THE FOUNTAINHEAD: The Musical?

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 2:30am

Hello All -

I'm going to make this introduction short, sweet, and to the point. As many of you know, I am an aspiring composer/lyricist. Having stumbled across various threads on here, where someone's asking opinions on certain things being musicalized, I thought I would take this opportunity to do the same. Now, keep in mind, I'm 19 (and thankfully) will not be going at this project alone ... I have support (as far as I know) from acting buddies of mine, my family, and close circle of friends in 'dreaming the impossible ... and achieving it!" Now, I ask you, my loyal friends of BWW: "What do you say to musicalizing Ayn Rand's 1943 novel, THE FOUNTAINHEAD?" I'm talking the LesMiz-y, operetta-esque, 'grand-scale', 'epic' kind of a show. That's my tentative approach as of now. I'm up for legit support (or put-downs), or suggestions of any-which-nature. I know the deal about getting the rights and all that good stuff, I'm looking for creative, constructive criticism here, folks. Please, that's all I ask.

Thanking you kindly in advance,
- Mike

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 2:42am

Howard Roark thinks he's too cool to sing.

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 2:43am

*laughs* Thanks for that!

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:01am

Anything, anything at all?

[HumATune]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:03am

That was 700 pages of hell that I had to read in high shcool. Thanks advanced English.

But on a serious note, I don't know. The ending is problematic for some, because the message seems to be, be a selflish ass and you'll suceed. (Although there is a gain of truth in that.) I don't find Howard that likeable a character at all (and he's a rapist), and I wonder will the audience root for him.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:04am

Patience, it's the middle of the night! It's been less than half an hour since you first posted.

The rape scene was totally my favorite when I read it at 15. I was a sick kid - still am.

Updated On: 3/12/07 at 03:04 AM

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:11am

Hahaha! That last post made my night ... erm, day. I shall try my best with this 'patience' thing you speak of.

Thanks (again) in advance,


- Mike
Updated On: 3/12/07 at 03:11 AM

[Smartful Dodger]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:02am

With all due respect, Mike, of all the philosophies in this world, "objectivism" is the least musical, unless it's composed by the numbers a la Philip Glass. Still, depending on your range of styles, it could be interesting. I imagine the architectural metaphor could play nicely. Better yet, since ATLAS SHRUGGED is Rand's self-described manifesto for those who didn't understand THE FOUNTAINHEAD, you might consider that -- trains lend themselves to music more than buildings.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:06am

I could actually see it working -- and working well. You'd need to establish two distinct musical styles: one for Roark, the other for the rest of the world, but it would be an intruiging challenge.

But please, in the name of all that is holy, NO ROCK SCORE. Glass is an interesting stylist to consider, but you might also look at John Adams (NIXON IN CHINA). Erudite doesnt have to mean "unmelodic". It simply means a different way of looking at the world... and that would be, as noted, an intruiging challenge.

[Smartful Dodger]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 7:38am

I concur with Sean. I don't think rock music would work.

I'm now imagining a very tin-like, eery theme for Ellsworth Toohey.

Thanks for that...

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 11:06am

I love the Fountainhead but think it would be problematical. Watch the film-- a lot of what was intense and dramtic in the book turned corny and unnatural in the film.

That said, I think it's an itneresting idea. I think you'd need some pretty dramatic music and a lot of soliliquys-- there are a lot of inner monologues in that book.

And I'd start with Dominique aacquiring the statue of the naked man and tossing it down the airshaft-- I think that is one of the most dramatic scenes and perfectly establishes the theme of the book.

[RyanDavis]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 11:52am

The Fountainhead has always been too liberal for me... Have you thought about Mein Kampf?

