"Little House on the Prairie: The Musical"Kicks Off 25-City Tour
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By Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 08/03/2009
A musical based on Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic children’s series “Little House on the Prairie” (HarperCollins, 1953) will begin a national 25-city tour this fall, kicking off at the famed Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, NJ, on September 8th.
Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura for 10 years in the television series about life on the American frontier, is playing Caroline (Ma Ingalls) in this stage production. The star's real-life 13-year-old son, Michael Boxleitner, is also one of the cast members. Gilbert's memoir, Prairie Tale (S & S, 2009) was released in June.
Through song and dance, the musical follows the Ingalls family's journey westward and their settlement in DeSmet, SD, where Ma and Pa (Charles) Ingalls struggled to keep their land and to create a better life for their children.
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Steve Blanchard as Charles “Pa” Ingalls |
The show, in development since 2004, is directed by Francesca Zambello, who was also director of the stage production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” The music is by Academy Award-winner Rachel Portman and the lyrics are by Donna di Novelli.
“Little House on the Prairie: The Musical” premiered at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN, in the summer of 2008, where it had a 12-week run—and actress Karen Grassle, who played the original Ma in the television series, showed up on opening night.
