NORWAY — The theme of an upcoming musical adaptation of M.L. Rose’s “The Road to Eden’s Ridge” strikes similarities to local efforts to save the Norway Opera House.

Sally Jones of Norway, a well-known local director and actor, and Steve Jones of Harrison have adapted “The Road to Eden’s Ridge — the Musical” from the novel.

The book was written 15 years ago by former Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School English teacher Myra McLarey, who lives in New York, and Linda Weeks. They are known collaboratively as M.L. Rose.

The Oxford Hills Music and Performing Arts Association production opens  Nov. 8 in the second story theater of the Norway Grange Hall on Whitman Street.

“The musical is set in Eden’s Ridge, a thinly disguised Norway, Maine, and in Nashville, Tennessee,” Sally Jones said. The music for the three-generational love story will feature country and Broadway-style music.

“Central to the plot is an old opera house, bought by the fictional town of Eden’s Ridge in order to save and restore it,” Jones said. “In an excellent example of life imitating art, McLarey wrote the novel ‘The Road to Eden’s Ridge’ in 1997, long before Norway actually took possession of its Opera House by eminent domain in 2010.”

The town took possession of the 1894 brick building after it was deemed a public safety hazard. A portion of the roof collapsed in 2007, making the three-story building on Main Street structurally unsound. It has since been stabilized and the first-floor storefronts are being upgraded.

McLarey, who taught English from 1970 to 1986 at the local high school, wrote the love story using the fictional Hadley’s Corner Opera House as the site where one of the main characters, Lily, used to give concerts at the grand piano to local residents.

McLarey, who came back to Norway in 2002 to read excerpts from the novel at the Norway Memorial Library, will be in Maine in July for two weeks.

“While she is here, we are performing the soundtrack to our musical at the arts festival and planning a public reading of the script for her to hear and anyone else before it goes into production, especially anyone interested in auditioning,” Jones said. “It is a big cast.”

Auditions for the cast of “The Road to Eden’s Ridge — the Musical,” are set for Aug. 6 and 7.

A special cobalt blue glass necklace that Jones said is crucial to the storyline has been created by Creaser Jewelers in Paris. Colbalt blue is the color of Lily’s eyes, Jones said.

The play’s authors believe Dennis Creaser’s artistic philosophy — to create “an eternal symbol of someone caring for someone else” — matched the theme of the play. They asked him to design the necklace.

Jones said Creaser has created four Lily’s Eyes necklaces, each signed and numbered. One will be worn by the actress who is cast as Lily. The piece will be raffled later by OHMPAA.

The others are displayed at Creaser’s Jewelers, 138 Main St., Paris, and are for sale.

“I think you have to reach a certain age to know how important our heritage is,” said Creaser, who recently became interested in preserving local history. “By creating the necklaces for the musical, I can contribute to the active Oxford Hills cultural scene.”

Norman Hutchins, president of OHMPAA, said, “Creaser’s necklace will add a unique and special dimension to the production.”

Jones said the novel has been optioned for a movie and one or more of the movie producers plans to see the play.

The OHMPAA show producers are Carol Boucher Jones, Jeff Orwig, Norman Hutchins and Susan Alberi.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

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