Jukebox Musicals
Published November 12, 2005
Jukebox or compilation musicals are constructed around popular songs, usually written or sung by a single artist or by a group.
A good example of a jukebox musical is Mamma Mia! (1999), which uses the songs of Abba. The musical was immensely successful commercially, earning over $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide, and it spawned a multitude of copycat jukebox musicals.
It should be acknowledged that even before Mamma Mia!, jukebox musicals were already in existence. These included musicals featuring music by the Bee Gees: Saturday Night Fever (1977), Buddy Holly: The Buddy Holly Story (film 1978, stage musical 1990), Louis Jordan: Five Guys Named Moe (1985), Hank Williams: Lost Highway (1987), Ira and George Gershwin: Crazy for You (1992).
After Mamma Mia! came the following musicals. Billy Joel: Movin' Out (2002), Queen: We Will Rock You (2002), Mama's and Papa's: Dream A Little Dream (2003), Tammy Wynette: Stand By Your Man (2003), Rod Stewart: Tonight's the Night (2003), The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations (2005), Elvis Presley: All Shook Up (2005), John Lennon: Lennon (2005), Frankie Valli: Jersey Boys (2005), John Denver: Almost Heaven (2005).
Jukebox musicals are controversial, often attracting derisive and scathing reviews. Why? It is because the songs are written for a different reason, and in a totally different context. They were never intended to be compiled into a musical. When coerced into musical theater, the book tries to accommodate the songs. But it often has to undergo appalling contortions in order to do so. The net result, more often than not, is a contrived inorganic plot.
The fundamental problem of jukebox musicals is that it is an expression of the relative poverty of original musical ideas by the creators of this genre. Producers take the easy way out. They hijack the hit songs of a successful composer, singer, or group, and build a musical around them. I concede that, yes, of course it takes originality to weave a plot around songs. But half the job, namely the composing of songs, is already fulfilled.
- Jukebox Musicals
- Published: November 12, 2005
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Broadway
- Writer: Ken Lyen
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I am afraid I don't agree with you that there is a poverty of original ideas. There are plenty of new shows that are smash hits, Avenue Q, Wicked, and Spelling Bee to name a couple of recent ones. Others great shows keep coming along as well that but don't have the exposure or the advertising money simply because they are not from a famous source.
The problem doesn't lie with the composers and writers, it lies with the producers who are unwilling to risk their money in a market that requires tons of advertising to make a broadway smash.
Thanks. I guess I had not made myself very clear. By "poverty of original ideas" I was referring more to the creators of jukebox musicals than to the teams writing musicals like Avenue Q, Wicked, Spelling Bee, and others. I should also add that, yes, of course it takes originality to weave a plot around songs. But half the task, namely the composing of songs, is already completed.
I would add that festivals of new musicals held in New York, Chicago, Cardiff, and elsewhere, have demonstrated that there is indeed an abundance of new ideas. Is there some way to give more of these original musicals a chance to prove themselves on the commercial stage?
Ken, I tend to agree with you. I left a local production of Movin' Out feeling very disappointed (and I am a huge Billy Joel fan).
I was actually relieved my plans to go to New York a few months before this to see it and a couple other shows fell through and I paid much less to see the local production.
I expected (of maybe hoped) it would be more of a story and less of a song showcase.
I am flummoxed: how did the date stamp get changed on this? I know it was published yesterday
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Hi Ken, long time - great to see you back. I had no idea there were this many of the jukebox musicals and can easily see both their appeal and the dangers of plots contrived to accomodate songs.
Somewaht contrary to intuition it may that the more "artificial" and pop the set of songs, the better they will fare in this kind of setting. Thanks!