Books making it from the page to the stage is nothing new, but it would be untrue to say that a series like Beetlejuice fame, it's enough to make some wonder which book series is next to get the theater treatment.
Dozens and dozens of children's books and YA literature have made it onto the stage over the centuries. From Little Women to Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, the theatre has been a welcome environment for a variety of different stories for both the young and the young at heart.
Harry Potter By J.K. Rowling
While it's true that J.K. Rowling wrote a Broadway play in the form of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, it was divisive as some fans expected more from the series they grew up with. That all being said, the early books in the series could have been fit for the stage just as well.
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone would probably do the best on stage, especially if it were handled in a similar fashion to Peter and the Starcatchers. The magic and wonder millions of readers felt when they first opened the pages of the Boy Who Lived absolutely deserves to be brought in front of a live audience.
A Wizard Of Earthsea By Ursula K. LeGuin
On the other hand, if readers/theatergoers are looking for something different but just as magical, A Wizard of Earthsea features its own boy wizard with a much more epic sense. It might not be the easiest work of fiction to adapt, but a skilled director can make anything happen.
A play based on anything Earthsea would have to be something akin to a Greek drama, perhaps even with masks. The saga of Ged and his time at the wizard's school isn't exactly something audiences might expect from Hogwarts, but it's a coming-of-age tale that's as emotional as it is smart and provoking.
The House Of Dies Drear By Virginia Hamilton
Not all YA literature has to be saccharine and whimsical. In fact, some books directed at younger readers can be more mature and intense than many adult novels. Case in point, The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton is a haunted house story that desperately needs more attention.
Mysterious things begin happening when a historian and his family move into a plantation house that was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. In a story concerning a house with secret ageways, the ghosts of two trapped slaves, and a mysterious caretaker who lives in a cave, a stage play inspired by the book would be an unforgettable southern gothic, despite its Ohio setting.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark By Alvin Schwartz
For fans wanting something with a bit more bite than Goosebumps, the film by Guillermo Del Toro will undoubtedly trouble many viewers' sleep, a stage version could provide a new anthology of folk horror.
The books are perfect for a black box theater adaptation, pulling the audience closer and closer to the stories as these creepy tales unfold one by one. With modern theater techniques like puppetry, immersive set design, and other advances, it could be one of the most intense theatrical experiences out there.
A Series Of Unfortunate Events By Lemony Snicket
With plays like A Series of Unfortunate Events.
With Neil Patrick Harris already being a star of stage and screen reprising the role of Count Olaf, a stage adaptation of at least the first few novels a la the film adaptation with Jim Carrey could very well be possible. The staging would have to be insanely creative, but it's certainly probable.
Clifford The Big Red Dog By Norman Bridwell
If King Kong can get his own Broadway musical, so can Clifford the Big Red Dog. Along with receiving his own live-action movie and animated series, Clifford's scarlet visage has been a fixture in children's literature for decades. A stage adaptation certainly wouldn't be out of the question.
The plot doesn't have to be anything groundbreaking, the idea of a colossus-sized canine living in New York City already lends itself over well to the Broadway stage. However, the script would have to be marvelous in order for it to get commercially successful.
The Halloween Tree By Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury is no stranger to the stage or the screen, but an adaptation of The Halloween Tree would be absolutely perfect for the stage. Although a few certain liberties might need to be taken to make it more practical, the time-traveling journey across Halloweens past with the magical and mysterious Mr. Moundshround would be absolutely great.
It's a story that lends itself to so many creative interpretations. The set can be as complex or as simple as desired, but it definitely needs that singular jack-o'-lantern-covered tree that ties the story all together.
Busytown Series By Richard Scarry
The Busy World of Richard Scarry has covered decades of children's books, a TV show, and even a handful of spin-offs, but a tried-and-true stage musical has yet to be seen. The potential is certainly there, especially with such a large and eclectic cast of lovable characters like Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm.
Busytown itself could come alive on stage, and with so many books, characters, and scenarios, the possibilities are practically endless. That being said, it might be difficult to narrow down a singular story in Scarry's bibliography of over 300 titles.
The Van Allsburg Books By Chris Van Allsburg
The name "Chris Van Allsburg" might not be known to some, but his titles certainly might. Responsible for creating books like Zathura, Jumanji, and The Polar Express, many of his works have inspired the world of film, but not so much the world of the stage.
So far, Jumanji is the only one that has received a stage version, but there are many more that deserve the treatment. The Polar Express could be a holiday musical, and Widow's Broom could be absolutely haunting. Either way, the sets would be something for the record books. Granted, these would have to stick closer to the source material than the films, but that doesn't mean there wouldn't be a specific audience for them.
M Is For Magic By Neil Gaiman
The fantasy genius that is Neil Gaiman has already had three of his works turned into plays, four if the opera version of Coraline is taken into , but they're not exactly the most child-friendly. That doesn't mean they aren't excellent, but he does have a wealth of stories that would be great for the stage in M Is For Magic.
The collection of stories runs the gauntlet of different genres including mystery, comedy, and horror. The Case of the Four And Twenty Blackbirds, The Price, and Chivalry would all be absolutely marvelous if adapted for the stage, especially the latter story concerning a knight, an elderly lady, and the Holy Grail.
