This week, I chat with Dr. Kristin Stultz Pressley, a Broadway historian and lecturer and the co-host of the Dr. Broadway Podcast. We talk about her new book – Jukebox Musicals: Crazy for You to MJ the Musical (Essential Musicals).
The book explores a style of show that’s dominated Broadway for the better part of two decades.
Through a chronological look at the development of long-running hits, like Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys, this book traces the Jukebox Musical from when it was an exception on Broadway to when it became the rule.
Dr. Pressley was a previous guest on the podcast, when we discussed her first book, I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby: Dorothy Fields and Her Life in the American Musical Theater, which was published in 2021.
» See also my previous interview from APRIL 2023, about her book, I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby: Dorothy Fields and Her Life in the American Musical Theater.
Jukebox Musicals: Crazy for You to MJ the Musical (Essential Musicals) (from amazon.com)
What is meant by the phrase “Jukebox Musical”? What does Crazy for You have in common with Mamma Mia! and Moulin Rouge? Why do audiences love – and critics tolerate – Jukebox Musicals?
Jukebox Musicals explores a style of show that’s dominated Broadway for the better part of two decades.
Through a chronological look at the development of long-running hits, like Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys, this book traces the Jukebox Musical from when it was an exception on Broadway to when it became the rule.
Examining the origins and reception for ten of these shows, this volume offers an exploration of one of the most divisive sub-genres of the musical form.
Published in Methuen Drama’s Essential Musicals series, this book is perfect for students of Musical Theatre, drawing together different resources to dig into the backstories of Broadway’s biggest hits and mining the historical record for nuggets of information that illuminate our understanding and enhance our enjoyment of Musical Theatre’s unique brand of magic.
Dr. Kristin Stultz Pressley is a Musical Theatre Historian – and one of Broadway’s biggest fans. A passionate and energetic presenter, Pressley has taught theatre at every level – from pre-school to university. She earned her graduate degrees from the University of Kentucky (Master of Arts in Theatre, 2005) and the University of Georgia (Doctor of Philosophy in Theatre, 2011) and subsequently taught Theatre courses at Presbyterian College (Clinton, SC) and Furman University (Greenville, SC). Find out more at drbroadway.com.
FACEBOOK: @drbwaypodcast
INSTAGRAM: @DrBwayPodcast
WEBSITE: drbroadway.com
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