Jukebox Musicals- A Complete Guide

Earlier this week, Broadway welcomed a new jukebox musical- A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical. The show joins an ever-growing genre, which continues to gain prevelence in the modern era of musical theatre. 

Jukebox musicals are a popular genre of musical theater that use pre-existing songs to tell a story. They generally fall into several distinct types (though some hold characteristics of multiple types), each with a different approach to integrating music and narrative. Each type brings its own style and storytelling approach, and audiences are often drawn to them for the familiarity of the songs and the innovative ways they’re woven into theater narratives.

Here’s a breakdown of the main types:

Biographical Jukebox Musicals

These musicals tell the life story of a real-life artist, band, or genre, using their music to underscore significant events and character development. The narrative usually follows the subject’s career trajectory, struggles, and successes, with songs woven in at relevant points in the storyline.

Examples: A Wonderful World, Jersey Boys, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Ain't Too Proud, Summer, A Beautiful Noise, The Cher Show, On Your Feet, The Boy From Oz, Leader of the Pack, Fela!, and MJ.

Genre/Era-Specific Jukebox Musicals

Instead of focusing on one artist or band, these shows celebrate a specific musical era, genre, or cultural movement, featuring songs from various artists of that time. The storyline may be fictional, with the music setting the tone and mood of the era or genre it represents. These musicals often focus on general themes like love, adventure, or self-discovery.

Examples: Rock of Ages, Mamma Mia!, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Sign of the Times, Shout!, Disaster!, All Shook Up, The Heart of Rock and Roll

Conceptual Jukebox Musicals

These musicals use existing songs to tell a completely fictional story, with the music serving to support a particular theme or concept rather than a specific artist or era. These shows are often more abstract, using the lyrics and emotions of the songs to push forward a broader story or thematic concept, rather than directly representing the artists.

Examples: We Will Rock You, American Idiot, Tommy, Girl from the North Country, Swept Away, Jagged Little Pill, Bat Out of Hell, Escape to Margaritaville, Head Over Heels, Movin Out, Illinoise

Revues

These are less plot-driven and more of a concert or showcase style, with minimal narrative. They celebrate a collection of songs, often from a single artist or genre, but with little to no storyline connecting them. Revues emphasize performance and musicality over plot, sometimes including brief narratives or commentary between songs, but focusing mainly on delivering a musical experience.

Examples: Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Ain't Misbehavin’, Contact, Fosse, Dancin', A Grand Night fro Singing, Closer Than Ever, Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Marry Me a Little, Prince of Broadway, After Midnight

Mashup Jukebox Musicals

These shows creatively combine songs from multiple artists or genres to tell a story, often through a fictional narrative that ties the diverse music together. Mashups often mix multiple styles and artists to enhance the storytelling, often presenting unexpected combinations and arrangements to support the plot's emotions and settings.

Examples: Moulin Rouge!, & Juliet, Once Upon a One More Time

Now that you're a jukebox musicals expert, sing along to this playlist featuring music from some of the greatest!