Posted: 4/23/18 at 10:10pm
GeorgeandDot said: "I'm so over jukebox musicals. They're NEVER good. Even the "good" ones are bad. I wish they would just stop."
Hey, we agree on something!
Posted: 4/23/18 at 10:13pm
Cher- you in trouble girl. The age of the Junkbox musical may be slowly be coming to an end. Hopefully.
Posted: 4/23/18 at 10:19pm
I totally blame the director and script writers for this mess. Donna Summer does in fact deserve better. Considering the director spoke directly to Donna before she died, I can't imagine this is what she wanted.
Posted: 4/23/18 at 10:21pm
Can’t see this holding on for long
Updated On: 4/23/18 at 10:21 PM
Posted: 4/23/18 at 11:08pm
Posted: 4/23/18 at 11:21pm
Didn’t Margaritaville also come from La Jolla? Ashley seems to be trying really hard to cram his 15 min out of that Tony win!
Updated On: 4/23/18 at 11:21 PM
Posted: 4/24/18 at 12:10am
Posted: 4/24/18 at 12:26am
Sara Holdren lost any credibility she had as a critic. If a show bashes men, she's as happy as a clam.
http://www.vulture.com/2018/04/the-spangly-pleasures-of-summer-the-donna-summer-musical.html
Posted: 4/24/18 at 1:11am
bdn223 said: "So I guess the Best Musical nominees are now going to be Band’s Visit, Spongebob, Mean Girls, and Either Frozen or Prince of Broadway...."
It’ll be THE BAND’S VISIT, MEAN GIRLS, SPONGEBOB & FROZEN.
Posted: 4/24/18 at 1:51am
Yes. But Des McAnuff directs SUMMER, not Ashley
Phillytheatreguy10 said: "Didn’t Margaritaville also come from La Jolla?Ashley seems to be trying really hard to cram his 15 min out of that Tony win!"
Posted: 4/24/18 at 1:57am
A Director said: "Sara Holdren lost any credibility she had as a critic. If a show bashes men, she's as happy as a clam.
http://www.vulture.com/2018/04/the-spangly-pleasures-of-summer-the-donna-summer-musical.html"
You might want to read the article before making this ridiculously asinine comment.
Posted: 4/24/18 at 2:11am
IdinaBellFoster said: "bdn223 said: "So I guess the Best Musical nominees are now going to be Band’s Visit, Spongebob, Mean Girls, and Either Frozen or Prince of Broadway...."
It’ll be THE BAND’S VISIT, MEAN GIRLS, SPONGEBOB & FROZEN."
Wow. That’s one bad year for musicals. Come back Bright Star and Bridges of Madison County.. this could have been your year...
Posted: 4/24/18 at 7:57am
I agree with every word of Green's notice, and found Summer to be painfully amateurish, dull, vulgar, and idiotic. I'd be perfectly happy if it sounded a death knell to the jukebox bio-musical form, which, even at its best (Jersey Boys) is a poor pale imitation of good original-score musical theatre, succeeding with the herd with mere familiarity and unbridled clichés.
Sadly, as long as one or two examples of this ridiculous form turn a profit (Jersey Boys, Beautiful), people will continue to stitch these Frankenstein monster shows together, in desperation to get themselves some of those tourist dollars.
Posted: 4/24/18 at 8:52am
"I agree with every word of Green's notice, and found Summer to be painfully amateurish, dull, vulgar, and idiotic. I'd be perfectly happy if it sounded a death knell to the jukebox bio-musical form, which, even at its best (Jersey Boys) is a poor pale imitation of good original-score musical theatre, succeeding with the herd with mere familiarity and unbridled clichés.
Sadly, as long as one or two examples of this ridiculous form turn a profit (Jersey Boys, Beautiful), people will continue to stitch these Frankenstein monster shows together, in desperation to get themselves some of those tourist dollars."
Excellent post and I agree totally.
Posted: 4/24/18 at 9:21am
I'm glad that Green called out the producers for having ulterior motives for the show. Ultimately, if the show's not good, it's still a giant advertisement that's just off of Times Square for music they own. They don't care about making the show good. They may not turn a profit on Broadway, sure, but if this show introduces kids to Donna Summer and gets them to stream her albums... guess who's getting the cash in the long run?
