By Lori Perkins
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was published anonymously in London 210 years ago on January 28th.
The Jane Austen house in England hosts an annual Pride and Prejudice Day with a virtual book club and house tour events, as well as a drawing to win some vintage books and journals on their instagram page. Here’s the link. https://janeaustens.house/pride-prejudice-day/
In England, there’s a new musical based on the book that began touring through the country on Jan. 19th, Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of). According to the British edition of Playbill, the script, written by Olivier winner Isobel McArthur, reimagines Jane Austen's famous love story with pop song favorites such as "Every Day I Write the Book," "Young Hearts Run Free," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "I Got You Babe," and "You’re So Vain." Hopefully, it will make its way to America.
And just in case you’re curious, or a completest, I just learned that there is a Mormon version of Pride and Prejudice. According to The Deseret News, Pride and Prejudice: A Later Day Saints Comedy is a “comedic take on ‘Pride and Prejudice’ feature[ing] Utah college student Elizabeth Bennet (Kam Heskin). Bennet longs to become a writer and isn’t intent on dating. She then meets Will Darcy (Orlando Seale), a dashing and arrogant Englishman, with whom she clashes. This comedic love story then unfurls as the characters try to find love.”