Who’s Next for the Jukebox Makeover?
Tuesday 2nd February, 3.36pm
By Carrie Dunn
Micky Dolenz told me this week that The Monkees have been approached several times to have their back catalogue used in a jukebox musical.
He’s never been keen on the idea, though, and no producer has ever made a firm offer.
Meanwhile, Green Day are preparing for the Broadway launch of American Idiot, based on their 2004 concept album, after its successful run at Berkeley Rep. Jersey Boys has started Sunday performances at the Prince Edward Theatre, Mamma Mia! The Musical continues to break all known records, and We Will Rock You packs them in at the Dominion with that sequel continuing to be rumoured. ??So which musical groups are next in line for a musical theatre tribute — needed or otherwise?
S Club 7 — This one is obvious, isn’t it? Their TV series were little slices of musical theatre in a childsize format. Producers could either lift a storyline from the television programmes, or follow S Club’s meteoric rise to stardom, ending with their fall from grace, their drugs hell and their reality TV ablutions. And they could even bring in S Club Juniors as a sub-plot if they wanted the cute kid factor.
Girls Aloud — If the Spice Girls can have their own movie, then Girls Aloud could have their own stage show. What’s more, Kimberley Walsh has West End experience now. Admittedly, in the chorus of Les Miserables for a TV show, but theatre is theatre. And I’ve long thought that Nicola Roberts is meant for a career in musicals. So maybe all five of the girls could play the roles in the original cast for a burst of publicity, before handing over to Andrew Lloyd-Webber and his talent-search machine to find their replacements.
McFly — It’d capture a generation of pop fans too young to appreciate Never Forget, and lots of their songs have enough of a narrative arc to be forced into some kind of plot. And they’re not creatively precious over their work; they’ve already appeared in one of the worst films of the 21st century (Just My Luck starring Lindsay Lohan), so they shouldn’t mind the misappropriation of their songs too much.
Any more suggestions?
Not sure about Girls Aloud… unless Nadine gets some serious vocal coaching (I can’t help it, I can’t understand a word the girl says).
On the subject of music-to-stage adaptations though, I’m still desperate for Pete Townshend’s recent Quadrophenia to make it to the West End. His original “rock opera” deserves too be seen in the capital.
I’d love to see a Monkees musical.
A stage version of Glee would be amazing.
S Club 7 had their own movie, too. Something about them having evil clones. I think they’d be on to a winner using that plot for the musical.