I was at opening tonight and was very touched to see Green Day come on stage at curtain to hug and congratulate the cast...They seemed genuinely thrilled at the fact that their creation was being so warmly welcomed at a Broadway Opening Night.
I'll also add that, while I'm a little in conflict -- because I think the show has great artistic integrity and yet I don't really want Broadway to become the new dumping ground for concept album shows at the expense of new original book musicals - I have to admit that seeing actual mainstream music find serious theatrical expression on Broadway in a non-derivative way (i.e Moving Out, Mama Mia, etc) is both a compliment and a return to a new relevancy for the musical theater as an art form. It's very much a testament to the fact that it's alive and well and available to speak to a broader, non-traditional theater audience.
"I have to admit that seeing actual mainstream music find serious theatrical expression on Broadway in a non-derivative way (i.e Moving Out, Mama Mia, etc) is both a compliment and a return to a new relevancy for the musical theater as an art form."
There's no way that can be a bad thing! I also don't think you have to worry, there aren't many rock artists creating worthwhile concept albums nowadays.
...not sure why Isherwood starts by calling this a punk musical, and then dwells on rock opera for the rest of his review as if punk and rock are indistinguishable.
You think Broadway fans (and critics) actually know the difference? Some people here believe Andrew Lloyd Webber invented the concept album.
Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never
knowing how
No, I didn't say it was, The first part of the sentence -- a wholesale trend of concept albums substituting as theatre instead of new book musicals -- refers to the part I would not want.
To the previous comment about bands not releasing concept albums anymore, I shall give y'all exhibits A-C against this...
A: Cursive: Almost every album by this Emo band has a very well defined structure and thematic construct... Personally, I have a vision to stage their album Happy Hollow as a classic touring religious tent revival.
B: David Byrne: He recently released the album "Here Lies Love" a 22 song meditation on Imelda Marcos. Admittedly, this was conceived from a more theatrical perspective (he worked with Marianne Weems on staging concepts) but this was also his homage to "the death of the album".
C: Sigur Ros: While there is no lyrical cohesion to their albums (heck, most of () was famously sung in "Hopelandic") you will be hard pressed to deny both the extreme theatricality to their music and cohesion in the records. Personally, I view their records as rather long through-composed pieces of music.
The one show everyone on Broadway is waiting to see: Twyla Tharp presents: Big Bottom - The Spinal Tap Jukebox musical!
"The reviews were decent but far from being raves. It would still win by default."
Yes. It's a very weak year. And you're right these aren't across the board raves. FELA looks to be the best reviewed new musical of the season. That isn't, however, a prerequisite for Best Musical.
Whatever your opinion of the show -- and I liked it -- it certainly is already the most talked-about new musical of the season. Which in itself is a good thing because people will want to see it just because it's becoming a talking point.