MOVIE MUSICALS SING A NEW SONG HOLLYWOOD CHANGES ITS TUNE, SEEKS TO BUILD ON SUCCESS OF 'MOULIN ROUGE'.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

When ``Moulin Rouge'' director Baz Luhrmann embarked on a five-year odyssey of making and promoting his Oscar-nominated musical, the charismatic filmmaker's passion exploded into something of a one-man campaign for the return of this virtually dormant art form.

The risky ``Moulin Rouge'' managed to surprise many by finishing its theatrical run on the list of the 10 highest-grossing movie musicals of all time, a list headed by two enduring mega-moneymakers: ``Grease'' and ``The Sound of Music.'' Buoyed by the success of the 20th Century Fox film, the movie industry now seems primed to once again embrace the live-action movie musical.

``We certainly kicked a door in for it,'' Luhrmann said. ```Moulin Rouge' made money so it is motivation for the studios. I know that all of the majors are looking for material.''

Some studios are already taking the musical baton and running with it. Miramax Films is filming the film version of the long-running Broadway hit ``Chicago'' while Walt Disney Films is set to release its first nonanimated musical in several years with the summer release of ``The Country Bears.''

``There's no reason more musicals shouldn't happen,'' said Luhrmann. ``People want it to happen.''

``Moulin Rouge'' has grossed an impressive $174.5 million worldwide and has also been a smash in the home-video market with a two-disc DVD, one of the year's biggest sellers.

Musical film historian John Kenrick believes that despite Hollywood's fickle love affair with the musical, history shows that the time could be ripe for a new ``Golden Age'' for a genre that has seen its fortunes repeatedly rise and fall.

``Every time the musical film is declared dead, it rises phoenixlike,'' said Kenrick, author of the Web site Musicals101.com. ``By 1932, it was said that the genre was worn out but then in 1933, '42nd Street' was made and musical film exploded again. They again declared it dead in the mid-1960s then 'My Fair Lady,' 'The Sound of Music' and 'Mary Poppins' all hit at once.''

Musicals had again hit the skids until the 1978 release of ``Grease,'' featuring a singing and dancing John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. But except for Disney's steady stream of wildly successful animated musicals in the 1990s, the genre had largely cooled off.

``Now after being very much thought of as a dead art form, here comes the musical one more time,'' said Kenrick. ```Moulin Rouge' is definitely a sign. With the ongoing popularity of Disney animation, it was only a matter of time before someone realized that real human beings are just as attractive singing as a cartoon.''

Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, said ``Moulin Rouge'' proved that the movie musical is indeed poised for yet another comeback, but under some new rules.

``The makers of that movie sort of took a tired genre, reinvigorated it and made it relevant to today's audiences,'' he said. ``In a way, they created a new style of musical, one that seems fresh and innovative rather than just the standard musicals that people are used to.''

