Jezebel: anne of green gables

Little House On The Prairie: From Page To Stage

Sadie — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:30:00 EDT

The inevitable Little House on the Prairie musical is in previews in Minnesota. The location was logical because early Little House books take place in the Midwest — even though the musical is based on the later, South Dakota-set novels. "The story actually starts when the Laura leaves Minnesota," director Francesca Zambello says. "The material is beloved here." And if peeps are more familiar with the 70s TV show of the same name, that's okay too: Melissa "Laura Ingalls" Gilbert is playing Ma. Ms. Zambello says the main challenge in adapting the material was to keep the spirit of it but let it speak "in a kind of contemporary way about our own American past." Well, maybe one of the challenges: in addition to keeping the epic numbers of awesome food descriptions totally in tact, the directors will have to acknowledge that musicals adapted from classic children's books have had a rocky history. Below, some highlights of the genre.

The Secret Garden: One of the most successful of the genre, it opened in 1991 and ran for 709 performances, winning Tonys for best book and a best actress for child star Daisy Egan. The tearjerker is called "A Bit of Earth." Dickon also has a stirring number about plants being "wick."

A Little Princess, another Frances Hodgkins Burnett book, has spawned new musicals every couple of years: six and counting. None has made it to Broadway.

Anne of Green Gables - The Musical is an off-Broadway staple, but hasn't played much in the States. It has been performed every summer since 1965, making it Canada's longest-running mainstage musical Some people are lobbying to get it named longest-running musical period. Good luck.

Little Women was a flop when it opened in 2005, lasting a mere four months. Said one review, "the cast members most often bring to mind an 1860's-themed American Girl doll." And Beth sings a power ballad.

From Little House to Big Stage[Wall Street Journal]

Why Isn't Anne Shirley Worth of Huck Finn Status?

Megan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Many of your editors loved the Anne of Green Gables series when they were younger — and, really, who didn't? She was smart and a bit of a fuck-up but she always tried to do the right thing, made her own family, got an education and snagged the cutest boy in town. Eventually, if you made it all the way through Rilla of Ingleside, she even got to wear pink when her hair went grey. And yet how many of you (outside of Canada, it might be required reading there) actually read it in school? How did a book — eventually a series of books — beloved by even sometimes-Y.A. author Mark Twain not make it into the canon of Things You Must Read? And how many of the books in that canon are about girls?

Look, I'm not going to say my Anne doesn't have her flaws. On the other hand (and I'll admit, this might be my public school education or my age showing), I don't remember reading anything Louisa May Alcott or Noel Streatfeild as part of a reading curriculum, either. Most of what I remember about books in school is that when they were written by women about women or girls, they were modern-day books. But there were plenty of historical books — Twain being a good example — that we were expected to read along with Judy Blume.

Anyway, not that I didn't devour nearly everything by all of those authors (and more) on my own, but it seems to me that plenty of girls could stand a little more Anne in their lives, even if they don't know it yet. Personally, my full set had better still be in a box in my closet when I get home, or my mom is gonna owe me some book money.

100 Candles [Slate]

Controversy north of the border! For the...

Jessica — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:45:00 EDT

Controversy north of the border! For the 100th Anniversary of the publication of Canadian classic, Anne of Green Gables, Penguin commissioned a prequel to L.M. Montgomery's much-adored novel, and some people are pissed. The book might desecrate the memory of poor, red-headed Anne! Montgomery's heirs did give authorization for a Before Green Gables, and while author Budge Wilson tells Reuters that she's "still vaguely troubled by the idea that L.M. Montgomery would perhaps not want this done...A lot of people have told me they've done a lot of crying [over the book] and I am delighted." Wait, is crying a good thing, or a bad thing? [Reuters]