WORLD BOOK DAY: 10 Books Made Into Musicals
It’s that time again Besties, when we celebrate all of the brilliant books that have shaped our worlds, but what about books that have shaped the musical theatre world? This World Book Day, we are celebrating ten musicals and the brilliant books that inspired them!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Originally a children’s book written in 1964, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remains a very well-loved tale, adapted into two famous films and of course, a musical! The show was first performed in the West End in 2013 and has since had a Broadway run, tours in US, Australia and now the UK. The show follows the wondrous story of Charlie Bucket, a child living in poverty, but filled with imagination, as they become one of the five Golden Ticket winners and journey into Willy Wonka’s bizarre and wonderful chocolate factory. This fun family show features all the classic quirky characters we know and love from the world of pure imagination that Roald Dahl created. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory recently launched its first UK tour and is currently playing at Milton Keynes Theatre until 5 March, with the tour lasting until November this year.
To book tickets for select touring venues, please click here.
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
You can’t make a book-inspired musicals list without mentioning the legendary Les Mis! Les Miserables was adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel and premiered in Paris in 1980 before being adapted into English by Cameron Mackintosh and the Royal Shakespeare Company, opening in the West End in 1985. Since then, it has become a global sensation and is now the longest running West End musical. The show is set during the French revolution and centres around former convict Jean Valjean as he tries to rebuild his life, pursued by his old prison guard Javert, all whilst raising orphaned Cosette. This beautifully touching musical is all about love, loss, hope and injustice. Les Miserables is currently playing at the Sondheim Theatre in London, with tickets available here.
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
How about a musical inspired by a book that was inspired by a book? We are, of course, talking about Wicked! This ever popular (no pun intended) musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West which, in turn, was inspired by The Wizard of Oz. The musical opened on Broadway in 2003 and has been performed in over 15 different countries ever since. Wicked the Musical is not quite as dark as its novel counterpart; it tells the origin story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and G(a)linda the Good of Oz, showing how their friendship developed in university and how, when she discovered a dark secret, Elphaba soon became known as the Wicked Witch. Wicked is currently performing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London and the first tickets are now on sale for their 2023/24 UK tour.
To book tickets for Wicked in the West End, please click here and for select touring venues, please click here.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
This 2004 musical is based on Alice Walker’s 1982 book and has been performed in many different countries since its Broadway run. The story is set in the early 1900s and follows the life of courageous Celie as she discovers her voice and learns to love herself after a lifetime of abuse from her stepfather and husband. Celie is lifted by strong women around her, including her good friend Sofia, her lover Shug and of course her beloved sister Nettie. The Color Purple is a beautiful story all about self love and hope with an LGBT theme. The UK tour ended a few months ago, but we have a musical film to look forward to which is set to be released in December!
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The second Road Dahl book on the list and there’s certainly a reason these beloved books make such good musicals! Dahl’s colourful characters work well in any format. Based on his 1988 book, Matilda the Musical was recently made into a hit film and has been delighting audiences young and old since 2010. In 2012, the West End production won seven Olivier Awards, which was more than any single show had won at that point! The story of Matilda Wormwood, an intelligent little girl with a love of reading and new found magical powers, as she inspires a rebellion against her horrible headteacher Miss Trunchbull and breaks away from her neglectful parents with the help of her beloved teacher Miss Honey. Matilda is a brilliant feel-good family musical that is a hit with all ages. The show is currently playing at The Cambridge Theatre in London, with tickets available here.
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Phantom is the longest running show in Broadway history, the second longest running musical in the West End after Les Mis, and those first few notes of the overture are instantly recognisable to most people, but the original 1910 book is less-known. The musical is quite different to the book but both follow the story of opera singer Christine as she becomes the obsession of the mysterious Phantom of the Opera who has chosen her to perform his music. The disfigured Phantom lives beneath the Paris Opera House and is desperate to be loved. Soon, Christine becomes caught between his passionate possessiveness and her love for her fiance Raoul, but the Phantom doesn’t give up easily and soon turns to revenge. This beautifully haunting love story is currently performing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, with tickets available here.
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Obviously Mary Poppins is a much-loved classic Disney film but it was originally a series of eight books, the first being published in 1934. The musical began in the West End in 2004 and has since had a Broadway run and both UK and US tours. The beloved story follows the adventures of the Banks children, their magical nanny Mary Poppins and her fun-loving friend Bert the chimney sweep. Mary Poppins arrives as the Banks family are in chaos looking for a new nanny for their unruly children. Though she is definitely not the kind of nanny that the parents, particularly Mr Banks, were imagining, she certainly transforms the lives of the whole family. Sadly, the West End production of Mary Poppins had its last performance in January, but we hope it’s not the last we've seen from this brilliant family show.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
This classic 1837 Dickens book about a poor Victorian orphan inspired the musical Oliver! which premiered in the West End in 1960. The musical is a lot more lighthearted than the novel, as the exclamation mark in its name suggests, and the villain Fagin is presented as more of a comedic character. The musical is all about Oliver, a mistreated orphan who joins a gang of thieves and pickpockets in an attempt to find somewhere to belong, but soon finds that the gang may be threatening his chances of finding a real family. Oliver! was most recently professionally performed in the UK in 2013, but remains a popular choice for amateur and school productions with some brilliant catchy songs that are instantly recognisable.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
Did you know that the classic Dick Van Dyke film and its musical counterpart was originally a book? Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car is a book that was written in 1964 by Ian Fleming for his son and became a film four years later. The musical opened in 2002 in the West End and has been performed in several different countries since then. This classic story follows Caractacus Potts, an inventor, his two young children Jemima and Jeremy, and their new family friend, Truly Scrumptious. Caractacus invents a magical flying car, leading to many amazing adventures for the family. This musical features lots of colourful characters including the infamous Child Catcher, the subject of generations of childhood nightmares! Chitty was last performed in the UK in 2016.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Whilst Hamilton is, of course, based on real historical events, it would be wrong not to include it in this list because Lin-Manuel Miranda was famously inspired to write the musical after reading a copy of Ron Chernow's 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton on holiday. Lin's work was originally titled the ‘Hamilton Mixtape’, with the first song being performed at the White House in 2009, followed by the full musical premiering in 2015. Hamilton became a world famous groundbreaking rap musical with tickets being notoriously difficult to get hold of at the beginning of its run. The musical follows the dramatic life of America's forgotten founding father as he helps to win the War of Independence and build modern America. The show features all of Alexander's important relationships including his strong wife Eliza, beloved sister-in-law Angelica, best friend John Laurens and of course his deadly rivalry with Aaron Burr. Hamilton is still going strong all over the world including at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London and the first UK tour which has recently been announced for this year.
So, there are just some of the brilliant musicals that were inspired by books! Which ones have we missed? Let us know what your favourite book inspired musical is. Happy World Book Day, Besties!