I saw Movin’ Out on Broadway last night, (I was entertained) and started wondering what’s next for this trend? Musicals featuring a contrived plot stitched together from the song lists of pop artists seem to be an emerging formula with both Movin’ Out and Mamma Mia! playing to packed houses nightly.
I’m thinking maybe the story of a Country Boy who’s Leaving On A Jet Plane To The Wild Country so he can pursue his dream of becoming a Calypso singer. But he’s distracted by Sunshine on his Shoulders and his plans are derailed when he meets a gal named Annie, who fills up his senses. They can’t afford their own place, so they spend the holidays with his Uncle Matthew (with whom Annie falls in love) and sing a lot of songs…or maybe a medley…before the Tradewinds take them in Two Different Directions.
In the end, he has a Sweet Surrender and decides that he’d Rather Be a Cowboy so he and Annie say Goodbye Again, pack up Grandma’s Feather Bed, and Fly Away back to their Rocky Mountain Suite.
I’ll call it: Hey! It’s Good To Be Back Home Again
So, what’s your Big Idea?
How about a show about a paranormal specialist named Bill Lee.
He starts off fighting the Werewolves of London, and tracks Colorado ghosts by researching things to do in denver when your dead. While searching for the ghosts of Frank and Jesse James, he comes across a legend about the ghost of an exitable boy. Roland the headless thompson gunner was killed a bigtime crimelord in Veracruz. The crimelord controlled all the lawyers, guns, and money.
When Roland died he had such Bad Karma, he became a ghost. Finally Bill corners Roland at nightime in the switching yard. He isn’t sure whether it will be a sin to kill Bill, when an angel dressed in black appears takes them both to heaven.
I’d like to see somebody make a musical out of the Motley Crue songbook. Sure to feature large breasts and hair in massive proportions…
A play’s plot based on pre-written and unrelated music stitched loosely together merely as an excuse for adding a slight bit more interest to music that runs poor to great?
It’s called a Cole Porter musical (e.g., Anything Goes). Very popular Depression Era. Was the standard way to do musicals until the likes of Show Boat and Oklahoma! came along where the ‘book’ was written first and the songs were written to further the plot, rather than the other way around.
It was also done in the Bee Gee’s vehicle St. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (to Beatle’s songs) and the last fifteen minute mini-musical of the Carol Burnett Show.
Peace.