A musical stage adaptation of James Jones’s Hawaii-set 1951 novel From Here To Eternity is to be produced in 2012, with a view to playing in London.
Though neither dates nor venue have been announced, the musical is to be directed by Tamara Harvey and composed by young musician Stuart Brayson with additional lyrics by renowned lyricist Tim Rice, who also co-produces.
From Here To Eternity is set on the Hawaiian island of Oahu in 1941, shortly before and during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the US into the Second World War. It is loosely based on author Jones’s experiences in the Hawaiian Division’s 27th Infantry before WWII.
The story is probably better known for the multi-Oscar-winning 1953 film adaptation which starred Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed. The iconic scene in which Lancaster and Kerr frolic in the waves on a Hawaiian beach has become one of Hollywood’s most enduring images.
Director Harvey’s work includes Smash! at the Menier Chocolate Factory and Plague Over England and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest in the West End. She is associate director at West London’s Bush theatre, where she has previously directed The Contingency Plan. She will direct forthcoming production Where’s My Seat? there in June.
CB