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Do you have a suggestion of a novel to add to the group's list?

Also, keep in mind that the original novel might have a different name than the play (for example, "Thou Shalt Not" was based on the novel Therese Raquin).

Well, one could add Emily Bronte's _Wuthering Heights_ to go with B. J. Taylor's musical _Wuthering Heights_.

And one could also add Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_ to go with either the play version or the musical again by B.J. Taylor

Must think some more...

Jenna, I've never heard of these. (The musicals, obviously, not the books.) I did a Google search for BJ Taylor and came up with nothing. So you have any other information?

I have two editions of B. J. Taylor's Wuthering Heights (with Dave Willets) and one for his Pride and Prejudice (with Claire Moore, who has done quite a few recordings). They are British recordings and not found easily in the US, except maybe through eBay or a similar site. they are both pretty good.

What about James Joyce's The Dead? (Okay, it's more of a novella). There is the musical version that was on Broadway a few years ago...

I have quite a list in mind but they feel a bit obvious ie
Phantom
Les Mis
Little Women
Color Purple
King and I
Secret Garden
Sussical

I had never heard of the Women in White I'm glad I found this group! books and musical theater are 2 of my favorite things! seems a perfect match

Becky, I think the ones you listed are already in the bookshelf. If you'd like to discuss any of the novels feel free to start a thread!

Jenna, I'll add those. Also A Tale of Two Cities will be opening on Broadway next year.

sorry just now looked at the full list!

What about The Wife of Martin Guerre to go with the Claude Michel Schoenberg/Alain Boublil musical Martin Guerre?

The P. L. Traver's Mary Poppins books to go with the Disney musical (currently in West End and Broadway). I love that musical; saw it 3 times...

And Gone with the Wind ? Trevor Nunn directed a production (or at least a workshop production) in London last year, I think...

I didn't have Martin Guerre on the list?? An oversight...

That's right, I heard about the Workshop production of Gone With the Wind. My husband informs me that it's no longer just a workshop; that it's in previews right now and opens later this month.

Mary Poppins is a good one, thank you. Brent (the husband) wants to see that when we're in NY in the fall.

Tell you what, Jenna, I trust your judgment. Do you want to just add these books?

Sure, Sarah, I'll add the books I've already mentioned. (I'll just put one Mary Poppins book. Thanks.

I do not think I saw Aspects of Love on the list (the novella) which Andrew Lloyd Webber used for his 1989 musical of the same name. (I love that musical too!)

Also I staged managed a show on its way to broadway from Prince and the Pauper, I don't know if it made it on but I believe there was an off broadway run of that show! It actually stared Marc Kudish from Thoroughly Modern Millie


And Tarzan has now made its way to Broadway as well. Also the Little Mermaid from Hans Christian Anderson's original (much sadder than the disneyfied version!)

Noticed there was a book on Eva Person, I suppose to go with Evita.

I am not sure if this quite fits, but something like The Dream King by Wilfred Blunt about "Mad" King of Ludwig (who built the "fairy tale" Neuschwanstein Castle) to go with the German musical Ludwig II: Sehnsucht nach dem Paradis?

Jenna! I saw James Joyce's The Dead in NYC. It had Christopher Walken in it. There is something surreal about seeing Walken do a jig. But it was worth the price of admission! heh

Scary thought but, Shrek (originally a book) is now a musical headed to Broadway!

I know! Strangely I have no desire to see it. It's premiering in Seattle, and last year we went up to see Young Frankenstein. But even though it has Sutton in it, I have no desire to see Shrek.

What did you think about Young Frankenstein? It will be interesting to see what changes once it gets to Broadway!

I am seeing Shrek, (I have season tkts) SOO I'm sure you'll hear about it from me!

We loved Young Frankenstein. It has been on Broadway since October. I'm not sure what changes they made in between Seattle and NY. We heard they were going to give Sutton Foster more to do.

Meghan, I wish I could have seen Christopher Walken in James Joyce's The Dead All I got to see was the clip on the Tony awards. Seeing him in something like Sarah Plain and Tall, Caesar or, as you say, dancing a jig, is so different than my image of him!

speaking of Sarah Plain and Tall I guess we could add that to the books TBR as there is a musical version of that.

