After a brief Google search on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", I discovered that Washington Irving's famous tale was actually turned into a full-fledged musical. Apparently the original show is no longer running (its website isn't up anymore) but here is a link to the most famous song from the project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPoJ3YSEuts (It's not half bad - unless you shy away from any kind of theatrical music - then you'll hate it)
I found another musical adaptation to the story here: http://www.sleepyhollowshow.com/
Looks like it plays in an outdoor theater around Halloween every year.
Once you get past the strange image of Ichabod and Brom singing their hearts out, it is interesting to think about how the musical fits into Sleepy Hollow's (and Irving's) legacy. Almost 200 years after the work was published, it is still being changed and interpreted by admirers around the world. Quite an impressive feat. Do you think this story deserves all of the attention it has gotten? Why are people drawn to it? And most importantly, would you pay money to see the Headless Horseman croon?
To be honest, I'm not surprised by this. It kind of makes sense to me. Two men, one of brains and one of bronze, fighting over a beautiful woman...plus the supernatural...why wouldn't there be a musical based off of that very premise? I think I would see a musical adaptation of this film mainly out of curiosity. I don't think it would be much different than a film. It would just have songs added to it, which you can pretty much do with anything nowadays.
ReplyDeleteI don't really understand why this story has remained popular for so long. I get that it is considered a timeless, romantic "legend," but it really isn't all that romantic if you think about it. Besides, it's a pretty short story to being with. I honestly think one of the main reasons why it is still around is because of one single holiday; Halloween. I automatically associate "Sleepy Hollow" with Halloween.
"All I can say is . . . I didn't like being with you." Ahhh . . . how many women have uttered those words? Probably more than there are men who launch into song upon hearing them, I suppose.
ReplyDelete"Please don't come to the house anymore." Okay, Ichabod's a little creepy: "If only she could understand exactly what I see."
This musical is off the hook! And you thought my Will Schuester comparison was just a weak attempt to show all of you how hip I am. Sheesh!
Paying for something like this? I might pass depending on reviews and such. For me to sit through a musical it would probably have to turn into an action movie. I think the reason people are drawn to it could be the ending leaves you thinking about all the different possibilities. So I believe the attention that is given to the story is accidental, and this accident just happened to become a success.
ReplyDeleteI also don't know how this story has remained so popular for so long. It seems like a pretty generic storyline, although maybe because it's so old, it was one of the originals. I would not pay to see the musical, just because I'm not a big fan of musicals, but if there was The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on Ice, well that would be a different story...
ReplyDeletei can definitely see this story becoming very popular around halloween time. There's something about the supernatural that everyone is fascinated by. That and its historical context are the main reasons why I think people are drawn to it. The title is also very clever...it made me really curious and mystified at the same time.
ReplyDeleteIn reference to Caitlin's comment, Sleepy Hallow on Ice....would be interesting/frightening. I feel like there would be a lot of injuries from falling on the ice because of the dark imagery and headlessness....