Jon Bon Jovi Has No Interest in Doing a Musical: 'I've Been Asked to Do That 100 Times'

In a new interview on the "Just for Variety" podcast, music legend Jon Bon Jovi admitted that he is not interested in pursuing a Broadway musical inspired by his work, despite many offers over the years.

“I’ve been asked to do that 100 times,” he told Variety.

“Everybody wanted to write the story of Tommy and Gina [from “Livin’ on a Prayer”], but I’m going to guess that Abba did it and ‘Jersey Boys’ did it, and they did it really well many, many years ago. So I have turned down that opportunity time and again. I do recall all those years ago when I saw ‘Jersey Boys,’ and I went, ‘Oh, that’s our story.’ That’s every band’s story. So our story isn’t that unique."

Jersey Boys is the hit jukebox musical that tells the story of the initial success and subsequent breakup of the band The Four Seasons. It was later made into a film directed by Clint Eastwood.

Bon Jovi went on: "And then I thought, OK, if you take the characters of Tommy and Gina and build two and a half hours around the catalog and their life, then it’s ‘Mamma Mia.’ So that’s not unique.”

Jukebox musicals have become increasingly popular on Broadway, often showcasing the music of one artist or band and going on to become huge hits such as On Your Feet! and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. The Heart of Rock and Roll, a jukebox musical featuring the musical of Huey Lewis and the News, is currently playing at the James Earl Jones Theatre.

Jon Bon Jovi is the rock musician behind the band Bon Jovi. Over his career, his band has released 15 studio albums. A new docuseries about the band, titled Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, recently debuted on Hulu.

Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas