A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known pre-existing popular music songs, rather than original music composed for the musical.
Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs performed by one singer or band, or written by one songwriter. In such cases, the plot is often a biography of the artist or artists. In other jukebox musicals, the plot is purely fictional. For musicals about a musician or musical act, some of the songs can be diegetic, meaning that they are performed within the world of the play or film. Works in which all of the music is diegetic, however, such as a biographical film about a singer who is at times shown performing their songs, are generally not considered jukebox musicals.[1]
Revues that lack a plot are also usually not described as jukebox musicals,[2] although plotless shows that include a dance element sometimes are.[3]
History
In Europe in the 17th and 18th century, many comic operas were produced that parodied popular songs of the time by performing them with modified lyrics. Comédie en vaudevilles and ballad operas are two genres that made heavy use of well-known melodies. The Beggar's Opera (1728), the first ballad opera and the most famous, has been called "the original jukebox musical".[4]
The origin of the phrase "jukebox musical" in its current meaning is unclear. The word "jukebox" dates to around 1939. The first documented use of "jukebox musical" in print may have been in a 1962 description of the musical Do Re Mi,[5] but that was a musical (with original music) about a man who sells jukeboxes. In a 1964 review of the Beatles film A Hard Day's Night, critic Andrew Sarris described that film as "the Citizen Kane of jukebox musicals",[6] but he too may have had a meaning in mind other than the contemporary one, since most of that film's songs were original.
Although jukebox musicals had achieved success for years (for example, the 1989 musical Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story), a surge in popularity was led by the success of Mamma Mia! (1999), built around the music of ABBA.[7]
Some shows and films combine original and previously-released songs; it may be a matter of opinion whether these qualify as jukebox musicals. For example, the stage musicals 42nd Street (1980), Five Guys Named Moe (1990), Crazy for You (1992), and Xanadu (2007) are all adaptations of earlier source material that added to the original score other well-known songs written by the original songwriters. The stage musicals The Last Ship (2014) and Standing at the Sky's Edge (2019) and film musicals Yellow Submarine (1968) and Idlewild (2006) are all musicals that combine original and previously-recorded songs by a single artist or group. Other films that combine old and original songs include Singin' in the Rain (1952), Trolls (2016), and Cinderella (2021).
List of stage jukebox musicals
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
List of jukebox musical films
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), a picture dealing with the life of playwright and composer George M. Cohan, and featuring many of his songs, which were among the most popular songs of their day (late 19th century – early 20th century).
Meet Me in St. Louis (1945), featuring mostly popular songs from the earlier 20th century and three new songs written for Judy Garland.
Don't Knock the Rock (1957), another Bill Haley jukebox musical, with the commercial recordings of Haley, Little Richard, and The Treniers.
Hootenanny Hoot (1963), a low-budget MGM picture intended to capitalize on the folk music craze then sweeping America, featuring on-screen performances by Johnny Cash, Judy Henske, and several other folk music artists.
In a different category are films or stage musicals based around a concept album, in which the story being told is not original but rather a fleshed-out version of the narrative already contained in the album. Examples include:
The 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, loosely based on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road, although it incorporates songs from some of the Beatles' other albums as well
^Brown, Mark (23 April 2013). "The Commitments to be turned into West End musical". guardian.co.uk. London: The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2013. It will include many classic soul songs, including Mustang Sally, but most definitely will not be a "jukebox musical", said Doyle.
^ a b"Can Critics Learn to Love the Jukebox Musical?". The New York Times. August 29, 2018.
^ a bLarson, Sarah (July 22, 2014). "LET'S ROCK: IN DEFENSE OF JUKEBOX MUSICALS". The New Yorker.
^Smith, Rowena (August 17, 2018). "The Beggar's Opera review – the original jukebox musical reimagined". The Guardian.
^Eder, Bruce (December 11, 1989). "A Hard Day's Night". The Criterion Collection.
^"Mamma Mia! and the Rise of the Jukebox Musical". Cheap Theater Tickets. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
^Jeff Giles (October 21, 2016). "Cheap Trick, Journey and Foreigner vets lead new 'Rock Pack' concert experience". Ultimate Classic Rock. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 2018-10-18.
^Cyrano de BurgerShack, retrieved 2021-07-15
^"Photo Flash: First Look At The Air Supply Musical ALL OUT OF LOVE in Manila". Broadway World. Wisdom Digital Media. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
^Katigbak, Fran (23 June 2018). "All Out of Love: Here it is, an Air Supply jukebox musical!". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
External links
Mandelbaum, Ken. "Preview '05-'06: The Jukebox Plays On," July 27, 2005.