The Mysterious Process of Adaptation
As a lifelong lover of musical theater, I’ve always been fascinated by the art of adapting novels and short stories for the stage. It’s a delicate, and often daunting, task that requires a unique blend of creativity, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of both the source material and the demands of the musical medium.
Over the years, I’ve read countless articles and essays exploring the challenges of this process, but none have resonated with me quite like the insights shared by author George Saunders in his piece for The Guardian. Saunders eloquently describes the “mysterious process” that writers undergo to transform their ideas into a cohesive, captivating work of art.
For Saunders, the key lies in the iterative nature of the creative process – the constant tweaking, adjusting, and refining that gradually shapes a piece from its initial conception to its final form. He likens it to the work of an optometrist, always asking, “Is it better like this? Or like this?” as they fine-tune the lens prescription.
This approach, Saunders suggests, is not limited to the world of prose fiction, but can be equally applicable to the challenges of adapting a novel or short story for the musical stage. As I ponder the daunting task of taking a beloved work of literature and translating it into a living, breathing musical production, I can’t help but draw parallels to Saunders’ insights.
The Challenges of Adaptation
One of the primary challenges of adaptation, as Saunders notes, is the inherent “baggage” that comes with a work of art. A novel or short story, like a person, has its own unique personality – its strengths, weaknesses, quirks, and idiosyncrasies. And as an adapter, it’s your job to wrestle with this personality, to find a way to capture its essence while also shaping it to the demands of the musical medium.
Take, for example, the challenge Saunders faced in adapting his novel “Lincoln in the Bardo” for the stage. The original work was largely a series of ghostly monologues set in a graveyard – not exactly the most obvious starting point for a musical. But rather than viewing this as a limitation, Saunders saw it as an opportunity, drawing inspiration from his own earlier experiments with multi-voiced narratives.
Similarly, when I think about the process of adapting a beloved novel like “To Kill a Mockingbird” or a short story like “The Lottery” for the musical stage, I can’t help but wonder about the unique challenges and opportunities that might arise. How do you capture the rich, nuanced characterizations of a novel in the limited time and space of a stage production? How do you translate the suspense and drama of a short story into a score that moves the audience both emotionally and physically?
These are the kinds of questions that keep me up at night, as I imagine the painstaking process of sifting through the “pins” of the original work – the moments, images, and ideas that spark my imagination – and then carefully arranging them into a cohesive, captivating musical experience.
Finding the Essence
One of the key insights I’ve gleaned from Saunders’ essay is the importance of maintaining a generous and empathetic relationship with the original source material. As an adapter, it’s easy to get caught up in the technical demands of the musical form, to become so focused on the “how” that you lose sight of the “why” – the essential core of the story that drew you to it in the first place.
But Saunders reminds us that the true power of a work of art lies in its ability to connect with the reader or viewer on a deeply personal level. And as an adapter, your job is to preserve and amplify that connection, to create a musical experience that feels just as intimate, just as profoundly moving, as the original.
This means being willing to make tough choices, to let go of beloved moments or characters in service of the larger narrative. It means constantly asking yourself, “What is the essence of this story? What are the core themes, emotions, and ideas that I need to capture?” and then using every tool at your disposal – the music, the lyrics, the staging, the choreography – to bring those elements to life in a way that resonates with your audience.
It’s a delicate balance, to be sure, and one that requires a deep understanding of both the source material and the musical theater form. But it’s also a challenge that I find endlessly exciting and rewarding.
The Power of Collaboration
Of course, the process of adapting a novel or short story for the musical stage is not one that an individual can tackle alone. It requires the collaboration of a talented team of creative professionals – composers, lyricists, librettists, directors, choreographers, and more – each bringing their own unique expertise and perspective to the table.
And just as Saunders describes the writer’s relationship with their reader as a “hopeful notion” of shared humanity, I believe that the collaborative process of adaptation is also a testament to the power of collective creativity. When a group of talented individuals comes together, each committed to preserving the essence of the original work while also pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the musical theater form, the results can be truly magical.
Take, for example, the acclaimed adaptation of “The Bridges of Madison County” that premiered on Broadway in 2014. The original novel, written by Robert James Waller, was a poignant and understated story of a brief, passionate affair. But in the hands of composer Jason Robert Brown and librettist Marsha Norman, it was transformed into a sweeping, emotional musical that captured the soaring romance and bittersweet longing of the original work.
Or consider the recent adaptation of “The Devil Wears Prada,” which drew from both the novel by Lauren Weisberger and the beloved film adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. With a score by Elton John and a book by Paul Rudnick, the musical has been praised for its ability to bring new depth and nuance to the familiar story, exploring themes of ambition, power, and personal growth in a way that feels both fresh and true to the source material.
These are just a few examples of the incredible potential that lies in the collaborative process of adaptation. By bringing together a diverse team of creative minds, each with their own unique perspective and skill set, the musical theater form has the power to breathe new life into beloved stories, to uncover hidden depths and complexities, and to forge a deeper, more intimate connection with the audience.
The Musicalizing Process
As I contemplate the daunting task of adapting a novel or short story for the musical stage, I can’t help but be intrigued by the “musicalizing” process described by Quora contributors. This idea of identifying the key moments, characters, and themes that lend themselves to musical expression, and then weaving them together into a cohesive, compelling score, is both fascinating and intimidating.
One of the primary challenges, as the Quora contributors note, is maintaining the “integrity of the source material” while also adapting it to the unique demands of the musical form. This means striking a delicate balance between honoring the original work and finding new and innovative ways to bring it to life on the stage.
For example, a novel like “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini is rich with emotional depth, complex relationships, and sweeping historical context. Translating that to the musical stage would require a careful analysis of the story’s central themes and moments of highest dramatic tension, and then finding ways to amplify and heighten those elements through the power of music, lyrics, and movement.
Similarly, a short story like Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” presents a unique challenge, as its haunting, unsettling climax is so heavily dependent on the element of surprise. How does one transform that sudden, visceral impact into a musical experience that still packs an emotional punch?
These are the kinds of questions that keep me up at night, as I imagine the painstaking process of sifting through the “pins” of the original work – the moments, images, and ideas that spark my imagination – and then carefully arranging them into a cohesive, captivating musical experience.
The Joy of Discovery
But even as I grapple with the technical and creative challenges of adaptation, there’s a part of me that can’t help but feel a sense of profound excitement and joy at the prospect of this endeavor. Because at the heart of it all, there’s a deep and abiding love for the art form of musical theater, and a desire to breathe new life into beloved stories in a way that will resonate with audiences.
As Lorrie Moore observes in her recent essay for The New York Times, the process of creating a work of art often feels like a series of “linked systems of problems” – challenges that, when solved, open up new avenues of discovery and creative fulfillment.
And for me, that’s where the true magic of adaptation lies. It’s in the thrill of unearthing new layers of meaning, in finding unexpected connections and resonances between the original work and the musical form. It’s in the joy of collaborating with a team of talented artists, each bringing their own unique perspective and expertise to the table, and then watching as the pieces come together to create something truly extraordinary.
So while the road ahead may be long and fraught with challenges, I can’t help but feel a sense of boundless optimism and excitement. Because at the end of the day, the opportunity to bring beloved stories to life on the musical stage is a privilege and a responsibility that I’m honored to undertake.
After all, as the team behind the Musical Theater Center knows, the power of music and storytelling to transform, to inspire, and to connect us all is a truly wondrous thing. And I can’t wait to be a part of that journey.
