Franky, I’m surprised it’s taken this long.
The story of a precocious child-turned-eccentric young woman who involves herself in the myriad adventures of her neighbors before stumbling on a romantic adventure of her own, the French film Amélie seems tailor-made for a musical adaptation. There’s love, loneliness, mystery, joyful reunions, an eye-catching visual aesthetic, and a whole slew of quirky supporting characters. So it’s no surprise that it’s the latest in a string of recent-ish films—among them Billy Elliot, Matilda, Once, and Kinky Boots—to transition to the stage.
The musical is being written by playwright Craig Lucas, whose Broadway credits include the Tony-nominated The Light in the Piazza. Dan Messé, member of the Brooklyn-based band Hem, will be writing the songs, along with co-lyricist Nathan Tysen. There’s no word yet on when the musical will premiere, but Messé says his first draft will be finished by Labor Day.
All well and good so far. But wait! Messé, what else do you have to say about the music?
“I’m not interested in doing Parisian music. I don’t think I’m even going to use accordion in my score.”
Le gasp!
As downhearted as this egregious lack of accordions makes me (I love them, OK?), I’m pretty excited by this news. I’ve always said that one of these days I’m actually going to go to a musical. I’ve lived in New York for five years, I should at least go to one, and seeing Spamalot back when I was a tourist doesn’t count. I really liked Amélie back when it was released in my senior year of high school, so this might be the one that gets me to hunt for a cheap ticket.
Then again, there’s always the chance that the years since have turned me into too much of a bitter, cynical husk of an adult to appreciate the story like 17-year-old me did. We’ll see. Bring on the whimsy, dammit!
(via: Los Angeles Times)
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