Top 10 Broadway Musicals Based on Books
From page to stage. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the best musical adaptations of books.
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00:00probably conceded to say but i think we're alike in a certain way welcome to ms mojo
00:08and today we're counting down our picks for the best musical adaptations of books
00:12i'll be astonishing
00:21number 10 the whiz
00:28l frank baum's the wonderful wizard of oz enchanted people of all ages
00:32with both a fantastical setting and allusions to american politics
00:36the whiz made the brilliant decision of leaning into the latter
00:39by infusing the story with elements of black culture while staying true to the major plot
00:43points excuse me did did you just say out of pearl wicked witch and the enchanted slippers
00:50girl you hit the trifecta welcome to the emerald city y'all in 1975 broadway musicals were not as
00:57diverse as they could have been and the whiz helped open the doors for others with black-led
01:01casts the humor and music took on new life in the modified version introducing new audiences
01:06to broadway and established audiences to a new way of looking at things
01:27number nine oliver i hope i shall have the honor of your intimate acquaintance
01:34we are very glad to see you oliver very aren't we my dears charles dickens is no stranger to
01:42having his work adapted to the stage and screen even his unfinished mystery of edwin drood got
01:47its time in the spotlight the most famous example is oliver a reworking of oliver twist
01:54exactly my boy i suppose a laundry would be a very nice thing indeed but um our line of
02:01business pays a little better don't it boys the original tells the story of a boy who escapes from
02:06a workhouse and falls into petty crime the adaptation is more light-hearted the edited
02:12plot and bright tune stack helped it become the perfect show for families to enjoy
02:23the choice to revamp fagan from a classic villain to a comedic role was a stroke of genius
02:28as it cut through the harmful stereotypes found in the novel the result was a beloved musical
02:33that's remained a staple in theater since its london premiere in 1960 please sir i want some
02:39more number eight how to succeed in business without really trying satire can be tricky
02:47especially on the musical stage but how to succeed was a triumph the source material
02:51parodied self-help books that claim to help readers become successful with minimal work
02:56before applying for a job make sure the company is a large one
03:02this is essential it should be at least large enough so that nobody quite knows
03:07exactly what the other fellow is doing the musical takes a slightly different spin on
03:11the concept by crafting a narrative about a man trying to rise from window washer to chairman of
03:16the board the sarcasm was still present and biting and that combined made for the perfect
03:21adult comedy if i can't take my coffee break something within me dies
03:32frank lesser's score was nothing short of magnificent adding just the right amount
03:35of heart to the story without diluting the humor it's been a hit since it debuted with
03:40over 2 000 performances over its three broadway productions and it cuts as sharply now as it did
03:46in 1961 oh aren't you proud to be in that fraternity number seven matilda
04:06there's hope and whimsy in royal doll's original tale but also noticeable darkness
04:10the theatrical version did a marvelous job of emphasizing the positive aspects of the story
04:15while keeping just the right amount of darkness especially in the character of miss trunchbull
04:20there is no mystery to mastering the art of caution mistressing is
04:26this retelling about a girl who uses telekinesis to turn her life around also highlighted some of
04:31the character's more ridiculous actions making it appear as though it was happening through
04:35the eyes of a child the musical had just as much heart as the novel which appealed to fans of doll
04:40and those who simply wanted to reconnect with their own childhoods it gave the final product
04:45an authentic feel appealing to viewers and critics alike number six the color purple a story this
04:57powerful was made to be told across several different forms of media alice walker's work
05:02had been the source of both praise and controversy due to its dark yet impactful subject matter time
05:07to go i'll be back next week now you eat something for me here
05:21i'm gonna get you out of here cost my voice i said time to go it follows the life of a young
05:26woman as she grows up facing personal trials and tribulations while navigating 20th century
05:31america the 2005 showing got off to a slightly rocky start with criticisms being made about
05:36important moments being cut out however they gave it another shot a decade later and this time
05:48they hit it out of the park the slimmed down plot and star-studded cast gave it the boost it needed
05:54helping it become one of the defining musicals of the 2010s
06:05number five natasha pierre and the great comet of 1812
