Billie Eilish wants to write a musical

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/5/24 at 10:07pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/MATILDA-Superfan-Billie-Eilish-Would-Love-To-Write-A-Musical-Someday-20240205

When asked if she would be interested in working on Broadway, the star replied, "I'd be down. I would love to do that someday, I think that would be really cool."

Billie's brother and co-writer, Finneas O'Connell, added, "Billie saw Matilda [the Musical] like 45 times." 

Billie estimated that she saw the show six times in its original Broadway run and that it's her "favorite musical ever."

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 2/5/24 at 10:43pm

She should write Oppenheimer: The Musical.

A great full-circle moment for the Barbenheimer phenomenon.

Songs to include "Destroyer of Worlds," "Strauss's Turn," "Squirt a Little Poison in My Apple," "Hello, Tatlock!" and of course the end-of-act-one atom bomb number, "Defying Gravity."

Updated On: 2/5/24 at 10:43 PM

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 2/5/24 at 11:00pm

It would sell tickets based on her fan base showing up, but that doesn't necessarily mean it would be good. A bunch of bland, moody songs from people who most likely would think they could sweep in and become better than Rodgers and Hammerstein are not my idea of a good time. Her and her brother give me pretentious writer vibes.

[Quinn Wilson]

Posted: 2/5/24 at 11:54pm

CurtisTaylorJr2 said: "It would sell tickets based on her fan base showing up, but that doesn't necessarily mean it would be good. A bunch of bland, moody songs from people who most likely would think they could sweep in and become better than Rodgers and Hammerstein are not my idea of a good time. Her and her brother give me pretentious writer vibes."

She’s a great writer, and her and her brother create great sounds together. I don’t know who pissed on your Sylvia Plath, but she’s very talented. And I highly doubt people would compare Billie Eilish to Rodgers and Hammerstein. Artists can coexist. 

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 12:41am

Quinn Wilson said: "CurtisTaylorJr2 said: "It would sell tickets based on her fan base showing up, but that doesn't necessarily mean it would be good. A bunch of bland, moody songs from people who most likely would think they could sweep in and become better than Rodgers and Hammerstein are not my idea of a good time. Her and her brother give me pretentious writer vibes."

She’s a great writer, and her and her brother create great sounds together. I don’t know who pissed on your Sylvia Plath, but she’s very talented. And I highly doubt people would compare Billie Eilish to Rodgers and Hammerstein. Artists can coexist."

I am entitled to an opinion and I'm just not a fan of her style of music and think it has been highly overrated. I'm not a big fan of musicals by pop artists because they often fail to capture the element of storytelling that is needed for musicals and are just attempts at going for the coveted EGOT.

[Anthony Sunday]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 2:31am

CurtisTaylorJr2 said: "Quinn Wilson said: "CurtisTaylorJr2 said: "It would sell tickets based on her fan base showing up, but that doesn't necessarily mean it would be good. A bunch of bland, moody songs from people who most likely would think they could sweep in and become better than Rodgers and Hammerstein are not my idea of a good time. Her and her brother give me pretentious writer vibes."

She’s a great writer, and her and her brother create great sounds together. I don’t know who pissed on your Sylvia Plath, but she’s very talented. And I highly doubt people would compare Billie Eilish to Rodgers and Hammerstein. Artists can coexist."

I am entitled to an opinion and I'm just not a fan of her style of music and think it has been highly overrated. I'm not a big fan of musicals by pop artists because they often fail to capture the element of storytelling that is needed for musicals and are just attempts at going for the coveted EGOT."

I respect your right to an opinion but don't understand how you can listen to "What Was I Made For" and not admire the team's songwriting prowess, especially for a would-be musical.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 7:47am

The Broadway fan high horse when it comes to pop music is so beyond overplayed at this point. You don’t like it? Fine. But using blanket statements to describe genres ain’t saying much, other than being contrarian for the sake of it. 

[Melissa25]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 8:03am

Anthony Sunday: I respect your right to an opinion but don't understand how you can listen to "What Was I Made For" and not admire the team's songwriting prowess, especially for a would-be musical.

