Jukebox musical: History and Key Facts

A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film wherein most of its featured songs are already well known in popular music, rather than part of an original score.

Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs previously performed by one singer or band, or written by one songwriter. In the latter cases, the plot is often a biography of the artist or artists, fictionalized to some degree. In other jukebox musicals, the plot is purely fictional. For musicals about a musician or musical act, some of the songs can be diegetic, meaning that they are performed within the world of the play or film. Works in which all of the music is diegetic, however, such as a biographical film about a singer who is at times shown performing their songs, are generally not considered jukebox musicals.

Revues that lack a plot are also usually not described as jukebox musicals, although plotless shows that include a dance element sometimes are.

Source and attribution

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