194 posts
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Post by thebearofwestend on Mar 13, 2017 4:43:58 GMT
I have no idea why there were so many!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 5:58:44 GMT
I think it was the sudden realisation that it was possible to write a hit musical with a built-in audience even if you have absolutely no musical talent at all. Prior to that many people were put off by the fact that they'd look in the mirror and see someone with no understanding of music looking back at them, but now that wasn't a problem. There was a bandwagon with minimal requirements for jumping on it so jump on it they did.
Regrettably, many of them failed to realise that a decent story was also a requirement, and that tarnished the whole concept.
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2,702 posts
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Post by viserys on Mar 13, 2017 7:01:56 GMT
Up until Mamma mia there had only been biography musicals such as Buddy that told the story of an artist by way of his greatest hits. Mamma mia was the first one that shoe-horned the songs of a pop band into a new story. I remember thinking when Mamma mia opened "this won't last long, I'll take a peek when it's at the half-price booth" - instead it became a huge hit, a friend persuaded me to buy full-price ticket and I admit I enjoyed it greatly.
Mamma mia's success encouraged many others to jump the bandwagon Matthew describes. IIRC We Will Rock You was the second jukebox musical, followed by Our House which at least had an interesting engaging story. After that things got fuzzy. I know there was one based on Rod Stewart's songs called Tonight's the Night, which didn't last long (never saw it). Broadway didn't really do jukebox musicals where old songs were shoe-horned into new stories but came up with a whole string of new biography musicals like Jersey Boys, Beautiful and Motown. The West End followed suit with Thriller Live and Sunny Afternoon. I saw Jersey Boys for reasons too convoluted to explain here but have ignored the rest.
Perhaps it's due to the mediocre quality of most recent new musicals that I got excited about Bat out of Hell. It was "my time", my kind of music when I was young and I look forward to hearing those songs live on stage though my expectations in terms of story or coherent plot are nil.
Anyway, to go back to the original question: If Mamma mia had flopped, we had been spared the glut that followed. Though now they hardly even bother to come up with an original story anymore, it's mostly back to biography musicals. And I don't know what's worse, existing pop songs woven into a new somewhat decent tale (like Our House) or taking an existing movie and throw some mediocre new songs at it to call it Movie XY - the Musical.
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Post by Mr Snow on Mar 13, 2017 7:10:38 GMT
The only one I've seen was The Million Dollar Quartet.
My therapist is optimistic that at least a partial recovery might one day be possible.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 8:36:43 GMT
Isn't it more the early 00's rather than 90s? Mama Mia didn't open until around 2001/02? (I know it was post- 9/11 and one of the first to help kick start Broadway in the post 9/11 slump), with WWRY a few years before- which was a bit of a weird anomaly at the time
It's really the bankable commodity that producers love. Rarely do you have to spend a long time workshopping or let's face it even writing the damn thing. Therefore investment in time/money before the product is sell-able is less, and money spent is less. Also it brings in the tourist/non theatre crowd.
Weirdly I find the biomusical types- Jersey Boys, Sunny Afternoon and the forerunner Buddy more palatable than the others.
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4,156 posts
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Post by kathryn on Mar 13, 2017 8:56:54 GMT
It must be easier to get people to invest in a show when they already know the music is popular. ALW used to achieve that with star-studded concept albums before putting on actual productions.
The truth is it takes most people a few listens to really connect with a song. It's hard for original musicals to achieve that connection as the audience only hears the music once in most cases.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 8:59:13 GMT
Jukebox Musicals - A Warning from History
coming soon to BBC4
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2,702 posts
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Post by viserys on Mar 13, 2017 9:10:55 GMT
Isn't it more the early 00's rather than 90s? Mama Mia didn't open until around 2001/02? (I know it was post- 9/11 and one of the first to help kick start Broadway in the post 9/11 slump), with WWRY a few years before- which was a bit of a weird anomaly at the time Wiki tells me Mamma mia opened in London on 6th April 1999, WWRY opened on 14 May 2002. Somehow I thought Mamma mia was earlier but then the 90s are a bit of a blur now. So you're right of course, their big time were the early 00s... I would agree with kathryn that jukebox took over when musicals failed to generate their own hits like they did previously with successful concept albums or at least a single bankable hit like "Memory" - see the discussion in the "when musical songs were chart hits" thread. I don't mind the biography musicals much as they seem to have their own audience that probably wouldn't consider seeing a proper musical for their "night out" anyway. It's become its own market these days. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 9:32:34 GMT
Do we count Saturday Night Fever as a jukebox? That predates Manama Mia
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 9:38:54 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 9:43:58 GMT
5 Guys Named Moe
Return To Forbidden Planet
These were both end of 80s init
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1,319 posts
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Post by londonmzfitz on Mar 13, 2017 9:44:48 GMT
Bob Carlton's Return To The Forbidden Planet, and lesser known From A Jack To A King were my introduction to what's now called the Jukebox Musical.
Return To The Forbidden Planet won the Olivier Award for the Best New Musical in 1989 and 1990.
