Jukebox Musicals
The Exception
Although almost all musicals on Broadway that were created and shown in the years after Oklahoma! made its debut on the big stage were written in the same general format as the latter (plot/story was developed, then music was composed to accommodate it afterwards), a few musicals managed to be successful using an adaptation of the writing method popular in the early days of Broadway, before Show Boat and Oklahoma! (music was formed into a soundtrack, and a plot, usually quite loose, was made to go along with it). The most famous of this particular genre before the first two main turning points was, in fact, Ziegfeld's Follies, which returned every show season with new dances, new girls (which were a big part of Ziegfeld's claim to fame), and music that was popular in the time. These are commonly referred to as "jukebox musicals". Usually, not always, jukebox musicals take music already released by one particular artist and write a story based on the the lyrics and overall mood of the songs making up the soundtrack. Alternatively, some jukebox musicals such as Singin' in the Rain, use popular songs from the time, with various genres and composers featured, much like Follies did. Some of the most popular of this breed of Broadway show are Movin' Out, The Boy From Oz, and Mamma Mia!.
Jukebox Musicals in Detail
Movin' Out
Featuring 28 songs composed by Billy Joel, Movin' Out opened on Broadway on October 24, 2002. It ran for a total of 1303 shows in New York under the direction of Twyla Tharp. Joel's music often was ballad-like, meaning that most songs performed in Movin' Out had their own individual small story. Songs such as Scenes from an Italian Restaurant and Movin' Out demonstrate this perfectly. The general plot of the musical followed a generation of young men and women growing up on Long Island during the '60s, and their difficulties and experiences with the Vietnam war. The characters are based on actual characters from Billy Joel's songs. Some examples of this are Brenda and Eddie from the previously mentioned Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, James from James, Judy from Why, Judy Why?, and Tony (Anthony) from Movin' Out. This show is, essentially, a series of 26 dances linked together by a fairly scant plot. What sets it apart from Jukebox Musicals in general is the fact that none of the dancers actually sing. All vocals and music are performed by a band, which is headed by a pianist/singer (Originally Michael Cavanaugh). Shown below is the second to last dance number in Movin' Out, a medley of Billy Joel's The River of Dreams, Keeping the Faith, and Only the Good Die Young.
The Boy From Oz
Unlike most Jukebox Musicals, The Boy From Oz was actually based on a true story. It is a bio-musical, following the life story of Australian song writer and performer Peter Allen, the entire soundtrack being made up of 26 of his own songs, such as I Go To Rio, Not the Boy Next Door, and Everything Old Is New Again. At the beginning of the musical, Allen is just a young boy dreaming about being famous and, by the end of the musical, his dreams have finally become reality. The first world premiere of The Boy From Oz actually took place at Her Majesty's Theatre in Sydney, Australia, and ran for two years, showing 766 performances in the process.Making its debut on Broadway on October 16, 2003, The Boy From Oz ran for a total of 364 performances. Playing Peter Allen in the Broadway version was the actor and singer Hugh Jackman, shown at right. Below is a video recording of the finale song, I Go To Rio.
Mamma Mia!
Perhaps the most successful Jukebox Musical ever to be shown on Broadway, Mamma Mia! features music written by the swedish band ABBA. This show is set on the Aegean coast and is about a mother, her daughter, and three men that could all potentially be her father. Before opening on Broadway, Mamma Mia! made its world debut in West End in 1999 and was welcomed with open arms. This extreme success led to the show opening on Broadway on October 18 of 2001. Almost every performance of Mamma Mia! has been completely sold out, and it's still playing to full houses today. As of January 27 of 2013, the musical has been shown 4675 times in New York. Shown below is the most popular song from Mamma Mia!, Dancing Queen.