'Little House' at the Guthrie brings regional story home

On the heels of its recent commission of a Tony Kushner play, the Guthrie Theater announced Monday a world-premiere musical scheduled for the summer of 2008. "Little House on the Prairie," based on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, will bring the Guthrie into a partnership with commercial producers interested in bigger things nationally.

"Obviously we're hoping that if it's a success it will have a future life," said Guthrie director Joe Dowling.

"We're looking at, in conjunction with our national partners, a national tour."

Francesca Zambello, an internationally recognized director of opera and musical theater, brought the property to Dowling's attention and he felt it was a natural, given the regional setting of the books.

The creative team's credentials should get the attention of the theater world. Zambello has directed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Washington Opera, Houston Grand Opera and the Royal Opera in London. Writing the book is Rachel Sheinkin, who in 2005 won the Tony for best book of a musical for Broadway's "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." Rachel Portman, an Oscar winner for her score of "Emma," will compose the music with lyrics by Donna DiNovelli.

"I thought this would be perfect for our audience because the 'Little House' books are so popular and because it's our region" Dowling said. "It's a local story."

Wilder's books focus on her family's role in the exploration of territorial Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Dakotas. Many people now associate the tales with the popular 1970s TV series, although Dowling said the emphasis of the musical would be truer to the original books -- that epic notion of opening up the West to settlement.

Unlike "Martin Guerre," which was largely an import in the mid-1990s, "Little House" is intended wholly as a Guthrie production, Dowling said, with its usual mix of Twin Cities and national actors. It will be workshopped here in February. Adrianne Lobel (sets) and Martin Pakledinaz (costumes) are national designers who have worked with Twin Cities companies.

The commercial group is identified only as Global Prairie Productions, which Dowling said is based in New York and includes several backers. At the Guthrie, the work will be staged in the McGuire Proscenium.

And that is where Kushner's new work, "The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures," will be staged in the spring of 2009.

"We're offering a wide range of things there," Dowling said, a bit amused at the contrast. "With Kushner and a musical, you're stretching the gamut there."

Graydon Royce • 612-673-7299

Graydon Royce • groyce@startribune.com