Just add music: GWTW the latest book to inspire musical

Arts and Culture

List of books and so forth that gave rise to musicals.

RHETT AND SCARLETT (Darius Daresh and Jill Paice) brought their Southern manners across the Atlantic Ocean when "Gone With the Wind: The Musical" opened in London. It was just the latest example of a book or film being set to music for the stage. Which one, in your opinion, was better -- the original or the musical?

EITHER YOU CHEERED OR CRINGED when you heard about the new "GWTW," which stars Daresh as Rhett Butler, Paice as Scarlett O'Hara and Edward Baker-Duly as Ashley Wilkes. Should the producers have left well enough alone?

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. ORIGINAL: 1974 horror-film parody by Mel Brooks. MUSICAL: Maintains the original's black-tie "Puttin' on the Ritz" number.

THE COLOR PURPLE. ORIGINAL: Oprah Winfrey helps turn Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker into a movie. MUSICAL: Broadway run closes after Fantasia Barrino leaves the cast (the actress LaChanze [second from left] originated the role).

HAIRSPRAY. ORIGINAL: 1988 John Waters film is a cult classic. MUSICAL: The stage version is still in its original Broadway run since 2002.

LEGALLY BLONDE. ORIGINAL: Amanda Brown's novel about a blonde law school student was turned into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon. MUSICAL: Nominated for 7 Tony and 10 Drama Desk awards.

THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE. ORIGINAL: Gloria Naylor wrote the novel that Oprah Winfrey turned into a TV miniseries. MUSICAL: Made its debut, in previews, in Atlanta last year.

WICKED. ORIGINAL: A 1995 companion novel to "The Wizard of Oz" subtitled "The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." MUSICAL: Glinda's rendition of "Popular" would turn you wicked, too.

GREY GARDENS. ORIGINAL: 1975 documentary about Jackie O's eccentric relations. MUSICAL: Spawned yet another documentary about the making of the musical.

THE CAT IN THE HAT. ORIGINAL: 1957 kids' book by Dr. Seuss. MUSICAL: "Cat" and Seuss' other works inspired "Seussical the Musical."

ELTON JOHN (the tall one) poses with the three twinkletoes moppets who will play "Billy Elliot" in the musical of the same name: Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish, and David Alvarez. The musical opens on Broadway in October.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. ORIGINAL: A 1909 serial/novel by Gaston Leroux. MUSICAL: Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and the crashing chandelier bring down the house.

LES MISERABLES. ORIGINAL: Slim 1862 novel by Victor Hugo. MUSICAL: Spent 17 years on Broadway; referenced on "Seinfeld."

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. ORIGINAL: 1973 French play gave rise to 1996 movie "The Birdcage" (with Nathan Lane and Robin Williams). MUSICAL: Broadway's first gay-theme musical.

SHOW BOAT. ORIGINAL: 1926 novel by Edna Ferber details life on the Mississippi. MUSICAL: Includes "Ol' Man River" and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man."

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RHETT AND SCARLETT (Darius Daresh and Jill Paice) brought their Southern manners across the Atlantic Ocean when "Gone With the Wind: The Musical" opened in London. It was just the latest example of a book or film being set to music for the stage. Which one, in your opinion, was better -- the original or the musical?

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