'Disaster!': What critics are saying and a look at Broadway's jukebox musicals
-
Molly Driscoll Staff writer
The Broadway show 鈥淒isaster!鈥� is the newest 鈥渏ukebox musical鈥� to arrive on the Great White Way.
The show, which opened on March 8, is a parody of the disaster movie genre and includes various 1970s hits. It stars book co-writer Seth Rudetsky, Adam Pascal of 鈥淩ent,鈥� 鈥淐atch Me If You Can鈥� actress Kerry Butler, and 鈥淵oung Frankenstein鈥� actor Roger Bart, among others.聽
In the show, various passengers on the casino ship Barracuda find themselves going up against a tsunami, an earthquake, and other various crises, performing such songs as 鈥淚 Will Survive鈥� and 鈥淚鈥檇 Really Love to See You Tonight.鈥�
Many critics say the show is fun, though some are divided on whether the parody wears thin.聽
New York Times writer Charles Isherwood calls the show a 鈥�.鈥澛�
鈥淸鈥楧isaster!鈥橾 will never rank among the great musicals of our era 颅鈥� or even the great jukebox musicals of our era, a rather small demographic,鈥� Mr. Isherwood writes. 鈥淏ut for anyone with a moist, albeit mortifying, affection for the oeuvre of that great auteur Irwin Allen (guilty), and the K-Tel era of pop music (guilty), 鈥楧isaster!鈥� will provide a rush of giddy nostalgia that鈥檚 just as pleasurable, at times, as the more substantial rewards of the musical theater鈥檚 higher-reaching shows鈥� a sensational cast.鈥澛�
Washington Post writer Peter Marks found the show to be 鈥溾�� it is the caliber of these parodists that keeps the silliness afloat.鈥�
However, Chicago Tribune critic Chris Jones wrote that the musical 鈥溾�� it was too late for me about halfway through Act 1.鈥�
With its 鈥�70s songbook, 鈥淒isaster!鈥� is the newest Broadway entry in the 鈥渏ukebox musical鈥� genre, the term for a stage show that uses pre-existing music. Think 鈥淢amma Mia!鈥� or 鈥淩ock of Ages.鈥澛�
And 鈥淢amma鈥� is a key reference in this genre, as the musical, which is based on the music of ABBA, is often credited with kickstarting the popularity of this kind of show. 鈥淢amma鈥� became a huge hit 鈥� a movie version was made in 2008 鈥� and closed on Broadway just last year after opening in 2001.
Musicals including 鈥淛ersey Boys,鈥� which told the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, as well as the Billy Joel musical 鈥淢ovin鈥� Out鈥� and the recent Carole King musical 鈥淏eautiful,鈥� among many others, all followed.聽
Some criticize this genre for its reliance on already-written songs.聽
鈥淎ll these years on, isn't it starting to look , a bit sub-panto, to keep on using pop hits rather than starting new musicals from scratch?鈥� Guardian writer Barbara Ellen asked in 2006. Upon attending several of these musicals, including 鈥淢amma鈥� and 鈥淢ovin鈥�,鈥� she wrote, 鈥淐ross-pollination of the arts is nothing new and it doesn't do to be precious, but who really wants this kind of thing?鈥�
But others take the view that these shows can be good and that the genre as a whole shouldn鈥檛 be unfairly maligned.
Sarah Larson of The New Yorker wrote, 鈥淒one well, jukebox musicals, which are by nature about popular music, can have great music and dramatic insight, too. , and I hope that producers and librettists continue to make the genre better. Great pop music can be celebrated well and enjoyably.鈥� Ms. Larson cited the 2013 jazz musical "After Midnight" and the Carole King musical "Beautiful" as two jukebox musicals that are also impressive shows.
