresses, Brad and Janet find themselves entwined in Frank N Furter's madness, as first he reveals he has created life, then brutally kills his former lover, Eddie - played by the singer Meat Loaf. Eventually Frank N Furter is thwarted by his henchman Riff Raff and Magenta when the pair reveal they - and Frank N Furter - are aliens from the planet Transexual.

Although "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" was not a great success when released, it slowly began to develop a cult following after being shown as a midnight film in a cinema in New York, and later Texas. As the film was shown, the audience began to respond to certain things the characters would say. Such is the fan following for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" - along with the stage musical "The Rocky Horror Show" that is common for fans to turn up at venues dressed as characters from the film/musical.

In addition, the audience would participate, throwing thing at certain venues such as rice, toast and toilet paper at the screen as the film is shown. However, some venues have clamped down on this due to the damage it causes to the cinema screens.

Answer: The Kit Kat Club

Based upon the 1966 stage musical of the same name "Cabaret" is set against the backdrop of the last days of the Weimar Republic in Germany and the rise of the Nazi Party.

Released in cinemas in 1972, the film version of "Cabaret" starred Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles, an American singer, working in a Berlin night club called the Kit Kat Club. There she encounters an English academic named Brian Roberts (played by Michael York). The two go on to form a relationship that is often strained, especially when Sally becomes pregnant.

As the film progresses, there is an undercurrent of the rise of National Socialism, leading to the formation of what would later be known as the Nazi Party, including also the first indication of the persecution of the Jewish community that was living in Germany in the 1930s.

This is summed up during the song "Tomorrow Belongs to Me", sung by a young boy in a beer garden. At first the song seems innocent, praising the virtues of youth and beauty. However, as the song progresses the boy is then depicted in a Hitler Youth brown shirt, raising his hand in a Nazi salute and prompting his audience to join in with the song.

The film differs in a number of ways from the stage musical. Sally Bowles was English in the stage version. In addition, Michael York's character of Brian was an American named Cliff Bradshaw. Also some songs were cut from the film that appeared in the stage version such as "The Money Song", "Meeskite" and "Telephone Song". "Don't Tell Mama" and "Married" although kept in the film, were not performed as musical songs but instrumental versions.

In addition, the character of Max - who seduces both Brian and Sally - is depicted as a wealthy playboy in the film. In the stage musical, Max is only a minor character and owns the Kit Kat Club.

Answer: No

Released in cinemas in 1979, "Hair" was a film adaptation of the 1967 James Rado, Gerome Ragni, and Galt MacDermot stage musical of the same name.

Set against the backdrop of the Hippie counter culture, along with the growing anti-Vietnam era, "Hair" is the story of two men. One of the men is Claude, a young man from Oklahoma about to join the army, prior to leaving to fight in the Vietnam war. When Claude witnesses a protest in New York by a group of hippies, he meets George, eventually agreeing to join George and his friends after aiding them in recovering a horse they had used in the protest that had escaped.

Becoming immersed in the hippie culture, Claude eventually falls out with them over a trick they played on a wealthy socialite named Sheila - a woman who Claude has fallen in love with. This in turn leads Claude to enlist in the army as planned. However, George and the others locate him and seek to free him, but when Claude refuses in fear of going AWOL, George takes his place. Unfortunately for George, the base where Claude is training at gets orders to move to Vietnam where George loses his life.

A number of plot changes were made to the film making it somewhat different to the stage musical. Amongst these changes were those to the characters of Claude and Sheila. In the film version, Claude was a naïve man from Oklahoma, but in the stage version he was already a hippie living with a group known as the "Tribe". Also in the film, Sheila was portrayed as coming from a wealthy family, whilst in the stage version, Sheila was the feminist leader of the "Tribe". In addition, the film also puts more focus on the hippie culture as opposed to the stage musical focusing more on the anti-Vietnam sentiment of the time.

A number of songs were also cut from the film including "Abie Baby", "Air", "My Conviction" and "What Piece of Work is Man". In addition, some of the other songs that did feature in the film - that were also in the stage version - were edited which include, "Manchester, England" and "Walking in Space".

Despite getting some favourable reviews, the original writers of "Hair" - Rado, Ragni and MacDermot - were not pleased, stating the film version of "Hair" did not capture the essence of their stage musical in the way the film depicted hippies and their connection with the peace movement.