{"id":28851,"date":"2024-07-02T12:58:39","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T11:58:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/?p=28851"},"modified":"2024-07-01T13:01:34","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T12:01:34","slug":"you-will-love-us-musicals-with-rock-music-inside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/you-will-love-us-musicals-with-rock-music-inside\/","title":{"rendered":"You Will Love Us: Musicals with Rock Music Inside"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally, a jukebox is a stationary music machine. You drop a coin – you get a song. These were widespread from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries until humanity embraced audio cassettes, which offered much more mobility and were cheaper than vinyl. The term “jukebox,” thanks to American film critic Andrew Sarris, began to describe films and performances stuffed with famous songs. Don\u2019t confuse Jukebox with cover bands, where musicians play other musicians’ songs. Want examples? I have some, including those currently playing in London. But first, a few words about other famous genre examples that have recently left the stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We Will Rock You,” a musical from the early 2000s based on Ben Elton\u2019s book and Queen\u2019s songs, played at the Coliseum a year ago. It\u2019s an alternative history of a society where everything live, including live guitar sound, is banned. The “Bohemians,” a group of rebels, managed to return freedom to the people, partly thanks to Freddie Mercury\u2019s immortal songs. For instance, there\u2019s a scene where the characters talk about the tragic fate of musicians\u2014they were secretly killed, and one of them, named Bri-ann, played a guitar solo as his last wish (delaying his own death by three days).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Why incorporate rock band songs into completely unrelated stories? First, it\u2019s beautiful! Secondly, you can justify anything, but the main thing is that the audience is completely happy. Take \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d for example\u2014one of the most successful Jukebox musicals in history. A girl raised on the sunny Greek coast is about to get married. She doesn\u2019t know who her father is, her mother won\u2019t tell her, so she invites three of her mother\u2019s lovers, whom she read about in a diary, to the wedding. A comedy of situations and secrets unfolds, generously seasoned with ABBA songs. Why ABBA? Because it\u2019s great! The songs are vibrant, youthful, and fresh, like this story of a Greek summer and people in love.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

However, in “We Will Rock You” and “Mamma Mia!” no one pretends to be Bj\u00f6rn Ulvaeus or Roger Taylor. But in “The Drifters Girl,” for instance, it\u2019s a biopic-jukebox, a completely feminist story about Faye Treadwell, one of the first music managers in history, the fairy of the famous The Drifters. She was their unwavering guide for thirty years, during which many members changed, but not Faye. The perfectly balanced space, colourful flashing lights, 50s dresses, luxurious jackets\u2014and the music.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In general, if a musical is made about a rock star, their place in the rock music Pantheon is ensured forever. Jukebox is a very popular musical genre right now. We wrote about a new show in this series here (LINK): it\u2019s “Just One Day” at the Old Vic, a biopic-jukebox about the Live Aid festival and its visionary, Bob Geldof. Geldof, by the way, was thrilled, attended the show, and even brought friends. Famous songs are performed here too, and the audience sings along. Some critics call this genre “theatrical karaoke,” saying people come to the theatre to sing their favourite songs. Yes, if you prefer the classic sound of famous songs, if you get goosebumps from unfamiliar timbres and hiss like a boiling kettle, it might be hard for you.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But there\u2019s something for everyone, like \u201cTina\u201d\u2014a musical about Tina Turner, played by actress Karis Anderson, who sings her songs and fully embodies her character. Tina Turner herself worked with the production team and attended the premiere (imagine how nervous the lead actress was, right?). The great Turner liked it. She approved it. The show is based on the story of little Anna Mae Bullock, who grew up to be a singer, oppressed by an abusive husband, lost everything, and\u2014was reborn. She is passionate, resilient, and bright. When this Tina bursts onto the stage in a gold dress covered in thousands of golden threads, it feels like a furious lightning bolt that\u2019s had enough of tolerating and adapting.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s incredibly difficult to fit the life story of a mega-star into two hours of stage time, especially within the confines of a musical. The unique way musical actors exist on stage doesn\u2019t allow them to perform like dramatic actors; everything looks as if the monitor brightness is turned up to 200 percent. Therefore, it\u2019s extremely challenging not to fall into excessiveness, even caricature, but in Tina\u2019s case, both the actress and the director, Phyllida Lloyd (and Tina Turner herself, as part of the team!), managed to avoid this. Moreover, Ike Turner is undoubtedly a tyrant, but driven by his pain\u2014Ike is given dramatic depth here.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In another jukebox musical, “MJ The Musical,” a biopic about Michael Jackson, dramatic depth wasn\u2019t very successful. The strained relationship with his abusive father, which left a permanent mark on Jackson\u2019s psyche, is the focal point\u2014hence the same actor plays Joseph Jackson and the ruthless manager. The narrative cuts off a few months before the scandal and the first accusations against Michael\u2014quite unexpectedly, as if the stage time simply ran out. But the main reason to see “MJ The Musical” is the lead actor, Myles Frost. It\u2019s eerie\u2014either someone travelled to the past and brought back Michael from 1989, or we\u2019re looking at his twin. You\u2019d believe in soul transmigration, honestly. Frost walks the same way, talks the same way, looks slightly from under his brows. It\u2019s a strange feeling, but the actor\u2019s charm is so strong that even die-hard Jackson fans aren\u2019t irritated but mesmerised, watching him step onto the stage, shoulders slightly hunched and neck extended, as if expecting a blow, like a boy perpetually ready to apologise. But then he steps onto the stage, and his image changes dramatically. Frost has started a solo career; he recently released a clip, “Rubber Bridge,” full of homages to Jackson and his dance style: that\u2019s how jukebox influences the music industry.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, on July 9th, a tribute concert “Meat Loaf By Candlelight” will be held at Adelphi Theatre, featuring West End artists from the jukebox musical “Bat out of Hell,” based on Meat Loaf\u2019s music but with such a mind-blowing plot that I don\u2019t want to recount it. The main thing is that they perform famous songs. And they sing superbly. So, the jukebox is very useful in theatre.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n