We clearly need a universal definition :-) Even Wikipedia says 'The origin of the phrase "jukebox musical" in its current meaning is unclear.'
And the first example they list is Bubbling Brown Sugar in 1976, with a special mention to The Beggar's Opera.
I personally never thought of revues as jukebox musicals because I think Jukebox musicals use their songs to tell a story with a plot, and usually not associated with the original artist/context of the songs. This to me excludes things like Ain't Misbehavin'. And I would never remotely consider the Maltby and Shire revues you list.
A Class Act is an interesting case. It is jukebox in the sense that the songs are used to tell a story that is different from the one(s) they were originally written to tell. But also strikes one as not jukebox since all of the songs are written in a very recognizable modern musical theatre styles--meaning definitely not pop songs.
Putting it Together is also an interesting case. It is not a traditional revue. The songs tells a loose story, or at least outline a series of events and sktech characters that are different from the ones in the shows they come from. I think people don't use the terms jukebox because it's Sondheim and because the songs were written for the theatre in the first place.
This article was interesting to me as well. The author breaks Jukebox musicals down into many sub categories that I hadn't really contemplated. |
