From Page to Stage, Broadway Hits the Books This Fall

Over the past few decades, many have bemoaned the rash of movies adapted for the Broadway stage, claiming that the theatre had lost its sense of creativity and enginuity. Some of these movie adaptations have gone on to have successful, award-winning runs (THE PRODUCERS and THE 39 STEPS to name a few), while many, many others have, simply, not. However, long before the stage looked to the screen as a source for new works, the inspiration for many of the theatre's best shows came from the pages of some of the world's best books; like THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, or the longest running show in Broadway history, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

With this past Thursday's first preview of the stage adaptation of Stephen King's MISERY and THERESE RAQUIN, based on Emile Zola's novel of the same name, opening this coming Thursday, BroadwayWorld wanted to take a look at all of the Broadway shows beginning performances this fall that originally came to life in the pages of a book.

While some of these shows saw movie adaptations before finding their way to the stage, the initial source material for each was in a book. Remember, reading is fundamental, but don't take my word for it, read more about these exciting shows below:

---

THERESE RAQUIN
Author: Émile Zola
Original Publication: 1867
Opening Night: October 29th, 2015

Originally published in serial installments in France's L'Artiste, the book was an overwhelming success for Émile Zola that has been adapted into plays and movies nearly nonstop since its initial publication. The Roundabout adaptation by Helen Edmundson, currently in previews, is the first time this century and a half-old story has made it to Broadway. However, many observers believe that due to its long history on stage, that THERESE RAQUIN will be considered a revival for 2016 Tony purposes, as it could possibly be "deemed a 'classic' or in the historical or popular repertoire."

The novel tells an increasingly dark tale of the lust and madness of Thérèse, who was effectively orphaned after the death of her mother, and then her ship-captain father taking her to live with his sister, Madame Raquin. Despite growing up with her first cousin Camille, once Thérèse turns 21, the two are forced into a loveless marriage by Madame Raquin. After the family moves to Paris, Thérèse meets Camille's childhood friend Laurent, and the two begin a passionate affair that eventually leads to murder.

Zola said that his novel was meant to "study temperaments and not characters," and so the reader and the audience experience a dark, psychological journey as people are tormented for their misdeeds.

In her Broadway debut, Hollywood's go-to period piece actress Keira Knightley stars as Thérèse, opposite Tony-winner Judith Light. Gabriel Ebert, and Matt Ryan.

You can listen to the entire novel at Librivox.org. Click below to hear the book's first chapter.
Chapter 1 of THERESE RAQUIN, translated by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly:

---

MISERY
Author: Stephen King
Original Publication: 1987
Opening Night: November 15th, 2015

Before Kathy Bates won an Academy Award for playing the psychotic superfan Annie Wilkes opposite James Caan in the 1990 film version, MISERY was a psychological horror novel that has its roots in Stephen King's real life.

In MISERY, after successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon finishes his latest manuscript in a secluded Colorado hotel, he decides to drive to Los Angeles during an unexpected snowstorm, only to have a terrible car accident. He is soon rescued by Wilkes, a former nurse, and taken back to her house to recuperate against his will. Over time, Wilkes plies Sheldon with narcotic painkillers, getting him hooked and dependent. An obsessive fan, Wilkes sneaks a peek at Sheldon's latest book FAST CARS, a modern crime novel that leaves behind his beloved Victorian-era character, Misery Chastain.

Angered by the changes in Sheldon's writing, Wilkes forces him to correct his "mistakes" in another book, MISERY'S CHILD, through any means necessary, most of them violent and bloody. The longer that he is held captive, Sheldon realizes that Wilkes most likely has killed before, and intends to kill him, once Misery Chastain's story is the way she wants it.

King has said that the story for MISERY is autobiographical in a number of ways. While he has never been physically held hostage by a crazed fan, he was overwhelmed by the negative reaction that his first fantasy novel, THE EYES OF THE DRAGON, received from fans used to his horror fiction. Also, the author has said that Wilkes was, in large part, a metaphor for his dependence on drugs at the time. "Annie was my drug problem," he said, "and she was my number-one fan. God, she never wanted to leave."

MISERY was previously adapted for the stage by Simon Moore and played various productions around the world, but William Goldman, who wrote the original screenplay, has brought a new version to Broadway starring Bruce Willis and two-time Tony-nominee Laurie Metcalf.

Click below to hear a sample from MISERY's audiobook, read by award-winning Broadway alum, Lindsay Crouse:

---

THE COLOR PURPLE
Author: Alice Walker
Original Publication: 1982
Opening Night: December 10th, 2015

While many people know THE COLOR PURPLE as an Academy Award-winning film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, or as the Tony-winning musical which starred LaChanze, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Brandon Victor Dixon, it first was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from Alice Walker.

The book chronicles the difficult lives of a collection of African American women living in the South beginning in the 1930s. Celie's life goes from bad to worse after her sister Nettie leaves to escape the sexual advances of Celie's despicable husband Mister.

While raising Mister's children from a previous marriage, and caring for her husband's sick mistress Shug, Celie slowly develops the courage to leave her husband after decades of abuse. It isn't until Celie and Shug begin a relationship of their own that they discover that Mister has been hiding letters from Nettie for years, explaining that she was taken in by missionaries who went to Africa.

THE COLOR PURPLE, in all incarnations, is a harrowing tale of prejudice, sisterhood, and self-discovery that, despite all of the pain suffered by its characters, ultimately reaffirms the strength of the human spirit.

The upcoming Broadway revival of THE COLOR PURPLE will star Cynthia Erivo as Celie, Jennifer Hudson as Shug, and Joaquina Kalukango as Nettie. This John Doyle directed revival was originally seen at London's Menier Chocolate Factory last year.

Click below to hear a sample from THE COLOR PURPLE's audiobook, read by author Alice Walker:

---

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Based on TEVYE AND HIS DAUGHTERS
Author: Sholem Aleichem
Original Publication: 1894
Opening Night: December 20th, 2015

Much like how the short stories of Damon Runyon inspired the iconic gangster musical GUYS AND DOLLS, Sholem Aleichem's Yiddish-language stories have given birth to a number of plays, most famously, the beloved Bock and Harnick musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.

Originally appearing in 1894's TEVYE AND HIS DAUGHTERS, the collection of stories unfold as tales told by Tevye himself directly to Aleichem. The stories have alternately been collectively known as TEVYE'S DAUGHTERS, TEVYE AND HIS 7 DAUGHTERS, TEVYE THE MILKMAN, and TEVYE THE DAIRYMAN.

Many of these stories became the basis of FIDDLER, but there are a number of details not included in Joseph Stein's libretto. For example, by the time Tevye and his neighbors are exiled from their village, his wife Golde has already died, as has Motel the tailor.

However, like FIDDLER, the crux of Aleichem's stories deal with Tevye's work as a dairyman, the marriages of his daughters (seven in the stories, five in the musical), and the expulsion from their homes by the Russian government.

The 2015 Broadway revival of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF stars Danny Burstein as Tavye, Jessica Hecht as Golde, Alexandra Silber as Tzeitel, Adam Kantor as Motel, and Melanie Moore as Chava. The revival is directed by Bartlett Sher.

Click below to hear a sample from TEVYE THE MILKMAN's audiobook, read by Neville Jason: