Legitimate Theater: "Bend It Like Beckham" (2015)

Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical

Welcome to Legitimate Theater: a column dedicated to movie-based stage musicals. The goal of this series is to explore those stories that originated in films and eventually worked their way onto Broadway and beyond. By the end of each entry, there will hopefully be a better understanding of this odd but rampant trend in modern entertainment. Are these stories really worth telling through song and dance? How can it even compare to the technical prowess of a camera and seamless editing? Join me on this quest as I explore the highs and lows of this trend on the third Wednesday of every month and hopefully answer what makes this Legitimate Theater.

Opening

At the moment, FIFA is holding its annual women's soccer/football matches in France. It's where every country plays in a friendly competition in order to determine who is the greatest international team. But the question the rises in Legitimate Theater circles: is there any sports musical that could appeal to the subject? There is, after all, Damn Yankees... but is there one for women's soccer? For those who appreciate digging a little, they will find that the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham was adapted to the stage in 2015 in London, England and has lived a quiet life since. With the blending of two cultures in the story, one has to wonder what that means for the story at large. Is there something worth getting out of kicking a ball around, or is this merely another feel-good story? For those who are watching FIFA and waiting for the latest results, there's an excitement in the air. Here's hoping that the team behind this show could pull off the same. 

A Quick Background

Tony Wins: N/A

Based on: Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Music: Howard Goodall

Lyrics: Charles Hart

Book: Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges

Prominent Actors: Natalie Dew, Lauren Samuels, Jamie Campbell Bower

Soundtrack

1. "UB2"
2. "Girl Perfect"
3. "The Engagement: Look at Us Now/Golden Moment/Get Me"
4. "Tough Love"
5. "First Touch"
6. "People Like Us"
7. "Act 1 Finale: Just a Game/Fly"
8. "Glorious"
9. "Result!"
10. "More Fool Me"
11. "There She Goes"
12. "Bend It"
13. "Heer/Golden Moment"
14. "Harriers' Preparation & Just a Game (Reprise)"
15. "The Wedding & Football Final: Sadaa Chardhi Kalaa/Result!"
16. "People Like Us/Glorious (Reprises)"
17. "Act 2 Finale: Fly/There She Goes/Girl Perfect/UB2 2/Bend It (Reprises)"

Note: Listen to the music here

Song Exploration

Opening Song:
"UB2"

This is a story not only about soccer, but it's also about how cultural identity factors into it. Specifically into an Indian family whose daughter wants to break traditions and play the game with her peers. With this in mind, the opening song's quaint production slowly unravels what it's like to live in England and discover the characters underneath who don't get the same respect that the white people do. For an upbeat song, it hides a lot of context clues about what's to come, and it's plenty memorable and fun in the process. By the end, you understand what the title means and why traditions are important to the community. Without it, there likely wouldn't be any civil order in anything.

Carryovers

There's not exactly any song that's carried over from the film. What is present is the bigger story at hand, which follows the familiar beats. In fact, the whole plot is practically verbatim enough to not really comment on. Still, it manages to combine Broadway with contemporary and plenty of sitar that gives the show a unique perspective. This is, after all, a show about cultural blending and there's nothing more easy to do than to present it through song. Luckily it's mostly an enjoyable experience and mostly works at making the film work in stage form.

High Point:

"The Wedding & Football Fina: Sadaa Chardhdi Kalaa/Result (Reprise)"

It does feel like a cheat to pick a reprise as the standout track on this, but once you hear the music you will understand why. This isn't just a show that fuses music together in interesting ways. It also manages to create a fluid texture between everything that eventually builds to excellent action set pieces. Whereas the music starts off more meditative, it builds into something fantastic, mixing the thrill of sports with the intensity and mystery as to whether she will make it to the wedding. So many small moments pack into this one track that it captures the brilliance of these composers' melody skills elsewhere. It's got all the energy you want from this type of show, and it may be the most redeeming factor for the show having any legacy.

Low Point:

"More Fool Me"

As a whole, there's not really any terrible low point in the show. In fact, the melodies are often very catchy and play to the strength of the characters. However, this love song from the male perspective is a bit less interesting in the music department than everything around it. Whereas there are big emotions to back up the rhythms, this is a quieter track that never quite feels like more than a man trying to understand the woman he's flirting with. It's key to the plot, sure, but it definitely doesn't have the memorable execution of the other songs on here.

What Does It Bring to the Story?

Again, it's mostly the same old story when it comes to the musical. There are no big shifts in the plot. What is present is a stronger grasp on blending styles than what would've been expected. Everything about the music here sells the show in a way that is exciting and personal. It manages to do so with heart and humor, creating an experience that is at least new to Broadway. By the end, it's such a thrill ride of emotion and understanding that it becomes hard to hate the show, even if it does sound conventional every now and then and maybe is a bit too earnest elsewhere to be a downright masterpiece.

Was This Necessary?

Yes

It's a bit confusing why this musical didn't have more of a following after its premiere four years ago. It's by no means the greatest show, but given how many conventional shows are out there, Bend It Like Beckham is at least doing something fun and creative with the music while exploring themes prescient to modern society. In an era where The Band's Visit can win the Tony for Best Musical, it does feel like a show like this stands a chance of survival. At best, the blending of styles is the perfect visceral experience and gets the audience moving. It may not have a flawless record, but it has enough personality and effort put into it that it's hard to hate. It's genuinely a fun show that could relate to the modern era.