What if Narnia Books Were Each A Musical?

jasmine tarkheena

jasmine tarkheena

Active member
As a Broadway lover, I've always wondered what if Narnia books were each a musical. There are so many categories of a musical number- Intro songs, "I Want" songs, comedy songs, villain songs, love songs.

For The Horse And His Boy, "Narnia and the North" is an idea for an intro song or even leitmotifs, kind of like "The Bells of Notre Dame" in the stage adaption of The Hunchback of Notre Dame or "Facade" in Jekyll and Hyde. For other Narnia books, "Coming of Spring" in The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe and "Further Up, Further In" In The Last Battle.

A majority of villain songs are about their evil plans for world domination. There can even be a villain singing the main melody and the minions singing as backup, like "Be Prepared" from The Lion King or "In The Dark of the Night" from Anastasia. Jadis can sing about planning to conquer the world, Rabadash can sing about how he wants to marry Susan and how he plans to invade Narnia.

For love songs, a love duet between Caspian and Ramandu's Daughter is idea. Bree or Hwin singing a love song observing Cor and Aravis is also idea. It would be like "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid or "Tale As Old As Time" from Beauty and the Beast.

Any ideas for a musical number for each Narnia book?
 
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About fifty years ago, some folk musicians composed a sort of cantata titled "The Ship," envisioning life as a sea voyage. The cantata's title became also the group's name. A musical adaptation of "Dawn Treader" could use the elements of this cantata, though extra music would be needed for parts of the story which didn't match the album's original mood.
 
What I'd love to do is music, not a musical. Basically to use my rather large body of knowledge about classical music to find music that could have been a soundtrack for The Magician's Nephew or The Last Battle. To give you an example, try looking on Youtube for "Tintagel" by Sir Arnold Bax. If any music would be good incidental music for The Dawn Treader, it would be that.
 
There's so much ideas for an "I Want" song.

The Magician's Nephew could have an song sung by Digory voicing his desire for his mother to get better and show his desperation/willingness to do anything to accomplish that, making it all the more impactful when he refuses to take the apple from Jadis.

The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe could have Lucy singing a song about how curious she is when she looks into the wardrobe. "Somewhere beyond the wardrobe..." is idea. Edmund could even have a song about his desire to be king. The scene where he walks to the White Witch's castle can be a musical number. He could sing about his inner conflict about wanting to be king yet he knows this is wrong. It would be like "The Confrontation" from Jekyll and Hyde, where he switches back and forth as Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde. So there's the idea of Edmund switching back and forth between what he wants and what he knows is wrong.

The Horse And His Boy could have Shasta sing about his longing to finding out his true identity, like "Journey to the Past" from Anastasia. Also, Shasta and Bree could have a song, and Aravis and Hwin could have a song. Then later, Shasta and Aravis sing their songs simultaneously, like “76 Trombones” and “Goodnight, My Someone” in The Music Man.

Prince Caspian could have Caspian singing about his longing to have live in the old days. Perhaps he could sing something like "Out There" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. There even could be a song where Caspian and Miraz sing about the old days, and Miraz sings about the old days being nothing but a fairy tale.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader could have Caspian singing about his longing to accomplish the mission of finding the seven lords and Reepicheep singing about his longing to reach the world's end.

The Silver Chair could have Eustace and Jill singing about their inner conflict to follow the signs. Perhaps Jill could sing about her struggle about trust, since she's been bullied.

The Last Battle could have Tirian sing about remembering Narnia's past and his longing to set things right in Narnia. He could even sing a song about his dear friendship with Jewel.
 
For an existing example, search for a Seventies concept album by the group Second Chapter of Acts, titled "The Roar of Love."
 
Copperfox said:
The album was on the soft-sweet side. I hope your play included Peter slaying Jadis' chief wolf.
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We've actually changed it, where the chief wolf and the other wolves become redeemed. But it did had Peter fighting the chief wolf. The way we did the battle scene was done with a flashing light.

And how about filler songs? I can almost picture Caspian and his crew singing "Do You Hear The People Sing" from Les Miserable as they're heading for the slave market to free their friends on the Lone Islands.

There's also an idea where Puddleglum can sing the main melody and Eustace and Jill harmonize. Then Puddleglum could try to nudge them back into the main melody.

For a song at the Battle of Stable Hill, Tirian and Rishda could sing the main melody and the Narnians and Calormenes could harmonize. And the dwarfs could sing a totally different melody, given that they don't want to be on either side. Then Eustace and Jill could try to harmonize while Tirian tries to nudge them into the main melody and Rishda tries to nudge them out of the main melody, showing how much authority he has.
 
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I like any tie-in with "Les Miserables." It has long been my fantasy to star in the actual Les Miz, because I can sing Jean Valjean's role, and Valjean doesn't have to be a boyish male ingenue. Only one hitch: Valjean has to be physically imposing, and I'm only five feet seven inches tall. So I would have to form a theater troupe in which NO ONE OF EITHER SEX was allowed to be any taller than five-SIX.
 
I'm 5'2, so probably in some I would have to wear high heels.

Plus, I would think that the Narnia characters would have a different vocal register. A lot of the female leads are sopranos, and a lot of male leads are tenors.