I adored From A Jack To A King and saw it loads of times. Classy stuff of it's age.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 9:54:24 GMT
Bob Carlton's Return To The Forbidden Planet, and lesser known From A Jack To A King were my introduction to what's now called the Jukebox Musical. Return To The Forbidden Planet won the Olivier Award for the Best New Musical in 1989 and 1990. Bloody hell really?! Is that the only musical to win two years running??? |
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Mar 13, 2017 10:13:20 GMT
Bob Carlton's Return To The Forbidden Planet, and lesser known From A Jack To A King were my introduction to what's now called the Jukebox Musical. Return To The Forbidden Planet won the Olivier Award for the Best New Musical in 1989 and 1990. Bloody hell really?! Is that the only musical to win two years running??? I think it was just an odd year in that there were no awards for 1989, so the 1990 awards covered the previous two years. |
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2,702 posts
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Post by viserys on Mar 13, 2017 10:15:35 GMT
Ah, that explains it. Do we know why there was no ceremony in 1989?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 10:18:32 GMT
Ha! A jukebox musical beat Miss Saigon! Ha!
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4,804 posts
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Post by Mark on Mar 13, 2017 10:23:07 GMT
Some are great, in all honesty. Beautiful is fantastic and it introduced me to Carole King.
Can't mention jukebox musicals without reference to this turkey though -
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 10:36:36 GMT
While we're mentioning them, can we mention The Boy From Oz? mainly for the outfits Hugh Jackman wore...
I always have to remember that although jukebox musicals sometimes irritate me, that musical was intrinsic in my Musical Theatre nerdery and indeed my professional life. So maybe we shouldn't be so snobby (directing that at myself as well)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 10:39:13 GMT
While we're mentioning them, can we mention The Boy From Oz? mainly for the outfits Hugh Jackman wore... I always have to remember that although jukebox musicals sometimes irritate me, that musical was intrinsic in my Musical Theatre nerdery and indeed my professional life. So maybe we shouldn't be so snobby (directing that at myself as well) I'm all for jukebox musicals! I'm the only person in the world that really enjoyed Thriller! What's wrong with going to see great songs performed great(ly)?! Better than the puke GB finds on the floor to eat and then regurgitate init |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 10:43:16 GMT
While we're mentioning them, can we mention The Boy From Oz? mainly for the outfits Hugh Jackman wore... I always have to remember that although jukebox musicals sometimes irritate me, that musical was intrinsic in my Musical Theatre nerdery and indeed my professional life. So maybe we shouldn't be so snobby (directing that at myself as well) I'm all for jukebox musicals! I'm the only person in the world that really enjoyed Thriller! What's wrong with going to see great songs performed great(ly)?! Better than the puke GB finds on the floor to eat and then regurgitate init Indeed! I've had a lovely time at things like Jersey Boys, Buddy, and many others! Ironically the most 'critically acclaimed' WWRY I hated.... |
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5,059 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 13, 2017 10:44:21 GMT
I'm all for jukebox musicals! I'm the only person in the world that really enjoyed Thriller! What's wrong with going to see great songs performed great(ly)?! Better than the puke GB finds on the floor to eat and then regurgitate init Indeed! I've had a lovely time at things like Jersey Boys, Buddy, and many others! Ironically the most 'critically acclaimed' WWRY I hated.... Not true. Mark Shenton says it's a guilty pleasure!!! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 10:45:51 GMT
Indeed! I've had a lovely time at things like Jersey Boys, Buddy, and many others! Ironically the most 'critically acclaimed' WWRY I hated.... Not true. Mark Shenton says it's a guilty pleasure!!! What bit isn't true? I'm confused... |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 10:48:46 GMT
While we're mentioning them, can we mention The Boy From Oz? mainly for the outfits Hugh Jackman wore... Why oh why haven't we had a glitzy West End production of 'The Boy From Oz'? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Killian Donnelly is your man for the job. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 10:50:48 GMT
While we're mentioning them, can we mention The Boy From Oz? mainly for the outfits Hugh Jackman wore... Why oh why haven't we had a glitzy West End production of 'The Boy From Oz'? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Killian Donnelly is your man for the job. I ask myself this question at least once a year. And I would pay a lot of money for Killian doing it. |
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Post by Mr Snow on Mar 13, 2017 11:15:36 GMT
While we're mentioning them, can we mention The Boy From Oz? mainly for the outfits Hugh Jackman wore... I always have to remember that although jukebox musicals sometimes irritate me, that musical was intrinsic in my Musical Theatre nerdery and indeed my professional life. So maybe we shouldn't be so snobby (directing that at myself as well) I'm all for jukebox musicals! I'm the only person in the world that really enjoyed Thriller! What's wrong with going to see great songs performed great(ly)?! Better than the puke GB finds on the floor to eat and then regurgitate init I have no idea what GB stands for here but I concur. If anyone should know about finding puke on the floor and regurgitating it...take a bow Mrs Lovett! |
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