Eowyn Ivy's 'The Snow Child' Adapted As Bluegrass Themed Musical, Debuts Spring

Do you remember Eowyn Ivy's fairy tale-based novel The Snow Child?

This beautiful trailer might bring back lovely memories (and if you haven't read it, we recommend you do):

The Snow Child was an astonishing debut that hit the best-seller lists, had book clubs raving and even became a finalist for a Pulitzer. It was inevitable that this beautiful story of survival in a very different American wilderness, would find life in another form, and so it has: as a bluegrass-themed musical.

While bluegrass is a very different sort of soundtrack compared to the "gentle snowfall" one in the trailer above, no doubt it will add a whole new dimension to the story when they're put together.

Eowyn Ivey’s debut novel The Snow Child, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, is reborn as a magical new musical featuring a score that combines Alaskan string-band traditions and contemporary musical theater. The 1920 Alaskan wilderness is a brutal place to try to save a marriage. Reeling from the loss of an unborn child, Mabel and Jack struggle to rebuild their lives even as the fissures between them continue to widen. But everything changes suddenly when they are visited by a wild, mysterious girl who embodies the dark woods that surround their cabin. In this beautiful and violent land, things are rarely as they appear, and what the snow child teaches them will ultimately transform them all. (ArenaStage)

For music folks, who enjoy folk music, the link above includes an interview with the creators of the stage play, particularly with regard to the music and there is also an article from Bluegrass Today which goes into how the music was put together. You can read that one in full HERE.

Artistic Director, Molly Smith, and some of her key creative team for the show, recount how they were inspired and moved by Ivy's novel to bring it to the stage:

“The unimaginable expanse of Alaska was my home for almost half my life, and our cabin in Southeast Alaska remains a retreat for me from the heady politics of Washington, D.C.,” shares Smith. “When I first read the novel, I was struck by Eowyn Ivey’s ability to capture the wildness of Alaska; something I know our audiences will be eager to experience. This is a classic fairytale with a deeply human story—perfect for the stage. Bringing to life this world, from the Alaskan forests to the snow to the enchanted nature of the child, with remarkable collaborators like John, Georgia and Bob, and with a superb company of actors and designers is a particular thrill for me. A Power Play, Snow Child tackles the politics of Alaska at the turn of the century and the relationship of human beings to the environment.” 

“Molly sent me Eowyn Ivey’s novel back in the fall of 2014, and before I even finished reading it I wrote her to say ‘Yes, count me in. I love this book,’” says Stitt (Ed. co-composer & lyrics for Snow Child). “The story was so evocative, so theatrical, and the humanity of the main character, Mabel, was palpable. I’ve been most excited to write such a complex female character, to explore the relationships between what we own and what we only inhabit, and to write American theater music that lives fully and dramatically on the five most traditional bluegrass instruments (fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo and upright bass).” 

“The snow child is the magic and mystery at the heart of our story,” recounts Strand (Ed. who wrote the book for the musical). “Like the land she embodies, she transforms everyone around her. To Mabel and Jack, the struggling couple newly arrived in 1920s Alaska as homesteaders, the child is part desire, part redemption, or possibly madness—but surely, she is a reflection of the glorious and unforgiving wilderness that surrounds them all. It has been a privilege and a joy to work with the richly drawn characters from Eowyn Ivey’s novel.” (The Washington Sun)

It's not quite clear how much of the fairy tale - story or feel - will be integrated into the show. Most articles reference the development of the music, but it wouldn't be Eowyn Ivy's story without some of that fairy tale DNA in there either, so we look forward to the reviews.

There is an Artist Statement from Georgia Stitt's personal website, however, that fairy tale folk will find interesting:

Snow Child is based on a centuries-old Slavic folktale: a childless couple builds a small snowman and it comes magically to life, the child they always longed for. But the Snow Child comes with its own dangers and revelations. Taking a folktale and setting it in contemporary reality — the Alaska Territory in the 1920s — allows us to investigate some of the universal themes present here: the cycle of seasons with their echoes of death and rebirth; the struggle to survive in a wilderness that is often violent and unforgiving; the power of hope; the resilience of the human spirit; and the courage it takes to believe in something that cannot be explained logically but is passed down to us in story and song.
The setting of our tale draws us to the American pioneering urge, the homesteader alone against the elements, sometimes compelled — perhaps hopelessly — to try to tame what is better left wild. 