Posted: 4/24/18 at 9:55am
Posted: 4/24/18 at 9:59am
"I’m not happy that some people who might be out of a job soon..."
Watching Summer and similarly awful shows, I always feel bad for the actors, having to wallow in such turgid writing eight times a week, working overtime to try against hope to make it work somehow. Of course, no one wishes unemployment on anyone, but there can be a sense of relief that these talented people are free, one hopes, to find better material when the show closes. And of course, it can be true that the really successful performers are usually completely unaware that their material is bad,
Posted: 4/24/18 at 10:09am
I often wonder about actors in shows that they "know" are flops. For example, Victoria Clark in "Sousatska" in Toronto. The show wasn't incredible, but it did have great moments and numbers for Clark. Are you there in the show showing and proving the point that you are an amazing performer regardless of what material you have.
Posted: 4/24/18 at 10:38am
Elegance101 said: "However, I’m hoping we stop this biomusical trend after next season’s lineup. I know they won’t, but hopefully these reviews will slow the brakes a little."
As long as they are making jukebox musicals they will continue to use the biographical plot model. Its honestly the easiest way to incorporate an artists catalog, as most chart topping pop songs are written based on a hook instead of a story. Therefore its easier to perform then in a "concert" format then actually incorporate them into an original story. Add to that most artists don't write all their own songs, which makes jukebox scores uneven, and its only more pronounced in once that aren't biomusicals.
Posted: 4/24/18 at 3:27pm
The age of the Junkbox musical may be slowly be coming to an end. Hopefully.
Awww...you're making me all nostalgic! I remember when people said the same thing back when Good Vibrations, Lennon, Baby It's You and Hot Feet flopped. Anyone remember the wails of despair that Rock of Ages was clearly the harbinger of Broadway's ultimate demise? Good times.
Non-jukebox musicals are always just SO superior! Allegiance, Glory Days, Scandalous, In My Life, The People in the Picture, Lestat, High Fidelity, Spider-Man, Lysistrata Jones, Ghost, Leap of Faith, The Pirate Queen, Amazing Grace, The Last Ship, First Date, Big Fish, The Story of My Life, Tuck Everlasting, Doctor Zhivago, Thou Shalt Not, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Brooklyn, Urban Cowboy, Amelie...all excellent examples of how an original score automatically elevates every Broadway musical to a pleasurable experience for everyone!
Should jukebox musicals disappear, it doesn't mean you'll get more original scores each season or more quality shows or even more musicals being produced from season to season (raise your hand if you remember the 88-89 and 94-95 seasons!). I don't care if the book or score are original or not. I just want to enjoy myself and thankfully, I have enjoyed myself TREMENDOUSLY at some of these shows (Buddy, Forever Plaid, Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, Xanadu, American Idiot, Movin' Out, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Fela).
I do think it's curious that the term "jukebox musical" has evolved into a term that incorporates any musical using preexisting songs. I remember when it was reserved for musicals that incorporated the lyrics of preexisting non-theatre popular music into the narrative of the book, much as with a conventional book musical. But now it often includes the bio catalog shows, revues and I've even seen Crazy for You, Never Gonna Dance, My One and Only and Nice Work if You Can Get It thrown in.
Posted: 4/24/18 at 5:31pm
"Yes. But Des McAnuff directs SUMMER, not Ashley"
I'm aware, I was merely associating the two because Ashley is the Artistic Director of La Jolla.
Posted: 4/24/18 at 5:36pm
"I have enjoyed myself TREMENDOUSLY at some of these shows (Buddy, Forever Plaid, Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, Xanadu, American Idiot, Movin' Out, Return to the Forbidden Planet, Fela). "
The main reason I loved "Movin Out" was the wonderful dancing and not the Billy Joel songs.
Updated On: 4/24/18 at 05:36 PM
Posted: 4/24/18 at 5:52pm
Well, the critics certainly went to town with this one, didn't they? Except, it's not nearly as bad as they would have you believe. It's no worldbeater, to be sure, but it's tolerable enough. It certainly wasn't nearly as excruciating to sit through as the tuneless trial by tedium this season that the estimable sages went gaga over, and that is certain to win this year's top prize. And the same could be said with respect to all the other dismal critics' darlings we had to endure last season, and the season before that, and the season before that as well.
Was a time when musicals were actually fun. Remember?
"There was? You must REALLY be old!"
Old enough to know good from bad, that's for sure!
