Do 80s rock musical still have a place on Broadway

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 1/24/22 at 7:57pm

I’m curious if 1980s style rock music still would have an audience today on Broadway.  I’m not talking jukebox. I’m talking 80s rock and roll (like Heart or Journey sound).  Like the epic rock sound. “Wagnerian rock opera” or soft rock
Recently with the failures of Diana, Ghost, SpiderMan is this a style that’s not accepted on Broadway or did the shows have other factors that were more reasons that lead to them closing. 

I also see shows like Kinky Boots and Elton John musicals doing well. Is it simply dependent on the quality of the songwriting?
 

I ask this out of curiosity for a project that I’ve been asked to collaborate on and while promising I’m wondering if there is a place for this style or have audiences generally tired of it   Thanks for any perspectives  

 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/24/22 at 8:17pm

I believe there is still a place for shows with this kind of music to thrive on Broadway. Just me though… we shall see what the future brings.

[Ke3]

Posted: 1/24/22 at 8:22pm

I think it's a combination of things. It's hard to say that a certain style of music just "won't" work on Broadway. I think that anything can work if you do it right. The shows you named were to me already not the most thrilling ideas, so even more of the appeal has to rest on the score.

I also think that 80s pop-opera sound is closely associated with a certain type of show that just from an overall storytelling perspective is hard to do. Those bombastic melodramatic stories are not as a popular. Les Mis and Phantom are probably the two greatest shows of that lot. Which is why I think they've stayed as popular as they have. Some other works that were just as popular or acclaimed from that time have been DOA in revivals.

As for Elton and Cyndi, to me they're a bit different. It feels less "oh this rockstar is going to come and shake Broadway up" and more "this rockstar really loves Broadway is going to try stretching themselves". There's a respect and love for the medium that to me, isn't always there. Same with Sara doing the Waitress score.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/24/22 at 8:28pm

To quote Sondheim, "content dictates form."

I think there would totally be a place for that style of music –– if it's the right show, if the songs can serve the story well, and if the songs themselves are actually good (not lazy pastiche or lyrically mediocre). I think almost ANY genre of music could make a compelling musical, as long as it's done right.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 1/24/22 at 10:13pm

Theatrefanboy1 said: "Recently with the failures of Diana, Ghost, SpiderMan is this a style that’s not accepted on Broadway or did the shows have other factors that were more reasons that lead to them closing."

Is that a serious question? 

Sorry, I had to. I do think these shows can be a harder sell because they don't have the same appeal to a traditional musical theater audience and trying to attract a "new" audience to Broadway has always been hit or miss. I think a blend of styles can help. You could argue that there are songs in Wicked that have some of that sound but, like Phantom, it's broken up with other genres. And you have the lavish costumes and historical/fantastical setting that set them apart from the more contemporary 80s rock musicals. Of course, now I'm thinking of Wildhorn so no, that doesn't always work...

I have no problem with melodrama. Jim Steinman songs feel like they belong on stage but the book for Bat Out of Hell was total nonsense. We'll see what the show eventually sounds like but Karate Kid is one musical that might be able to manage having an 80s influenced score and being set in (relatively) present day. 

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 1/25/22 at 12:21am

Funny that you mention Jim Steinman’s music. The project being proposed was one that reached out to him 7 days before his passing last year to collaborate on the project. 

[Melissa25]

Posted: 1/25/22 at 7:59am

I listened to “Elaborate Lives” and “Written in the Stars” from Aida yesterday and it definitely still works for me. I’d go see a good rock musical that has a good story that moves me.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 1/25/22 at 7:35pm

Theatrefanboy1 said: "Funny that you mention Jim Steinman’s music. The project being proposed was one that reached out to him 7 days before his passing last year to collaborate on the project."

Been there, done that. Send me a DM.