The classics - otherwise known as the books meant to be read in high school, which few people tend to read. But unlike the classics, musical theater is one of the things that plenty of people actually want to be involved in during high school.
Plenty of musicals are original, but some composers looked to classic literature for their inspiration. Several writers eventually decided to adapt some of history's best novels as theater. Most classics have gotten at least one screen treatment, so why not a theater adaptation? Theater, after all, might add in some new interpretations for the source material, which is always fun - especially for those who actually read the source material in high school.
Les Miserables (1980)
Les Miserables is, of course, an adaptation of Victor Hugo's doorstopper novel. It does not, as might be expected, feature the French Revolution, but the 1832 June Uprising. The main plot follows Jean Valjean, a former convict, as he attempts to redeem himself. Throughout, he is chased by Inspector Javert.
The musical, in the original French, premiered in 1980. The English-language translation landed on the West End in 1985, making it one of the longest-running musicals in the West End. It's certainly one of the most well-known musicals in the western world and serves as a good abridged version of the novel. It has had several screen adaptations, including as a miniseries.
Natasha, Pierre, And The Great Comet Of 1812 (2012)
Natasha, Pierre, And The Great Comet Of 1812 is a musical by Dave Malloy. It adapts a 70-page sliver of Leo Tolstoy's epic War and Peace. It is one of the last sections of the novel to deal heavily with the peace side of the title and deals mainly with 19-year-old Natasha being hoodwinked into having an affair.
Meanwhile, Pierre, who is unhappily married, attempts to figure out the meaning of his life. All of this is taking place during the Napoleonic Wars, the backdrop to everyone's lives. Malloy even sneaks in some of Tolstoy's narration into the dialogue, which is dedication. It only ran on Broadway for a few years, and fans feel it was cheated at the Tony Awards. If audiences want to find out what (some of) War and Peace is about, this is a good place to start.
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1999)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel of the same name. Though it broadly adapts Hugo's novel, the two different versions of the musical (one German, one American) make their own individual changes. It also includes the music from the 1996 Disney movie. It originally premiered in Berlin in 1999 and was produced by Walt Disney Theatrical.
The show ran at a few playhouses in the U.S., but ultimately did not make the jump to Broadway. Nevertheless, it's worth a comparison to Les Miserables, to see how the interpretations of Hugo's books hold up. It's also worth a watch along with Disney's movie version of Hunchback, to see what changed.
Jekyll And Hyde (1990)
Jekyll and Hyde is the loose musical adaptation of the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. Dr. Jekyll is endlessly fascinated by good and evil and believes he can somehow separate the two inside one person.
His test subject is himself, and he ends up creating an evil alternate personality called Edward Hyde. It ran for several tours and had a Broadway revival in 2013. More recently, it's a fan-favorite for high schools and community theaters.
Oliver! (1960)
Oliver! is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' serial novel Oliver Twist. It is the first stage adaptation of Dickens' to become extremely popular, now known for being a common school play. Oliver! is a coming-of-age tale for the titular Oliver Twist.
The plot is simplified, and aspects of the latter half of the novel are left out. Fagin, originally a villain, becomes more of a comic character. It was also adapted into a film of its own, which is also quite popular.
The Bridges Of Madison County (2014)
The Bridges of Madison County is based on a 1992 novel, which itself was adapted into a well-known 1995 film. It tells the story of an affair over a few days between an Italian woman who immigrated to the U.S. and a photographer who is visiting the area to cover the titular bridges of Madison County.
The musical only ran on Broadway for a few months, but by the strength of the music, it managed to win two Tony Awards after the production had already closed.
Peter Pan (1954)
The novel Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie, is very well-known and has been adapted numerous times for the screen as well as the stage. For example, Disney took things from the original play and added their own spin on certain elements as well. This piece was originally intended to only have a few songs but exploded into a full blown musical.
The Darling siblings are enticed to come with Peter Pan to his home in Neverland, where they meet the strange people and creatures who inhabit the island. Peter Pan received several telecasts and was broadcast on NBC in 2014. The character is ubiquitous in pop culture, to the point where there is fan art of Peter.
Heathcliff (1996)
Heathcliff, written by and starring Cliff Richard, is an adaptation of the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Heathcliff's personal story is expanded upon, though much of the dialogue is from the novel. Richard released a studio album of the music, featuring Olivia Newton-John as part of a duet.
The musical played at several locations around London. It was popular with fans, but not critics. The last showing was in May 1997, and an original cast recording was released in late 1996.
The King And I (1951)
The King And I is an adaptation of the novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon. As the fifth musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein, it is now very popular for high school theater groups.
An English woman comes to Siam (now Thailand) to be a tutor for the king of Siam's numerous children. The King is attempting to modernize his country, and he starts by hiring Anna. Slowly, a relationship between them grows. The musical has been revived several times on Broadway.
The Count Of Monte Cristo (2008)
The Count of Monte Cristo is, of course, adapted from Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel of the same name, which is also brilliantly referenced in The Shawshank Redemption.
It tells a tale of revenge, as Edmond Dantes is thrown into an island prison and seeks revenge on everyone who tried to destroy him. The musical had a New York workshop in late 2008 and premiered the next year. By 2010, international productions were underway.