Threaded Order Chronological Order
| re: Brantley offers a (semi-)defense for jukebox musicals | |
| Posted by: EvFoDr 11:09 am EDT 09/04/19 | |
| In reply to: Brantley offers a (semi-)defense for jukebox musicals - MockingbirdGirl 08:13 am EDT 09/04/19 | |
|
|
|
| Not much new here. It's a variation on the conversation about adapted musicals vs original musicals, particularly movie adaptations as of late. You can't categorically dismiss adaptations and you can't categorically dismiss jukebox musicals. Some are good, some work. I appreciate that he makes the distinction between jukebox musicals, revues, and bio musicals that the tell the story of the group/artist in question. I am not sure I even think of Moulin Rouge as a jukebox musical. It's just following the template of the movie where pop songs from a variety of sources were always part of the storytelling. | |
| reply to this message |
| re: Brantley offers a (semi-)defense for jukebox musicals | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 08:11 pm EDT 09/04/19 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 08:04 pm EDT 09/04/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Brantley offers a (semi-)defense for jukebox musicals - EvFoDr 11:09 am EDT 09/04/19 | |
|
|
|
| I agree. There are good jukebox musicals and bad ones, just as there are good original musicals and bad ones, or good stage adaptations of movies and bad ones. It all comes down to execution, wit and imagination. The other day, John Simon was quoted as saying: ''Basing an entire show on preexisting numbers is almost like finding a button in the street and having a suit made to go with it. It does not make much sense.'' I'd say it depends on the button and who's making the suit. Arthur Freed wanted a movie musical to feature his songs with Nacio Herb Brown, written for MGM films (1929-39). Betty Comden and Adolph Green were tasked with writing a screenplay to showcase them, and they came up with ''Singin' in the Rain'' (1952). … And in 1949, MGM had bought the rights to a jazz-classical suite (1928) and told Alan Jay Lerner to write a film around it. Lerner added songs by the same composer, George Gershwin, and came up with ''An American in Paris'' (1951). As for ''Moulin Rouge!,'' it's arguably the ultimate jukebox musical. But Baz Luhrmann might've created a new variation. I can't think of another musical that samples from dozens of songs from different artists, sometimes only using a line or two, to create such elaborate mashups or musical ''conversations.'' Most notably, its delightfully playful ''Elephant Love Medley.'' It probably hadn't been done much before because it's a logistical nightmare to wrangle all the rights, and you can't easily do it for a song. |
|
| Link | Billboard.com: How Broadway's 'Moulin Rouge!' Got the Rights to 'Torn,' 'Don't Speak' & More Pop Smashes |
| reply to this message | |
| And don't forget the ur-bio-jukebox musical | |
| Posted by: stevemr 01:31 pm EDT 09/04/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Brantley offers a (semi-)defense for jukebox musicals - EvFoDr 11:09 am EDT 09/04/19 | |
|
|
|
| Maytime, from 1917, with songs adapted by Sigmund Romberg from those ditties by Franz Schubert. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Even earlier jukebox-like musicals - centuries earlier | |
| Posted by: musicalsfan 12:38 am EDT 09/05/19 | |
| In reply to: And don't forget the ur-bio-jukebox musical - stevemr 01:31 pm EDT 09/04/19 | |
|
|
|
| The genre of "jukebox" musicals has related precedents going back even further than has been mentioned so far in this stream. One of the earliest forms of musical theater in this country was "ballad operas", that were performed in the United States even before it was the United States. These ballad operas originally came from England, and the writers generally took parts of familiar popular songs of the day (and some classical pieces), gave them new lyrics, and incorporated them into an original story. The most popular of these was "The Beggar's Opera" in the mid 1700's. Of course, many decades later its basic plot and characters appeared once again with totally different music and lyrics in "The Threepenny Opera" We're so fortunate that over the last couple of centuries, musical theater has developed, advanced and expanded into the incredibly original and varied art form that it is. Though it's true that many contemporary jukebox musicals are of high quality and are very entertaining, I'm saddened and disappointed by the current diminishing quantity, quality and popularity of musicals with original music and lyrics that get produced on Broadway these days. And there have been and are some really good ones out there. Thank goodness for regional theater. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Even earlier jukebox-like musicals - centuries earlier | |
| Posted by: Chromolume 09:33 am EDT 09/05/19 | |
| In reply to: Even earlier jukebox-like musicals - centuries earlier - musicalsfan 12:38 am EDT 09/05/19 | |
|
|
|
| The most popular of these was "The Beggar's Opera" in the mid 1700's. Of course, many decades later its basic plot and characters appeared once again with totally different music and lyrics in "The Threepenny Opera" Not totally. Peachum's "Morning Anthem" in Threepenny comes directly from The Beggar's Opera. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: And don't forget the ur-bio-jukebox musical | |
| Posted by: singleticket 04:19 pm EDT 09/04/19 | |
| In reply to: And don't forget the ur-bio-jukebox musical - stevemr 01:31 pm EDT 09/04/19 | |
|
|
|
| Blossom Time, I think, rather than Maytime. But maybe it should be called a music-box musical? | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| Correction. | |
| Posted by: stevemr 04:34 pm EDT 09/04/19 | |
| In reply to: re: And don't forget the ur-bio-jukebox musical - singleticket 04:19 pm EDT 09/04/19 | |
|
|
|
| You're right. Thanks for the correction. | |
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
| re: Brantley offers a (semi-)defense for jukebox musicals | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 12:16 pm EDT 09/04/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Brantley offers a (semi-)defense for jukebox musicals - EvFoDr 11:09 am EDT 09/04/19 | |
|
|
|
| "I am not sure I even think of Moulin Rouge as a jukebox musical. It's just following the template of the movie where pop songs from a variety of sources were always part of the storytelling." Well, yes -- and the film MOULIN ROUGE is also definitely a jukebox musical. I would say it deserves that label even more than something like, say, MAMMA MIA! An actual jukebox, of course, has a wide variety of songs by various writers, which is the case with MOULIN ROUGE (both the film and the stage show), whereas in MAMMA MIA! and some of the other "jukebox" musicals, all of the songs are by the same writer or small group of writers. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.021681 seconds.