"Sister act: Local women team up to produce musical"

Sometimes, some of the most celebrated musicals come from unassuming starts.

"A Chorus Line," one of the longest running Broadway sshows ever, was born out of the everyday trials of auditioning, dancers and actors. Many producers thought the show would never get off the ground. Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" grew out of a few fairy tales. "Cats" is, well, about cats.

Perhaps more than any other medium, musicals have the ability to turn a wild stretch of the imagination into a production that can seem joyful, fantastical and believable. And it can do this even though the characters break into perfectly coordinated song and dance.

Rebecca Thompson and her sister Kari Skousen are hopeful that the magic of musicals will work for them as they bring the classic English novel "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontė from the page to the stage.

The sisters, Thompson and Skousen, hit a upon the idea of writing a musical of adaptation of "Jane Eyre" about four years ago.

"We were just talking on the phone about different musicals," said Thompson, "and we started talking about musical adaptations of novels. I told her about 'Jane Eyre,' which is one of my favorite novels. She hadn't read it, but she wrote some songs lyrics, then read them to me and they fit really well. Then I tried writing some songs."

Songs lead to a script, and the two led to a lot of hard work for the sisters.

"Both of us had melodies in mind," said Thompson, "but we really were not capable of writing the music. We needed a composer to do that for us. We found our composer about two years after we started in 1997. He's Bill Kilpatrick."

As far as the script goes, one might imagine that it would be difficult to transport the world of "Jane Eyre" to the stage, but Thompson said it translated well. Its elements of romance, mystery and even hints of a super thriller work well as a musical.

"I think it would have [been] a lot harder if we were doing something original," she said. "Basing it on a well known novel made it easier. Some of the lines were so perfect we pulled them directly out of the book, but it was hard cutting it down so that it wasn't too long and didn't drag in parts."

The sisters also had different talents to bring to the table when it came to writing the script.

"I've had a little bit more theatrical experience," said Skousen, "and my sister has a little more literary experience. Between the two of us, we've been able to write something that we think it complete for the stage. It really helped to have both perspectives going in."

Having the script staged brought to light the myriad of little things that need to change in the play said director Carol Bowen.

"Seeing the actors speak the lines, timing the music, these are all important things that you can't see until it's staged," she said "The technical parts are also very important, like sound effects, staging and lighting."

Though Bowen has been directing for about two decades, this is the first time she's done an original script. It has meant working directly with the authors and shortening the script.

"I've been impressed with how willing these women are at taking suggestions, because it's their baby," said Bowen. "They've been great, even though they've had some rough times. We've done a lot of give and take."

Still think "Jane Eyre: the Musical" sounds a bit far out? Maybe. Maybe not. Others have had the same idea, and Jane Eyre shows are already out there, though the sisters did not know that when the idea for the product was born.

It's more like an epic musical, not a musical comedy," said Thompson. "It's darker, more like 'Les Miserables.' It has more depth to it. It's not like 'the Music Man' or something."

Writing a play is a first for both sisters. The project has not only gotten them to flex their creative muscles, it's forced them to learn how to promote a play. They've learned about the process of writing the musical, how to apply for grants, how to do a demo recording of songs, make contacts, and how to package and present their work. Neither had ever tackled a project this large before.

But the work is not over. Even with the performance only a day away, both sisters realize that finishing the play will still take a lot of work. The showcase is just another step in that direction.

"I think that what they are going to do [here] is to really showcase our music," Skousen said, "but I also feel that Carol will do a nice job focusing on actors, lyrics, lines and dialogue. We're hoping to get feedback and a feel on how it will appeal to an audience. We've slimmed it down, simplified it and chosen just the best of everything."

Is the musical nearing completion?

'It's really hard to tell in this business," said Thompson, "but we think were getting close."

Bowen had faith that they'll succeed.

"When Rebecca first called three years ago and said she was writing a play and she wanted it to go to Broadway, I laughed." She said.

"I'm not laughing now."

this was as an insert in the interview:

"Sharing not a problem for siblings"

Whether they're toddlers or adults, most siblings have had their share of fighting over TV channels, ice cream flavors, personal possessions, you name it. But the sisters Rebecca Thompson and Kari Skousen have had no problem sharing their toys, which in this case, happens to be a play.

"It's been relatively easy, I think," said Skousen. "We have the same vision in mind. The hardest part is the long distance, be some of the best scenes in the play are ones we wrote over the phone together. It's just fascinating. She has strength where I have weaknesses and I have strengths where she 's not as experienced. Neither one of us, I think, could have done it on our own."

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