Jane Austen's Books & Adaptations discussion

July 2024 Watch: Sense and Sensibility: the Musical by Paul Gordon


[Megan McGinnis as Marianne Dashwood and Sharon Rietkerk as Elinor]

Paul Gordon composed another musical based on JA's novel: Sense and Sensibility.


Filmed in the Jentes Family Courtyard Theatre at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
April 8-June 7, 2015

Book, Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon
Directed by Barbara Gaines

Cast:
Megan McGinnis as Marianne Dashwood
Sharon Rietkerk as Elinor Dashwood
Peter Saide as Willoughby
Sean Alan Krill as Colonel Brandon
Emily Berman as Lucy Steele
Michael Aaron Lindner as John Middleton
Colin Morgan as Mr. Harris
David Schlumpf as John Dashwood
Paula Scrofano as Mrs. Jennings
Tiffany Scott as Fanny
Wayne Wilcox as Edward Ferrars
Matthew Keffer as Ensemble
Elizabeth Telford as Ensemble

Running Time: 2:14


[Megan McGinnis as Marianne Dashwood and Peter Saide as Mr. Willoughby.]

an official trailer here: https://youtu.be/IRP2PQJ8g2Y?si=4LwgV...



STREAMING MUSICALS PRESENTS: The Chicago Shakespeare Theater production of SENSE & SENSIBILITY

Sense and Sensibility is one of Jane Austen's most popular novels. In this theatrical adaptation, it comes to life with Paul Gordon's Music (Tony Nominated Composer) Austen fans will love this musical about the beloved Dashwoods and the show's familiar themes of family conflicts, money problems, and thwarted courtships. Filmed by HMS MEDIA, INC.

Streaming Musical decided to release the musical on their official YouTube channel.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/-C2R3Jfbi28?si=1T7AC...

This is the last of Paul Gordon's three musicals adapted from Jane Austen's novels that I watched.

This one is easily the best-produced of the three. Great costumes and much better wigs than for Pride and Prejudice. The casting is fine. Lovely singing. Adequate acting.

This is a filmed stage production. The audience vibed with the piece and it helped. Gordon leaned into the humorous aspects of the story and the audience ate it up.

There are many cuts as could be expected. There is no Mrs Dashwood or Margaret, no Anne Steele, no Palmers & no Lady Middleton. Elinor and Marianne are all alone, makes John Dashwood's treatment of them all the more deplorable. There is no visit to Cleveland, Marianne gets sick at Barton Cottage. Colonel Brandon fetches Mrs Jennings from London to tend to her.
The music is typical Paul Gordon - pleasant but not sweeping. Musically, Emma was better IMO. There are no memorable songs except for perhaps Colonel Brandon's On the Wrong Side of Five-and-thirty The lyrics are a mouthful; Gordon likes to keep Jane Austen's words and that might be quite a challenge for both the singer-actors and the audience. I didn't mind.

I enjoyed it for what it was - a Broadway treatment of Jane Austen.

If you loved Gordon's Emma and/or Pride and Prejudice you'll enjoy Sense and Sensibility, too. If you didn't like them, you should skip this one.

Sean Allan Krill sings 'Wrong Side of Five and Thirty' from "Sense and Sensibility": https://youtu.be/tzjSqg9hlEQ?si=rW7F9...

Sharon Rietkerk (Elinor) played Jane Bennet in Paul Gordon's Pride and Prejudice.

STREAMING MUSICALS has planned some streaming events for August that include other JA inspired musicals:

17th August - Emma by Paul Gordon

24th August - Pride and Prejudice by Paul Gordon

You can watch them on their YouTube channels: https://www.youtube.com/@STREAMINGMUS...

Emma streaming right now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9Kdm...

Pride and Prejudice streaming right now:
https://youtu.be/g0M2ko5ivRo?si=zJ0ea...