Getting a new cast recording, tearing off its plastic wrapping, and putting the CD in the CD player for the first time. — Page 2

I'm 100% for new and original works on Broadway.
I love them. Applaude them.
But I'm also not dillusional.
As Blank Paper says in [title of show]:

"Unless it's a revival, jukebox musical, or a recognizable commodity, I'd say dream away biotch! But original? On Broadway? Baby, that is risky!"

YankeeFan007's list of recent original flops is sound and true.
CapnHook, your list of recent "original" successes in the rebound argument, while I see the stand you were trying to take, is not completely sound.
The key difference is the word "ORIGINAL"

Grey Gardens has the success of the cult documentary behind it
The Light in the Piazza is based on a novel
Thoroughly Modern Millie is based on a movie
Fame Becomes Me sells because of Martin Short's name
Hairspray = movie
The Color Purple = book and movie
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels = movie
Spamalot = movie

It's getting so damn hard for even the word "original" to be truly original. The world is just swimming with new and brilliant stories and ideas. But unfortunately, the hey-days of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb, have flown.

Audiences want to feel safe when spending money. Comfort in the familiar. I'm not the first to admit it's scary to lay down 100 bucks for something I know nothing about. That's just logic and safe money-matters.

Adapting something into a musical is completely different than what were talking about here. Adapting is near the core of the Musical Theatre artform, COMPLETELY original is the platinum standard.

The way I see it, the hierarchy goes something like this;

*COM. Original [Drowsy, A Chorus Line]
*Adaptations that come from an honest place [Dirty Rotten Scoundrels {movie}, 25th Spelling Bee {play}, The Light in the Piazza {book}]
*Adaptations of Movie Musicals [Mary Poppins, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers]
*Adaptations that come from a marketing meeting [Shrek, The Wedding Singer]
*Jukebox [Jersey Boys, Lennon, Ain't Misbehavin']

Now this is not too say all Jukebox shows are drek, but each level represents an even purer form of the art, both as a concept, and as a starting place. Examples of every type of this will exist, will succeed, and will fail. We can't eliminate any one of them, there are no laws in art [Thank God!]. But all we can do is try to find the very best of this grand thing we call Musical Theatre. I wish there was more room on Broadway for some of the less immediately marketable pieces, and we can all do little things to try and change that. But it won't change overnight, and jukebox musicals and holiday specials [Grinch] are here to stay. Jersey Boys isn't a bad show, but it scares us because it represents the further approach of the coporate structure that we fear will destroy Broadway. But we cannot fight the corporate [or mousification, if you will ] of Broadway by targeting all our hate at the jukebox genre. We must simply seek out the good, and try to show others what is wonderful about it, and stimulate new growth. This is the artform. Let it shine and work to its betterment.

Hope I didn't get too preachy.

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Updated On: 11/6/06 at 04:07 AM

EugLoven, earlier in the thread we already made it clear that nothing is "original." Since the beginning of art, shows have been adapted from something. That's a no-brainer.

My complaint is that there shouldn't be an abundance of shows on Broadway with non-original MUSIC (as opposed to non-original stories).

And again, it's already been stated that shows can be horrible or spectacular whether they have original music or not. And again, we've already made it clear that shows open and close based on several factors. Just because it is a jukebox doesn't mean it will make money. Just because it has original music doesn't mean it won't make money.

thevolleyballer - WORD UP.

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I am for jukebox musicals (or any musical really) as long as they are well made. I think they have as much right as any show on Broadway, and sometimes they are better than the shows with original music. And you're saying, that everything on Broadway is jukebox. Really, there has been more in recent years, but there is still more shows with original music on Broadway.

If it's good, it should be on Broadway. If it's bad, it shouldn't.

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