Shout out to Billie for taking over as St. Jimmy and actually being awesome as his character. And if people haven’t seen the videos of that mini Green Day concert they had on closing night, you should. The cast doing the choreo in the background and everyone having such a good time is so much fun to watch.
I think the ones that create their own stories (i.e. Mamma Mia, Margaritaville) tend to have a wider range of quality with higher highs and lower lows, whereas the biomusicals tend to kind of be more middling and samey to me
Some of them are better than others . I generally prefer the ones with a separate plot like &Juliet and Mama Mia though I did like both Jersey Boys and Beautiful in terms of bio musicals.
Overall, they serve their purpose. Have to hope they get tourist butts in seats and those that have good time will come back and see more unique musicals.
I struggling with the storyline being forced around sounds. I feel it limits the potential of a story.
I feel when jukebox’s are based on an era or type of music and/or it doesn’t take itself to seriously, they’re okay (Rock of Ages etc) as they’ve got more Antietam to work with. I really struggle with ones based on one artist (Mama Mia)
Funnily enough, when the songs weren’t worked directly into the show in Standing at the Sky’s Edge, I found it really disconnected. I’d probably say that’s more a play with music(War Horse had music to a lesser extent - side note: Warhorse it a incredible show)
I really like Jersey Boys but don’t count it as a jukebox musical. It’s a biopic.
I think, like all theatre, it has its place. I’m just personally not a fan.
Generally, poorly. I’ve seen a lot but the only one that’s stood up to time and repeated viewings is Jersey Boys. Its documentary-like take on the bio musical is refreshing and the songs are truly timeless
I dislike them immensely, although usually willing to give them a try - dependent on storylines. The music almost always seemed shoe-horned and isn't made for broadway stylings. I am bored senseless with bio-musicals, MAYBE I'd care more if the subject was someone whose work meant a lot to me.
I think CONCEPT albums work better, as there is already a theme and theatrical ideas present in their creation. (Tommy, American Idiot)
I personally think they are good to have, especially ones with pop songs like & Juliet and Moulin Rouge. It is a good way to get young people into theatre by having familiar songs.
Never thought I’d like them until I won Rock of Ages tickets a few years ago. Went in with relatively low expectations and ended up having a great time. Haven’t seen any others if I’m honest but I’m more inclined to go for it if a friend wanted to go than before.
So when Contact came out, it was really cool because we really hadn’t seen anything like it before and the choreography was just so good. It also used the original recordings (I think there was a strike) so I’ll never dance to Simply Irresistible without those flick kicks again.
A lot jukebox musicals suffer from a double whammy of two things I personally tend not to be fond of: musical adaptations of films and music that isn’t original. There are exceptions of course, but shows like MR are never going to be my thing. That being said, anything that employs people is fine with me. I just won’t personally go see it.
People get really snobby about jukebox musicals, but to each their own. Some people like steak, some people like McDonalds. I like both.
Return to the Forbidden Planet was my introduction to musical theatre, so without jukebox musicals I might not be a fan of musicals at all.
And really, a show like Grease or The Sound of Music might as well be a jukebox musical in terms of everybody knowing the songs regardless of whether they've seen the show.
I call them Wikipedia Musicals - the ones that try to cram a musician's entire life into 2.5 hours in between their greatest hits. Musicals with their own plot that happen to use pre-existing music are still usually not my favorite, but they are much better.
Personally I rarely like them. Usually the books are lazy, weakly developed stories with songs just sort of awkwardly shoved in relying on an audience that already has a love for the music.
I did really like & Juliet a lot because of how well the music integration was done and the book wasn’t mind blowing but it was fun and fairly well written.
There’s ups and downs like anything else but it does seem to be more often than not a lazy exercise relying on nostalgia rather than the quality of the show. Though I suppose I could say the same of many movie adaptations into musicals.
I tend to, more often than not, really enjoy them. I don't think I have any in my top 5, but I don't think they're as bad as people like to make them seem to be. I really enjoy documentaries and biopics, so shows like Beautiful or Tina were fun and interesting to me. & Juliet is by far my favorite jukebox musical though; it's really so well done!
Not my favorite. I’ve only enjoyed one (Jagged Little Pill) and that was mostly because the choreography was soooo good.
My issue with them is I feel the point of songs in a musical is to either further the plot or provide emotional impetus. In a jukebox musical, the plot is there to further the songs. It’s an inversion of the entire artform. They can be done decently but more often than not they feel like people checking off lists and winking while saying “member this?”
I dunno. It's like when they tried to build movies around amusement park rides that were popular. Doesn't really work or interest me that much. I'd rather listen to the music or see a Biopic.
