Musicals biography
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The Beloved Bio-Musical
From Tina to MJ, The Boy from Oz to The Cher Show, the bio-musical is without a doubt a staple of modern musical theater. With the familiar sounds of our favorite artists' back catalog of work, the bio-musical can draw in both veteran theater goers and first-time visitors to the world of huvudgata. By definition a bio-musical is a show based on an individual’s life and or a historical event. The stories can follow well-known recording artists, political figures, or key moments in history. The real life stories and events brought to the stage have continued to intrigue audiences and break box office records in recent years. As a result, theater makers continue to turn the life and times of our stars, statesmen, scholars and socialites into all singing all dancing tell-alls – and we are here for it!
The Cher Show
Our Fav Song: "If I can Turn Back Time”
First in our lineu
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Jukebox musicals are a longheld tradition in musical theatre, but the modern bio-musical (telling an artist’s life story through their catalog of music) really started to pick up steam with the Tony-winning hit Jersey Boys in 2005. There are plenty of bio-musicals still running on Broadway and around the globe, and more preparing to hit the stage.
Is your favorite artist on this list?
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
The artist at the center: Carole King
The singer-songwriter transformed the sound of the ’60s and ’70s by penning hits for artists like Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, and James Taylor. Her own songs include “It’s Too Late” and “So Far Away.”
Where and when you can see it: Broadway’s Stephen Sondh
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The Reign of the Bio-Musicals
This week marked the official opening of the latest biographical musical (or ‘bio-musical,’ if you will) to hit the West End stage. Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical celebrated its press night at the Lyric Theatre on 20 October with critics praising the reggae-infused production as “a joyful night out that also feels like an important cultural event” (Evening Standard) and “a brilliant show that gives Bob Marley back his bite” (The Telegraph).
In addition, my colleague Richard and I took a trip to the beautiful Theatre Royal in Newcastle yesterday to check out the next bio-musical gearing up for its own West End premiere. The Drifters Girl tells the little-known story behind the much-loved American vocal group (with its revolving door of members) and their pioneering female manager, Faye Treadwell. The jukebox tuner, which boasts such standards as “Save the Last Dance For Me,” “Under the Boardwalk,” and “Saturday Night at the Movie