Abstract
Musical adaptations of Victorian and neo-Victorian texts have long been popular, with adaptations of already existing texts and Victorian-inspired texts being produced on the West End and Broadway. This chapter treats a variety of musicals, identifying what they reveal both about Victorian and contemporary culture. Reiff covers musicals that have become part of the musical theatre canon, such as The King and I (1951) and Oliver! (1960); commercially unsuccessful shows, such as The Woman in White (2004); and a proliferation of adaptations on smaller, more local stages, such as regional theatre productions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The present day thus enjoys fecund ground for musical exploration, left by the Victorians, that not only reflects Victorian culture but also demonstrates what Victoriana has persisted into the modern age.
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Bibliography of Major Neo-Victorian Musical Productions in London and New York, Late 1990s–Present
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Dracula, music by Frank Wildhorn, book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, Belasco Theatre, New York, 2004–2005.
Finding Neverland, music and lyrics by Gary Barlow and Eliott Kennedy, book by James Graham, Lunt-Fontanne Theater, New York, 2015.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman, music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak, Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, 2013–2016.
Hello, Dolly! music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael Stewart, Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park, London, 2009, Shubert Theater, New York, 2017–2018.
Jane Eyre, music and lyrics by Paul Gordon, book by John Caird, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York, 2000–2001.
Jekyll and Hyde, music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, Plymouth Theater, New York, 1997–2001, Marquis Theater, New York, 2013.
The King and I, music by Richard Rodgers’ lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein, II; Neil Simon Theatre; New York; 1996–1998, London Palladium; 2000–2002; Vivian Beaumont Theatre; New York, 2018.
A Little Night Music, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, Menier Chocolate Factory, London 2008–2009, Walter Kerr Theatre, New York, 2009–2011.
Little Women, music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, book by Allan Knee, Virginia Theatre, New York, 2005, Park Theatre, London, 2021.
Les Misérables, music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Alain Boubil and Jean-Marc Natel, book by Boubil and Schönberg, various West End theaters, London, 1985–2019, various Broadways theaters, New York, 1987–2003, Broadhurst, New York 2006–2008, Imperial, New York, 2014–2016.
Moulin Rouge, musical and lyrics by various artists, book by John Logan, Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York, 2019–present, Piccadilly Theatre, London, 2021–present.
The Mystery of Edwin Drood, music, lyrics, and book by Rupert Holmes, Arts Theatre, London, 2012, Studio 54, New York, 2012–2013.
Newsies, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman, book by Harvey Fierstein, Nederlander Theatre, New York, 2012–2014, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, London, 2022–present.
Oliver! book, music, and lyrics by Lionel Bart, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, 2009–2011.
The Phantom of the Opera, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, book by Stilgoe and Webber, Her Majesty’s Theatre, London, 1986–2020, 2021–present, Majestic Theatre, New York, 1988–2020, 2021–present.
Sunday in the Park with George, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, Menier Chocolate Factory and Wyndham Theatre, London, 2005–2006, Studio 54, New York, 2008, Hudson Theatre, New York, 2017.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a Musical Thriller, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, Trafalgar Studios and Ambassador’s Theatre, 2004–2005, Eugene O’Neill Theatre, New York, 2005–2006, Adelphi Theatre, London, 2012, Tooting Arts Club, London, 2015, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York, 2023 (upcoming).
A Tale of Two Cities, book, music, and lyrics by Jill Santoriello, Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York, 2008.
Tarzan, music and lyrics by Phil Collins, book by David Henry Hwang, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York, 2006–2007.
The Threepenny Opera, music by Kurt Will, lyrics and book by Bertolt Brecht, National Theatre, London, 2003 and 2016, Studio 54, New York, 2006.
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Reiff, M. (2024). “Too frivolous, too middlebrow, too populist, and too commercial”: Examining the Neo-Victorian Musical. In: Ayres, B., Maier, S.E. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Neo-Victorianism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32160-3_7
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