Dream Jukebox Musical

[MollyJeanneMusic]

I was wondering, with the divisiveness of jukebox musicals, which singer/songwriter's music could make a good jukebox musical.  For example, I was watching the Ken Burns Country Music documentary on PBS, and I feel like the life of Jimmy Rodgers could be a good musical - lots of drama, great ways to include a multiracial cast, and an actual race against time due to his battle with tuberculosis.

[yankeefan7]

I would say Fleetwood Mac might make a good one due to the relationship issues among the band members and lots of their songs are very personal.

[Jordan Catalano]

Dolly Parton
Phil Collins
Madonna
Cyndi Lauper
Fleetwood Mac
The Eagles
Jewel
Melissa Etheridge
Simon & Garfunkel
Tori Amos

[inception]

If you do something like Jagged Little Pill, or even Head Over Heels, where the story isn't a biography of the artist but just uses the songs, I bet somebody could come up with a cool show using songs by DEPECHE MODE

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

^ By the same token, since a chunk of Stevie Nicks' solo and Fleetwood Mac catalogue was inspired in part by the mythos of the Welsh goddess Rhiannon from the Mabinogion (and, to a certain extent, the Mary Bartlet Leader novel Triad), it'd be interesting to see a Fleetwood Mac jukebox musical that dealt with the Rhiannon story rather than rehashing the relationship issues of the band.

[inception]

Wow! That is an excellent idea. Just on the name alone, you could probably sell a tonne of tickets to a show titled: "Rhiannon ...the Fleetwood Mac musical"

[ggersten]

I'm surprised that Pink Floyd's The Wall hasn't become a stage show (other than the "stage" production during the tour).  However, I don't know that that would be a "jukebox" musical (taking a catalog of songs and cramming them into a new story) and it certainly isn't a "bio-musical" (life of an artist using that artist's catalog). It would be more like The Who's Tommy.

I could see a musical about the Brill Building - it need not be about the real musicians/lyricists who worked there - but something about a young person who gets a job at the Brill Building (perhaps as a clerk) and interacts with all sorts of people in the building - providing opportunity to use all manner of song styles.  Obtaining the rights to those songs would be a legal nightmare - but doable. I'd have that character either be an inspiration for various songs or end up actually writing many of them - but then there would be too many people who would object to that fiction, including the people (or the estates of those people) who actually wrote the songs.

 

 

[chrishuyen]

ggersten said: "I'm surprised that Pink Floyd's The Wall hasn't become a stage show (other than the "stage" production during the tour). However, I don't know that that would be a "jukebox" musical (taking a catalog of songs and cramming them into a new story) and it certainly isn't a "bio-musical" (life of an artist using that artist's catalog). It would be more like The Who's Tommy.

 

I'd love to see The Wall as a stage show as well, and I feel like it would at least be more coherent than Bat Out of Hell since it's a more fully formed concept album anyway. 

As for artists, I know it's early but I hope we see a Lady Gaga show eventually. I feel like her story and songs would make for a great show. 

[Ahmy]

I'd love to see one about Celine Dion..

[Ben_Platt_Out]

Is it too soon for a holla if you hear me revival?

[kennin]

Cyndi Lauper
Linda Ronstadt
Joni Mitchell
Olivia Newton-John
Dolly Parton
Carly Simon
Ella Fitzgerald
Karen Carpenter

[yankeefan7]

"Cyndi Lauper
Linda Ronstadt
Joni Mitchell
Olivia Newton-John
Dolly Parton
Carly Simon
Ella Fitzgerald
Karen Carpenter "

How would any actress physically handle looking like Karen Carpenter with her eating disorder issue which led to her death.

[yankeefan7]

" By the same token, since a chunk of Stevie Nicks' solo and Fleetwood Mac catalogue was inspired in part by the mythos of the Welsh goddess Rhiannon from the Mabinogion (and, to a certain extent, the Mary Bartlet Leader novel Triad), it'd be interesting to see a Fleetwood Mac jukebox musical that dealt with the Rhiannon story rather than rehashing the relationship issues of the band. "

You have an excellent point and it would be interesting concept instead of the same old jukebox musical story.

[Back Row]

Steve Goodman - Best known for writing City of New Orleans, but left us a remarkable catalog of songs and stories even though he died at a relatively young age. One of the best performers I ever saw. He had a colorful circle of friends in the music industry that would fill out a cast nicely. (Alex Brightman would be perfect as Goodman)

Mickey Newbury - Another prolific songwriter and a fine performer. Dozens of terrific songs to choose from.

And I would love to see Lyle Lovett get a Broadway residency gig for few weeks. Puts on a great show.

[LeftofLinus]

Ben Folds needs a musical.

[DoTheDood]

ggersten said: "I'm surprised that Pink Floyd's The Wall hasn't become a stage show (other than the "stage" production during the tour). However, I don't know that that would be a "jukebox" musical (taking a catalog of songs and cramming them into a new story) and it certainly isn't a "bio-musical" (life of an artist using that artist's catalog). It would be more like The Who's Tommy."

This did turn it into an opera, which is interesting to say the least. 
(I am pretty sure this is different to the tour, but I might be wrong? I don't know)

 

[NOWaWarning]

Joni Mitchell. Either a story about her life or an original story constructed around her catalogue.

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

My personal dream is for someone to take the book “Girls Like Us,” by Sheila Weller and use the music of songwriters she put in her triple biography: Carly Simon, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell. Not a biomusical, but a musical using the music of the three women. King’s music could go so much further then beautiful did

[RippedMan]

Love the PINK Floyd opera. 

I'm still trying to write a Shania Twain musical. Her songs are so good and they are true story songs. 

[ggersten]

DoTheDood said: "ggersten said: "I'm surprised that Pink Floyd's The Wall hasn't become a stage show (other than the "stage" production during the tour). However, I don't know that that would be a "jukebox" musical (taking a catalog of songs and cramming them into a new story) and it certainly isn't a "bio-musical" (life of an artist using that artist's catalog). It would be more like The Who's Tommy."

This did turn it into an opera, which is interesting to say the least.
(I am pretty sure this is different to the tour, but I might be wrong? I don't know)

 

I had no idea!  Wikipedia says it was done at least twice - once in Montreal and then in Cincinnati.  WIkipedia also says its based on the film version.  The opera is intriguing, but I doubt I will ever see it. 

 

"

 

[magictodo123]

Billy Joel could be interesting, and Lady Gaga as previously mentioned. 

[bwayphreak234]

magictodo123 said: "Billy Joel could be interesting, and Lady Gaga as previously mentioned."

There was a Billy Joel jukebox musical - Movin Out. It was absolutely terrific.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Movin' Out was more of a dance piece than a traditional book musical. Without presuming to speak for them, I think the latter is more like what magictodo123 had in mind.

[HamilHansen]

GATSBY: A New Musical

An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel with Music and Lyrics by Panic! At The Disco. I already have a whole outline of which songs would fit where. 

[Enjolras5]

I would like to see Fleetwood Mac or Billy Joel, as others have said.

However, I also think the movie "Judy" could be turned into an interesting bio musical.  It basically already exists in film format (multiple songs in the movie), now they just have to adapt it to the stage.  Did they already do this with Paper Mill's "Chasing Rainbows?"  Not sure what that was about other than it was a Judy Garland musical.