(Left) The Phantom of the Opera on screen; (above) a poster of Guys And Dolls

Musicals are fashionable. Or at least Hollywood thinks so. The Broadway fare that had fallen out of favour with big screen players is on a revival route. Baz Luhrmann?s musical Moulin Rouge had sounded the opening bars, with the spectacular Chicago lifting it to a crescendo (it turned out to be the highest grosser ever from producer Miramax Films).

Waiting in queue to Hollywood are as many as five popular musicals, starting with Andrew Lloyd Webber?s The Phantom of the Opera. The play that opened to huge success in October 1986 is based on Gaston Leroux?s 1911 horror novel La Phantome.

The screen story of a disfigured musical genius who haunts the catacombs of a Paris opera house stars the little-known Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler, with Minnie Driver being the only big name.

Slated to roll by slowly are Rent, to be directed by Chris Columbus, plus Damn Yankees, Guys And Dolls and Pippin, all three acquired by Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of Miramax Films. While it will take some time for the silver screen to show its musical magic, Metro sifts through the original stories that have captivated the Broadway stage for years.

Rent

The plot: Derived from Puccini?s opera La Boh?me, the Broadway version is set in New York of the 1990s. Rent traces the life of a bunch of bohemians, comprising film-makers, artists, musicians, drag queens and HIV-AIDS victims.

The musical: Premiered on the 100th anniversary of the original La Boh?me in 1996. But music composer and lyricist Jonathan Larson died before the play went on to become one of the biggest Broadway hits of the decade. It swept all major awards in the category, including the Pulitzer Prize, Obie Award and four Tony Awards.

The movie: Will probably have Adam Pascal, who debuted in the starring role of Roger Davis, says the Hollywood Reporter. A few other actors from the Jonathon Larson creation may also reprise their roles in the film to be directed by Chris Columbus (the man behind the first two Harry Potter films). Rosario Dawson, who stars opposite Colin Farrell in Alexander, has been signed to play Pascal?s love interest. Rent has Robert De Niro as one of its producers.

Damn Yankees

The plot: Taking off from Douglass Wallop?s novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, the musical is all about middle-aged die-hard baseball fan Joe Boyd, who sells his soul to the Devil to lead his favourite team to victory. On turning into a 22-year-old sporting sensation, Joe realises what he has missed in the bargain (wife and home). But the modern-day Faust outwits the Devil in a curious twist of the tale.

The musical: Opened in 1955 and played to 1,019 shows. Damn Yankees is the only successful musical revolving around America?s national pastime and has always pulled in a huge sports-crazy crowd.

The movie: Damn Yankees will retain Richard Adler?s music and Jerry Ross? lyrics. ?I see us updating Damn Yankees, modernising it, and really having fun with the role of the Devil,? producer Weinstein is reported to have said.

Pippin

The plot: In his yearning to find the true meaning of life, Prince Pippin goes through everything ? war to love, political intrigue to murdering his father Charlemagne the Great. But the climax is when Pippin realises that happiness resides in simple living.

The musical: Opened in 1972 and ran for five years. The anachronistic fairytale captivated audiences and still continues to appeal to the young at heart. Its pop-influenced score is by Oscar-winning composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz.

The movie: Pippin is a ?passion project like Chicago?, Harvey Weinstein has announced. ?I saw it approximately 30 years ago with the original cast and have always wanted to make it into a movie.?

Guys And Dolls

The plot: Based on Damon Runyon?s short story The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown, Guys And Dolls revolves around two fellow gamblers, Nathan and Sky, and the subject of their bet, Sarah, a Salvation Army-type reformer.

The musical: Opened in 1950 and ran for 1,200 shows. Guys And Dolls became one of Broadway?s enduring successes with three revivals on stage alone. The original cast included Robert Alda, Vivian Blaine, Sam Levene and Isabel Bigley. The 1955 film version featured Marlon Brando, Vivian Blaine, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons. In 1976, a Broadway comeback was staged with an all-Black cast.

The movie: A long list of top actors are touted to be vying for the roles essayed by Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra and Jean Simmons. Names tipped for the leads are Vin Diesel, Nicole Kidman and John Travolta.

?If Guys And Dolls does go into production, it will be an abrasive, edgy film, harking back to the glory days of musicals in the 1940s and 1950s,? Colin Vaines, head of European production for Miramax, has said.