I've been racking my trivia-addled brain for an example of a famous Canadian novel that was transformed into a musical, and all I can come up with is Anne of Green Gables.

Well, that was almost 40 years ago, and it's high time someone tried again. And tonight someone does. The Canadian Stage Company kicks off its 2001 season with a musical adaptation of Larry's Party, based on the acclaimed novel by Carol Shields.

This particular novel is an unlikely source for a musical-theatre ditty, especially in this day-and-age of high-concept mega-musicals like The Lion King and Mamma Mia. Musicals tend to require larger-than-life leading characters, on a journey of self-discovery of almost epic proportions. Larry is a different character altogether, one of the most ordinary every created by a low-concept novelist. Although the novel was well-received upon its publication, it didn't get the raves the Pulitzer Prize-winning Shields is accustomed to. One critic called it the "deeply touching story of a man whose life happens to him."

The CanStage folks have taken the essence of the novel and done little to jazz up this middle-aged man's life, other than add some tunes: "Larry's Party follows the life of Larry Weller as he struggles through marriage, career and parenthood hoping to somehow get it all right. Emerging from a dreamy adolescence with a floral arts diploma and a passion for garden mazes, Larry Weller stumbles blindly through life in search of the man he believes he should become. Larry's Party is the enticing story of Larry's journey of discovery and self-knowledge."

Not exactly Andrew Lloyd Weber material, but I think we're in for a surprise when the reviews pour in later this week. This concept is in the hands of three masters. The book and lyrics are written by cultural gadfly, Richard Ouzounian (he created the Stratford Festival's artfully musical version of Dracula); the play is directed by the incredibly diverse Robin Phillips; and Larry is portrayed by Brent Carver, best-known for his Tony Award-winning performance in Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Something else worth considering. This theatrical production has a fascinating cast of behind-the-scenes sponsors and producers, marking an interesting turn of events for Canadian theatre. One of the media sponsors is the hi-tech job board, monster.ca, and one of the development sponsors is Alliance Atlantis Communications. I imagine Alliance has got a substantial stake in seeing that this production eventually gets to Broadway or up on the big screen.

After the Toronto run, the production moves on to Ottawa (Feb. 14 to March 3) and Winnipeg (April 18 to May 12).