TWTheatricals has announced the development of a stage adaptation of Ann M. Martin’s middle-grade book series “The Baby-sitters Club.” The musical, which features a score by Mark Sonnenblick and a book by Kate Wetherhead, will host an industry presentation on Nov. 13 in New York City. Annie Tippe is slated to direct.
“The Baby-sitters Club” is set 12 years after the events of Martin’s novels, when 25-year-olds Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia and Stacey, who founded a local baby-sitting service as teens, reunite in their hometown of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. As the quartet reflects on tentpole moments of their adolescence, they ruminate on questions of identity, career, relationships and fulfillment in their present lives.
“The ‘Baby-sitters Club’ series introduced the original girl bosses, shaping and inspiring the lives of millions of young women and girls then — and still today,” TWTheatricals producing artistic director Barbara Pasternack in a statement. “For adults who loved the books, it taps into a shared sense of nostalgia, inviting each of us to revisit the memories that shaped us while reflecting on how far we’ve come. For audiences of any age, it’s an inspiring story of friendship, empowerment and finding your own voice, and a reminder that our stories are always evolving. And the score is amazing!”
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost four decades since the first ‘Baby-sitters Club’ book, ‘Kristy’s Great Idea,’ was published,” added Martin. ‘And now a ‘Baby-sitters Club’ musical? What a great idea! I love musicals and am excited to see the adventures of Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne and Stacey come to life on stage. I'm humbled by the ongoing popularity of the series, and couldn’t be more thrilled by this news.”
“The Baby-sitters Club” will mark a second collaboration for Sonnenblick and Wetherhead. Sonnenblick provided lyrics (along with Shaina Taub) and Kate Wetherhead wrote the book for the West End mounting of “The Devil Wears Prada.” A Drama Desk Award nominee for his score to “Midnight at the Never Get,” Sonnenblick’s additional composing credits include the movies “KPop Demon Hunters,” Spirited” and “Theater Camp.” Wetherhead’s writing résumé comprises the libretto of the musical “Ever After” and co-author (with Andrew Keenan-Bolger) of the webseries “Submissions Only” and the youth-theater-themed “Jack and Louisa” book series. As a performer, Wetherhead has appeared on the Main Stem in “Legally Blonde” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
Tippe received a Lortel Award and a Drama Desk nomination for directing the Off-Broadway mounting of “Octet.” Tippe’s additional directing credits include “Three Houses,” “Ghost Quartet,” the Toronto production of “Life After” and “Huzzah!,” the latter of which is currently taking a world premiere bow at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre.
First published in 1986, Martin’s original book series featured the after-school childcare business of the aforementioned quartet: president Kristy, vice president Claudia, secretary Mary Anne and treasurer Stacey. The series’ 250+ titles chronicled the friends’ navigation of not only their baby-sitting adventures, but also their family, relationship and medical issues. The series inspired four spin-off book series, graphic novel adaptations, a Sony Pictures feature film and two separate television series (on HBO and Netflix).
“We look forward to bringing the ‘Baby-sitters Club’ themes of friendship, growing pains, independence and self-discovery to a live audience, so that both young people and adults can see for themselves (or their former selves) that they are not alone in the grand adventure of ‘growing up,’” commented Wetherhead.
“Though their triumphs and struggles and crushes are evergreen, these are girls of the ’80s and ’90s,” Sonnenblick said. “So the score’s inspired by some of our favorites — Sheryl Crow, Indigo Girls, Shania Twain. We’re just very excited for everyone to hang out with the club in Stoneybrook, Connecticut, whether it’s your first time or your five hundredth.”
Additional information about the industry reading of “The Baby-sitters Club” can be found here.
TWTheatricals is the new division of TheaterWorksUSA, which commissioned the stage adaptation (and subsequent Broadway mounting) of “The Lighting Thief.” TWTheatricals is dedicated to creating fully produced, full-length works for multigenerational audiences. Other works in the TWTheatricals catalog include “Long Way Down” and “Dog Man: The Bark Knight.”
TWTheatricals is led by Pasternack and managing director Tegan Meyer.
