This is our Jane Eyre

The Orange County Register carries a long article on the Jane Eyre musical opening tomorrow in Fullerton, CA.

Jerry Williams has been in an on-again, off-again relationship with the same woman for more than 15 years. He's still faithful to her, even though others pulled her into their far more glittering orbit for a while.
The woman in question in Jane Eyre, and Williams, a composer, worked with writer Patricia York to create a musical version of Charlotte Brontë's famous 1847 novel of the same name back in the 1990s. Their interpretation of Brontë's story about a young woman who triumphs over an unpromising childhood and other challenges to land the man of her dreams debuted at Salt Lake City's Hale Centre Theatre in 1994. It was seen locally in 1997 at a theater in Glendale. "It had a few successful runs when it was first written," Williams said. "It's a classic literary work and it attracted a lot of fans of the book."
Then the unthinkable happened. A more high-profile team – composer Paul Gordon and writer John Caird – took an interest in the book. Their work riveted the public's attention for several years, appearing at the La Jolla Playhouse in 1999 and culminating with a brief Broadway run in 2000-01.
"We had to wait until that wave subsided," said Williams, who is revamping his dormant musical for a major new production at Fullerton Civic Light Opera, where it opens Oct. 15.
Williams takes pains to point out the difference between his "Jane Eyre" and the more famous musical version.
"It was a wonderful work, of course, but it took a very somber approach."
In William's opinion, that's the reason Caird and Gordon's "Jane Eyre" didn't catch on with the theatergoing public.
"I think the reason people didn't embrace it is because it was dark. Ours has more humor. Patricia has added some characters that introduce crucial levity to the story. It makes it a little more fun – not so 'Wuthering Heights.' People don't want to watch two heads talking in a living room for two hours."
The Fullerton production is being called a world premiere because the show has been substantially changed since its 1990s incarnation, Williams said.
"We've refined everything and brought out the humor as an important element. But the essential story and romance remain."
[...]
Williams' interest in Jane Eyre did not blossom from any kind of literary passion.
"I have to give total credit to Patricia on that. I'm a typical male who's not into fiction. I like history and science."
The first time Williams read the story, it was via York's script, not Brontë's book. But he was hooked immediately.
"Patricia had written one of the most dramatic openings that I've ever seen. The first nine minutes are just amazing. That's what got me."
[...]
Williams has a hunch that this "Jane Eyre" might ultimately find a sympathetic audience in the country of its fictional heroine's birth.
"I would like to see it head across the pond. 'Jane Eyre' is required reading for school kids over there. I think it would really resonate in Brontë country."
As for that other musical version of "Jane Eyre," Williams hopes enough time has passed that he can escape its shadow – but he's realistic.
"There's no way we can get around that fact. It's been done as a musical by others. We must let the jury decide. Every critic will bring it up. How could they not?
"But I'm confident that once they see what we've created, they'll quickly forget all about that. This work definitely stands on its own. This is our 'Jane Eyre.'" (Paul Hodgins)

More on stage matters, as The Dallas Morning News thinks The Curse of Castle Mongrew at the Dallas Children's Theater is suitable for Brontëites.

The charms of this Gothic romantic comedy about an orphaned governess who falls for a dark, brooding young man in a cobwebbed castle, thick with dangerous secrets, won't be lost on any fans of Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. (Nancy Churnin)

And the Chicago Tribune reviews The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story currently on stage at Oakbrook, IL.

The interplay between Virginia and Sanders' courtly and slightly sardonic Poe provides a charming domestic respite from the darker shades of his fiction and poetry. The device of impending death being telegraphed through sudden coughing fits may be used a bit too often in the show, but since no literary figure (aside from the Brontës) ever lost as much to what was then called consumption, it's also a justifiable choice. (Kerry Reid)

And of course many British newspapers are celebrating Sir Cliff Richard's 70th birthday and mentioning his musical Heathcliff. BBC News posts a picture of him dressed for the part (image 8 of 11 in the slideshow), and Tanya Gold writing for the Telegraph says about the show,

And then came Heathcliff, his musical of Wuthering Heights, which was about as appropriate as having Bambi play Dennis Nilsen in a cartoon musical called Strangle!

