In the spirirt of “Le Mis” and “Phantom” What other works of literature should be brought to the stage?
While you’re at it feel free to suggest a composer, etc. and cast the thing.
Kind of modern literature, but I’d love to see Frank Wildhorn turn Julia Álvarez’s “In The Time of the Butterflies” into a musical. It’s got the potential to be grand and tragic, with lots of ensemble work as well as starring roles for four Latina women. I have no idea if Salma Hayek can sing, but Daphne Rubin-Vega might be good. She’s got the look, she can sing to hell and gone, and can even manage Spanish if needed, being a Panamanian originally.
I could see Judy Reyes as one of the sisters, too.
And certainly Edward James Olmos has enough Broadway and musical experience to justify reprising his movie role as Trujillo.
(If Wildhorn steals this idea, all I want are front-row seats opening night).
- Rick
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Woman in White” adapted from the Wilke Collins novel, opens in London in September 
Watchmen: The Musical
sorry, I’ll go now.
The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus: A Rock Opera.
It’s been done. Written by Randy Newman, and stars Don Henley, Linda Ronstant, James Taylor, and Newman himself as Satan.
I used to own that CD. I thought it was truly awful. Bonnie Raitt’s song was the only one that I thought was any good.
It’s only a matter of time before HOBBITS! (a musical based on the works of Tolkien) is written, I’m sure.
[QUOTE=BuckleberryFerry]
It’s only a matter of time before HOBBITS! (a musical based on the works of Tolkien) is written, I’m sure.
[/QUOTE
[Looks like someone’s beaten you to that, too.]
(http://www.thelordoftheringsmusical.com/) 
Hrm…this might be weird – Canterbury Tales has been done as a musical, I know, but Troilus and Criseyde might be better suited to the form, with the right adapter. I’m thinking Sondheimesque.
Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, & Tim Rice bring you their latest Broadway sensation:
Parcheesi!!!, featuring the smah hit, “One Afternoon in Des Moines”.
Is it too late for me write Hobbits on Ice, then?
:rolleyes:
In honor of the OP I give you a literature-based musical:
1984: A Musical Comedy with music by Elton John.
Not really – the only thing it actually has in common is the name and the names of some of the characters. Mostly it is a showcase for Randy Newman (oh writer of oscar winning songs for children’s movies) to bitch about God. Talk about a man with issues. An actual adaptation would be pretty cool.
In the Spirit of Les Miz, I offer: Mother Courage – who would write it, no clue.
There was some movie from the late 80’s or early 90’s that had a father auditioning for a role in “Tale of Two Cities” which actually would not be nearly as bad as it sounds.
Also, while I loathe the book , I think it would adapt well: Lovely Bones, by Tim Rice and Elton John. It really is a natural fit.
In the tradition of “Joseph” and “Jesus Christ, Superstar”, how about “Leviticus!” or “Revelation!”? … by Tim Rice, of course.
Coming Soon: Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, a musical by Mel Brooks.
Hunchback of Notre Dame…it would have to be called “Hunch!”
wasn’t that on an ep of THE CRITIC? G
I read in a legit biography about Aldous Huxley that he actually wanted a Busby Berkeley style musical version of BRAVE NEW WORLD done. I’d have loved to have seen that!
DRACULA
FRANKENSTEIN
ATLAS SHRUGGED G
(Sting as John Galt)
Supposedly Elton John is musicalizing “The Vampire Lestat”, though I thought AIDA was awful (though how it compared to such literary adaptation’s as Yul Brynner’s Home Sweet Homer (a musical comedy based on The Odyssey* that flopped like a catfish on hot concrete) and Stephen King’s Carrie (used to be the biggest flop in B’way history, though such recent travesties as Taboo may have surpassed it) I don’t know. (By the way, for info on any of these titles check out ibdb.com ; I’m having problems hyperlinking tonight.)
There was a musical version of Confederacy of Dunces some years back (performed only in New Orleans, IIRC) though I understand it wasn’t great. In the hands of really gifted folk (Shaiman & Wittman if you wanted it light) I think it could really fly.
While very recent, I think that Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe has great musical potential. So much of the book wasn’t used in the movie that, like Ragtime, it could supply both a good movie and a great play that don’t overlap much.
Much older literature that could furnish musical turns:
Tristan & Isolde (a musical as opposed to an opera)
Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven by Mark Twain
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
The Divine Comedy (in three acts of course)
A Tale of Two Cities (It couldn’t be worse than Scarlet Pimpernel)
Comprachico Tell Me What’s Wrong…, a musical version of Victor Hugo’s “Man Who Smiled” composed by ABBA
*Strange but true: Golden Girl Rue MacLanahan adapted Oedipus Rex as a tapdance musical entitled (I kid you not) Oedipus Smedipus, As Long as you love your Mama; it tanked.
How about a tough-talking opera based on a Jim Thompson novel? The Grifters would be great! Lyrics by David Mamet, music by Danny Elfman.
I use to have a Betty Buckley CD on which she sang a song from Carrie called “When There’s No One”. It’s an absolutely beautiful song that Carrie’s mother (played by Buckley in the musical) sings while waiting for Carrie to come home from the prom. I’ve never heard any of the other music from the show, but if the rest of it was as good as that song, it’s a mystery to me why the show flopped. Maybe the idea of a Stephen King musical was just too bizarre.
I am more an opera fan than a fan of musicals (althought there a quite a few I like), but how about something like Anna Karenina
On the proviso that ALW is allowed nowhere near it