Alaska is what led the Snow Child creative team toward bluegrass, that deeply American music that is rooted in the land. Bluegrass is the musical language we use to get to the truth of this story, although the shared compositional goal between the two co-composers has been to take the best stylistic and harmonic elements of bluegrass music and combine them with the best narrative and storytelling elements of contemporary musical theater. In the resulting sound is the hybrid score of Snow Child. 

At the heart of our narrative is a courageous woman who battles back from despair and an attempt to take her own life. She discovers within her a strength of spirit to rival the tall forests and towering mountains of this magnificent land. It is the mysterious Snow Child who shows her the way.

Previews begin April 13th, with the premiere launching on April 26th in Washington, D.C. at Arena Stage.The production will run through May 20th, 2018.

Obituary: Isao Takahata, Animation Master & Creator of 'Princess Kaguya' Has Passed

I won't forget you. Thank you for the stories, Isao Takahata. (Tribute art by Trungles)

We were very sad to learn of the passing of Animation Master Isao Takahata today (Thursday, April 5, 2018).

May your spirit be free and have peace Takahata-sensei*.

Takahata was best known for his heart wrenching, and beautiful film Grave of the Fireflies, and of course, the Oscar-nominated The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, though many of his other films (eg. My Neighbors the Yamadas**, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko) prove him worthy of the title of Animation Master as well.

Our Fairy Tale News Hound, Gypsy, was introduced to his (and Miyazaki's) work at a very young age without even realizing it, through the TV series Heidi - A Girl of the Alps, while she was in Latin America. Takahata was the director, as well as a storyboard artist for the series. He eventually made a Heidi movie too, though the series holds a dear place to Gypsy as the beginnings of that magic Ghibli touch can be seen even then.

After Heidi and some other early films, Takahata became the co-founder of the beloved Studio Ghibli, always pushing the medium of animation as an art form and defying tradition as a true artist does - something clearly present in Princess Kaguya.

"I want to make sure that we don’t forget the great power of paintings drawn by lines on paper to stir our imaginations and memories." (Isao Takahata 2015)

Takahata also had revolutionary ideas about his Princess Kaguya too, something which we will be eternally grateful for in portraying this complex view of the Japanese princess of legend:

An adaptation of a Japanese folk tale about a mysterious princess discovered in a glowing bamboo tree, the Oscar-nominated film follows the princess as she struggles to free herself from both the demeaning customs of a patriarchal society, and the insatiable men who want to control her.  

“I have sought to refrain from projecting onto the young girls who are my main characters any wishful thinking from the male point of view about how women should behave,” Takahata tells us via email. “I also like to put myself in a women’s position as much as I can and think about things. Despite being a man, I love vibrant women, not only to fall in love with, but as friends and human beings.” And Princess Kaguya is certainly a human being. Not only does she cheekily relish the opportunity to set the men vying for her hand in marriage impossible challenges, but she hates the way men talk about her behind her back at her naming ceremony, and her emotions suddenly rush to the surface. 

Takahata uses the scrappy visual style to reflect these emotions in a way that wouldn't be possible in a more traditional animated film. “Rather than paintings that declare ‘I am the real thing’,” he says of his choice of style, “I prefer paintings that say ‘As you can see, I am not the real thing, but please use me as a means to imagine or remember in a vivid way the real thing that is behind me’.” 

“My intent was to have the viewers be there at the moment when the sketches were being drawn and to have them share in the emotions,” he continues. “I want to make sure that we don't forget the great power of paintings drawn by lines on paper to stir our imaginations and memories.”  

(Interview with Takahata by DazedDigital, during promotion for The Academy Awards, 2015)

We know Takahata still had many plans for projects and stories he wished to tell on film and look forward to seeing what those ideas were, when the family feels able to release them. Even without reaching their final form of a finished film, we know there is still wonder to discover, as seen through his eyes and mind. (He told reporters in 2016 he had a few he was working on simultaneously.)

