The "Thorn Birds" musical
January Magazine reports that the musical version of Colleen McCullough's 1977 blockbuster novel The Thorn Birds - about the forbidden, lifelong romance between a priest and a woman at an Australian sheep station - will begin touring this spring.
The novel has sold 30 million copies, and it obsessed more than a few young women who were in high school when it was published. The 1983 miniseries - which obsessed a few more young women, who may or may not have actually had to rent a VCR in order to watch bootleg tapes of the series all at one sitting - is still the second highest rated miniseries on television (Roots is still No. 1) The miniseries starred Richard Chamberlain and a then-unknown Rachel Ward and a Barbara Stanwyck so frightening that I still have nightmares about her.
But does it really seem like this will make a good musical? You have to wonder. Now I know all sorts of crazy ideas turned out to be successful musicals - the one about Jesus, the one about all the cats, the one with basically no plot strung together with awesome ABBA songs - but I've got to wonder: is there going to be a song about sheep or what?
I guess in the end, all we can say is: Sing it, Father Ralph! Sing it.
Where do I get tickets?????
And, poor Stuie. (how do you spell that anyway?)
I can't wait to hear the sheep-shearing contest song!!!!!!
Posted by: Amy | January 06, 2009 at 04:48 PM
I think maybe it's Stewie.
Posted by: Amy | January 06, 2009 at 04:48 PM
I just watched Jesus Christ Superstar again, and if that could be a musical, with a line like "prove to me that you're divine; change my water into wine", forbidden love does not seem like such a stretch.
Posted by: SilviaC | January 07, 2009 at 01:48 AM
They made a musical about Little Orphan Annie, all things are possible.
Posted by: can't fight this feeling anymore | January 07, 2009 at 07:58 AM
Not just women... the miniseries is one of my two all-time favorite TV miniseries (Shogun being the other) and I loved the book too and cried when Father Ralph dies in Meggie's arms in the last part. Was so well cast.
I'm not, in general, a fan of musicals. I sure hope the heart of this tale isn't spoiled by characters breaking into goopy, sugary theater songs. Feh!
Posted by: HoCo | January 07, 2009 at 01:19 PM
Goopy songs?
How about: Baa, Baa, Black sheep have you any wool????
How about (Father Ralph): I can't fight this feeling anymore........
How about: I fought the boar and the boar won...
Posted by: Amy | January 07, 2009 at 07:40 PM
My favorite Thorn Birds story is that NFL player DeBrickashaw Ferguson was named after Father Ralph de Bricassart.
Posted by: bibliophile | January 07, 2009 at 10:32 PM