Scarlet Letter Musical?

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 10/31/16 at 4:11pm

Are there any known works of musical theatre based on or suggested by Nathaniel Hawthorne's book, The Scarlet Letter?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/31/16 at 4:23pm

There are several.

http://castalbums.org/search/?search=Scarlet+letter

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 10/31/16 at 8:53pm

I've seen one version, but I don't know if it was any of the versions listed at the link.

The version I saw was beyond tedious. Sondheim likes to talk about characters "who don't sing" because they are too repressed. Well, THE SCARLET LETTER, as written by Hawthorne, is about an entire community that doesn't sing.

In the version I saw, the Puritans kept singing monotonous hymns, but talking about evil doings happening in the surrounding woods. And I couldn't help but think, "Why can't we go there? It sounds like much more fun!"

Perhaps somebody has found a way around this problem, but it is inherent to the narrative. So I'm dubious.

 

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 10/31/16 at 9:08pm

Well, I was thinking of writing an adaptation that changes it from Puritanical Salem to Present Day American Bible Belt