Pride and Prejudice Tickets | Schedule for 2024/2025 Events

Pride and Prejudice

The story of Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813 by Jane Austen, and Bernard J. Taylor adapted it for the stage in his musical Pride and Prejudice. It was first made in London. Various English singers, including Peter Karrie, Christopher Biggins, and Claire Moore, recorded a concept album in England. In 1993, it opened for the first time at the Madison Theater in Peoria, Illinois. By 2007, it had been put on more than 20 times worldwide, including in Britain, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Story

Pride and Prejudice is a shortened version of Jane Austen's classic novel about manners, courtship, and relationships. For Elizabeth Bennet, finding a husband is not essential, given that she has four sisters. With four sisters, a mother who tries too hard to set them up for marriage, and a string of bad suitors, it's hard to avoid the subject.

When the independent Elizabeth meets the handsome but mysterious Mr. Darcy, his pride and her prejudice make it hard for them to feel attracted to each other. As their different worlds keep coming together, their attraction grows.

Stage Production

Pride & Prejudice is a musical version of the well-known Jane Austen book. It was penned by the one who wrote Daddy Long Legs and Jane Eyre on Broadway.

Paul Gordon turned three Jane Austen books into musicals: Emma in 2007 and Sense and Sensibility in 2012. Pride and Prejudice were the last of the three.

Pride and Prejudice was first put through its paces at TheatreWorks' New Works Festival in 2018. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's Lucie Stern Theater presented the world premiere of the musical on December 4, 2019. It was the 70th world premiere at TheatreWorks and one of the last shows for Robert Kelley, who started the company and was its artistic director for 50 years.

Most of the reviews for the musical were good. Some critics said the music didn't fit together well, but everyone liked how the cast played, especially Monique Hafen Adams as Caroline Bingley and Heather Orth as Mrs. Bennet. Joe Ragey's set design and Fumiko Bielefeldt's costume design also got a lot of praise for their beautiful and effective design. Tony Lacy-Thompson, a critic for Regarding Arts, said that the musical "brings new life to the characters." Lily Janiak of the San Francisco Chronicle said that despite some of the lyrics being tired, the music style was a "confusing hodgepodge." However, it was exciting to see old characters return to life.