Lately, Broadway has been a friendly place for biomusicals. Ain't Too Proud, Beautiful, and The Cher Show continue their runs, and Tina, which tells the true life story of singer Tina Turner, will start previews October 12.
While those shows—and the currently running Off-Broadway production of Jersey Boys—are based on the lives of the artists behind their songs, others choose to pull from the catalog of an artist (or multiple artists) to tell a new story. That includes the recently opened Moulin Rouge! and the upcoming Broadway transfer of the Off-Broadway hit Girl From the North Country. Check out the gallery below for a look at 12 jukebox musicals that have repurposed songs for new narratives over the years.
All Shook Up, featuring the music of Elvis Presley
Cheyenne Jackson and the Cast of All Shook Up
Joan Marcus
American Idiot Playbill - Opening Night
Stark Sands, John Gallagher, Jr., and Michael Esper in American Idiot.
Escape to Margaritaville Playbill - Opening Night
Paul Alexander Nolan and the cast
Matthew Murphy
Good Vibrations Playbill - Opening Night, Jan 2005
Cast of Good Vibrations
Head Over Heels Playbill - Opening Night
Taylor Iman Jones and company
Joan Marcus
Holler If Ya Hear Me, featuring the music of Tupac Shakur
The cast
Joan Marcus
Mamma Mia, featuring the music of ABBA
Judy McLane, Carolee Carmello and Gina Ferrall in Mamma Mia!
Joan Marcus
Moulin Rouge Playbill - Opening Night
Danny Burstein
Matthew Murphy
Movin' Out Playbill - Opening Night
Ashley Tuttle, Benjamin G. Bowman, Elizabeth Parkinson, John Selya, and the company
Joan Marcus
Priscilla Queen of the Desert Playbill - Opening Night, Feb 2011
Will Swenson, Tony Sheldon, and Nick Adams in Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Joan Marcus
Ring of Fire, featuring the music of Johnny Cash
From Left: Cass Morgan, Lari White and Beth Malone in Ring of Fire.
Photo by Joan Marcus
Rock of Ages Playbill - Opening Night
Constantine Maroulis in Broadway's Rock of Ages
Joan Marcus