Dergarabedian said the film's marketing to the MTV crowd - including heavy play of the film's ``Lady Marmalade'' song recorded by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya helped sell it to the younger generation.

```Moulin Rouge' suddenly made it cool to like a musical and that was very powerful,'' he said. ``They got a very broad cross-section of audience.''

Whether the success of ``Moulin Rouge'' was a fluke or whether the genre is indeed back for another lengthy stay will hinge in part on the performances of ``Chicago'' and ``The Country Bears.''

``Chicago,'' set to be released at the end of the year, boasts a high-profile cast headed by Renee Zellweger, Oscar-nominated this year for her part in ``Bridget Jones's Diary.'' Other stars include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Taye Diggs and Lucy Liu.

``If there is any existing stage work that has the potential to provide a solid follow-up to the success of 'Moulin Rouge.' it's 'Chicago,''' said Kenrick. ```Chicago' is one of the most mature, vibrant musicals ever written for the Broadway stage and could easily translate into an exciting film. If they trust the material, it will succeed and will lead to many more attempts to follow in its footsteps.''

Talk of a movie version of the stage musical from the 1970s began even before it became a Tony-winning revival in the 1990s. Such superstar names as Madonna, Goldie Hawn, Rosie O'Donnell had been attached to the film version over the years.

``I'm really excited to see 'Chicago,''' said ``Moulin Rouge'' star Nicole Kidman, who earned an Oscar nomination for her first performance in a musical. ``I think we really need another musical.''

While Disney has dominated the animated musical field for the past 12 years, the studio hasn't released a live-action musical since 1996's ``Evita'' which fared poorly at the box office. But the studio will jump back into the fray with ``The Country Bears,'' which will reach theaters July 26.

``I had wanted to find a musical for the live-action side,'' said Nina Jacobson, president of Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, Disney's live-action division. ``It's always been a question of what is the right musical and this is perfect.''

``The Country Bears'' is loosely inspired by The Country Bear Jamboree attraction that closed at Disneyland last year after many decades but still remains open at Walt Disney World in Florida. The movie features original music written by country singer John Hiatt.

Haley Joel Osment provides the voice of the central character in the film, with performers inside radio-controlled bear costumes complete with detailed facial articulation created by Jim Henson Creature Shop. Christopher Walken, best known for his tough guy roles, is also a Broadway veteran who is the lead ``human'' performer. He will be joined in cameos by such singers as Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah and The Stray Cats' Brian Setzer.

``It's got a great original tone, and I think the music is incorporated into the movie in an energetic and unexpected way,'' Jacobson said. ``You leave the movie with the songs stuck in your head. It was such a fun script and has such a great spirit to it. When we knew we were going to have such wonderfully talented people, we were thrilled.''

Disney executives are so pleased with the finished product that they not only have a sequel to ``The Country Bears'' in the works, but are also seeking to put other live-action musical projects into development.

``It's a priority for us,'' Jacobson said. ``I love musicals. When I was growing up it was such a big part of the movies. We are definitely hoping to continue.''

At Warner Bros., the studio has the film rights to ``Phantom of the Opera,'' the musical theater smash that has enjoyed numerous successful runs over the years on Broadway and beyond. Antonio Banderas had reportedly been in talks for the title role but the project still has no firm start date.

The silver screen isn't the only place where the musical is making a comeback. A new version of ``Mame'' starring Cher and being produced by Barbra Streisand is in the works as is an updated ``The Music Man'' starring Matthew Broderick, fresh off his smash Broadway run in the stage musical ``The Producers.''

Kenrick expects both the film and television industry to start announcing more such projects soon.

``Any seemingly original success in Hollywood leads to an army of copycats,'' he observed. ``That's a sacred Hollywood tradition back to the original speaking film, 'The Jazz Singer,' which was a musical.''

For his part, Luhrmann said he is thrilled to see the movie industry seem willing to embrace the musical again. But the filmmaker said he is in no hurry to try to replicate his recent movie success anytime soon. He is currently preparing a theatrical production of ``La Boheme,'' which will open in San Francisco next fall before moving on to Broadway.

But Luhrmann said making people believe ``that we can make the musical work again'' made his five-year journey with ``Moulin Rouge'' more than worthwhile.

``It's been a life experience,'' he said.

A MUSICAL ODYSSEY

The journey of the Hollywood musical from its birth in the late 1920s to the present

1920s

The release of ``The Jazz Singer'' starring Al Jolson in 1927 marks the first time a feature film uses recorded song and dialogue. That same year, MGM's ``Broadway Melody'' becomes the first all-sound film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

1930s

Paramount Studios releases in 1932 what is considered by most film buffs to be the first classic musical

``Love Me Tonight'' by Rodgers and Hart and starring Maurice Chevalier as a Parisian sailor. The next year, ``42nd Street,'' starring Ruby Keeler as a chorus girl who takes over the lead and triumphs on opening night, is released by Warner Bros. In 1939, ``The Wizard of Oz'' hits theaters.

1940s

Warner Bros. scores with ``Yankee Doodle Dandy'' in 1942, featuring an Oscar-winning performance by James Cagney, but MGM reigns supreme during this decade with Judy Garland in a series of classics including

``Ziegfeld Girl,'' ``Meet Me In St. Louis.''

1950s

The Golden Age continues with film versions of ``Damn Yankees,'' ``Oklahoma!,'' ``The King and I'' and ``South Pacific.'' MGM's titles included ``Kiss Me Kate,'' ``High Society,'' ``American in Paris'' and ``Singin' in the Rain.'' Disney also releases a series of animated musical classics

``Cinderella,'' ``Alice In Wonderland,'' ``Peter Pan.''

1960s

The genre produces some of the highest-grossing musicals of all time, led by the Julie Andrews classics ``The Sound of Music'' and ``Mary Poppins,'' the film versions of ``My Fair Lady,'' ``The Music Man,'' ``The Unsinkable Molly Brown,'' ``West Side Story,'' ``Funny Girl'' and ``Oliver!''

1970s

``Fiddler on the Roof'' and ``Cabaret'' start things off with a bang but with the notable exceptions of ``The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' and ``Grease,'' the decade is rife with such genre killers as ``Lost Horizon.

1980s

Clunkers like ``Can't Stop the Music'' and ``Grease 2'' get the decade off to an abysmal start at the box office. The film versions of ``Annie'' and ``A Chorus Line'' also come out in the early '80s but the only musical to enjoy true acclaim is ``Victor/Victoria'' starring Julie Andrews and Robert Preston. In 1989, Disney releases ``The Little Mermaid,'' a surprise critical and commercial hit that leads to making the animated musical one of the most profitable genres in the coming decade.

1990s

Other than Woody Allen's ``Everybody Says I Love You'' and Madonna's ``Evita'' in 1996, this is the Golden Age of the animated musical for Disney, which scores hit after hit

``Beauty and the Beast,'' ``Aladdin,'' ``The Lion King,'' ``Pocahantas'' and ``The Hunchback of Notre Dame.''

2000s

``Moulin Rouge'' is released and is nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. The film version of ``Chicago'' goes into production.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) no caption (The Sound of Music)

20th Century Fox

(2 -- color) no caption (Moulin Rouge)

(3 -- color) - Baz Luhrman, director

(4) Walt Disney Films is set to release its first nonanimated musical in several years, ``The Country Bears,'' this summer.

Box: A MUSICAL ODYSSEY (see text)