If you were unable to watch Jagged Little Pill on Broadway, the musical based on Alanis Morissette‘s breakthrough album, you can now enjoy the compelling story in book form. The two-time Tony Award-winning musical is now a young adult novel.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody, who co-wrote the musical with Alanis, told ABC Audio it “was just a pleasure” turning it into a YA novel. “It’s definitely new territory for me,” she added. Cody, along with Alanis, teamed with author Eric Smith to “expand these characters’ worlds” and flesh them out even more.
Smith says it was “wildly exciting” to work with Alanis and Cody, adding the latter told him to “take more risks” with the story. “I printed that [email],” he laughed.
The author said Jagged Little Pill, the musical, resonated with him. One reason is that one of the protagonists is “a transracial adoptee,” just like him, and the other being Alanis’ 1995 album had a strong impact on him.
Alanis’ album featured “this huge emotional swell of wanting to be heard and wanting people to listen to you and pay attention to you,” Smith explained, adding, “The musical brings that to the stage.”
Now that Jagged Little Pill has gone from musical to YA novel, what’s next?
“The book is sort of inspiring me to think about possibilities for the screen… Now I’m thinking, well, what else can we do?” Cody teased.
As for Smith, he hopes Jagged Little Pill’s success story inspires more artists to make their own musicals. “I’d love to see a Ben Folds jukebox musical,” he offered. “I think Melissa Etheridge could do the same thing because her songs are so full of longing.”
Jagged Little Pill the novel is available now.
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