JBroadway said: "Mike Barrett said: "Yes, Girl From The North Country is different in its presentation of their music, but couldn't you then technically say the same about Moulin Rouge? Re mixing some of the songs to fit their show, with electric choreography, having nothing to do with the oringal composers of the music, rather its just focusing on the characters themselves with songs we know thrown in. Im sure there are other jukebox esq shows in the past, but none of them have done it to the level and immersion that Moulin Rouge has."
This is a tough question, and impossible to answer without getting into the subjective opinions of each of these shows. But as someone who disliked Moulin Rouge, I would NOT place it in the "new and different" category of Jukebox musical along with North Country.
First of all, there have beentons of other jukebox musicalsthat weren't about the composers (Mamma Mia!, Priscilla, Rock of Ages, Disaster, Bullets Over Broadway, Head Over Heels, Bat Out of Hell - just to name a few off the top of my head). So there's nothing new on that ground. And as for none of them being done at this level of immersion? I guess that's true, andI will grant you that Moulin Rouge's immersion factor is probably the best thing about it, and does put it at a slightly higher level of artistry than some of these other jukebox shows. But for me, the immersion factor is pretty separate from its identity as a jukebox musical. Same goes for "electric choreography" - these things might make Moulin Rouge a better show, but IMO they don't impact what "kind" of jukebox musical it is.I still think the show faces many of the same issues that most jukebox musicals face: having familiar songs shoe-horned in as a gimmick, instead of serving the storytelling.
North Country also finds itself with some degree of disconnect between the songs and the story, which is why many people dislike it. But in my opinion, the show succeeds because it isn't designed to be plot-driven - it's more mood-driven, and theme-driven. So the songs function to express more raw emotion, and aren't given the burden of trying to move the story forward in a traditional way - which is where many jukebox musicals fail in my book, including the stage version of Moulin Rouge.
Now, if we were talking about the MOVIE Moulin Rouge, I might agree with you. But I think the use of music in the stage version is significantly less imaginative, less interesting, less seamless, and less successful than in the movie.
Also, I think the Tony voters are more likely to see North Country as being a "new and different" kind of jukebox musical, if only because it's a serious show, and nota "crowd-pleaser." That alone doesn't necessarily make the show better or worse, but the Tonys have been favoring "serious" musicals for most of this decade."
These are completely fair arguments. I guess in terms of the choreography, immersion, design, etc, that speaks to the show itself and the not the jukebox version of it all, I completely agree with that.
I guess the shows originality in terms of Jukebox is in its performance of it, which as you explained well, doesn't speak to the jukebox portion of the show, but the show itself. I am admittedly someone who has seen Moulin Rouge twice and love it but have zero connection to the movie, so I can't make the comparison there nor do I really have a bias. I love the show, and love speculating about its awards, Im rooting for it, but I have no personal investment really nor will it affect me if it wins zero tony's. Well made argument for why A Girl From The North Country is more innovating, as I do agree the tony voters likely feel the same way.
My only argument I guess between these 2 shows now, as a race for "Best Musical", if the music in A Girl From The North Country doesn't progress the story, and its non original music, do we think that will hurt their chances to win? I do not believe it should, as this is how the show has chosen to present its story, but I have seen this argued here before. Not arguing whether its A musical or NOT a musical, but whether if their presentation should make them a "Best Musical" winner. Obviously a tad early to tell here but its a discussion worth having. Did the other shows succeed in telling their story through music, and should that ultimately be the deciding factor when awarding "Best musical"? Might be the bigger question at play here.
