Broadway’s Post Jukebox Musical Trend?

The 2023-2024 Tony Season is Over.

Was there a theme to this season? More than looking for a theme, I like to look for patterns…even better: I like to watch for trends.

Here is an exciting trend I’m seeing. I believe it will be Broadway’s best Post-Jukebox-Musical Era trend.

Broadway’s Long Love Affair with Jukebox Musicals.

What is a jukebox music? AI will tell you a jukebox musical is ‘a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music.’

Even within that definition there are many categories of jukebox musicals. Each has it’s uniqueness, but the key is—a jukebox musical is, at its core, made up of well-known popular music.

The list of Broadway’s jukebox musicals is LONG. I’ve created my own jukebox musical categories below.

But before you fall down that rabbit whole, what trend can we see in three popular new musicals this season, and what does this trend mean for future musicals? (Hint: we are already seeing this trend NEXT season.)

This Seasons’ Trend in New Musicals

Three new musicals this season feature music written by recognized music artists:

Hells Kitchen, written by Alicia Keys

llinois, written by Sufjan Stevens and

The Notebook written by Ingrid Michaelson.

But these are not musicals based on the lives of Alicia Keys, Sufjan Stevens, and Ingrid Michaelson.

In some cases, these musicals feature entirely new music and previously unreleased songs.

In these examples the role of a song writer is an even more active role in the creation of a new musical.

Instead of threading together a musical story line based on the music of an artist (like Momma Mia! featuring ABBA music) these musicians worked with book writers, directors, musical arrangers and choreographers as active participants in creating new music for a new musical.

It is working beautifully.

Two of the three of these are nominated for Best Musical.

This is a trend I’m excited about.

What Does This Mean for the Development of New Musicals?

Will producers look first for a musician or group who’s sound aligns with the musical—rather than looking for a catalogue of music from one musician/band that could be made into a musical?

The first is more interesting to me—more current—and exciting. It plays to what the future of the music can be, not just a celebration of the past music.

Broadway may never abandon the jukebox musical. But if this subtle adjustment allows for more musicians to help build exciting musicals, then that’s a trend to watch.

P.S. We don’t have to look very far into the future to see another example. Swept Away is coming to Broadway this fall with music and lyrics by The Avett Brothers. I can’t wait to see the musical magic this team creates.

How to Categorize Broadway’s Jukebox Musicals?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to categorize Broadway’s jukebox musicals. Each has a slightly different angle for presenting it’s popular music. I’ve divided the most popular juxebox musicals into a few categories. There are some shows, however, that could be in a number of categories. Here goes:

Musicals About the Life of the Musical Star*

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

The Cher Show

‘Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations

MJ the Musical

Jersey Boys (music of the Four Seasons)

On Your Feet!- (Emilio and Gloria Estefan)

All Shook Up- (Elvis Presley)

The Boy from Oz- (Australian star Peter Allen / Liza Minnelli / Judy Garland.)

Million Dollar Quartet- (Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.)

A Beautiful Noise- The Neil Diamond Musical

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical

*Most take dramatic liberties in telling the true story.

Musicals Featuring Music of a Star, But A Fictitious Story

Momma Mia! ABBA-inspired score

Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette’s

Escape to Margaritaville, greatest hist of Jimmy Buffett

Girl From North Country-Bob Dylan

The Bodyguard- Whitney Houston (West End, international. No B’way)

Viva Forever! Spice Girls (West End, no B’way)

Saturday Night Fever, Bee Gees

May We All-Florida Georgia Line, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Little Big Town, Old Dominion, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban and many more.

Hells Kitchen- Alicia Keys

The Who’s Tommy-Pete Townshend processing his childhood trauma through rock n’roll

A Tribute Musical or a Revue

RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles

Smokey Joe’s Cafe

Ain’t Misbehavin’

Albums-Made-Musical

American Idiot- (Green Day)

American Utopia- (David Byrne)

We Will Rock You**- (Queen) No B’way production but the show ran in the West End/Vegas, and had a North American tour.

Musicals About a Musical Movement

Rock of Ages—Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twister Sister, Poison, Steve Perry Styx (film adaptation.)

Motown The Musical—sounds that defined a generation

Crazy for You- George Gershwin songbook

Movie Musical-Turned Stage Musical

Moulin Rouge! (Baz Luhrmann’s jukebox movie musical-turned smash hit on Broadway-playing to International audiences.)

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert “Material Girl”, “I Will Survive”

 The Dance Musical

Movin’ Out- (Twyla Tharp with Billy Joel’s music)

Come Fly Away, (Twyla Tharp with Frank Sinatra music)

Illinois (Justin Peck with Sufjan Stevens music)

 The Shakespeare /Pop Infused Musical

Head Over Heels, (Shakespearean plot featuring the iconic songs of the Go-Gos)

All Shook Up- Elvis Presley-  (based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.)

& Juliet- A twist on Romeo & Juliet Written by pop songwriter Max Martin (Backstreet Boys’ I Want It that Way and Britney Spears Baby One More Time. )