06:17if a 1200 page russian novel can be adapted into a modern broadway presentation then anything can
06:23leo tolstoy probably isn't the first name to come to mind when thinking of theater
06:27yet the dense war and peace consisting of a fictional narrative history and philosophy
06:32was completely transformed for the stage it focused primarily on just 70 pages of
06:37the overall work centered around a couple's torrid affair and one man's existential dread
06:42bit different from you i still want to do something the contemporary soundtrack breathed
06:51even more life into the interpretation it was a daring way of presenting the daunting text
06:56but their riskiness ultimately paid off it became an instant standout amongst fans of theater they
07:01even scored a dozen tony nominations eventually taking home two
07:13number four hamilton an american musical who knew hip-hop and theatricality would mesh so well
07:19the 10 founded father without a father got a lot farther by working a lot harder by being a lot
07:27smarter by being the self-starter the idea for lin-manuel miranda's iconic show hamilton came
07:33to him while on vacation he had picked up a biography about the founding father and within
07:38a few chapters he knew he had his next hit on his hands much like the source material he took the
07:50viewers throughout the major moments in hamilton's life both good and bad he took it a step further
07:56by modernizing the sound and incorporating newer genres
08:12the centuries-old history and contemporary presentation served as a perfect symbol of
08:17american culture both the memoir and the musical were highly praised as a result
08:21with the former returning to the bestseller list and the latter sweeping the 70th tony awards
08:35number three wicked the whiz isn't the only noteworthy musical interpretation of bound
08:40series stephen schwartz offered his retelling of the work this time through the eyes of the
08:44wicked witch of the west herself
08:51based on gregory mcguire's novel it offered a more sympathetic view of the witch revealing
08:56the twisted events that led to her being perceived as wicked it offered a fresh perspective on what
09:00was once a one-dimensional character
09:08the grandiose power ballads and the genuine friendship alphaba and galinda formed made
09:13the final result feel special it was a huge commercial success selling out for years and
09:18cementing edina menzel and kristin chenoweth as legends because i knew you i haven't changed
09:27for good number two lay miserable you know your place in the sky you hold your course and your aim
09:37and each in your season returns and returns and is always the same victor hugo's classic is filled
09:47with compelling characters and complex themes that keep all five volumes gripping from beginning to
09:52end the theatrical version got off to a rough start with some scholars even condemning the
09:57creators for daring to adapt such an important literary work into a dramatic opera however
10:02the public vehemently disagreed
10:14the rousing performances and themes of redemption and love stuck with them
10:18the softer emotional songs in juxtaposition to the heart-swelling ensemble-led numbers
10:23kept them engaged their support helped transform les miserables from an underappreciated gem
10:28to a beloved show with multiple revivals and over 6 000 performances in its first run alone
10:39before we unveil our top pick here are a few honorable mentions
10:43jekyll and hyde stevenson's gothic piece became a popular favorite
10:47how easy to stay no matter what you may pretend and now flourish long after you're gone
10:57maim the eccentric novel stage adaptation made a star of angela lansbury
11:09the phantom of the opera the dark romance came across perfectly in front of an audience
11:18is
11:25fiddler on the roof drawn from short stories it was the first broadway musical to run 3 000
11:31performances before we continue be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell
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11:55notifications number one cabaret
12:09if you're searching for sheer historical importance then you won't have to look much
12:13further than this christopher isherwood's goodbye to berlin was based on his own experiences in the
12:18city and how he noticed its citizens doing anything to enjoy their remaining pleasures
12:22as hitler rose to power the eventual adaptation cabaret leaned into this idea by having the
12:27primary setting a sketchy nightclub represent the fading weimar republic we have no troubles here
12:34here life is beautiful the girls are beautiful even the orchestra is beautiful audiences were
12:47at the edge of their seats as they watched the kit kat club and germany itself crumble before them
12:52the music exemplified the hedonistic escapism with performances that were eerie yet spellbinding
12:58it's become one of the defining musicals of the 20th century with several revivals beneath its
13:03belt since its 1966 debut have any of your favorite novels been adapted into musicals
13:16let us know in the comments below my destiny calls and i don't do you agree with our picks
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