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:09pm

I actually have given more thought to working ATLAS SHRUGGED. That's received more acclaim than THE FOUNTAINHEAD, and I think the characters are stronger, and the story less problematic to truly garner an understanding. But then, I thought: "I'm 19, it's difficult enough of an undertaking to wrap my own brain around these concepts." So, here I am, at a crossroad: Do I continue prying myself to musicalize an Ayn Rand novel, OR should I do what I had originally planned and musicialize THE WEIR OF HERMISTON (which I have already begun to pen, mind yo ... If just for kicks!). Your thoughts?
Updated On: 3/12/07 at 03:09 PM

[clarkstallings]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:37pm

First off, if you've written any music or lyrics then you are a composer/lyricist, not an aspiring one. That's the a philosophical mindset that I think will help you be more motivated. With regards to Ms. Rand's book, I feel that it is simply too long to musicalize. If you're going to write a musical, find a short story that's out of copyright or a film or current short story (if you have the resources to obtain the rights) to musicalize. Many musicals are based on novels, but my feeling is that the best musicals are ones based on material already in a two and a half hour format like a play, short story, or film. Having source material in such a format length wise allows you to do justice to sub plot and character development whereas a novel condensed into two and a half hours leaves fans of the novel feeling unsatisfied. One option would be to have your show based on the premise of a novel but take it in a different direction. The film "Simon Birch" is based on the novel titled "A Prayer for Owen Meany," but they are similar in premise only. This radical departure from its source material allowed the film to work well and be unique/satisfying because I didn't compare it to the novel. Perhaps you can adopt the premise of "The Fountainhead" into your own unique story? Best of luck.

[gymdudeva]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 3:45pm

Kinda off topic, but plans are supposedly in the works for a movie of Atlas Shrugged....with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt!! I kid you not. It may even be a trilogy.

I'm near the end of reading it now...WORST NOVEL EVER. A train wreck of epic proportions (pun intended).

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 4:22pm

Mein Kampf is too predictable. How about Demian by Herman Hesse?

Oh wait, they already did Siddhartha.

How about Chairman Mao's little red book? You could do it in the style of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown with the little axioms and pretend Chinese music.

I think I would giggle at Howard Roark making grand declarations with pseudo operatic melodies. It would have to take itself pretty seriously.

We could have a whole trend of musicals about people with funny names and do Holden Caulfield next.

"People... people who pretend that they need people... are the phoniest people... in the world..."

[Piercemn]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 4:42pm

I don't know. This idea is somehow intriguing, but only if you really think you can make Ayn Rand work musically. One one hand, if you can capture the kitsch of the movie version (magnificent trash starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal) it could be fun. It would be on the order of musicals based on Valley of the Dolls or Mommie Dearest.

On the other hand, if you take the seriousness of her work to heart, a dramatic musical could be intriguing, but I agree, it would need a Philip Glass style score rather than a traditional score like Les Miserables.

One thing you might consider, and I'm suggesting this because I wrote a children's play using a similar theme, is to focus on the making the film. It's a King Vidor production, and you know that Neal had an affair with Cooper. She got pregnant and had an abortion, which is one of the reasons she had a stroke while she was popping out kids with Roald Dahl. That's a fascinating story in itself, and one of the results of that stroke was James and the Giant Peach.

Good luck. It is a fascinating idea.

[Smartful Dodger]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 5:02pm

To clarify, Clark, SIMON BIRCH was originally supposed to be a full adaptation of A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY. But, John Irving was so disgusted and disappointed that he pulled back and did not allow the studio to release it under the original title, reserving that for another licensee. In fact, he was so angered by the experience (and previous adaptation attempts) that he set to bringing CIDER HOUSE RULES to the screen, for which he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The length of the source material makes little difference, Mike, if you have a vision for what you want to say, bring to life through theatre. There are some pretty epic novels that have been musicalized, several of which are currently playing on either Broadway or in the West End.

Good luck!

[clarkstallings]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:26pm

I didn't know that about "Simon Birch." The film and the book are both excellent.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:42pm

Personally, I think to take a beautiful creative process that belongs to the world and put it to the self-aggrandizing, disgusting, evil and heartless philiosphies that Rand espouses in these novels is the most misguided and unnecessary excercises I have ever heard of.

But if one must do it, consider aleatorics as a way to compose this piece. Don't waste your talents, let chance do it for you.

[Becky2]

Posted: 3/12/07 at 8:54pm

I adore Rand's work and of course would love to see a musical based on her works, but I'm also a bit unsure of how well it could be pulled off. I think it would be really difficult, if at all possible, to do it.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 3/13/07 at 1:06am

I would see this as a full fledged opera. Something like "Willy Stark" the opera version of "All the King's Men". I can't really imagine a song like "Can You Hear The People Sing" in a musical version of "The Fountainhead".

But, Godspeed to you...