Forget Glee, We Want A Scream Queens Musical

Back in November, Emmy-winning writer and creator Ryan Murphy teased the possibility of a Broadway musical based on his hit television series and cultural force of nature, Glee. Murphy reflected on the possibility of a Glee reboot in a podcast appearance, saying that he was “…at the phase now with that show, you know, where it’s like, well, there’s been enough time. Like, maybe we should really re-examine it as a brand. You know, should we do a reboot of it in some way? Should we do a Broadway musical of it in some way? Like, it’s sort of an interesting legacy…” The mention of a potential musical reboot seemed to inspire equal parts excitement, trepidation, and abject terror among former Gleeks. In a recent interview with Variety, former Glee star and completely uncontroversial celebrity Lea Michele added some fuel to the fire, saying that she already has her next project lined up, and that it’s a project we were already familiar with.

While the prospect of Glee on Broadway is certainly enticing, I would like to take this opportunity to argue in favor of a different, albeit less well known, Michele/Murphy project to revitalize. I’m talking of course about Scream Queens. Scream Queens premiered only a few months after Glee took its final bow, and as star Emma Roberts described it; “It’s Mean Girls meets Friday the 13th..”. The sorority whodunnit focuses on a string of killings being committed by someone dressed as the school mascot, and the spoiled rich socialites (the aptly named Chanels) trying to solve the crime before they succumb. Scream Queens is Ryan Murphy at his most Ryan Murphy, for better and for worse. The show was campy, witty and a lot of fun, but also suffered from meandering B-plots and one dimensional characterizations. Sort of like Glee’s macabre little sister. The show didn’t reach the same level of fame as Glee, but has received some increased attention in recent years, mostly due to it being the source of multiple viral TikTok audios. This recent attention indicates to me that Scream Queens still has a place in this world, perhaps even on Broadway. Here are my four reasons Scream Queens would make a better musical reboot than Glee:

1.Glee is Already Basically A Jukebox Musical

At first glance, Glee appears to be perfect for a Broadway revitalization- it’s a television show about teenagers singing about their feelings. But for a show about music, Glee produced very little actual music. Aside from a few originals (“Loser Like Me”, “Get It Right”, and of course “My Cup”), Glee mostly trafficked in slickly produced covers of popular songs. A Glee reboot that doesn’t include that year’s Top 40 hits would just be an early season of Riverdale. Glee’s most (in)famous moments are inextricable from the songs that accompanied them. Coach Sue Sylvester’s song battle with Blaine is emotionally devoid if not soundtracked to Nicki Minaj’s Super Bass. There’s just not a lot of opportunities here for original songwriting in a way that doesn’t betray the show’s raison d’etre. I suppose they could simply reproduce all the popular songs that made the show what it was, but then what is the purpose of having a stage musical? Especially considering that there was already a Glee tour (and accompanying concert film) that did just that. I’m just not sure there’s anything more to say, at least musically, about Glee that hasn’t already been said.

2. High School Musicals are OUT. Horror musicals are IN.

At the end of the day, a Glee musical would still ultimately be just another melodramatic musical about high schoolers. I don’t say this to malign the high school musical (or the High School Musical: The Musical:The Series), but we’ve kind of had a lot of those in the last few years, and I can feel that the trend is wearing thin. Musicals like Be More Chill, Dear Evan Hansen, and Mean Girls, while at one time beloved, have been facing a fair amount of online criticism, mostly over the fact that they are, and I do not use this word lightly, a little cringe. Some of this criticism can be chalked up to the regular love/hate cycle that seems to occur with all media properties now, but there may also be some truth to the idea that we as a society are sort of over high school. At least for now. Horror musicals, on the other hand, seem to be at the beginning of an uphill swing. While there’s nothing particularly new about a musical with darker themes and horror movie imagery (see Sweeney Todd), they do seem to be taking up more space in the pantheon of musicals than in the past. The Beetlejuice musical received 8 Tony nominations in 2019, and the off-Broadway Little Shop Horrors revival features some of the biggest names in theater. It could also be argued that the Best Musical-winning Hadestown fits into this category, considering its dark color palette and macabre themes. I wouldn’t be surprised if horror musicals begin to dominate the conversation in the coming years. The one crossover hit I would be remiss to not mention is Heathers: The Musical, which is a high school dark comedy that has received some increased love in recent years, again, in the form of viral TikTok trends. Scream Queens shares a lot of superficial similarities to Heathers, and I would argue could also see similar success.

3.Glee has Baggage

There’s no getting around it, Glee and it’s stars have been surrounded by a staggering amount of interpersonal drama, public criticism and tragedy. Glee came at a time where there was very little media representation of LGBT+ teens, and because of that it holds an almost sacred place in the gay cultural zeitgeist. At the same time, it’s been almost universally acknowledged that the show’s surface level attempts at progressivism often did more harm than good (see “You’re all minorities”). But the controversy extends beyond the show narratives, and tales of behind the scenes hostilities can be found in a number of tell-all books, tabloid articles, and podcasts. Most notably, Michele herself has been accused of diva behavior on the Glee set, and more importantly racist behavior towards her colleagues. Finally, it has to be mentioned that three members of the show’s ensemble cast have passed away, and the idea that the show was “cursed” has become popular in recent years. There was even a docuseries, The Price of Glee, which was understandably condemned by multiple former cast members. A Glee revitalization would have to overcome the weight of its controversies, and I’m not sure a Broadway musical is the best arena for that.

4.Scream Queens is a star-studded visual feast worthy of a Broadway stage

Scream Queens, above all else, was a pageant of celebrity cameos, lavish costumes, and fun set pieces. The primary setting was a massive, opulent sorority house with walk-in closets and pink pastel accents around every corner. The costuming of the Chanels in particular was a constant parade of pearls, millennial pink faux fur, and oversized sunglasses, which served as a striking visual contrast to the bloody murders which plagued them. The lavishness of the set pieces and costuming could really pop on a Broadway stage- even from the cheap seats.

Scream Queens also had a stellar cast list. Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis, singer and future Glenda the Good Witch Ariana Grande, and boy band icon Nick Jonas were just some of the big names attached to the show. Scream Queens seemed to have some predictive power in casting some of the biggest stars of the 2020’s, including Top Gun’s Glen Powell and Nope’s Keke Palmer. I know stunt-casting gets a bad rap, but at an uncertain time for Broadway, borrowing some of these stars from other industries could help boost ticket sales. Glee had its stars as well, but few of them have achieved the same level of recognition as Scream Queens’ former players.

In short, a Glee musical would be a fun return to the choir room of McKinley High, but a Scream Queens’ musical would be a shimmering spectacle of designer handbags, pop icons, and buckets of red corn syrup, and I know which one I’d buy a ticket to.