Alanis Morissette says the ‘Jagged Little Pill’ musical was a chance to get a new life for her album

CHICAGO — The national tour of “Jagged Little Pill” completed its Chicago run on Sunday. The touring Broadway musical is based on the music of singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, inspired by her album of the same title from the 1990s. Book is by Diablo Cody, with direction by Diane Paulus, telling the story of an affluent Connecticut family. The Broadway production debuted in 2019.

Morissette recently spoke by phone about the show and her latest project; the following has been edited for length and clarity from our conversation.

Q: “Jagged Little Pill” was quite the album and quite the departure for you. But a long time ago, 1995!

A: I confess to being ancient. I had just moved to Los Angeles. I remember it only took me about 20 minutes to write those songs, 90% of them. There was an intensity to that album, a kind of channeling. I feel like it was proud but not precious. These (songs) are stories and snapshots of a period of time.

Q: And years later, it’s a show. Yours has an original story, whereas most artists have woven their body of work around their own biography.

A: I had no desire to be involved with a jukebox musical, in terms of rehashing or redoing something. But the idea of integrating that album into a modern expression, something that could breathe in real time, that could push the music forward in time, that really appealed to me. But I didn’t feel like I landed home with anyone until I met Cody and Paulus.

Q: You all worked on it all together?

A: For the most part. We all sat in front of a whiteboard and there were a couple of starts that weren’t so resonant. I was learning from Diablo and Diane. But we basically all were writing ideas together: Diablo deserves a big bow; she really listened to the songs and, by the end, she had created characters that really went into the marrow of the bone of my music.

Q: It must be fascinating to sit and listen to your own compositions sung by someone else. A kind of immortality.

A: I do keep popping in to hear the tour. Maybe I will come to Chicago. To be in the audience listening to the songs being embedded by a different person is in some ways to be hearing these songs for the first time. It is very mind-blowing. I sing, nobody has been singing to me. ... Broadway singers can blow everyone out of the water, including me. And my whole life has been on stage. We’ve made some small changes but, thankfully, it feels like the music has stood the test of time.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: I’m about to launch a venture I’ve been working on for 35 years, an epicenter for trauma recovery, something, feminist, entirely healing-oriented. There will be articles I’ve written myself, but the venture ultimately will be a hotbed for artistic expression, healing and active recovery. It’s just a newsletter to start, but there be events and more. I am putting in my blood, sweat and tears.

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