# Who'll Be NExt Band/Singer to Inspire a London/Broadway Musical?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 15, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875 "2005-01-15T17:01:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/1 "2005-01-15T17:01:32Z")
It all started innocently with “Beatlemania” in the late Seventies. But now, it seems as if every other show on London’s West End or on Broadway is really just a series of dance numbers worked around the GReatest Hits of some Sixties or Seventies pop music act.
“Mama Mia” based on Abba songs
“Movin’ Out,” based on Billy Joel songs
“We Will Rock You,” based on Queen songs
And I’ve heard that shows based on Rod Stewart and the Beach Boys are right around the corner, if they haven’t opened already.
Now, I really think this is a regrettable trend, even though I understand why it’s happening. It’s just so expensive to stage a new musical that producers don’t want to take chances on a brand new musical score audiences might not like. It’s much safer to use songs that the mass audience already knows and loves.
Still… it makes you wonder, who’s next?
“I Write the Songs,” based on the best of Barry Manilow?
“Get Down Tonight,” based on KC & the Sunchine Band hits?
“Jive Talkin’,” based on the Bee Gees’ catalogue?
Feel free to be as silly or as serious as you likme in your proposals. Because no matter how silly you THINK your suggestion may be, it’s probbaly no sillier than some shows ALREADY under way… and you may just be prescient!!!
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/2 "2005-01-15T17:06:46Z")
_Spiceworld, the Musical_
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/3 "2005-01-15T17:06:49Z")
“Good Viabrations” is in previews now and is having a lot of trouble. “Taboo” based on Boy George, was a major failure. Manilow himself has written “Copacabana” and it’s suppose to be a pretty good show.
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### Author:  [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/4 "2005-01-15T18:24:34Z")
Twyla Tharp (creator/choreographer of _Movin’ Out_) has announced she is going to do the same thing with (or should I say “do the same thing _to_”, seeing as how it’s atrocious) Bob Dylan’s oeuvre.
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### Author:  [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)
#### Post date: [January 15, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/5 "2005-01-15T18:38:42Z")
Michael Jackson’s “King of Pop”?
And going retro:
Elvis: The Return of the King.
and
Johnny Cash: Back in Black
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### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/6 "2005-01-17T17:47:34Z")
To add to the list of allready existing musicals wasn’t “Amadeus” a stage musical originally.
Next we need a musical about the life of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Crunchy\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Crunchy_Crunch)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/7 "2005-01-17T18:12:00Z")
“Chinese Democracy”, based on the music of **Guns-n-Roses**. The play is actually premiered before the release of Axl’s album of the same name. 😉
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### Author:  [@JerH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerH)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/8 "2005-01-17T18:46:20Z")
I always assumed Elton John/Bernie Taupin are heading that way. He meets all the basic criteria:
[ul]
[li]Lots of songs that everyone knows the words to[/li][li]hasn’t had a big hit in years[/li][li]Few if any of his songs are at all controversial or challenging to the average listener[/li][/ul]
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/9 "2005-01-17T18:58:17Z")
> [@JerH](#):
>
> I always assumed Elton John/Bernie Taupin are heading that way. He meets all the basic criteria:
> [ul]
> [li]Lots of songs that everyone knows the words to[/li][li]hasn’t had a big hit in years[/li][li]Few if any of his songs are at all controversial or challenging to the average listener[/li][/ul]
And Elton is alread a proven Broadway composer two times over.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/10 "2005-01-17T19:15:48Z")
[John Lennon](http://www.lennonthemusical.com/)
Don Scardino has to be the guy I knew several lifetimes ago in Boston. I cannot believe it.
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### Author:  [@waits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waits)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/11 "2005-01-17T20:53:28Z")
I read awhile ago that someone was working on an opera (an _opera!?!_) based on Bruce Springsteen’s songs.
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### Author:  [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/12 "2005-01-17T23:03:18Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#):
>
> To add to the list of allready existing musicals wasn’t “Amadeus” a stage musical originally.
Stage play, not a musical.
**DooWahDiddy** , how can you say the Twyla Tharp/Bob Dylan work is “atrocious” if it has just been announced? You’ve actually seen it?
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### Author:  [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/13 "2005-01-17T23:43:03Z")
Mojo Risin’
Musical based on music by The Doors and Jim Morrison’s poetry…
…with a gothic twist.
Most rock stars were sex symbols, but Jim was a symbol of death…which made him even sexier.
The Godfather of Goth!
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### Author:  [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2005, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/14 "2005-01-18T00:33:31Z")
I was going to say Morrison too, but since someone beat me to it, my idea for a hit show:
_Beatlemania Mania!_, a Broadway show about the forming of the “incredible simulation” group from the 80s that still uses the Apple songbook.
After tapping my feet for two hours watching [Standing in the Shadows of MoTown](http://imdb.com/title/tt0314725/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9c2hhZG93cyBvZiBtb3Rvd258aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=1;ft=5), I think that a musical about (and starring) the Funk Brothers would kick some box office arse.
For alternative tastes, a show based on the _Sex Pistols_ (“Sid & Nancy: the Musical!”) or The Dead Kennedys might work.
I know it got major press, but was _Boy from Oz_ a major success? The reason I’m wondering is that if it was a huge moneymaker it would seem it would have kept running with another star when Jackman left.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/15 "2005-01-18T00:43:24Z")
“Rio” - the sights and sounds of Duran Duran
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### Author:  [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/16 "2005-01-18T01:02:23Z")
> [@Sampiro](#):
>
> I know it got major press, but was _Boy from Oz_ a major success? The reason I’m wondering is that if it was a huge moneymaker it would seem it would have kept running with another star when Jackman left.
From what I heard, virtually all the box-office was for Jackman, not the show as a whole.
It usually take a couple of years for a Broadway musical to make money, so I suspect that _Boy From Oz_ didn’t.
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### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholl-be-next-band-singer-to-inspire-a-london-broadway-musical/284875/17 "2005-01-18T01:18:15Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> “Rio” - the sights and sounds of Duran Duran
I’m ashamed to admit that I’d pay money to see that.
Robin