His love of the history, cultures and tales of Japan always came through in his work and he will be sorely missed, not only in his home country, but in the world over.

Takahata reportedly had some heart issues recently, but even with the wealth of his artistry, his many amazing and multi-award winning films, and his work having been recognized globally, his passing is too soon, especially for a storyteller.

He was only 82 and will be greatly missed.

“Why must fireflies die so young?” — Grave of the Fireflies

(Isao Takahata 1935-2018)

*Here we are using the Japanese honorific 'sensei', to denote the respect we have for him as artist, teacher and recognized expert in his field of storytelling and animation filmmaking.

** In Takahata's 1999 film, My Neighbors the Yamadas, the birth of the Yamada’s second child, Nonoko, is rendered as a scene from the classic story of the Princess Kaguya, who was found in a bamboo stalk. Princess Kaguya was released in Japan in 2013.

Jane Yolen's Anticipated Baba Yaga "Verse Novel" and How Taisia's 'Ask Baba Yaga' Advice Column Helped Make it Happen

Yolen’s Finding Baba Yaga is a story in verse
about a teenage runaway who finds herself drawn
into the world of the mythical Slavic witch,
as she sets out to make her own fate,
“a theme that has never been more timely than it is now.”

It's Ms. Yolen's first ever "verse novel" (see below for details on its inspiration) and to say it's highly anticipated by the fairy tale community and Baba Yaga aficionados, might be understating things a tad. Best of all, it's nearly here...

• There is a title. (Finding Baba Yaga)

• There is a book. (It's in the "pre-release" promotion phase)

• There is a release date. (October 30, 2018 - that's this year!)

• There is a cover. (See above)

• And there is an excerpt! (Click HERE, and scroll down, to read it)

• There is also SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT we need to clear up... (read on - you can take a shortcut to the words in bold if you're in a rush)

Little Ivan and Baba Yaga by Julie Rouviére

We're talking about Jane Yolen's long-anticipated book in verse, Finding Baba Yaga. The Mary Sue got the exclusive cover reveal and interview so we're pointing the way, in case you missed the announcement.

There's a little bit of information we wanted to set straight, however. We were very surprised to find Once Upon A Blog/InkGypsy credited with posting the Ask Baba Yaga advice and for being the catalyst that got the book going. In Jane Yolen's introduction, she adds this PS:

PS: In July 2013, I discovered the very strange website http://fairytalenewsblog.blogspot.co.uk which has an ongoing set of weekly posts by Baba Yaga as a Lonely Hearts columnist. The site is written by someone known anonymously as InkGypsy, reputed to be a Russian poet who grew up in the UK.Whoever she is, she’s hilarious and provocative. These poems would not exist without her posts.

While we did post the Ask Baba Yaga columns, weekly as could be managed at the time, Gypsy (aka InkGypsy) did not write them. She only included a personal commentary, added a picture and formatted the posts. The main content, the advice - questions and answers - were, and have always been, the brilliant work of Russian-American writer and poet, aka the "hilarious and provocative"  Taisia Kitaiskaia, and Taisia very kindly gave us permission to reblog these brilliant nuggets of advice at Once Upon A Blog in an ongoing manner.

(Note: We were not even the original publishing 'home' of these letters of advice. That honor - and credit of discovery - belongs to The Hairpin. We have always acknowledged Taisia as the writer and Oracle "speaking on our behalf to Baba Yaga", as well as the original source of The Hairpin, and have linked to her, and The Hairpin, on every Ask Baba Yaga post, but we're also aware that in this age of social media, end matter is easy to skim over and can easily be missed.)

