From Book to Film to Broadway, These Stories Get The Full Trifecta Of Adaptations
New York City is home to so many amazing theatrical productions, but did you know that some of these iconic musicals actually came from films that were based on books? It’s like a triple trifecta! Here are 10 book to film adaptations that have been on the Broadway stage.
Wicked
Wicked made its debut on Broadway in 2003, led by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in their iconic roles as Galinda and Elphaba. Based on the novel written by Gregory McQuire, the story explored the complex relationship between the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. The story acted as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz as it explained the origins of what happened before Dorothy arrived in Oz.
The franchise recently took a step further when a movie musical starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo was announced. Wicked Part 1 hits theaters on November 22 and I cannot wait to relive all the magic!
Legally Blonde
We all know Legally Blonde the musical was based off the 2001 movie starring Reese Witherspoon — but did you know it was a book before then?
Based on the novel by Amanda Brown, the story follows Elle Woods as she attends Harvard in order to win back her ex. When the preppy blonde is judged by her peers, she pushes herself to try harder and be a real lawyer. Staying true to herself, she solves a crime and proves them all wrong. The musical offers big belty, high energy musical numbers and a whole lot of pink!
Mean Girls
Mean Girls first gained popularity with the 2004 movie starring Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams. Based on Tina Fey’s adaptation of the novel Queen Bees and Wannabes written by Rosalind Wiseman, the story follows the “home schooled jungle freak” Cadie Heron who falls in with Regina George and her popular clique known as the Plastics.
In another twist, the Broadway adaptation got the silver screen treatment with Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, and Auli’i Cravalho bringing the movie musical to moviegoers earlier this year.
The Phantom of the Opera
In The Phantom of the Opera, opera singer Christine is trained by a secretive music teacher that haunts the opera house. While she is both frightened and intrigued, she cannot escape his grasp that turns into an angry obsession.
The 2004 film, based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, starred Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. The Phantom of the Opera is still considered a classic to this day with the longest ever Broadway run of over 13,000 shows!
Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet has been told and retold countless times and in various formats. Whether it’s the 1995 film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes or Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler making their Broadway debuts in a new adaptation of the play, we’ll never get sick of this timeless tale.
The Color Purple
Written by Alice Walker, The Color Purple explores Celie’s journey of personal awakening as a Black woman living in 1909.
The tale is so powerful and has been translated from book to film to Broadway musical to movie musical, led by superstars like Whoopi Goldberg and Fantasia Barrino.
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is my all time favorite classic novel. The 2013 film starred Leonardo DiCaprio before it was put on the Broadway stage.
The Great Gatsby musical now stars Broadway icons Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada. It tells the story of Jay Gatsby as he throws lavish parties to win his old lover back. But time has passed and Daisy has moved on. The story shows what it’s like to love and lose someone because of time and distance. I always come back to this story as a comfort of mine.
The Notebook
The film The Notebook, adapted from Nicholas Sparks’ novel, starred Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in 2004. I love this story so much and was so happy to see it being put on stage with original music.
The musical follows Noah and Allie’s unconventional love story. Allie’s family has money and wants her future to be at college, while all Allie wants is Noah. When the two are pulled apart and reunited years later, it's clear their love story is far from finished. The Broadway musical made exciting blind casting choices when it came to the different generations of the roles and “My Days” from the original soundtrack never fails to make me emotional!
The Outsiders
The Outsiders follows the rivalry between two gangs: the working class Greasers and the upper middle class Socs.
In the musical, the Greaser gang navigates their purposes in life and aim to be a part of something greater than themselves. The story is based on the 1967 novel written by S.E. Hinton. After the release of the novel, a film starring Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, and Patrick Swayze came out in 1983.
This is an emotional and powerful story that translated very well onto Broadway, even winning Best Musical at the 2024 Tony Awards!
Les Miserables
Les Miserables is set in the 19th century and follows Jean Valjean, a well-meaning man who is released from jail and faces injustices in the world around him.
The musical is based on the French novel written by Victor Hugo in 1862. While on Broadway, Les Mis resulted in nearly 6,680 performances and a variety of iconic casts. Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway led the 2012 film adaptation, with Hathaway winning her first Oscar for her role.