The Pevensies in LWW would have children's voices, and in PC, their vocal register could change. Peter and Edmund would be tenors in PC and either tenors or baritones in LB. Susan and Lucy would be sopranos in PC and either sopranos or mezzo sopranos in LB (that is, if they decide to have Susan to make an appearance in LB). Caspian would certainly be a tenor, though he would have a higher register in PC and it changes in VDT. Ramandu's daughter would certainly be a soprano. Eustace and Jill have higher registers in SC, and it changes in LB, with Eustace as a tenor and Jill as a soprano. Prince Rilian would start out as a high tenor then change to either tenor or baritone. Shasta would be a tenor, and Aravis would be a soprano. Digory would start out as a tenor then change to baritone. Polly would start out as a soprano then change to mezzo-soprano. Tirian would either be a tenor or baritone.

The villains tend to have lower registers. Jadis would be either a mezzo-soprano or an contralto. Miraz would either be a baritone or a bass. The lady of the Green Kirtle would either be a mezzo-soprano or a contralto. Rabadash would be a baritone. Shift would certainly be a bass. Rishda would be a baritone. Ginger would be either a baritone or a bass.

Then the supporting characters varies. Some of the crew on the Dawn Treader could have a variety from tenors, baritones, and basses. Reepicheep would certainly be a tenor. The stars at the creation of Narnia could vary from very high soprano to middle mezzo-soprano to very low altos. Trumpkin and Trufflehunter would be baritones and Nikkibrik a bass. Mr. Tumnus would be either a tenor or a baritone. Poggin could have a higher register than the rest of the dwarfs, with Poggin as a baritone and the rest of the dwarfs as bass. Puddleglum would certainly be a baritone. Mr. Beaver would be a baritone and Mrs. Beaver would be a mezzo-soprano. Mabel Kirke would certainly be a soprano, Uncle Andrew a baritone, and Aunt Letty a mezzo-soprano or a contralto. Bree would be a baritone and Hwin would be a mezzo-soprano. Lasaraleen would be a mezzo-soprano. Frank would be a baritone and Helen would be either a soprano or a mezzo-soprano. The Calormene soldiers could vary from high tenor to middle baritone to low bass. Emeth could be a high tenor or even a tenor.
 
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Yet of course, Tumnus doesn't sing, which would be impossible to do while playing a flute anyways. Yet, of course, Tumnus telling Lucy of the midnight dances in the woods could be a musical number.

And the Lady of the Green Kirtle plays a mandolin like instrument. So maybe a musical could have her sing a song while she's doing it.
 
There is a symphony which was composed in honor of men who recreated an ancient sea voyage. The finale of the symphony has come, for me, to symbolize being reunited in Aslan's country with loved ones who went before me. Just like Tirian with his father.

People who claim that in Heaven we will NEVER take a single instant to pay any attention to anyone OTHER THAN God, have probably never genuinely loved any fellow mortal.

 
LWW- A nasty little solo by Edmund called " Little Children" after he lies to Peter about being in Narnia with Lucy.

PC- "A Little Bit of Magic" by Dr. Cornelius when he's looking for Caspian and the old Narnians

DT - A call and response song with the Dufflepuds "Chief Knows Best"

SC- A song by the giants as Jill and Eustace are exploring the castle, a kind of ambivilent excited/dirge, a double entendre titled, "So Sweet"

HHB- "Silly Horse" sung by Hwin concerning Bree as they wait for Shasta to return. A kind aria.

MN- A spunky song by Aunt Letty about Andrew and Jadis, "Wild Woman".

LB- A medley of songs beginning with a fast paced, rhythmic song featuring a lot of body sounds: chest and thigh smacking, whistling, stomping and clapping representing the train, a kind of building cacophony of a capela sound effects culminating in the train crash called "Exciting Trip", which transitions straight into a heartbreakingly beautiful flute solo named "Awake", as they find themselves on Aslan's mountian which flows straight into an exciting romp of a song, up tempo, crisp and clear with oboe and cello as they find they can run and not weary called(obviously) "Further In, Further Up".

Although, initially, my insides were dying over the possibility of someone truly butchering such a beloved set of books with the world's cheesiest musicals, I decided to join the post for giggles...I kind've got into it though!🤣😂🤣 A musical or two might not be too bad.😂😂
 
Knowing how movies glorify the "anti-hero" these days, Jadis would end up being Aslan's sister, upset that her daddy the Emperor didn't buy her a pony.
 
EveningStar said:
Knowing how movies glorify the "anti-hero" these days, Jadis would end up being Aslan's sister, upset that her daddy the Emperor didn't buy her a pony.
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That is so possible it was like a physical blow to the gut when I read it. Smh. Amazing how we have the ability to twist everything until it is exactly the opposite of what it ought to be.
 
It's possible that a Narnia musical could turn out cheesy.
EveningStar said:
Knowing how movies glorify the "anti-hero" these days, Jadis would end up being Aslan's sister, upset that her daddy the Emperor didn't buy her a pony.
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Oh yeah. Then it may be possible that Shift went to live far up to the West because no one wants to be his friend.
 
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