“I hate musicals. Nobody sings in real life.”

“Maybe they should.”

These words are spoken by the main characters of the latest rendition of “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” in which two men in a brutal Argentine prison distract themselves from horrors by bonding over memories of a vintage movie musical. The source material has had a remarkable journey over nearly five decades: from novel (by Manuel Puig, published in 1976) to stage play to movie to stage musical to, finally, movie musical. And, surprisingly, it holds up beautifully. Writer/director Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls,” “Gods and Monsters”) understands the power of song and dance, of the way a musical can capture our dreams, suddenly transporting us out of darkness into a lighter, happier place. It’s not real life; it’s not meant to be.

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