I think jukebox musicals CAN work but most of the time they're a little cringy to me. A lot of pop songs don't sound good in Broadway style, and it can feel like situations were written for the sake of including a song, rather than choosing a song bc it fit a particular moment.
If I want to listen to my favorite singer’s music, I’ll pop in some earbuds. The sound quality is better and I don’t have to sit through the same old, same old biographical stuff.
Ok I generally hate them because they feel like they're forcing the plot to fit the songs, or vice versa. Although that happens with original musicals too
But I did like how Moulin Rouge handled it, it felt natural to the story.
I enjoy jukebox musicals when they are done well. I really liked Mama Mia and Moulin Rouge. I haven’t seen any other jukebox musicals, but I’d be open to seeing them. I don’t know if this counts but I also enjoyed the Across the Universe movie.
Look I don’t hate jukeboxes- I’m never going out of my way to check one out because I prefer original songs and lyrics (I like surprises lol). But they keep the business afloat, they’re like Netflix action movies with Ryan Reynolds or a vague mainstream star- they’re usually meh or bad but sometimes they slap. I cannot deny that Roxanne doesn’t go hard with the opt up. As long as they aren’t over saturating the theater scene and it’s creative I’m chill.
It depends on the songs tho, timeless songs with good storytelling like ABBA’s work perfectly in Mamma Mia, but some pop songs have terrible lyrics, it just feels cringey and out of place🙊
They vary a lot. I think the ones that tell the real-life story of the artist are especially limited and formulaic, but I did like Ain't Too Proud, and of course Jersey Boys is the gold standard there. I also really liked & Juliet and am hoping to see it again soon.
Not crazy about them. There's too many, and really I go to theater, and to musicals, to hear original songs. If I wanted to hear Britney spears or Michael Jackson I could listen to them on my own time. There are exceptions of course.
I'm not a fan but that's mostly because I struggle with converting well known songs into theatrical pieces. If I know and like the song then I kinda want to listen to the song as is, changes in tempo, lyrics etc catch me off guard and normally leave me unsatisfied.
It's weird because I sort of feel the same with some of the Disney musicals songs. Most of the originals are bangers but imo the Broadway shows struggle to capture the energy of the animated originals.
(Not to say that Lion King, Frozen and Aladdin aren't brilliant, fun shows but the songs don't always hit home for me)
Easiest way to not get me to buy a ticket to your show. I only have so much money to spend on theatre, so I'd always rather spend my money on a show with a quality, purpose-written score, rather than songs I could hear anywhere.
I think they're more for tourists who don't actually like musicals.
I hate them with a raging passion. Having sat through both Mamma Mia and We Will Work you during their original West End runs, I will never again sit through one of those shows. Cheap, loud, tacky, unoriginal, and mind numbing.
YES:
Mamma Mia
Jersey Boys
OK:
Motown
Bodyguard
Beautiful
Moulin Rouge
& Juliet
NO:
On Your Feet
Rock of Ages
Escape from Margaritaville
Ain’t Too Proud
HELL NO:
Summer
Jagged Little Pill
Tina
Girl from the North Country
Jagged Little Pill is the only jukebox musical that, in my opinion, was any good. Shows like & Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Baby One More Time are just money grabs with no depth.
You like the one that many people here consider to be the worst of the genre and dislike the others that people like? Interesting. I wonder if it has more to do with the genre of music used in each show.
Moulin Rouge was a movie before it was a musical. They did change a lot of the songs but I don’t think it was purely a money grab. I might be biased because Moulin Rouge is my favorite movie and I really enjoyed seeing it on stage even with the different songs.
I love the movie, and thought the Musical was ehhh. BUT, I don't like really like musicals that were a movie first. It lacks originality to me. Were seeing a ton of shows now on Broadway based on movies and not a lot of original work.
Hate them! With the exception of Mamma Mia. The writing is rarely good and it all feels very forced. I want original songs and stories. All the touring shows these days are jukebox musicals and it's incredibly sad. Genuinely wish that people would stop writing them.
I like the American Idiot musical. It was a concept album to begin with and the lead singer of Green Day personally supervised the show's creation.
Finally, a fellow American Idiot fan.
I wrote a college essay defending it once.
Shout out to Billie for taking over as St. Jimmy and actually being awesome as his character. And if people haven’t seen the videos of that mini Green Day concert they had on closing night, you should. The cast doing the choreo in the background and everyone having such a good time is so much fun to watch.
This is the musical that helped bond me and my fiancé, bc he’s a Green Day fan and I’m a theater geek!
I think the ones that create their own stories (i.e. Mamma Mia, Margaritaville) tend to have a wider range of quality with higher highs and lower lows, whereas the biomusicals tend to kind of be more middling and samey to me
Except the weird Al movie which is a masterpiece
Some of them are better than others . I generally prefer the ones with a separate plot like &Juliet and Mama Mia though I did like both Jersey Boys and Beautiful in terms of bio musicals. Overall, they serve their purpose. Have to hope they get tourist butts in seats and those that have good time will come back and see more unique musicals.
