Friday, June 23, 2006

Trender Bender

You know the trend of taking the catalog of an oldies act (The Four Seasons, Abba) and building a musical around it? It's now officially gone too far:
Gabba Gabby Hey!-- the Ramones musical...makes its UK debut on July 31


As once and future Ink 19 editor Ian Koss points out, given the average length of the Ramones' songs, this looks to be a pretty short musical. And I can't help imagining this whispered conversation taking place in the audience...

"Is this a reprise?"

"No, all their songs just sound alike."

6 comments:

Bill said...

There already is a Ramones musical: it's called Rock 'N' Roll High School.

Ben Varkentine said...

Stage musical, Bill.

Bill said...

To which I reply: Hairspray.

Ben Varkentine said...

To which I reply in turn: Huh? Hairspray (the film or the stage musical) is not derived from the existing catalog of an oldies band.

Neither, if memory serves, is Rock N' Roll High School.

I'm talking about shows like Mamma Mia! which is built around Abba songs, or whatever the show based on the Four Seasons is called.

That's the kind of show that's now being made from the Ramones.

Bill said...

My point, basically, was that since there already is a musical comedy centered around the Ramones (which does feature the band's music throughout) that one of these catalog shows seems more than a little superfluous. I also don't see this flying for an American audience - both Abba and the Four Seasons had a string of Number Ones in this country whereas Joey and the boys had no real chart action - but perhaps it'll work for a London crowd of forty-ish former punkers?

Ben Varkentine said...

Oh, I know-there are tons. I was just citing the first two that came to mind. I think Mamma Mia was the only really big hit.