Little House on the Prairie -- The Musical

posted by thap gump

Last week, my good friend and CP, Cathy and I went to see a performance of Little House on the Prairie -- The Musical. This Broadway touring company of the show featured Melissa Gilbert (the woman who built an entire career on Laura Ingalls Wilder's characters) as Caroline "Ma" Ingalls. I'm sorry to say, Ms Gilbert is not much of a singer, but the actor who portrayed Charles "Pa" Ingalls more than made up for it, and the actress who played Laura was excellent also.

However, this was not one of those musicals where you leave humming and tapping your toes like one of the great Lerner and Loewe classics (think My Fair Lady or Camelot... you're humming now, aren't you?!?!). Nor was it one of the lavish productions with the awe-inspiring music like Phantom of the Opera. But it was still a lot of fun, and there was one cute tune sung by Nellie Oleson about how having an enemy keeps a gleam in your eye that was Aunty's particular favorite.

This Little House... owes less to the long running TV show and sticks closer to the original series of books. Granted, it does take scenes from various places and time periods in the books and compacts them into one drastically shortened storyline, but that was what I found so appealing. Watching the familiar story of the Ingalls family unfold was like visiting old and dear friends.

When I was in fourth grade (sometime back in the Dark Ages!), our teacher read Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie aloud to our class. Every girl in class (and a few of the boys too, though they'd never admit it) ran out and read every other book in the series. There was a long waiting list at the school library, and my name featured prominently.

I think Little House... was the first book I ever read in which I became emotionally invested in the characters. I was right there with Laura and Mary and their family and friends. They were like my own family and friends! And I never forgot those stories.

I was never that fond of the Little House... TV series, because those actors and the characters they portrayed never really felt like the Ingalls as I knew and loved them from the books. Besides, Michael Landon will be forever imprinted in my brain as Little Joe Cartwright, but that's a story for another blog...

Watching Little House...The Musical was very enjoyable, like I said almost a homecoming of sorts. I would have never thought to turn these stories into one comprehensive play set to music, but the writers and lyricists did a marvelous job. If you get a chance to see a production, I recommend you GO!

So what was the first story to which you became emotionally attached? Do you think it would make a good stage play or musical?

What other books do you suggest being adapted for the stage? Claiming the Courtesan or Dark and Deadly as musicals?!?! Hey, stranger things have happened! Look at Kiss of the Spider Woman! Source URL: https://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/musicals
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An Ode To Musicals

by Caren Crane

WARNING: This post is about MOVIE MUSICALS. Many of those overburdened with testosterone despise them (though a few openly admit to their charm, wit and magic), so remember you were warned.

I know many Banditas adore a musical. I could totally get the whole Lair singing "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria". As a matter of fact, that may or may not have happened at a certain Bash at the RWA conference. And Mary Poppins? Our Golden Heart winner, Susan Seyfarth, would knock some people out of the way to be the one who gets to dance with Bert. Don't let her pixie-like looks and size fool you, folks. She is SERIOUS about her Mary Poppins.

But why? Why do we love our musicals so?

My youngest and I went to see WALL-E last night. What a great movie! If you haven't seen it, you must know that WALL-E is a fan of the musical "Hello, Dolly". This is the 1969 version starring Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau. WALL-E watches "Hello Dolly" often and, apparently, learns about love from the song "It Only Takes a Moment." In the song, the clerk, Cornelius, expresses his feelings to Irene. At then end of the song, they join hands and head off, strolling through the park. Poor WALL-E joins his little robot fingers together to simulate hand-holding. Heartbreaking! Though there is no dialogue, you feel all his pain and loneliness, his longing for love.

For me, the musical is a great ride because the music encapsulates the mood of a scene perfectly. As writers, we struggle for the perfect words to set the stage, create the mood, immerse the reader in our character's angst or joy. In a musical, the character simply bursts into song and takes us there.

I have noticed that musicals, like romance, are often marginalized by reviewers and the movie-going public. There are those who loathe them simply because they are what they are. Romance is regarded this way by lots of readers who don't understand, much less read, the genre. Fie on both those fickle groups!

I am proud to say I am totally immersed today in Loretta Chase's "Your Scandalous Ways". It is delectable! And tomorrow, my youngest and I have decided we MUST watch "The Sound Of Music" and, naturally, "Hello, Dolly". Of course, a side trip into "The King and I" or "Thoroughly Modern Millie" is likely. I have thoroughly corrupted my offspring.

So, are you a musical lover or does "Shall We Dance" leave you cold? If you love them, what is your favorite? And most importantly, was Dick Van Dyke cuter as Bert in "Mary Poppins" or as Caractacus Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"? Or am I the only dork who will admit to thinking Dick Van Dyke is totally adorable?
Source URL: https://idontwanttobeanythingotherthanme.blogspot.com/search/label/musicals
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