And we can't end the showbiz section without relaying what actress Julien Bowen supposedly said to People magazine recently (via Tri-City Herald).

"To play Lily Bart (the main character in 'House of Mirth') would be the greatest thing ever. I love me some Edith Wharton, anything with a Brontë. I'm associated with comedy, but I'm tragic inside." - "Modern Family" actress Julie Bowen, in People magazine.

Gadling continues the Yorkshire chronicles, today about the Yorkshire moors (with pictures).

The Brontë sisters were inspired by this brooding yet subtly beautiful landscape and many of their stories are set on the moors. Local historian and hiking guide Steven Wood led me and my group out onto the moors to visit some of the Brontë's favorite spots. In fine English tradition it started pouring as soon as we left the hotel. Waterproof gear is essential on any English hike. Even if it's beautifully sunny, bring it anyway just in case. You won't be sorry because the weather can change quickly. While it can go from bad to worse, it can also go from terrible to lovely. That's what you get for being on an island between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. [...]
Our first stop was Top Withens, an isolated stone farmhouse that may have been the inspiration for the location of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Located on a highpoint surrounded by low, undulating hills covered in heather, it's a spot that could certainly inspire a novel. You can see for miles in all directions, the dull browns and greens of the land matching the slate gray of the arching sky. While this abandoned farm has been a pilgrimage site for Brontë fans for a century, today we had it for ourselves. With no other people about, no animals, and the jet contrails hidden by lowering clouds, it felt like we were the only people in all of Yorkshire.
We then headed to a waterfall that the Brontë sisters liked to visit. At least it's said to be the waterfall. Like a lot of "George Washington slept here" kind of spots, the waterfall's reputation is based on a slim bit of fact (they mention frequent visits to a waterfall) and a lot of local lore and wishful thinking. The main thing is that it's beautiful. A little stream, stained brown by the moor's soil, rushes through a narrow valley thick with greenery. Another stream cascades over a nearby hill, making a sparkling little waterfall before joining it to flow on towards Haworth, where the Brontës lived. A natural stone seat has "C. Bronte" carved on it, along with the mysterious initials "DWW". A nearby bridge has a plaque talking about how this was probably where the Brontë's like to spend their spare time.
It's all a bit iffy, but who cares? If it wasn't for its reputation, I wouldn't have whiled away an enjoyable half hour watching the water flow between the heather. People from all over the world come to see this stream, and if they want to believe this was the place the Brontës visited, that's fine. It may even be true. The crowds of Japanese Brontë fans who come here seem to think so. The Brontës are huge in Japan, and so many Japanese travelers show up that the signs marking the routes are in Japanese as well as English! (Sean McLachlan) (Read full article)

According to The Record, the Rev. Kenneth D. Clayton is proud of Paterson, a New Jersey district, where he first discovered the Brontë novels. Associated Content contributor Rusisk Straipsny has written an article on Charlotte Brontë and another on Jane Eyre. Fluttering Butterflies reviews Louise Rennison's Withering Tights. Bollywood, Books, and Baking and Blather, rinse, repeat post about Wuthering Heights 2009. Sonderbooks interviews Clare B. Dunkle's as part of her blog tour presenting The House of Dead Maids (Darkly Reading and Adventures in Children's Publishing also have a guest post and a brief comment). Sarah Says reviews The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. ScribbleManiac publishes two posts (1 and 2) about Emily and Anne's trip to York in 1845. Finally, My Reading Room posts about Libby Sternberg's Sloane Hall. 

Categories: Books, Haworth, Jane Eyre, Music, References, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Theatre, Wuthering Heights