The show was Big River. For those of you who don't know, that's a musical version of Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'. Now I love Mark Twain's works, and Huckleberry Finn is my favorite of his list. I never really thought about it being a musical before, but I have learned to keep an open mind anytime I see something is a musical that I did not think would make a good one.
Take, for instance, Robert Louis Stevenson's 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. I first heard of that musical when I was 14. I did not think it would make a good one, but I decided to see it anyway. I was so happy to be proven wrong!
So below is a list of some of the best, and rather surprising, book to musical adaptations. Enjoy!
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| Sorry, folks! You'll have to watch for the next one! |
As I said before, I love the story of Huck. What I don't love is bluegrass music. Please, cut me some slack- my introduction to it was not a good one. This particular show's music and lyrics were written by Roger Miller, a prolific bluegrass musical artist who wrote and performed a whole host of songs, including Oo-De-Lally from Walt Disney's Robin Hood. I was struck by how the music captured the sound of the river (helped along by sound cues from the techies in the sound booth), but I was most struck by the way it communicated the beautiful loneliness that a life of traveling cultivates. I can't get enough of Leaving's Not the Only Way to Go. The haunting notes transport you to a different place. If you haven't heard this music, I urge you to go out and buy a copy of it, borrow it from a library, or listen to it online. If it doesn't sound like your usual cup of tea, give it a try anyway. It didn't seem like mine, either, and I loved every single song, especially the one mentioned above and Muddy Water.
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| Filmmakers certainly kept the integrity of Shrek's original design. |
This one is special in that is went from a book by William Steig to movie to stage adaptation. Shrek started out as a children's book about an ogre that rescues an ugly princess. Because ogres like ugly things, he falls in love with her and they live happily ever after. Honestly, it's adorable, but the films inspired by it certainly added a lot of bulk to the plot line. Often that kind of thing fails spectacularly, in my opinion. This is the exception that proves the rule, though, and I think the first Shrek movie was wonderful. It's how I first heard about Shrek, and I didn't even know it was originally a children's book until my husband told me about it. I found out about Shrek the Musical when I saw the soundtrack at the public library. I am ashamed to admit that my first thought was "Lame!" I borrowed it, anyway, and by the fourth song in, I Know It's Today, I was convinced otherwise. Some amazing songs are in this show, and the set and costume designs are mind blowing. There is a dvd version of it, and it's on Netflix. If you want to see some truly amazing live stage designs, please watch it. You'll also get to see Sutton Foster in all her brilliance as Princess Fiona.
3. Little WomenLouisa May Alcott is a member of the famous Alcott family, where they bleed ink instead of blood. Seriously, it seems like they are all writers. Louisa, though, is certainly one of the most famous, and 'Little Women' is a book that defines her writing ability and style. It is no wonder that it's become several movies and a musical. Some of the songs are not my favorites, but some of them are. When you hear Marmie sing Here Alone or Days of Plenty, she will quickly become one of your favorite characters if she wasn't already.
4. Ragtime
The book, originally by E.L. Doctrow, is not for anyone younger than high school, in my opinion, and there are several differences from the book to the musical, like the relationship between Evelyn Nesbit and Younger Brother. Both contain lots of historical figures from 1902-1912 such as Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, and 'radical anarchist' Emma Goldman. It also contains heavy discussion of political unrest, poverty, rights of laborers, sexism, and racial and immigrant conflict. True to it's name, it contains a wonderful combination of music styles, relying heavily on ragtime. If you want to know a bit more about what's going on in the musical as well as the book, just give Prologue a listen.
5. The Man of La ManchaDon Quixote, by Miquel de Cervantes, holds true to the book in many ways, though of course unable to contain all of the wonderful and delusional adventures this man had with his comrade, Sancho Panza. This musical discusses hopes and dreams, shows how others seek to stifle them because they are not right, usual, or considered sane. Don Quixote inspires Sancho and Aldonza, the woman he sees as his Dulcinea to live with hope. Yes, it sounds cliched, but the music is phenomenal. The songs that come to mind right away are Aldonza and The Impossible Dream. Listen to that last one and tell me you didn't get goosebumps. If you do, I probably won't believe you. Bonus: Linda Eder has a fantastic version of it on her album 'Broadway My Way'.
6. Jekyll & HydeStevenson's 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' is a novella. If you haven't read it, please do. Most adaptations to screen or stage leave out the fact that the narration is done by Dr. Jekyll's friend, Mr. John Utterson, and it is a masterfully done book, as nearly everything by Stevenson is. The musical does remove the narration done by Mr. Utterson, but he is still a largely important role. The musical explores the good and evil in each person, just in case the poster didn't give that away, but the music so perfectly haunts and lingers in the ears of the listener that is's hard not to replay the album as soon as it's over. Seriously, I can't pick a song to highlight for you, so just go look it up and listen to the whole thing. Really. No, what are you still doing here? Stop reading this and go listen to the music. You can finish this article after that.
7. CatsI almost didn't include this one on the list, but I decided to do it because it came from a different type of book. 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' by T.S. Eliot is a collection of poems. About cats. That pretty much makes it amazing right there. When music is added to it, and then jaw-dropping dance numbers get tossed into the mix, it gives a whole new spin on the interpretation of poetry that has no end to fun. I know, some people find this show annoying and disjointed. To those people, I encourage you to drop the musical in your heads, and just go read the poetry. You might find that your own version of them makes them far more interesting.
8. The Color Purple
I have a confession. I have neither read this book nor have I seen or heard this musical. I am ashamed. This will be corrected, though, as I have every intention to completely change the status of that! The book, written by Alice Walker, was published in 1982, and became a musical in 2005. It won 11 Tony Awards in 2006. So it obviously has some amazing credentials. Since I have not experienced either of these pieces, though, I will move on and write more about them when I have finished my task. Onward!9. The Secret Garden
By Frances Hodgson Burnett, this book is about Mary Lennox, a young girl who loses both of her parents to cholera while in India and has to go live with her disfigured Uncle who is still in mourning for the aunt that Mary resembles. While exploring the huge house, Mary discovers her cousin Collin, an invalid who hardly ever sees his father. If you don't know the rest of the story, I won't ruin it for you. Just make sure you read it or see one of the many movies. If you're not convinced that a musical version of this is a good idea, then listen to Winter's on the Wing.
10. WickedThis is possibly one of the most popular musicals I have ever been exposed to. I haven't met a single person who doesn't love it. Everyone I know who has read the book has loved it. There are difference, so if you have not had the pleasure of reading, seeing, or hearing this story, do not be surprised. I think the book sticks more closely and honestly to the character of Elphaba (who was named for L. Frank Baum's initials, L.F.B.), but that doesn't mean I don't still enjoy both. This is supposed to be the true, behind the scenes story of the Witches of Oz, so don't expect to see too much of Dorothy.
These are just a sampling of the musicals out there that began as books. Books and literature influence so many different elements of the arts, and should certainly not be written off (Ha! Get it? Written off? Because they're books?). What book inspired musicals do you love? Are there any you wish I had included? Tell me in the comments!
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