It害羞草研究所檚 been almost three decades since her seminal album 害羞草研究所淛agged Little Pill害羞草研究所� and Alanis Morissette still finds the words she jotted down as a teenager deeply relatable.
Now 49 years old, the Ottawa native considers herself 害羞草研究所渇ortunate害羞草研究所� that she can perform 害羞草研究所淵ou Oughta Know,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚ronic害羞草研究所� and most of the album害羞草研究所檚 other songs with a conviction similar to that of her youth.
害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e basically value systems,害羞草研究所� she explained in a recent phone interview from her northern California home.
害羞草研究所淎nd fortunately these values, on my part, have been unwavering.害羞草研究所�
Morissette has spent ample time reflecting on 害羞草研究所淛agged Little Pill害羞草研究所� in recent years, discussing and dissecting how 害羞草研究所淗and in My Pocket,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淩ight Through You害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淵ou Learn害羞草研究所� became anthems for a generation of independent young women.
Anniversaries passed, an HBO documentary on the legacy of 害羞草研究所淛agged Little Pill害羞草研究所� was made and Morissette gave her blessing to a Broadway show built on her songs.
A touring production of 害羞草研究所淛agged Little Pill: The Musical害羞草研究所� plays Toronto害羞草研究所檚 Princess of Wales Theatre through Nov. 26, rounding out a run of Canadian stops earlier this year.
The musical weaves the Canadian singer-songwriter害羞草研究所檚 music and lyrics through the story of the Healys, a seemingly perfect American suburban family who are quietly suffocating in their own trauma.
Mary Jane, a mother of two, is secretly addicted to painkillers as she manages the fallout of a car crash, while the fire in her marriage has all but been snuffed out.
Her husband, Steve, is a workaholic whose pleasure relies on pornography.
Meanwhile, their adopted daughter Frankie is exploring her bisexuality and activist streak while figuring out her complicated identity as an adopted Black girl in a white family. Her brother Nick shoulders the weight of the 害羞草研究所減erfect害羞草研究所� son who害羞草研究所檚 just been admitted to Harvard but also harbours his own demons.
Their lives come crashing down when the rape of a local high schoolgirl forces the Healy family to contend with their value systems and the personal problems they害羞草研究所檝e ignored.
害羞草研究所淛agged Little Pill害羞草研究所� shaves the sharp edges of Morissette害羞草研究所檚 alternative-pop compositions for the musical stage, adjusts some of the lyrics to fit characters and uses each song as fuel for the narrative. Beyond the entirety of Morissette害羞草研究所檚 1995 album, other popular tracks in her catalogue have their moment, including 害羞草研究所淯ninvited,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭hank U害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淪o Pure.害羞草研究所�
When Morissette was first approached by producers nearly a decade ago with the idea of making a stage musical out of her work, she said she was less concerned with tarnishing the album害羞草研究所檚 place in music history than some might assume.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not that not worried about legacy,害羞草研究所� she assured. 害羞草研究所淚 feel like people put so much pressure on themselves for what they 害羞草研究所榣eave behind.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
Morissette had some boundaries. She didn害羞草研究所檛 want the project to feel like a jukebox musical that dispensed her songs with little meaning.
She told producers that the show害羞草研究所檚 creators must share her artistic values, in particular, her support of self-expression, connection and activism.
害羞草研究所淯nless they could meld together and we all had the same mission, I wasn害羞草研究所檛 really interested,害羞草研究所� she said.
It took more than half a decade of mingling with Pulitzer Prize-winning writers and other potential creative partners to find her answer in 害羞草研究所淛uno害羞草研究所� screenwriter Diablo Cody and theatre and opera director Diane Paulus, known for modern spins on classic stage productions.
Morissette said Cody dove into the lyrics of her songs and dismantled some of the ideas to construct the characters in the musical.
害羞草研究所�(The idea) became something that I not only could get behind but could get behind quite passionately,害羞草研究所� the singer added.
For her part in its creation, she shared ideas with Cody and Paulus on how the plotline should take shape.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 have any direct experience with adoption, however, a lot of the other 害羞草研究所榖ig issues害羞草研究所� not only have I experienced myself, but I had some insight,害羞草研究所� Morissette added.
害羞草研究所淛agged Little Pill: The Musical害羞草研究所� made its debut in 2018 at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass. before opening in New York the following year.
The Broadway show closed in 2021 after multiple COVID-19 outbreaks within the company plagued the production, but the musical lives on through its touring cast. Theatre company Concord Theatrical announced this week it acquired worldwide stage rights to take the show overseas.
Morissette害羞草研究所檚 role at this point is largely as a figurehead who occasionally does press to promote the latest runs. But she finds the album 害羞草研究所淛agged Little Pill,害羞草研究所� remains a considerable emotional outlet.
Only 害羞草研究所淣ot the Doctor,害羞草研究所� one of the final songs on the record, gives Morissette 害羞草研究所渁 tiny, baby cringe害羞草研究所� when she sings it now. The lyrics are about refusing to compromise in a romantic relationship and were written from the vantage point of a young woman with little experience, she now acknowledges.
害羞草研究所淚t was a little flippant,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 realize the degree to which you actively support each other in the healing process if you害羞草研究所檙e in a really connected relationship.害羞草研究所�
All of the other songs still resonate emotionally.
害羞草研究所淚 can move it 害羞草研究所� physically dance it and relive it,害羞草研究所� she says.
害羞草研究所淚f I害羞草研究所檓 on stage, upset, angry, scared, lonely 害羞草研究所� all of those things 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 almost like an invitation for people to feel those feelings together with me.害羞草研究所�
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