I completely agree. I was taken aback by the storytelling in this song. Hope they win the Oscar too. And they seem far from pretentious to me.  I’d welcome a new musical from Billie and Finneas.

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 8:37am

CurtisTaylorJr2 said: "I don’t know who pissed on your Sylvia Plath, but she’s very talented."

I think she's dreadful and represents everything wrong with pop music today. Her songs are just mumble sessions set to moody music. Enunciate, girl.

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 11:20am

I'm not 100% opposed to a pop artist writing a musical. I just feel that sometimes pop singers don't build songs for the stories and it comes off a bit like a jukebox musical where story is often messily built for the song. Of course that can often be the fault of whoever wrote the book and the lack of a good collaborative process. We've seen plenty of musicals by pop artists that completely missed the mark.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 11:23am

The issue is, usually, in the lyrics, and a genericness in the songs. But she and Finneas are adept lyricists (see the What Was I Made For comment above), and if paired with a skilled bookwriter & director could do great work for the stage, like Sara B with Waitress.

What's an adaptation that people would like to see them try?

[JSquared2]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 11:46am

Lot666 said: "CurtisTaylorJr2 said: "I don’t know who pissed on your Sylvia Plath, but she’s very talented."

I think she's dreadful and represents everything wrong with pop music today. Her songs are just mumble sessions set to moody music. Enunciate, girl."

 

Maybe you just need to stick to cranking up the ole Victrola and listening to your 78's!

 

 

[Ke3]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 11:50am

The themes of Barbie the movie are a bit muddled but "What Was I Made For" cuts to the heart of what the script is trying to say. It really snuck up on me. I'm not sure what her singing or their production style has to do with lyricism. Plenty of people cover her songs outside of her style and they tend to keep their effect because they're well written.

I've always thought the Sarah Waters novel "Tipping the Velvet" would make a good musical and I'd love to see them write for that.

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 12:04pm

Also, let’s not pretend like musical theatre writers are pumping out incredible scores these days. Most of the scores are middling at best. 

[CurtisTaylorJr2]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 4:08pm

I agree that musical theatre writers are not writing material that is all that great. There's not much new material that I enjoy. Chord structures and styles seem to be so repetitive.

[baritonewithtenortendencies]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 9:37pm

Fun fact: Finneas has called "White Wine in the Sun" by Tim Minchin (the composer/lyricist of Matilda) his favorite song and covered it

[pmensky]

Posted: 2/6/24 at 11:19pm

Lot666 said: "CurtisTaylorJr2 said: "I don’t know who pissed on your Sylvia Plath, but she’s very talented."

I think she's dreadful and represents everything wrong with pop music today. Her songs are just mumble sessions set to moody music. Enunciate, girl."

How many times did you see Phantom?

[willep]

Posted: 2/7/24 at 8:47am

lol if you watch the clip, she doesn’t actually sound like she wants to, she is put on the spot by the interviewer. An EGOT is clearly not at all on her radar or “coveted” by her. That being said, I think she is very talented and would be intrigued if she decided to give it a shot.

[Lot666]

Posted: 2/7/24 at 8:59am

pmensky said: "Lot666 said: "CurtisTaylorJr2 said: "I don’t know who pissed on your Sylvia Plath, but she’s very talented."

I think she's dreadful and represents everything wrong with pop music today. Her songs are just mumble sessions set to moody music. Enunciate, girl."

How many times did you see Phantom?"

What did you have for breakfast?

[Hey, Zelda!]

Posted: 2/7/24 at 6:31pm

Eilish write a musical? Hell yeah.

Fast track to Broadway, though? Why not Hadestown it? That is, she finds a story she can feel comfortable with working on for a few years, put together a DIY thing, try on the musicals-writer hat and sees if she likes it.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 2/8/24 at 8:44am

Can we at least put the horse and cart in the right order? 

Someday. As in, she's not planning to work on this anytime soon, if at all.

 

I'll be curious enough if she does. 

[Georgeanddot2]

Posted: 2/19/24 at 12:41pm

She should adapt Poor Things as a musical. Chavkin as director. Do we see the vision? Where do I sign?