My Top 5 Book to Musical adaptations

I am a huge musical fan. I am also a huge book fan. And musicals based on books? I'm all over them like a rash. There's emotions and storylines you can portray through music, there's characters that seem more real and naked (not literally) and fabulous, after you've seen them belt out, in song, the part of the book that made you weep. Of course you can get it wrong. I'm not saying every book should be turned into a musical, oh hell no. Can you imagine 'Dracula: Broadway's newest fang-tastic opera'? [Edit: Hey, apparently someone tried this... I literally have no words. I still need to find somewhere to watch this bad boy, but for now click here for the full cast recording I found...] Anyway, Dracula musicals out of the picture, here's a countdown of my personal top five favourite book to musical adaptations:

5) Oliver!
Composed by Lionel Bart
Based on 'Oliver Twist' by Charles Dickens.

"You gotta pick a pocket or two"

 

The 1968 film version of Oliver. The Ron Moody one (the best one). Yes, Mark Lester as Oliver Twist, wasn't the Oliver I imagined when reading the book. It probably wasn't his fault, bless his tiny blonde heart, but Oliver is decidedly meek, squeaky and sort of forgettable in this film. So why is it in my list? It's still one of the best adaptations out there.  Ron Moody and Jack Wild make the best Fagin and Dodger ever ever ever, as does Shani Willis as Nancy. This sounds awful, as it means missing out on the 'Food, glorious food' number, but skip the first 40 minutes and watch from when Oliver reaches London and meets Dodger. (I can't be the only one that does this?) As with many adaptations, the ending of the film is mighty sweeter than the book. However it does it in such a good way that I almost don't mind. The book is perfect. It was the first Dickens I read and I remember feeling so conflicted all the way through, and so emotionally invested I finished in less than two days. If you've never read Dickens, start with Oliver Twist. If you've never seen the film, watch this version. You'll be singing "Oom Pa Pa" for days and develop a bit of a cockney twang in the process probably. 

4) Wicked
Composed by Stephen Schwartz
Based on 'Wicked: The life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West' by Gregory Maguire.

Rocky Horror aside, these are the best red lips ever seen on a musical ad

The Wizard of Oz's saucier, more complex, big sister. The storyline focusses on the Witches of Oz pre, during and post Dorothy. The book is rife with politics, sex, rich character development and is written fantastically. The musical doesn't cover everything the book did, but makes up for it with show stopping numbers like 'Defying Gravity' and sprinkles humour into the tale with songs like 'Popular'. The show had more humour, in my opinion, than the book, and obvious changes were made for the stage, such as the particularities of Nessarose's disability. However this was a visually stunning musical to see live and the songs blew me away. This is a soundtrack I listen to regularly and a series of books that I could read again and again. People say the sequels of the first book fall a little flat, but I think that you become so invested in the characters in the first, you almost feel obliged to read the following books so you can understand everything this storyline has to offer.

3) The Phantom of the Opera
So many versions! Here I'll focus on the version composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with Lyrics by Charles Hart.
Based on 'The Phantom of the Opera' by Gaston Leroux (originally in French)

The true mystery of the Phantom: How does his mask stay on?

Dark, brooding. Perfect for Opera. So that's what someone decided to do! A disfigured musical genius haunts an opera house and basically stalks young dancer and soprano Christine. It's sad and depressing with very few uplifting scenes. And these brief uplifting scenes are soon squished by more brooding and depressing solos. It culminates in a spectacular, scary and heart-racing finale in which the phantom's mask reveals his true visage and a chandelier falls onto people and basically it ends well for no-one, disfigured or otherwise. As a reader/watcher your emotions are played with mercilessly: do we feel sorry for this poor phantom genius, or should we be concerned by his lurking and murdering? Do we fancy Raoul, or is he a bit of a douche? Do we like Christine's hair? Well actually yes, it's beautiful. It's the second longest running musical in the West End, and it saddens me to know how few people have read the book. It's a haunting tale that will hover in your reading memory long after you pop it back on the shelf. You'll also start listening to mirrors and walls, to see if your house has a troubled singer making extravagant living arrangements out of your basement.

2) The Wizard of Oz
Composed by Herbert Stothart
Based on 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' by Frank L Baum

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops"

 



Even if you've never seen the film, you've heard the infamous 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' (unless you literally live at the bottom of the ocean), which won an Oscar for Best original song. It's more family friendly than 'Wicked', and obviously a timeless classic that everyone should see at least once. A few changes were made for the film, like silver shoes being changed to Technicolor friendly ruby red slippers, and the omission of a certain chapter in which Dorothy and friends stumble across people made of delicate China. But overall a good, solid adaptation of the novel. What's great about the novel, that differs from the musical, is that it doesn't make out Dorothy's journey to be a dream, or a vision of delirium, but an actual journey that she actually takes and has to travel back from. She doesn't just wake up at the end exclaiming "you were there, and you were there!" She runs back to her beloved farm and her beloved Aunt Em. I love the use of the sepia to colour in the film, as with the character crossovers and the make up and effects were pure genius (1939!!). Scarily 'Over the Rainbow' was nearly omitted, to shorten the running time. Whoever stomped on that decision needs a medal! A great film to watch on a rainy day. A great book to read in any weather.


1) Cats
Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Based on 'Old Possum's book of Practical Cats' by T. S. Eliot

"Feline, fearless, faithful and true"

 

What can I say about this musical? If you like a nice, continued storyline, it may not be for you. It's several little stories, with a slightly longer backstory that runs separately. The make-up, the costumes, the songs, the choreography...actually it is the choreography that stands out as one of the main reasons to go and see Cats. The dancing is beautiful. When you see it live, the cats come in amongst the audience. They are positively feline in all but biology. It's funny, it's serious, it's genius. It's my favourite musical of all time, based on a book or otherwise. It's tap, it's ballet, it's opera, it's choral. It's cheeky and tear-inducing. It's Cats. And the memory will live forever. The poems are great for adults and kids alike. What is a Jellicle Cat? Go and read and watch and find out! Go now!

 

 

And that concludes the list! Of course there are others. Here are a few:

 

Les Misererable - Book by Victor Hugo

Matilda - Book by Roald Dahl

My Fair Lady - Based on the play 'Pygmalion' by George Bernard Shaw (Apparently. This is one I haven't actually seen so bear with me here).

Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat - Book by...Well it's the Bible. God?

Apparently even Lord of the Rings has undergone a musical treatment. There's lots out there basically, and recent releases prove that fiction is still an excellent source of inspiration for those looking to write the next musical classic.

I hope this has provided some holiday film ideas. Tis the season for TV binging after all.

 

Over and out.