A little musical on the prairie

MINNEAPOLIS -- The world of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s popular “Little House on the Prairie” books will come to life this summer at the Guthrie Theater.

A musical based on the books about Wilder’s pioneering Midwest family will have its world premiere Aug. 15. Previews start July 26. Performances run through Oct. 5.

“If ever there was a subject matter that suited our region, it is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books,” Guthrie director Joe Dowling said at a “Little House” sneak peek Tuesday.

Francesca Zambello, who will direct, said the musical would focus on the time the books’ main character, Laura, spent as a teenager growing up in the 1880s.

Zambello said the middle books of the nine-book “Little House” series would form the basis of the musical. Having Laura as a teenager instead of an 8-year-old “made it much more theatrical,” she said.

Rachel Portman, who won an Academy Award for her score for the 1996 movie “Emma,” composed the music for “Little House.” Rachel Sheinkin, who won a Tony for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” wrote the book for “Little House,” and Donna di Novelli wrote the lyrics.

Zambello said Portman was a logical choice. “It was clear to me that she had the voice. She could capture the spirit of the land but also the great melodies that would give us character songs and ballads and dances and duets, and that world was something she could create,” Zambello said.