There’s an old meme that says, “Only 90s kids will remember…” Well, this is as 90s-ish as it can get: Alanis Morissette’s iconic 1995 album ‘Jagged Little Pill’ has been turned into a musical!
A musical based on ‘Jagged Little Pill’ is in the works. The musical will be produced by an A-team behind Oscar-winner screenwriter Diablo Cody, Tony-winning director Diane Paulus, and of course, Morissette herself.
According to a press release, Morissette teamed up with the ‘Juno’ screenwriter to create a story that revolves around: “A modern and multi-generational family and their complex dynamics, touching on issues of gender identity and race.”
The writer later said, “I am so excited to tell a modern story through these iconic songs. Alani’s music is full of powerful narratives that lend themselves organically to this process.”
The idea of a ‘Jagged Little Pill’ musical adaptation was announced by Morissette in 2013. The singer shared that it would feature all of the album’s songs. As well as other Morissette’s works and new music crafted specifically for the show. Back then, it was shared that two-time Tony Award winner Tom Kitt – who did Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ – had signed on to provide orchestrations and arrangements.
The production will debut next year
The musical is set to premiere in May 2018, at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David, and Eva Price are also in the team as producers.
Paulus, who will direct the production, will also serve as artistic director. She’s the mastermind behind Tony-winning Broadway sets ‘Hair,’ ‘Pippin,’ ‘The Glass Menagerie,’ and ‘Natasha and Pierre.’ So probably we won’t be disappointed by the results of the ‘Jagged Little Pill’ musical adaptation.
“This team that has come together for this ‘Jagged Little Pill’ musical is my musical theater dream come true,” Morissette said. She said that the connection with the entire crew is genuine and “crackling.” She’s glad that she’s taking such personal songs to a whole new level next to a team that actually gets it.
“Jagged Little Pill defined a generation and yet the raw, emotional honesty of Alanis’s songs feels more needed now than ever,” Paulus said, adding that she’s thrilled with her team and the work they have done together.
The album’s narrative makes the musical totally viable
‘Jagged Little Pill’ is one of the most important albums of the 90s. The record sold over 33 million copies. Taking Morissette to international stardom and defined a new era for confessional singer-songwriters.
With songs like “Mary Jane” and “Perfect,” a stage production make total sense since they are narratives, but fans can expect to hear big hits like “You Oughta Know,” “Hand in My Pocket,” “Head Over Feet,” the classic “Ironic,” and more.
With the upcoming musical, Morissette follows the steps of other pop stars that have involved in stage productions in recent years. Take Sara Bareilles, for example, that wrote a completely original score for the Broadway show ‘Waitress.’ Sting also crafted his own musical, ‘The Last Ship,’ which debuted in 2014, while U2’s Bono and The Edge tried their hand in the music and lyrics to 2010’s ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.’