There are
lot of musicals out there, who are based on books. So here is a selection of
these shows. Have you read any of these books?! Or seen the shows?!
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Based
on one of my favorite books of all time, the 1862 classic by Victor Hugo, in
2006, "Les Miserables" officially became the longest running musical
in London's West End history. The original French version of the musical opened
in 1980, but soon closed because of budget shortages, even though audiences
loved it. In 1985, the Royal Shakespeare Company put on the first English
production. Revolving around the themes of revolution and redemption, "Les
Miserables" has been seen worldwide in dozens of languages.
I
have actually read the book a while ago, but I must say, I prefer the musical
version. I guess it’s just easier to understand and I’m a big musical lover, so
I like hearing the lyrics, seeing the acting on stage, it’s another way of
telling the story. Les Mis is one of my all time favourite musicals, the songs
are amazing and it’s full of emotions.
Matilda – by Roald Dahl
Matilda
the Musical
is a stage musical
based on the children's novel
of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was adapted
by Dennis Kelly, with
music and lyrics by Tim Minchin.
The musical's narrative centres on Matilda, a precocious 5-year-old girl with
the gift of telekinesis
who loves reading, overcomes obstacles caused by her family and school, and
helps her teacher to reclaim her life. After a twelve-week trial run staged by
the Royal
Shakespeare Company (RSC) at Stratford-upon-Avon
from November 2010 to January 2011, it received its West End premiere on 24
November 2011 at the Cambridge
Theatre and its Broadway premiere on 11
April 2013 at the Shubert Theatre.
Matilda
is such a great book, I love Roald Dahl. The musical is even better!!! Seeing
all these kids on stage, performing, having fun and so talented, it’s
amazing!!!
The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston
Leroux
The
Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd
Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart
with additions from Richard Stilgoe.
Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the musical's book together. Based on the French novel Le Fantôme de
l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux,
its central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé,
who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.
The
musical opened in London's West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988.
I have
finally seen this show last year and loved it! I have seen to movie before and
I love the music, so it was a must see!
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver! is an English musical, with music and
lyrics by Lionel Bart.
The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.
It
premiered in the West End
in 1960, enjoying a long run, and successful long runs on Broadway, tours and
revivals, after being brought to the US by producer David Merrick in 1963. It
was made into a musical film
in 1968.
This one
has a very special place in my heart. I read the book in high school and then
we did the show ourselves a few years later. I remember constantly rehearsing,
but also watching the films and reading the book again. The musical is a bit
different than the book when it comes to storyline, but it’s still a FAB
show!!!
Wicked by Gregory
Maguire
"Wicked," "the untold story of the
witches of Oz," is based upon the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire,
which parallels L. Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz." The story follows
the friendship of Glinda, the good witch, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the
West, and what transpired before Dorothy dropped in and started causing
trouble. In 2003, "Wicked" opened in New York and quickly became a
favorite among Broadway buffs, winning three Tony awards. Success birthed tours
across the U.S. and productions worldwide. More than three million people have
seen this play that imagines the lives of two "misunderstood" characters.
This
is an example, where I didn’t know the book before, I just went to see Wicked
on the West End and fell in love with the musical. The effects, the songs, the
costumes, the story and so much more. This is also one of my all time faves.
Here is a
list of more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Musicals_based_on_novels
Of course
I could have talked about more oft hem, but these five I have actually seen on
the West End and they have a special place in my heart.
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