In the current Broadway season, two big hits that have emerged are A Beautiful Noise and & Juliet. While their stories are different, what they have in common is that their stories are told through already-released music. These are called jukebox musicals.
A musical does not need original music in order to be successful. While there are jukebox musicals, that are fresh and new, this is actually a genre that has existed for decades. Jukebox musicals have stood the test of time and despite a pre-written score, there is innovation and excitement to be observed.
The Early Jukebox Musicals
A lot of the early jukebox musicals were fringe and did not end up on Broadway. New concepts can take a while to become mainstream. The first one on Broadway was Ain’t Misbehavin. This used the music of famous jazz pianist Fats Waller. This was a revue, which means it was more of a variety setting instead of a fully sung-through story. The first jukebox Broadway musical with a real story was 42nd Street. This was based on a movie from the 1930s about an aspiring young actress. Some of the songs were from the movie, but others were just songs from other movies in the 1930s which means there was nothing original for this show. It showed some success and even won the Tony for Best Musical in 1982.
The Rise of Jukebox Stardom
The late 20th century and early 21st century showed that potential for the genre. One could argue this came from the popularity of Mamma Mia. This story of a young girl trying to find her father is told through songs by the pop group ABBA. This musical ran for over 13 years and received a film adaptation and film sequel. This brought power to the jukebox musical genre. Another example of the rising popularity was the musical Jersey Boys, which told the story of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons through their songs. While there had been bio-musicals before, this was one of the first big bio-jukebox musicals on Broadway. A slightly earlier example was The Boy From Oz which was about musician Peter Allen and used his music. Maybe not as successful as Jersey Boys, but it got Hugh Jackman an Oscar, and that’s what matters.
The Surge In Popularity
Later on in the 2000s, more jukebox musicals were popping up, with original stories and the lives of famous singers. Rock of Ages, the story of musicians trying to make it in the tough industry to a score of 80s rock proved to be an electrifying show for six years and also received a film adaptation. In terms of cult Broadway classics, there is Priscilla Queen of the Desert, a story of two drag queens getting to a show told through a variety of hit songs like “I Will Survive” and “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”. While it did not last long on Broadway, it has dedicated fans around the world. In terms of bio-musicals of this time, there was Fela!, which was about singer and composer Fela Kuti which premiered in 2009 and then had a limited revival just three years later.
The Bio Musical Moment
The mid-2010s brought a lot of bio-musicals to Broadway as if one was succeeding another each year. There was Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which as the name suggests, is about singer and songwriter Carole King with her songs. Then there was On Your Feet!, which was about Latin pop singer Gloria Estefan, then Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which should be obvious, The Cher Show, which should also be obvious, Ain’t Too Proud, which was about Motown group The Temptations, and many more. While these musicals usually did not last long with somewhat formulaic stories, they always brought crowds of fans and would hire some powerhouse performers.
The Present and The Future
In recent years leading up to the 2020s, there has been a large rise in jukebox musicals. In fact, at the condensed 2020 Tony Awards, all of the musicals were jukebox musicals. There was Moulin Rouge, a story of performers in love told through pop songs, which won Best Musical. There was Jagged Little Pill, a struggling family’s story told through Alanis Morrissette songs, and Tina, which told the story of hitmaker Tina Turner. That was all one year, and the jukebox is not stopping anytime soon. Recently, & Juliet officially opened on Broadway. This is a Romeo & Juliet retelling told through popular pop songs, all written by legendary songwriter Max Martin. On December 4th, A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond story, officially opens on Broadway, continuing the bio-musical trend. The existence of jukebox musicals has certainly changed the course of modern Broadway history.
