13 Books That Became Broadway Hits

From page to stage, some of the most beloved Broadway shows started their journey as novels, memoirs, and stories. The transformation of written words into theatrical magic has captivated audiences for decades, breathing new life into characters we first met on paper. Whether you’re a bookworm or a theater enthusiast, these adaptations showcase the incredible versatility of storytelling across different mediums.

Hamilton – Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda stumbled upon Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton during vacation reading and transformed it into theatrical history. The musical blends hip-hop, jazz, and R&B to recount the tale of America’s Founding Father with a diverse cast that mirrors America today.

What makes Hamilton extraordinary is how it modernized centuries-old history while staying true to the biographical source material. Both the memoir and the musical were highly praised as a result, with the former returning to the bestseller list, and the latter winning 11 Tony Awards at the 70th Tony Awards.

Wicked – Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

Gregory Maguire’s novel reimagines the land of Oz, with the musical telling the untold story of the witches of Oz and delving into the complex relationship between Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch. The show debuted on the Broadway stage in 2003 and has performed over 8,000 shows.

Maguire’s reimagining gave depth to a character previously seen as purely evil. The author explained his creative process: “As soon as I took the witch off the pedestal of being wicked and put her in a human context of having a friendship, even a friendship gone wrong, I knew she was going to be interesting”.

The Color Purple – Alice Walker’s The Color Purple

The Color Purple tells the story about an abused African-American girl named Celie and how she hopes that one day, she will be reunited with her sister, Nettie, after being separated from each other. Alice Walker’s work had been the source of both praise and controversy due to its dark yet impactful subject matter, following the life of a young woman as she grows up facing personal trials and tribulations while navigating 20th century America.

The 2005 Broadway showing had a rocky start, but they gave it another shot a decade later and hit it out of the park, with the slimmed down plot and star-studded cast helping it become one of the defining musicals of the 2010s.

Chicago – Maurine Dallas Watkins’ Chicago

This musical is based on a 1926 satirical play of the same name by Maurine Dallas Watkins, which was inspired by two different women who stood trial for murder in 1924 – Beulah Annan (the inspiration for Roxie) and Belva Gaertner (the inspiration for Velma Kelly).

Watkins, who reported on their trials for the Chicago Tribune, saw the dramatic possibilities of their stories and used them as loose inspiration for a play that examined society and the media’s obsession with crime, celebrity, and the intersection of the two. The musical adaptation premiered in 1975 and became one of Broadway’s longest-running shows.

Les Misérables – Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables

If a 1,400-page French novel can be adapted into a modern Broadway presentation, then anything can – and Victor Hugo’s massive literary work proves this point.

Les Misérables was adapted from Victor Hugo’s novel and has been a constant for decades of Broadway history. Support from audiences helped transform “Les Misérables” from an underappreciated gem to a beloved show with multiple revivals and over 6,000 performances in its first run alone.

The Phantom of the Opera – Gaston Leroux’s Le Fantôme de l’Opéra

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical is based on the novel released in 1909, with Erik, the Phantom of the Paris Opera House, being one of the great icons of horror literature – a tormented and disfigured creature who has made his home in the labyrinthine cellars where he can indulge in his great passion for music.

The Gothic romance translated perfectly to the stage, becoming one of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history. The mysterious, masked figure’s obsession with Christine created theatrical magic that captivated audiences for decades.

Cabaret – Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories

Christopher Isherwood’s “Goodbye to Berlin” was based on his own experiences in the city, and how he noticed its citizens doing anything to enjoy their remaining pleasures as Hitler rose to power, with the eventual adaptation “Cabaret” leaning into this idea by having the primary setting – a sketchy nightclub – represent the fading Weimar Republic.

The music exemplified the hedonistic escapism, with performances that were eerie yet spellbinding, becoming one of the defining musicals of the 20th centuries, with several revivals beneath its belt since its 1966 debut.

Fun Home – Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

The Tony-winning Fun Home concerns Alison Bechdel’s discovery of her own sexuality, her relationship with her gay father, and her attempts to unlock the mysteries surrounding his life. The Tony Award winner for Best Musical originally started out as an autobiographic graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, with the graphic memoir charting her fraught relationship with her late father.

Adapted from the 2006 graphic memoir, Fun Home is the first Broadway musical with a lesbian protagonist. The deeply personal story resonated with audiences who connected with its honest portrayal of family relationships and self-discovery.

Matilda – Roald Dahl’s Matilda

The revolting children of Crunchem Hall were first featured in the classic Roald Dahl novel Matilda before coming to Broadway in 2013, with Matilda being a sweet, exceptional young girl whose parents think she’s just a nuisance, expecting school to be different but having to face Miss Trunchbull, a kid-hating terror of a headmistress.

There’s hope and whimsy in Roald Dahl’s original tale, but also a noticeable darkness, with the theatrical version doing a marvelous job of emphasizing the positive aspects while keeping just the right amount of darkness. The musical celebrated the power of books and learning while entertaining audiences of all ages.

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

First hitting the Broadway stage in March 2024, The Great Gatsby musical quickly became a fan favorite, following the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel of the same name and bringing viewers back to 1920s New York City. Starring Jeremy Jordan (Newsies) as the eccentric and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Eva Noblezada (Hadestown) as the enigmatic Daisy Buchanan, the show arrived on Broadway after a record-shattering, sold-out run at Paper Mill Playhouse.

In it, a young Nick Carraway befriends the illustrious Jay Gatsby, who happens to be in love with Nick’s cousin Daisy, with an ending no one will see coming, and the show even winning a Tony Award for Best Costumes.

The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders

Adapted from the classic S.E Hinton book of the same name, The Outsiders follows Ponyboy Curtis as he deals with growing up poor in 1968 Tulsa, Oklahoma. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, the hardened hearts and aching souls of Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade and their chosen family of ‘outsiders’ are in a fight for survival and a quest for purpose in a world that may never accept them – a story of the bonds that brothers share and the hopes we all hold on to.

The novel holds special significance for many. As one Broadway cast member shared: “[The] Outsiders is the first novel I read, front to back… It was the first time I witnessed that a white person could treat other white people the way that I was treated as a Black person”.

Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants

The touching tale of “Water for Elephants,” based on Sara Gruen’s novel, comes to life on stage with a spectacle-filled production set during the Great Depression, following a young man who finds love and purpose within a second-rate traveling circus.

The circus setting allowed for incredible theatrical spectacle, with live animals and death-defying acts bringing the Depression-era story to vivid life. The combination of romance, adventure, and historical backdrop created an immersive experience that transported audiences to another time and place.

Carrie – Stephen King’s Carrie

Although it was short-lived on Broadway in 1988, this musical based on Stephen King’s first book has quickly become a cult classic, with Stephen King’s legendary debut about a teenage outcast and the revenge she enacts on her classmates, telling the story of misunderstood high school girl Carrie White, her extraordinary telekinetic powers, and her violent rampage of revenge.

Adapting Stephen King’s thrilling book Carrie might have seemed like a stretch, but in 1988 they did exactly that, with the plot remaining the same but musical numbers added, though unfortunately her powers weren’t enough to keep things going beyond 21 shows and Carrie closed less than a month after it opened. Despite its brief run, the show has gained legendary status among theater fans.

The journey from page to stage continues to fascinate audiences and creators alike. These 14 examples showcase how diverse source materials can find new life in musical theater, from classic literature to contemporary bestsellers. Each adaptation brings its own challenges and rewards, proving that great stories transcend their original medium.

What’s your favorite book-to-Broadway adaptation? Which novel do you think would make an amazing musical next?