Idolator: Musicals

MIchael Jackson May Lead A Pack Of Synchronized Zombies Down The Great White Way

Kate Richardson — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST

If there's one thing you can be absolutely sure of, it's that Michael Jackson's "Thriller" will never, ever die, thanks to awesomely crappy early-oughts pop-punk, bad rom-coms, and silly world record attempts. So it's no surprise that rumors are now surfacing about Thriller: The Musical!

The New York Post's gossip pages are reporting that the John Landis-directed video to the title track of his 1982 album – the biggest-selling in history – is to made into an all-singing, all-dancing stage spectacular.

No word yet as to whether Jackson would be involved, or if any of his other songs would be included, but if it went ahead, the musical would be produced Broadway heavyweight James Nederlander, whose credits include The Lion King, Rent, Wicked and Aida.

Honestly how did this not come about sooner? Talk about a cash cow. If there are two things that the crazed individuals of this world love to spend money on, it's Michael Jackson and Broadway musicals. If the producers can figure out a way to fit in Clay Aiken, David Archuleta, and/or Tokio Hotel, this could be kryptonite to even the most punishing recession. And it's not like someone hasn't thought of bringing together the King Of Pop and the Princes Of Internet Mope-Rock already:

Michael Jackson's Thriller set for stage? [Guardian]
Michael Jackson feat. Tokio Hotel [YouTube]

Steven Soderbergh Calls Miss Cleo

Lucas Jensen — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:30:00 EST

File this one in the "It's So Crazy That It Just Might Work And Even If It Doesn't It Might Still Be Rad In A Showgirls Way" category: Indie auteur Steven Soderbergh wants to make a big-budget musical called Cleo starring Hugh Jackman and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Cleo would follow the love affair of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. It would also be scored by the music of Dayton's own Guided By Voices. And it would be in 3-D, because why not?

Today, Anne Thompson of Variety reconfirmed the whole thing with Soderbergh, who said that it will be fashioned after the Rita Hayworth musical, Gilda, which is very glamorous and classy and not very chintzy. Huh. Does the world need another Moulin Rouge or Across the Universe? Probably not, but I'm all for new ideas. Bring on Hugh Jackman's Antony belting "Pimple Zoo"!

Soderbergh: Che and Cleo [Variety; HT: CHUD]
Soderbergh preps 3D musical Cleo, GBV pens score [Paste]

The Libertines Are Back And Writing A Musical

Anthony Miccio — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:15:00 EDT

British magazine editors working in America who wanted to see Babyshamble Pete Doherty and Dirty Pretty Thing Carl Barat reunite the Libertines and save rock'n'roll won't have to wait much longer. The pair is hard at work on... a musical! Britain's illustrious Donmar Warehouse has commissioned the former bandmates to write a fresh bunch of numbers about the early days of a troubled rock band. Gee, where will they come up with ideas?

A spokesperson for the Donmar said that "we are excited to be engaging with such brilliant talent", adding that the theatre's associate director, the actor Douglas Hodge, is working with the pair with "no deadlines attached". But, according to Barat - who said last month that he was to spend a week at Doherty's Wiltshire home working on the project - Hodge's expectations are high. "The theatre wants lots of new songs," Barat said. "We'll probably have to write about 20. But first we have to sit down and think about the rock'n'roll story."

Despite the lack of a deadline, the Donmar is hoping for an early 2009 debut. It didn't take long for these guys to go from "underground rock heroes" to showtunes, did it?

Pete Doherty to write rock'n'roll musical with former Libertines bandmate [Guardian]

Breaking: Hair Metal Was Kind Of Funny, Wasn't It?

Brian Raftery — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 10:54:05 EST

Until Rum Tum Tugger gets his own comeback show, we're not going to be doing much Broadway coverage. But we were intrigued by this casting call for Stairway To Hell, a new show about "the world's most successful Heavy Metal band."

WART HOG cover every kind of metal from the heaviest to the most pop: Led Zep, AC/DC, Motorhead, KISS, Scorpions, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, etc. Their live show is incredible. It's the best of Vegas meets the best of Metal: strippers, midgets, freaks, fat girls in thongs, and lots of fire...
[We're seeking] a JACK BLACK-like singer/comedian that can sing well without taking himself too seriously — an underdog the audience can root for.

Granted, Berke Breathed did this joke about twenty years ago, and even then, the metal-is-funny-because-it's-stupid joke was already gettng old. That said, if they're really looking for a bunch of metal-adoring lackwits who clearly don't take themselves too seriously, we know just the band to call.

New Musical Features Characters Who Would Never Be Caught Dead Watching A Musical

mjohnston — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:22:06 EDT

If you loved the John Cusack as indie snob vehicle High Fidelity, but left the theater with a nagging feeling that it lacked a certain Billy Joel-esque willingness to turn Cusack's tortured interior monologues into torturous, plodding songs, you're in luck: High Fidelity: The Musical opens on Broadway this winter. In the spirit of HiFi's incessant listmaking, here's one we'd like to see: Top five bands featured in the movie who were approached about penning music, but wisely decided to run away from the wretched idea on principle. (Somehow, we're thinking that Belle and Sebastian are near the top of that list. Call it a hunch.)

High Fidelity The Musical On Broadway [topfivebreakups.com, via Stereogum]