A Musical Based On An Agatha Christie Story ?

MarcWatson-Gray

Does anyone think that an Agatha Christie story could be produced as a musical ? Broadway/West End etc....

If so.What character or story would be best suited ?

My first thoughts are of the "biggies"  Death On The Nile or Murder On The Orient Express.......but are there any other stories that would be adapted to musical theater ?

I can't for some reason imagine Miss Marple being set to music ???

Or would the thought horrify you ? 

Griselda

I think novels where there is sustained feeling would suit the genre;the music would give form to this feeling. You would want consistency of mood, I think. Mostly, feelings are suppressed and masked by murderer and suspects so you can't use music to suggest their mood, as the whole point is we don't know who is villain, friend, or undercover - and we need not to know. You can do the 'Look out!' Duh....duh....duh!!!!! music from time to time, with a trombone, perhaps.... But that could be a bit hammed up. Disappointment and resentment often feature, but what about Deat Man's Folly? The sadness of Mrs Foliat for the passing of the old order when the great houses were still family owned; that feeling has a melancholy which could be expressed in music, and reminding us of the themes underlying the action.

Anubis

Suspect:

"Oh, no, Poirot, he's simply got to go.

He knows so much of crime and such,

that Belgian 'tec will hang my neck

he's simply got to go

As the fellow said, after a very long pause, when I inquired if an extra bathtub could be installed, "Well.... I suppose it could be done." Definitely unique. Sweeney Todd combined music and crime, but not quite the same way. I can't think of any other mystery / musicals. That doesn't mean it can't be done though. I think that one thing that would make it difficult is this: in most cases where a book or a straight play, such as Pygmalion, has been turned into a musical, the original words are incorporated into the songs. That way, the songs advance the plot. Otherwise, when the songs are just inserted for the sake of having them, they retard the plot. And, as eloquent as the words of AC are in her books, I really don't see them being uses as lyrics.

taliavishay-arbel

I don't think so. Even when books have some happy endings (like the secret adversary) there is almost always the case of a murderer who is either caught (with the implication of the subsequent trial and imprisonment or execution) or commits suicide or is killed. That doesn't seem promising material for song. 

GKCfan

There has been an Agatha Christie musical on the radio– "Yellow Iris" was turned into a short musical.  The mystery was punctuated by nightclub-style songs.  

A production team wanted to adapt Hickory Dickory Dock into a contemporary youth musical during Christie's lifetime, and call it Deathbeat.  Christie refused to grant permission.

Tommy_A_Jones

I can imagine Evil Under the Sun as a Musical and Murder On The Orient Express as an Opera or Musical I suppose and perhaps A Murder Is Announced

Anubis

List of songs

(If it all goes right) There'll be one less person, after tonight. (Company)

I'm just a copper (Japp)

I'm Belgian, not French (Poirot)

Why can't the English (Poirot)

But dash it all, Poirot, I just don't see how (Hastings and Poirot)

I'm Flemish, not phlegmish (Poirot)

You did it (Poirot)

We don't like hanging people (but you have to do what's right) (Poirot and Japp)

There'll be one less person, after tonight (reprise, Company)

MarcWatson-Gray

Would a reversal of the plot maybe be acceptable and make a musical version more workable ? eg: With Columbo,we know the culprit at the start and see the lieutenant pick away and unravel the seemingly perfect murder as the story progresses......In this way the music could reflect the murderers' mood and we could be carried along with their fears of being found out as well as music that would show Poirot's frustrations etc......But then would this no longer be a typical Agatha Christie ?

MarcWatson-Gray

P.S. GCKfan...Do you know if "Yellow Iris" was any good. And did the music enhance or detract from the story ?

Griselda

Yes, I think Marc that that is a really good idea, and the music would capture the essence of the central character. The beauty of the Columbo-style reversal is that you can have a central character because we have no need to be looking elsewhere: the author doesn't need to balance out the emphasis to give the audience a range of options for who it could be. You really could use music to establish that character, in the way that the producers of Columbo used fashion, accessories, cars, especially furniture. You could also bring out the dimension AC intended to convey of Poirot as a silly, ridiculous almost man, who criminals are wont to underestimate - just as happens to Columbo.

GKCfan

MarcWatson-Gray, I haven't read or heard the radio adaptation of "Yellow Iris," though one critic did think that the songs interrupted the murder investigation too much.  

Tommy_A_Jones

I wouldn't sit through a Production done Columbo style but each to there own, How about a Play on The Title instead of Eating People is wrong Shooting People, or Poirot and Hasstings sining I can do anything better than you can.

Tommy_A_Jones

Or maybe Ariadne and Clancy even though they shouldn't be in the same Adaptation.

Tommy_A_Jones

2 of Poirot's Friends singing "Thank Heaven For Little Belgians"

Anubis

You can always tell the English by the way they drive their cars,

And the lovely Scottish lassies by the way they roll their "r"s.

You can always tell the Frenchman because he has that Gallic touch

An you can always tell a Belgian, but you cannot tell him much.

Now Poirot is a Belgian and of this he is quite proud.

He'll pause mid-'vestigation to proclaim to the crowd.

And if you are still unaware of this important fact,

He will so inform you with his accustomed tact.

Anubis

It's interesting how many different directions an idea can take, each one of them quite a valid. Personally, I wouldn't go for the Columbo style, but I can see how it work out successfully. I think it would be fun to start the musical with all the suspects (that is to say everyone in the cast) singing "We All Have a Motive".

We all have a motive, for which we'll risk our necks.

We all have a motive, be it money, hate, or sex.

We all have a motive, you must agree it's true

We all have a motive, because we're just like you.

MarcWatson-Gray

Very good lyrics Anubis.........

Griselda

Yes, I agree, Anubis, fantastic lyrics, and also rhythm. I like the round up of the nationalities - very Agatha Christie, I think.

Anubis

Ah, shucks. Thank you. 

Anubis

English Cuisine (sung by Poirot to Japp)

The English do not cook so well, they over boil the veg,

And you know the dinner bell means a meal that tastes of sedge.

They will chew the fatty food and then eschew the lean.

Yes the English put the "queasy" in cuisine.

taliavishay-arbel

Lovely, Anubis! though that presents English of Poirot's time. A couple of years ago I visited London, and was pleasantly surprised at the tasty food in the Pubs.

Anubis

Yes, quite right - I was in England last year and enjoyed the delicious food immensely. This would be Poirot's view of it.

SuspiciousCharacter

I think a musical based on an Agatha Christie story would make for a great show! After all, Les Mis is dark and full of deaths, and it's very popular. The obvious choice would be And Then There Were None. They could incorporate the flashbacks/establish character with songs, so each of the victims gets their own...though it could be tricky (how to do this without spoiling the murderer?) But if it was done right, I'd definitely love to see an ATTWN musical.

However, I don't think Poirot himself would work too well in a musical. It'd be best to adapt one without him. A short story like "Philomel Cottage" could even work with some adaption expansion. Or if they were going for something not too dark, with a romantic subplot, they could go for something like The Moving Finger. Or they could re-purpose "Mousetrap" into a musical.

GKCfan

The musical Something's Afoot is a parody of ATTWN.  In the program, the people singing each song aren't listed, so the audience doesn't know who sings what or who dies when.

Tommy_A_Jones

I have never heard of Something Afoot, I would love to see it, I don't see why A Musical has to be dark like Les Mis as there is humour in the Books if you look for it.

GKCfan

Theater companies have put clips from their productions of "Something's Afoot" on YouTube, if you're interested (http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=something's+afoot+youtube&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8).