Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill to become a musical

Four years after Alanis Morissette first began talking about turning her breakthrough 1995 album Jagged Little Pill into a Broadway musical, a debut date has finally been announced.

Created with screenwriter Diablo Cody, who is making her Broadway debut, it revolves around a modern, multigenerational family and its members’ complex dynamics, touching on issues of gender identity and race.

Songs from the ground-breaking album, including You Oughta Know, Ironic and Hand In My Pocket, will be weaved into the story, as will songs from her other albums.

“This team that has come together for this Jagged Little Pill musical is my musical theatre dream come true,” said Morissette.

“The chemistry between all of us is crackling and I feel honoured to be diving into these songs again, surrounded by all of this searing talent.

“Diablo and Diane [Paulus, director] are already taking these deeply personal songs that are part of my soul’s marrow to a whole other level of hope, freedom and complexity.”

Diablo, who won an Oscar for Juno, also helped create the series United States of Tara and One Mississippi. She will write a book to be released around the musical.

Tony-winning Paulus of Waitress and Pippin fame commented, “Jagged Little Pill defined a generation and yet the raw, emotional honesty of Alanis’ songs feels more needed now than ever.”

Jagged Little Pill will eventually head to Broadway. But its US debut will be in Cambridge, Massachusetts next May, as part of the American Repertory Theatre’s season. Paulus is the company’s Artistic Director.

The album, which Morissette co-wrote with Los Angeles producer Glen Ballard, was her first international release and her third album.

Australia was one of the countries where the record went to #1 where it stayed at top spot for ten weeks. It was also the top selling album in Australia in 1996.

Morissette returns to tour Australia in November.

Of the record’s current global sales are 33 million, 1 million are in Australian households and over 15 million were sold in the United States.

After two fluffy pop albums, Morrissette was dumped by her Canadian record label when, at the age of 19, she told them she wanted to make angry rock.

Its mix of courage, passion and vulnerability became an instant soundtrack tothe mid-late 90s and has enjoyed a critical renaissance since its 20th anniversary

It helped her win five Grammys, including Album of the Year.

Katy Perry, who worked with Glen Ballard as a result, has stated, “Jagged Little Pill was the most perfect female record ever made. There’s a song for anyone on that record; I relate to all those songs. They’re still so timeless.”

In related news, Gloria Estefan’s On Your Feet! musical finishes its run on Broadway on August 20 after 18 months.

Based on the life and music of 100 million album-selling Estefan and her record producer husband Emilio Estefan, On Your Feet! then goes on tour around the United States from September 22.

It makes its international debut at the Beatrix Theatre in Utrecht, Netherlands, on October 29.