Sarah I saw the final dress rehersal for Young Frankinstein when they opened in Seattle it it was fun, but got long. I had a friend helping on the production that said they made several changes from that night to closeing night in Seattle so I'm curious. It was lots of fun but I worry sometimes because I saw that working version of Jekel and Hyde (loved it minues a couple of songs) and when I saw the finished Broadway product it wasn't as strong!

i know this is not rly about suggestions... but what about rent?? like its never talked about and i think its amazing.

But it's not based on a book.

Unless we want to count the book that the estate of Jonathon Larson settled out of court with because the author claimed he used significant portions of her book in his musical. Forgot the name at the moment...

I don't know about that, Jenna. LOL. But I thought it was pretty well known that he based the musical on La Boheme?

Yes, true, which is based on Henri Murger's novel Scenes de La vie de Bohème...got to remember name of other book!

do we have west side story?

ohh we dont have legally blonde by Amanda Brown. based on legally blonde the broadway musical

aha, the books related to Rent and the controversy as to whether Jonathon Larson used portions of it in his musical are People in Trouble by Sarah Schulman and Stagestruck, which is her account of what happened. I had to ask a friend to help me out.

Also I don't know if the West Side Story book counts, since it was based on the musical and not vice versa.

What about Phantom of the Opera. I just saw the show and started reading the book and realized we don't have anything about that in this group. Anyone care if I start one or if we add the book?

The Phantom of the Opera is already on the group's bookshelf, Emily, but you're welcome to start a thread for it if you'd like to discuss the adaptation.

Sorry I looked and couldn't find it. Might have missed it. Thanks.

What about The Witches of Eastwick?

Also Wuthering Heights - there was a musical based on it in the late 90's - called Heathcliff, Tim Rice wrote the lyrics and Cliff Richard starred as Heathcliff.

Perhaps Dracula by Bram Stoker should be on the list as well, there are several musicals based on it. Though I don't know if most of them have been done in English at all, but at least Frank Wildhorn's Dracula ran on Broadway for a while. After that there have been a couple of productions in German that were quite popular, even a cast recording coming out of a production in Graz, Austria.

On that note, should this group only be for musicals which have been done in English (either originally or in translation) or also others? I am from Finland and am very much into the European musical theatre scene - there's quite a lot done in Central Europe especially - but some of the musicals that are the most popular here haven't been done in English at all. If people think it's interesting, I can mention book-based musicals that have been popular in Europe.

It does not look like we have Vilhelm Moberg's novels on the list. It formed the basis for the Swedish musical from the writers of ABBA, Kristina från Duvemala, as well as the earlier films by Jan Troll starring Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow (The Emigrants, The New Land). I'll add them. It is a fabulous musical; one of my favourites. I wish it would be translated into English and done in the US as a full-scale production; it was only done in concert twice.

I added My Life and the Beautiful Game which is apparently inspired (at least loosely) Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Beautiful Game (which is being re-worked right now). I am listening to the recording, which is why I thought of it...

My favorite 'screenplay' book, by far, is William Goldman: Four Screenplays with Essays

Goldman has written a number of critically aclaimed and commercially successful screenplays. The four in this book, with side comments from the author, are "The Princess Bride", "Misery", "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", and (my favorite) "Marathon Man".

Two of the four screenplays originate from novels:

Marathon Man
Misery

'Marathon Man' the novel and the play were both written by Goldman. 'Misery' by King, IMO the novel is stronger, the screenplay is good as well.

Yeah, but... those are movies.

Yes...they are movies.

Plays?

The Martian Chronicles - great novel, terrible play.

The Vampire Tapestry: A Novel - great novel, pretty good play.

The Lion King - great conceptual short story, commercially successful play. Disch is credited with creating the idea of The Lion King for Disney, but chose at the time to take a $5,000 retainer fee instead of other payment options.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Little House on the Prairie the musical is based off of her last three books, Little Town on the Prairie, The Long Winter, and These Happy Golden Years, right? Because I didn't see any of these books on the list