Books to Musicals, what do you guys think?- Page 2

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/27/06 at 8:57pm

For those who suggested THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, are you referring to the novel about the loner teenager who keeps a diary in which he chronicles his last year in high school and his volatile friendship with a brother and sister team? I'm sorry but I don't see it. Not everything can be musicalized, you know.

Updated On: 6/27/06 at 08:57 PM

[almostxfamous]

Posted: 6/27/06 at 9:46pm

That's why I said "Or a play." because I thought about it and realized that it would work better as a play than a musical. It would make for a phenomenal play.

[StageGuy99]

Posted: 6/27/06 at 10:41pm

The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio I think would make a fun show! I just picked up the book after seeing the movie, which I really enjoyed. Very almost theatrical and whimsical. Highly reccomend it if you havent seen it by the way!

[[e-mail]]

Posted: 6/27/06 at 11:17pm

A Childrens book called "Sideways Stories from Wayside School" would be a very cute musical I believe.

[TheMecca]

Posted: 6/27/06 at 11:41pm

I saw the said Narnia musical in fall of 2000 when I was in 3rd grade (Lion, Witch, Wardrobe) and this is what I remember: it sure was a hell of a lot better than the movie

[&OneForMahler]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 3:26am

If anyone could do The Great Gatsby justice, then I would love it turned into a musical (especially since my brain has always connected the book with The Wild Party... LaChiusa, not Lippa really).
The Catcher in the Rye might also make an interesting musical, if done correctly.
And I've also always thought that the Nancy Drew series could inspire a good musical... or maybe I'm just crazy.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 4:00am

I am David/North to Freedom (it might end up like Oliver)
and Tuck Everlasting.

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 8:35am

There should be a musical based on a compilation of Edward Gorey books. There was a one night show called Gorey Stories a long while ago, but his work has yet to recieve proper musical treatment, which I think could work very well.

[Weez]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 10:08am

I LOVE Edward Gorey. One of my co-workers is in a band called the Doubtful Guest; maybe I should suggest to him he writes a musical? XD

[oxdreaminxo]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 10:16am

Dancing albino monk...*cracks up laughing*. Poor Silas!

I do admit though, I loved Sideways Stories from Wayside School in the third grade. It rocked. I think The Perks of Being a Wallflower was an excellant novel and I think it could, ifdirected properly, be turned into a play.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 10:42am

For those that mentioned "Fried Green Tomatoes":


http://www.playbill.com/news/article/92854.html

[folkyboy]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 10:48am

i dunno why but when i think of Fried Green Tomatoes as a musical, the whole Anne of Green Gables musical comes to my mind. and god was that awful enough...

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 10:54am

"She's Come Undone"
"The Kite Runner"

[InTheKnow2]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 10:54am

La Velle

"Isabel Allende's The House of the Spirits would make a phenomenal musical."

Love the idea! I would think some producers would be aching to do something like that with the right creative team.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 11:02am

How about THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB series? I could see that as a children's musical in the same vein as ANNIE.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 11:04am

THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB?! are you kidding?

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 11:18am

Jay Gatsby is his name. I would love for Jason Robert Brown to tackle this one. Him or Lachiusa. As different as they are I think that the musicalization of this book could go in either direction.

Yes, I meant Perks to be a play. I think the musical would be a little bit awkward considering the peak moments that they would musicalize.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 6/28/06 at 12:02pm

The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking that Anne Rice's The Feast of All Saints would make a great musical. Only I'd make Ann Bella Monroe the lead character instead of Marcel Ste. Marie. Why? Because Anna Bella, unlike most of the chracters in the book, is a bit of an outsider to the New Orleans gens de couleur libre community. As such, she is more sympathetic and a better guide for the audience into that strange world.

[cello_dude]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 1:39am

gorey stories WAS a musical on broadway... it played for only 1 show at the Booth Theater, and sadly it wasnt a 1 day thing it just flopped.... it is actually avaliable by Frenches Musical Library.... ive played in the cabaret band for the show

[cello_dude]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 1:39am

gorey stories WAS a musical on broadway... it played for only 1 show at the Booth Theater, and sadly it wasnt a 1 day thing it just flopped.... it is actually avaliable by Frenches Musical Library.... ive played in the cabaret band for the show

[Mojojo5]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 11:49am

I would love if someone could make a musical out of "The Great Gatsby." I think that any of Fitzgerald's writings would make good material for a musical. In the same vein, I've always felt that Hemingway's "A Movable Feast" (about his days as part of the Lost Generation with the Fitzgeralds, Gertrude Stein, and other American ex-pats in Paris) could really be a good jumping off point for a show recounting that era. How was Wildorn's musical based on the life of Scott and Zelda? Any good? Did he use pastiche or was it more pop ballady like his other shows?

Other novels I think could sing...

- "Chocolat" - the book and film are both filled with loads of atmosphere and eccentic characters... I feel it just needs a strong bookwriter who can flesh out some of the story and make it filled with a bit more action

- "The World According to Garp" - I don't know how one could make it work but this book screams over-the-top farce and musical mayhem

That's all I can really think of at the mo. If someone could take the sprawlimng "Hours" and musicalize it, I think it would be sensational.

Z.

[SweMozArt]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 12:30pm

A Sondheim take on Kafka's "the Trial" (Der Process)?

[AugustBurns2]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 12:47pm

She's Come Undone is one of my favorite books - but Wally Lamb's second book I Know This Much is True is amazing (I liked it more). She's Come Undone would be a gripping night of theater if it would be turned into a show - the character of Dolores would have to be played by two actresses - the child actress would have to be simply a genius to play that character. Looking at a woman over 40 years, the show’s music could reflect the changing musical styles of that time period as well.

I highly agree about LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE. I haven't read the book, but the movie is incredible!!! With its mystical, lyrical view of the world, I could totally see this as a musical.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 12:54pm

I mentioned this in another thread like this, but I think Carmilla could be made into quite a splendid piece of musical theater by someone like Guettel or LaChiusa.

[javero]

Posted: 11/3/06 at 5:23pm

An English language musical adaptation of ‘Eréndira’, book and screenplay by Gabriel García Márquez. The story does not have a Hollywood ending, but the characters are very clearly defined with an ingénue being forced into prostitution by her evil grandma and an uninitiated love-interest willing to love her unconditionally. It's an interesting take on Romeo & Juliet.