The musical was well received, and a recording of this rendition allowed the creative team and their backers to slowly move the project towards an opening on Broadway.

[1] The musical debuted on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on November 9, 2000, with an official opening on December 10, 2000 and closed on June 10, 2001 after 36 previews and 209 performances.

Alanis Morissette, a friend of Paul Gordon's, bought $150,000 worth of tickets to the musical and donated them to various charity groups.

She becomes a tutor of Adèle Varens, a young French girl who lives at Thornfield Hall as the ward of the owner, Edward Rochester.

According to Variety, "Most of the novel's unforgettable Gothic incidents are here: the orphaned Jane's cruel treatment at the hands of her aunt and her spoiled, sadistic cousin; further humiliation at the Lowood school, where she is befriended by the angelic Helen Burns, who then departs --- lickety-split --- to join her immortal brethren; and, of course, Jane's great, doomed romance with her employer Edward Fairfax Rochester (James Barbour), dark of brow and gloomy of spirit, but sexy as hell.

"[7] The New York Times reviewer wrote that "The overall gallop through Bronte's significant plot has the teasing quality of a movie trailer.

In the book, Jane does not return to Gateshead Hall after leaving Edward but is found by St. John Rivers, who then helps her get a teaching position.

The character of Miss Temple, the caring teacher at the Lowood Institution, was cut from the stage musical in between its productions in Toronto and La Jolla.

The Talkin Broadway reviewer wrote: "A successful dramatic interpretation of the ever-popular novel by Charlotte Bronte, Jane is also blessed with a luxuriant score, haunting and memorable music, and crisp, intelligent lyrics which speak from the very heart of this tragic and romantic story.

"[9] Bruce Weber reviewing for The New York Times wrote "With such an opulence of imagery and emotion to work with, so much history and psychodrama to forage in, it is no surprise that the novel has attracted adapters for the screen and stage.

But even with a dignified, assured performance by Marla Schaffel in the title role, the gloomy and mundane musical version of Jane Eyre that opened yesterday on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theater captures few of the richly available nuances.