Judith Viorst to Adapt Lulu and the Brontosaurus as a Musical

By Maryann Yin 

Judith Viorst will adapt Lulu and the Brontosaurus as musical for Imagination Stage.

The author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day will bring Lulu to the stage in Bethesda, Maryland.  In an interview with Kirkus Reviews, Viorst revealed that she has partnered with her longtime collaborator, Shelly Markham, to bring her kid’s book to the stage.

Check it out: “I’ve been writing the script and the lyrics, and my wonderful collaborator, Shelly Markham, is writing the music, as we’ve done together for two other children’s musicals, both of them about Alexander.  We’re expecting to see it performed during the 2013-2014 season, complete with a tantrum-throwing Lulu and a dancing dinosaur.”

During her appearance at the Brooklyn Book Festival, Viorst (pictured) talked about the inspiration behind her hit picture book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. She also revealed that the inspiration behind the character of Lulu came from many sources including her own childhood and the heroine of Frances Hodgson Burnett‘s The Secret Garden, Mary Lennox.

When asked on the differences between writing for adults versus writing for children, Viorst commented that “it’s not that different.” Viorst pointed out that “you never talk down to children with vocabulary, feelings or ideas.” Do you agree? (photo via Milton Viorst)