Just like Hollywood figures there's box office in making movies out of comic books or even best-selling books, Broadway does the same, appending the title with "the Musical." We figure that's so as not to lose brand recognition, but lately, it's almost a joke. There's Jekyll & Hyde the Musical, Dracula the Musical, The Producers: The New Mel Brooks Musical, Our House the Musical (featuring the songs of Madness). And later this season, look for new musicals based on Johnny Cash and Anne Rice's iconic vampire Lestat. Frankly, we're waiting for Lord of the Rings the Musical, but for now, Bay Area stages bring some favorite books and movies to the boards.

Wicked at the Orpheum Theatre
Based on the best-selling book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, Wicked makes its triumphant return to San Francisco, where it received its pre-Broadway world premiere before garnering a few Tony Awards, launching Idina Menzel into superstardom and making "Defying Gravity" the most overdone musical theatre audition piece, much to the dismay of casting directors everywhere.

The story of the smart but ugly and misunderstood Elphaba up against the popularity of the pretty and bubbly Glinda touched San Franciscans, who lined up complete with costumes and green skin for the world premiere and will probably do the same this time around. (Hmm, is Harry Potter next?) We heard that many devotees of the novel were disappointed with the musical, which was written by Winnie Holzman, but the paperback's 406 pages, after all.

Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda the Good Witch) have gone on to other projects, but the tour features Menzel's original understudy and Carol Kane (best known in the mainstream world as Latka's gal on Taxi) as Madame Morrible.

But here's the sweet deal: Best of Broadway holds a ticket lottery two hours before each performance for $25 front-row orchestra seats. Go to Orpheum's box office two-and-a-half hours before the performance to enter. Each winner can get up to two tickets and must pay cash. Previews start August 5.

Harold & Maude: An Intimate Musical at Lucie Stern Theatre
Hey, for a musical version of the cult film, we'll extend our definition of San Francisco to encompass Silicon Valley. After all, the film was shot around the Peninsula and San Francisco. TheatreWorks, who gave us Bat Boy: The Musical (based on the tabloid character), snags this West Coast premiere by Tom Jones (The Fantasticks) and Joseph Thalken and has already announced an extension about a week after opening, thanks to an ecstatic Little Man and other great reviews. Who knew a musical about a death-obsessed young man who falls for a 79-year-old woman would be a critical success? When we first heard about Harold & Maude, we thought it would either be a hit or financial and artistic suicide, but once again TheatreWorks is proving itself the Bay Area's best producer of edgy new music theater.

Again, devotees of the original Hal Ashby film may be disappointed in the musical's deviations, most notably the replacement of Cat Stevens' soundtrack with music by Joseph Thalken (if you haven't heard of him, don't worry, hardly anyone else has either) and fewer suicide attempts. But, come on, it's a musical version of Harold & Maude. And it's not just "the Musical." It's "An Intimate Musical." You may never get another chance to see this. Playing through August 21.

Credit: Eden Espinoza as Elphaba. Photo by Joan Marcus

SFist Karen, contributing