A WRINKLE IN TIME musical in development

Madeleine L'Engle's Newbery Medal-winning classic novel, A Wrinkle in Time, will be adapted for the musical stage for the first time ever - in a production by an award-winning creative team. The new musical will feature music & lyrics by Obie Award-winning composer Heather Christian (Oratorio for Living Things), a book by Horton Foote Prize winner Lauren Yee(Cambodian Rock Band), and direction by two-time Obie Award winner Lee Sunday Evans(Dance Nation).

Celebrating its 60th Anniversary this year, A Wrinkle in Time was a revolutionary work for multiple reasons, not least of which was its prominence as a breakthrough science fantasy adventure written by a woman - featuring a young teen heroine guided in her quest by three wise, celestial women. A Wrinkle in Time is the story of Meg Murry, who is transported on an adventure through time and space with her younger brother and friend to rescue her father, a gifted scientist, from the evil forces that hold him prisoner on another planet, and threaten our own. The novel has stood the test of time, enchanting readers and viewers in countless formats throughout six decades, with messages of courage, hope, and belonging - that even in the midst of despair, the love we have for each other is enough to save us (and perhaps even the universe).

So, I saw this headline yesterday and completely skimmed over it, thinking “another day, another musical adaptation announcement, sounds about right. What’s for lunch?”


Completely didn’t realize that this was being created by Heather Christian, Lauren Yee, and Lee Sunday Evans! What a dream team!!! With these artists behind the wheel, I have hope that this will be treated as a true artistic endeavor, not just a soulless commercial product.


My one reservation is: I’ve been burned before, when artists I admire are COMMISSIONED for a project, and aren’t allowed to stretch their creative wings (and/or they don’t put the same heart into it that they would for a project that wasn’t commissioned). But looking at the producers onboard, it doesn’t seem like they’re the cash grab types. They seem to have had minimal commercial success, but great taste. So for me as an audience member, that’s encouraging!

I saw an adaptation of AWIT in Minneapolis like a decade ago and it was great. The movie was….not.

I had the same exact reaction with JoeW4. It wasn't until a facebook ad put the creators' face pics in front of the title did I realize what an exciting team this has.

Btw, for any fan of Heather Christian, she also has a new musical in the NAMT festival named The Female Pope on the coming Thursday and Friday. Hope someone will catch it and share their thoughts here.

Me neither. There's information in the register tab: https://namt.org/festivals/2022/ Looks like it's for industry people. Free if pre-registered, $30 for walk-up attendees. Non-industry people will need to donate $250+ to see what's essentially a reading. Not worth it.

There are 2 demo songs at the bottom of this page: https://namt.org/musicals/the-female-pope/

Are the final presentations open to public?

Edit: Never mind. This is in Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. A bit too far.

Updated On: 3/30/23 at 02:24 PM

I have seen the TV movie, the feature film, and a stage adaptation and I just don't think this works off the page. The characters become flat and uninteresting and the book's weird, curious moments become whimsical and full of "wonder".

I know it's considered a classic, and maybe I was too old for it by the time I read it, but... the original novel itself fell pretty flat for me. But hey, who's to say this musical adaptation won't transform it into something better; one can hope.

Public workshop with Lenk, Kenita Miller & more set for July 21-23 at New York Stage & Film Festival

I don't know about you,but I'm tired of seeing Katrina Lenk being crapped on. She's a Tony winner and very talented.

Lol the Katrina Lenk hate is still a thing? Ya'll, go touch some grass. Begging you.

Saw this today, and I can’t speak to other productions at NYSAF since this was my first, but it was a true work in progress. There were no costumes, sets, or props and there weren’t always songs. We received a note walking in that told us that each day is a different version of the show as they continue to work on it. There were songs that were only spoken since the actual notes haven’t been written yet.

That said, I really enjoyed what I saw. The first act is too long, but there are some haunting, ethereal songs, a nice mix of humor and emotion, and great parts that the actors can really milk (especially the Ws, if you know the story). The girl playing the lead did a beautiful job, the boy playing Calvin O’Keefe should take over for Justin Cooley when he leaves Kimberly Akimbo and two of the three Ws were a lot of fun! Bernard Tesley was in the audience, and he was taking notes at intermission. The creatives were also all there taking it in. I definitely think that, while there’s clearly a lot of work ahead of them, I like what I saw and I think it could be really beautiful.

She was one of the two Ws I really enjoyed. She was Mrs. Whatsit. The character is quirky and that’s where Lenk shines. She sang two songs with the two other Ws, but didn’t do a whole lot on her own. It seemed like she’d sing a bit more in the finished piece, but they’re not there yet. She wasn’t carrying the thing, but she has some really fun and really beautiful moments. I liked her in the part.