Coraline the Musical Now Playing in New York June 7, 2009

First it was a novel, then it was a graphic novel, then it was a Wii video game, then it was a film, and now Coraline, the eerie story by The Graveyard Book author, Neil Gaiman, has been adapted into a musical. This tale of a young girl’s perilous journey into another world  where she must save the souls of those trapped in the lookingglass has been set to music and staged by a top-notch team of theatre artists at the MCC Theatre in New York City. The music and lyrics were written by Stephen Merritt, whose deep, strange tenor voice fronts The Magnetic Fields, a synth-based indie outfit from Boston that’s been making music for almost 20 years. (I highly recommend their 1995 album, Get Lost, full of beautiful, lonesome songs driven by electronic beats, infectious melodies, and Merritt’s ironic, sad, Morrissey-like lyrics – “Moons in June…I’ve given up on that stuff”). According to the production’s website, the music “will be performed on a piano ‘orchestra’ – complete with a traditional piano, a toy piano, and a prepared piano (a piano that has had its sound altered by attaching objects – such as tinfoil, rubber bands and playing cards – to the strings).” This mix of Stephen Merrit gloom and detachment and the disorienting dance of keys across altered piano strings sounds ideal for this story.  Spin Magazine writes “In the hands of The Magnetic Fields mastermind Stephen Merritt, the story retains every bit of its fantastical, delightfully macabre tone.” But you can judge for yourself: the theatre provides three demo samples of Merrit’s music for Coraline here.  You can also watch some of the cast and production team, including Merrit, talk about the show, the importance of fairy tales, and why the story is perfect for a theatrical go on MCC Theatre’s YouTube Channel. The production is currently running.

***Don’t forget to register for The Loft’s Neil Gaiman booktalk discussion group this summer! If you’ve read any Neil Gaiman book (The Graveyard Book, Stardust,Coraline, Anansi Boys) then come to this great “all-things-Neil-Gaiman” summer event. We’ll discuss his stories, talk about why we love his work, and view the Coraline film! Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 4 p.m. Register here.