| Why would anyone be surprised that audiences line up to see shows that they know in advance will have great music...largely because they have grown up with that music. More than half a century ago the music of Broadway WAS the popular music. That day is long gone and now the public sings the songs of Springsteen, Donna Summer (Gorgio Moroder) The Four Season (Bob Gaudio) and others. If you think of it this way, it's surprising that it took this long for the jukebox musical to be invented. Broadway turned its back on rock, folk, folk rock and other kinds of music at its own peril. Did any ever ask Joni Mitchell, John Phillips, Stevie Wonder, or Brian Wilson to write a show back in the day when they ruled the music scene? Yes, thirty years later Paul Simon wrote one and fell on his ass. And Elton John wrote a couple and they were mostly big hits. But Broadway, with the exception of PROMISES, PROMISES did not integrate contemporary music into its "sound" and so it became archaic. The public, hungry for what it wants...now wants Cher. I exaggerate a bit, but only to make my point. |
