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Emma Holifield, Books Editor, examines the ongoing adaption of literary works to stage musicals
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BEING Books Editor it’s safe to say that I’m a little bit fond of literature. But dare I say it, there may be one thing I like even more; musicals. I’m not an all-singing, all-dancing lunatic waiting to burst into song as if I’m in Glee (although I would be in full support of other people who could actually sing doing this). But there’s something about the intensity of musicals that makes the emotions expressed a whole lot more epic, not to mention providing a catchy tune or two to get you through those boring essays.
Musicals inspired by books are everywhere in the theatre world, combining my two loves in one wonderful package. There are hugely successful musicals such as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, a reinterpretation of Gaston Leroux’s classic French novel. The musical is now celebrating an astonishing 27 years on the West End. In contrast there are the not so successful musicals. For instance, the musical version of The Lord of the Rings, famously plagued by cast injuries, ran for only a year, with the epic trilogy crammed into a three hour musical romp failing to appeal to critics and audiences alike.
Other smash-hit adaptations are rife, with Wicked, Oliver and Les Misérables being personal favourites (the latter of which I LOVED way before the film … #hipster). Poetry has also been used as musical theatre inspiration, with T.S. Eliot’s whimsical poem Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats inspiring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous production Cats. Even The Bible and now, The Book of Mormon have inspired hugely successful musical releases.
As with all adaptations one can question which is better? Do musicals add welcome razzmatazz to tomes or do they bastardise the literary canon? Always liking to experience the literary inspirations for adaptations, I rushed to get my hands on a copy of Wicked and Les Misérables after becoming obsessed with their musical counterparts.
In some cases I enjoyed the original more, with the book of Phantom of the Opera inciting a sense of trepidation that I hadn’t felt during the musical. However, with others I was hugely disappointed. Although irrefutably good stories (I’m not about to criticise Hugo’s monumental work), I found that the literary originals lacked the hype and excitement of their musical offspring. Somewhat naively, I was hugely disappointed that my favourite tunes didn’t spark up during important moments and eventually, I must concede, I got so bored I gave up; apparently there’s only so much I can hear about a very pious, but none-the-less very boring, French bishop without needing a song to perk things up.
I’m not saying all books can be improved by being turned into musicals; Lord of the Rings is testament to that. In fact, not all books should be adapted in this way. For instance, I doubt even Andrew Lloyd Webber could make a coherent musical out of The Odyssey (although, I’m horrified to announce that someone has tried). But with plenty more book to musical adaptations set to grace our theatres in the future, I will continue to watch in awe at the sets, costumes and of course songs that revitalise many books, bringing some into the spotlight that I hadn’t previously considered.
Emma Holfield, Books Editor
exeposedev 