Would a Juke Box musical of the BEACH BOYS work?

1. I hate bio-musicals, personally.

2. I LIKE the Beach Boys - but don't really care about their personal lives.

3. You TOTALLY lost me on the two parts thing.

Beach Boys conceptual works always run into the same problem. The Beach Boys had three eras: the era where they were popular but dumb, the era where they were brilliant but free-form and weird, and the era where they were really neither popular nor brilliant, and were often simultaneously free-form and weird AND dumb.

darquegk said: "Beach Boys conceptual works always run into the same problem. The Beach Boys had three eras: the era where they were popular but dumb, the era where they were brilliant but free-form and weird, and the era where they were really neither popular nor brilliant, and were often simultaneously free-form and weird AND dumb."

THIS^^^^

"I’m not really a fan of bio musicals either, but this could work.

Dennis Wilson’s entanglement with the Manson Family would be another story to include.

We’d have heroes (Brian Wilson) and villains (Mike Love). God Only Knows as the closer, with Good Vibrations to finish Act 1. What other songs would absolutely need to be included, and what underappreciated gems could be polished off?"

You and I are actually in agreement for a change -lol. I am not a fan of bio musicals either but if done correctly, it might actually be good. Start off with them in the beginning making surf music and becoming a hit, plenty of songs to choose from. Touch on Murray Wilson's abuse of Brian and the physical and emotional damage done to him. Follow that with Brian Wilson's decision to stop touring and just writing music and introducing Bruce Johnston into the band. End Act One with Brian Wilson working on the legendary album "Pet Sounds and arguments with Mike Love about not writing "surfing" songs/hits. Think "God Only Knows" would be poignant song to end Act One.

Act Two starts with Dennis Wilson's involvement with Charlie Manson and his following and the band members reaction to this relationship. Fast forward to the Manson killings and the guilt of Dennis Wilson about allowing Manson into his and his families life. The 70's come around and the Beach Boys record two new albums called "Sunflower" and "Surf's Up" which are critical success but commercial failures. They decided to do several concerts at Carnegie Hall the next couple of years featuring very little of the music which made them famous. They were so bold to even play songs form the album "Holland" which had not been released. Brian Wilson is a mess mentally mid 70's and is under the care of Dr. Landry, Mike Love eventually gets control of the Beach Boy's name. End the show with the group getting back together in recording studio in 2012 singing the single "That's Why" God Made the Radio"

Some underappreciated "gems" to include could be songs like "Surf's Up", "Friends" and "Sail On Sailor".

Obviously, I am not a "book" writer but would hope somebody could tie their career together in a coherent and interesting way. There could be hit songs in the beginning to draw people to the musical and plenty of relatively unknown songs that could make this musical not just a bunch of hit songs played on a jukebox.

Updated On: 2/1/24 at 07:39 PM

"Good Vibrations was not only a flop. It was the worst thing Broadway has ever seen."

Did you see "Lennon"? I think that was worse.

The target audience for a Beach Boys musical is people who came of age with that music - most of them now in their 70s. By the time the hypothetical show was writtten, developed, workshopped and opening on Broadway, much of that audience will be 5+ years older and likely mostly no longer going to the theatre.

In other words, if I were developing a jukebox musical, I'd pick a younger target audience.

The generational shift from Boomers and older Gen X to Millennials and Gen Z has seen The Beach Boys shift from the “sun and fun” nostalgia group, to a cult band with a focus on the Wilson-as-auteur era. The actually popular stuff has all but disappeared from the zeitgeist, but it’s his forward thinking experimental stuff that remains.

I like it, Zeppie. "In My Room" would be the perfect scene setter to establish the young Wilson brothers at home with their domineering father.

I don't care to see another bio-musical even though I like the Beach Boys music. But I feel like it's just been diminishing returns for bio-musicals.

That being said, I've been curious over the years if we'll ever get "do-overs" for jukebox shows that flopped. Like with Good Vibrations being such a flop, would there ever be a consideration to start from scratch with a new jukebox musical featuring the music of the Beach Boys? Or are there some rights entanglements and/or an unwillingness to try because of Good Vibrations that would prevent that?

"The target audience for a Beach Boys musical is people who came of age with that music - most of them now in their 70s. By the time the hypothetical show was writtten, developed, workshopped and opening on Broadway, much of that audience will be 5+ years older and likely mostly no longer going to the theatre. In other words, if I were developing a jukebox musical, I'd pick a younger target audience."

Believe it or not, younger people than the target audience you mentioned like music from the 60's. Also, their story could be very interesting and touches on things besides hit music. Brian Wilson has mental depression and that is relevant topic in the world we live in today. Dennis Wilson got involved with mass murderer and his cult, that is something that is different than in the average bio- musical. Plus, there is plenty of music that is excellent and relatively unknown. I think it could work but will admit it would be a long shot and not something I expect to happen. BTW - the Taylor Swift musical is still probably a couple of decades away -lol

Sad Pet Sounds musical that's neither a biopic, or a story

Just melancholy theatricals with that music. That could be cool.