how has nobody already made a musical of the belgian antarctic expedition of 1897–1899.
literally come on just think about it. also read madhouse by julian s/ancton. you could have:
pseudo greek chorus (a la little shop or hercules) of penguins, each a different species w/a diff. personality eg gentoo, adelie, emperor
related dream ballet of van mirlo pied pipering them to slaughter
modular movable climbable pack ice set so we can really have fun physicalizing the hard scales belly wiggles etc a la falsettos revival Cube
we both reached for the gun style humorous patter number where de gerlache is fielding criticism and frantically fundraising among a mob of belgian press
you could literally start in the prison with cook and amundsen and then when you start just as it looks like amundsen is going to leave—the walls peel away and the old men unstoop and THE AIR IS FULL OF HOPE IT'S 1897 SET SAIL BELGICA!!!