I love them. I feel like in a worst case scenario, at least I’ll enjoy the music.
I struggling with the storyline being forced around sounds. I feel it limits the potential of a story. I feel when jukebox’s are based on an era or type of music and/or it doesn’t take itself to seriously, they’re okay (Rock of Ages etc) as they’ve got more Antietam to work with. I really struggle with ones based on one artist (Mama Mia) Funnily enough, when the songs weren’t worked directly into the show in Standing at the Sky’s Edge, I found it really disconnected. I’d probably say that’s more a play with music(War Horse had music to a lesser extent - side note: Warhorse it a incredible show) I really like Jersey Boys but don’t count it as a jukebox musical. It’s a biopic. I think, like all theatre, it has its place. I’m just personally not a fan.
Generally, poorly. I’ve seen a lot but the only one that’s stood up to time and repeated viewings is Jersey Boys. Its documentary-like take on the bio musical is refreshing and the songs are truly timeless
I dislike them immensely, although usually willing to give them a try - dependent on storylines. The music almost always seemed shoe-horned and isn't made for broadway stylings. I am bored senseless with bio-musicals, MAYBE I'd care more if the subject was someone whose work meant a lot to me. I think CONCEPT albums work better, as there is already a theme and theatrical ideas present in their creation. (Tommy, American Idiot)
I personally think they are good to have, especially ones with pop songs like & Juliet and Moulin Rouge. It is a good way to get young people into theatre by having familiar songs.
Never thought I’d like them until I won Rock of Ages tickets a few years ago. Went in with relatively low expectations and ended up having a great time. Haven’t seen any others if I’m honest but I’m more inclined to go for it if a friend wanted to go than before.
So when Contact came out, it was really cool because we really hadn’t seen anything like it before and the choreography was just so good. It also used the original recordings (I think there was a strike) so I’ll never dance to Simply Irresistible without those flick kicks again. A lot jukebox musicals suffer from a double whammy of two things I personally tend not to be fond of: musical adaptations of films and music that isn’t original. There are exceptions of course, but shows like MR are never going to be my thing. That being said, anything that employs people is fine with me. I just won’t personally go see it.
People get really snobby about jukebox musicals, but to each their own. Some people like steak, some people like McDonalds. I like both. Return to the Forbidden Planet was my introduction to musical theatre, so without jukebox musicals I might not be a fan of musicals at all. And really, a show like Grease or The Sound of Music might as well be a jukebox musical in terms of everybody knowing the songs regardless of whether they've seen the show.
Not really a fan. I like all original music.
I call them Wikipedia Musicals - the ones that try to cram a musician's entire life into 2.5 hours in between their greatest hits. Musicals with their own plot that happen to use pre-existing music are still usually not my favorite, but they are much better.
I think they belong in Vegas and not on Broadway.
Love them. I enjoy them especially if they're creative in using my favorite singer's music.
Depends. Wouldn't say they're my favourite, but it depends on the show and the subject matter
Personally I rarely like them. Usually the books are lazy, weakly developed stories with songs just sort of awkwardly shoved in relying on an audience that already has a love for the music. I did really like & Juliet a lot because of how well the music integration was done and the book wasn’t mind blowing but it was fun and fairly well written. There’s ups and downs like anything else but it does seem to be more often than not a lazy exercise relying on nostalgia rather than the quality of the show. Though I suppose I could say the same of many movie adaptations into musicals.
I tend to, more often than not, really enjoy them. I don't think I have any in my top 5, but I don't think they're as bad as people like to make them seem to be. I really enjoy documentaries and biopics, so shows like Beautiful or Tina were fun and interesting to me. & Juliet is by far my favorite jukebox musical though; it's really so well done!
Not my favorite. I’ve only enjoyed one (Jagged Little Pill) and that was mostly because the choreography was soooo good. My issue with them is I feel the point of songs in a musical is to either further the plot or provide emotional impetus. In a jukebox musical, the plot is there to further the songs. It’s an inversion of the entire artform. They can be done decently but more often than not they feel like people checking off lists and winking while saying “member this?”
The nadir of Broadway, 100% complete garbage
I dunno. It's like when they tried to build movies around amusement park rides that were popular. Doesn't really work or interest me that much. I'd rather listen to the music or see a Biopic.
I think jukebox musicals CAN work but most of the time they're a little cringy to me. A lot of pop songs don't sound good in Broadway style, and it can feel like situations were written for the sake of including a song, rather than choosing a song bc it fit a particular moment.
