#1
Posted: 7/6/09 at 10:02am
Now, I know jukebox musicals are something of a groaner. For every good one, there are ten or twenty bad ones to sour their reputation. But they are a new, trendy thing, and they will continue to flourish whether or not we like them. So, whose trunk of material would make a good one, as opposed to a pointless, cheesy one?
Now, before you say "no one!" please do remember that there have been jukebox musicals since the dawn of theater. "Crazy For You" and the stage version of "42nd Street" are both jukebox musicals, but of Gershwin and Tin Pan Alley pop, not of pop-rock. Saying that they have more value because of their musical heritage is a moot point- the songs have no connection and storytelling value beyond the book stringing them together. Pure jukebox.
Now, as for myself, I think the two most likely candidates for a good jukebox musical are:
1: Alice Cooper. Other than maybe Pete Townshend, no rock songwriter in the past decades has been so nearly obsessive about crafting his music into musicals as Alice Cooper has. Almost all of his albums are character studies or miniature song cycles focusing on his group of characters, Alice (sometimes the narrator, sometimes the devil), Vince (Cooper's troubled, ex-alcoholic alter ego, a man struggling with faith and trust in a world that's gone downhill), Steven (a schizophrenic from a very strange family, who may or may not be a murderer) and The Black Widow (an evil entity behind many of the series' events). Plus, he's received surprising acclaim as a songwriter, with Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra both praising his songwriting abilities. Let the man write his own libretto and this could be a hit.
2. Elton John. Back in the day, most of John's songs were character sketches, and the guy does love a good concept album. Vintage Elton John would make a much better musical than most of the shows he's written original music for.
Now, before you say "no one!" please do remember that there have been jukebox musicals since the dawn of theater. "Crazy For You" and the stage version of "42nd Street" are both jukebox musicals, but of Gershwin and Tin Pan Alley pop, not of pop-rock. Saying that they have more value because of their musical heritage is a moot point- the songs have no connection and storytelling value beyond the book stringing them together. Pure jukebox.
Now, as for myself, I think the two most likely candidates for a good jukebox musical are:
1: Alice Cooper. Other than maybe Pete Townshend, no rock songwriter in the past decades has been so nearly obsessive about crafting his music into musicals as Alice Cooper has. Almost all of his albums are character studies or miniature song cycles focusing on his group of characters, Alice (sometimes the narrator, sometimes the devil), Vince (Cooper's troubled, ex-alcoholic alter ego, a man struggling with faith and trust in a world that's gone downhill), Steven (a schizophrenic from a very strange family, who may or may not be a murderer) and The Black Widow (an evil entity behind many of the series' events). Plus, he's received surprising acclaim as a songwriter, with Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra both praising his songwriting abilities. Let the man write his own libretto and this could be a hit.
2. Elton John. Back in the day, most of John's songs were character sketches, and the guy does love a good concept album. Vintage Elton John would make a much better musical than most of the shows he's written original music for.