We are so very happy we've helped Taisia's work be seen by more people. Hopefully, even more folks will seek out Taisia's writing and her other wonderfully unique book Literary Witches (created in collaboration with Katy Horan), now her column has been credited in Jane Yolen's newest book. We just want to be very clear that all credit for any creative inspiration lies with our friend Taisia Kitaiskaia and we're very grateful she allowed Once Upon A Blog to be a part of the journey to publication because.. that's right, Taisia's columns have been expanded and made into a book! It's appropriately titled: Ask Baba Yaga: Otherworldly Advice for Everyday Troubles 

Check it out! >>>>>>>

(Psst! Expect a giveaway of that awesome collection in the near future...)

Here is a sneak peek of one of the nuggets of advice included in Ask Baba Yaga (the lovely illustrations and design motifs are by Brenna Thummler:

 

Returning to Finding Baba Yaga, we will admit, knowing now that Taisia's columns kick-started Jane Yolen's writing of her newest book - written entirely in verse! - that makes it a guaranteed sell for us! While we wish we could own every copy of Jane Yolen's books, she is so wonderfully prolific we have to sadly admit we haven't quite completed our (ongoing) collection of her works. This one, however, is moving not only to our shopping basket but will be put firmly on top of our must-read pile as soon as it appears. Poetry is something that's not always easy to read but Yolen's verse often changes minds about that. It's just a different pace for her wonderful storytelling.

Here's what Ms. Yolen had to say to The Mary Sue about creating the work: 

Artist unknown
(pls comment if you know so
we can correct the credit)

Baba Yaga is my culture hero—the strongest and greatest witch in the world. She makes her own way, is both anarchic and eternal, has transportation that runs on pure energy which has the added value of not destroying the earth, and she always says what she thinks. How could you not admire her? 

I first learned about Baba Yaga as a ballet kid in the 1940s, one of those New York City girls studying at Balanchine’s school of ballet. Maria Tallchief was my ballerina crush and she once hung her practice tutu on my locker! She was the world’s greatest dancer at the time, and her most iconic role was Firebird. 

Being a bookish kid, from a Russian Jewish background, I wanted to find out more about Firebird—and there she was, on the pages of some long-forgotten book in my parents’ library, along with the other two famous Russian folklore characters—Koschei the Deathless, and Baba Yaga. 

So from the time I was about eight years old, I wanted to be Baba Yaga, gnashing my iron teeth. Riding in a mortar steered by a pestle. Living in a little house that walked about on chicken feet. Well, since I couldn’t, I wrote about her when I got older—in a picture book called “The Flying Witch,” in a short story called “Boris Chernevsky’s Hands,” in a graphic novel called “Curses, Foiled Again,” and in a novel written with Midori Snyder, Except the Queen. Except. . . Midori claimed the Baba as her character before I could do so, so I invented three black witch sisters living in Harlem to make up for my loss. 

All the while, I was writing poetry about Baba Yaga and one day I realized I had almost enough for a possible collection, but there was a story beating inside me that pulled all the poems together, and insisted on being told. And so my first ever verse novel was born. It took possibly four years in the writing, and four more in the selling, but when my editor at Tor, Susan Chang said: “I don’t actually like poetry and I couldn’t stop reading this mss.” I thought: maybe this will actually become a book some day! 

And as if I were the Baba herself, my prophecy has come true!

And we couldn't be more thrilled! 

While the sneak peek gives us the introduction and the first verse, introducing the idea of Baba Yaga to the reader, knowing the Lonely Hearts advice column sparked the idea of a teenage runaway finding her way into the realm of our favorite witch, makes us mightily intrigued. 

Here's the official description of Finding Baba Yaga by legendary writer, and "America's Hans Christian Andersen" Jane Yolen:

Baba Yaga by Rima Staines

A young woman discovers the power to speak upand take control of her fate―a theme that has never been more timely than it is now… 

You think you know this story. 

You do not. 

A harsh, controlling father. A quiescent mother. A house that feels like anything but a home. Natasha gathers the strength to leave, and comes upon a little house in the wood: A house that walks about on chicken feet and is inhabited by a fairy tale witch. In finding Baba Yaga, Natasha finds her voice, her power, herself.... 

A mythic yet timely novel-in-verse by the beloved and prolific author and poet Jane Yolen, “the Hans Christian Andersen of America.”

You can pre-order Finding Baba Yaga HERE.