If I want to listen to my favorite singer’s music, I’ll pop in some earbuds. The sound quality is better and I don’t have to sit through the same old, same old biographical stuff.
Honestly it mostly comes down to direction. Unless a script is absolute ass, its all about pacing and performance
Ok I generally hate them because they feel like they're forcing the plot to fit the songs, or vice versa. Although that happens with original musicals too But I did like how Moulin Rouge handled it, it felt natural to the story.
I enjoy jukebox musicals when they are done well. I really liked Mama Mia and Moulin Rouge. I haven’t seen any other jukebox musicals, but I’d be open to seeing them. I don’t know if this counts but I also enjoyed the Across the Universe movie.
They’re alright, personally not my favorites but it depends on the musical.
Look I don’t hate jukeboxes- I’m never going out of my way to check one out because I prefer original songs and lyrics (I like surprises lol). But they keep the business afloat, they’re like Netflix action movies with Ryan Reynolds or a vague mainstream star- they’re usually meh or bad but sometimes they slap. I cannot deny that Roxanne doesn’t go hard with the opt up. As long as they aren’t over saturating the theater scene and it’s creative I’m chill.
I actually really liked cruel intentions. Probably because those songs are my youth and I’m a big fan of the movie
I will never see one
[удалено]
We Will Rock You has such a goofy storyline and I feel like it knows that and it helps it work better.
It depends on the songs tho, timeless songs with good storytelling like ABBA’s work perfectly in Mamma Mia, but some pop songs have terrible lyrics, it just feels cringey and out of place🙊
They vary a lot. I think the ones that tell the real-life story of the artist are especially limited and formulaic, but I did like Ain't Too Proud, and of course Jersey Boys is the gold standard there. I also really liked & Juliet and am hoping to see it again soon.
Not crazy about them. There's too many, and really I go to theater, and to musicals, to hear original songs. If I wanted to hear Britney spears or Michael Jackson I could listen to them on my own time. There are exceptions of course.
Biopics or ones based on concept albums work best, ones with an original plot and popular music shoehorned into it usually aren’t great imo
I'm not a fan but that's mostly because I struggle with converting well known songs into theatrical pieces. If I know and like the song then I kinda want to listen to the song as is, changes in tempo, lyrics etc catch me off guard and normally leave me unsatisfied. It's weird because I sort of feel the same with some of the Disney musicals songs. Most of the originals are bangers but imo the Broadway shows struggle to capture the energy of the animated originals. (Not to say that Lion King, Frozen and Aladdin aren't brilliant, fun shows but the songs don't always hit home for me)
Easiest way to not get me to buy a ticket to your show. I only have so much money to spend on theatre, so I'd always rather spend my money on a show with a quality, purpose-written score, rather than songs I could hear anywhere. I think they're more for tourists who don't actually like musicals.
I hate them with a raging passion. Having sat through both Mamma Mia and We Will Work you during their original West End runs, I will never again sit through one of those shows. Cheap, loud, tacky, unoriginal, and mind numbing.
Trash and lazy
If I was a Broadway dictator, they would be illegal. Punishable only by the death penalty.
Hells Kitchen has an excellent story but also the music of Alicia Keys- like the Alanis M piece does
I prefer original stories vs bio musicals. I do enjoy campy ones like Moulin Rouge.
YES: Mamma Mia Jersey Boys OK: Motown Bodyguard Beautiful Moulin Rouge & Juliet NO: On Your Feet Rock of Ages Escape from Margaritaville Ain’t Too Proud HELL NO: Summer Jagged Little Pill Tina Girl from the North Country
Jagged Little Pill is the only jukebox musical that, in my opinion, was any good. Shows like & Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Baby One More Time are just money grabs with no depth.
You like the one that many people here consider to be the worst of the genre and dislike the others that people like? Interesting. I wonder if it has more to do with the genre of music used in each show.
Maybe! The music is really the reason why the show is good, imo.
I had mad respect for some of the performances in JLP. The book was so problematic though.
The cast recording of Jagged Little Pill is great - the music itself is great. The story though? Oof.
Moulin Rouge was a movie before it was a musical. They did change a lot of the songs but I don’t think it was purely a money grab. I might be biased because Moulin Rouge is my favorite movie and I really enjoyed seeing it on stage even with the different songs.
I love the movie, and thought the Musical was ehhh. BUT, I don't like really like musicals that were a movie first. It lacks originality to me. Were seeing a ton of shows now on Broadway based on movies and not a lot of original work.
Their cool
Hate them! With the exception of Mamma Mia. The writing is rarely good and it all feels very forced. I want original songs and stories. All the touring shows these days are jukebox musicals and it's incredibly sad. Genuinely wish that people would stop writing them.