With Benjamin Jackson having interviewed Enter Shikari's Rou Reynolds ahead of his role in the 2025 UK tour of "The War of The Worlds," he takes a look at five rock stars who have appeared, or were scheduled to appear, in jukebox musicals across the world.
Music: Pixabay
Music: Pixabay
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00When news arrived in my inbox that Enter Shikari's Ru Reynolds would be part of the 2025 UK tour
00:06of Jeff Lynne's musical version of The War of the Worlds, my first thought was, take
00:11my money, take all of it, please.
00:14Being an Enter Shikari fan, of course, that was the natural conclusion I came to.
00:19But for some other people that I knew and some of the comments online, it seemed a kind
00:24of odd choice, a post-hardcore singer in a musical jukebox?
00:28That seems kind of weird, don't you think?
00:31Isn't that the kind of thing a soap actress would do with Chicago, or wouldn't it be akin
00:35to someone doing panto from the metal world?
00:38But lead singers in jukebox musicals are nothing new, and some of your favourite rock stars
00:42have even gone on to appear, or almost appear in some situations, in a number of musical
00:48productions.
00:49Who, you may ask?
00:51Well, here's my five picks of rock stars that were in, or were set to be in, huge musical
00:57theatre shows.
01:01The man who caused me to be stepped on by teenage girls throughout my teenage years
01:05whenever he took his shirt off at gigs, Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd was originally set to
01:10be part of an all-star touring cast of Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Tour in 2014.
01:18Boyd was set to perform as the show's main antagonist, Judas Iscariot, alongside names
01:23such as Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child, NSYNC's JC Chazez as Pontius Pellet,
01:29and Sex Pistols' slash Public Image Limited frontman John Lydon as King Herod.
01:35Boyd himself remarked that he was excited about the role, describing his casting as
01:39Judas as a thrilling opportunity and a natural fit given the rock-heavy score of Jesus Christ
01:45Superstar.
01:46However, the tour was cancelled on May 30th, 2014, just days before the first show was
01:51supposed to take place in New Orleans.
01:55No official reason was given at the time beyond the vague statement citing, quote, unforeseen
02:01circumstances, end quote, although reports and your minds alike indicated poor ticket
02:07sales might have been a contributing factor in the decision.
02:13The frontman for Green Day had a role in the jukebox musical adaptation of their smash
02:17hit album American Idiot, which tells the story of disillusionment and rebellion in
02:23post-911 America.
02:25The album itself was already considered a rock opera, with a loose narrative following
02:30the character of Jesus of Suburbia as he struggles with society, personal identity, and the pressures
02:36of modern life.
02:38Armstrong would portray the character St. Jimmy for a week-long engagement of the production
02:43in September 2010, sparking a resurgence of ticket sales for the production.
02:49And after his first successful stint, Armstrong returned to the show for several more runs
02:53throughout the Broadway production, stepping in multiple times between 2010 and 2011.
03:00He even reprised the role during the national tour in 2011 for select performances in cities
03:05like Los Angeles.
03:12This is Dee Schneider, known as the frontman for Twisted Sister, who had their fair share
03:18of controversy with the PRMC in the 80s.
03:22Schneider performing in a jukebox musical might not have been on many 80s metalheads'
03:26bingo cards, but owing to the subject matter of Rock of Ages, he was the perfect choice
03:31to play Dennis Dupree, the grizzled and hard-partying owner of the Bourbon Room.
03:37Schneider, who rose to fame in the 80s with Twisted Sister, fits seamlessly into the world
03:42of Rock of Ages, with his rockstar persona, signature wild hair and rebellious attitude
03:47aligned perfectly with the musical's nostalgic, high-energy atmosphere.
03:53One of the highlights of Schneider's performance was that he sang Twisted Sister's anthemic
03:57I Wanna Rock as part of the musical's soundtrack.
04:01This brought an extra layer of authenticity to the production, and audiences saw the original
04:06artist performing his own hit within the show as not only novel, but fantastic.
04:12His presence and performance gave a genuine rock'n'roll vibe to the theatrical production,
04:17making it more than just a musical, making it feel like a true rock concert during his
04:22time in the role between October 2010 through to early 2011.
04:33His name was Eddie.
04:35His name was Eddie.
04:38His name was Eddie.
04:41Now while many will recall the short but incredibly sweet cameo the late Meatloaf made
04:45in the cinematic adaptation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the singer's link to the film
04:50stretches much further back than just his motorcycling onto the scene in the film.
04:56Meatloaf first played the role of Eddie in 1973 in the original Los Angeles stage production
05:01of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
05:03If that wasn't enough, he also doubled as Dr. Everett Scott, the wheelchair-bound scientist
05:09which became a standard practice for the stage production, with the same actor often
05:13playing both roles.
05:15Meatloaf has often spoken fondly about his involvement in The Rocky Horror Show, particularly
05:20how it gave him an opportunity to blend his love for music and theatre.
05:24He enjoyed the chaotic, rebellious spirit of Eddie, and his performance in the film
05:29adaptation helped cement his connection with rock'n'roll musicals.
05:33It was a role that Meatloaf adored up until his death, remarking in interviews that
05:38I never thought it would have such a long-lasting impact.
05:42Eddie was a fun character to play, and I love how he embodied the spirit of rock'n'roll,
05:48rebellion and joy.
05:50Rest in peace, Meatloaf.
05:54David Bowie's performance in The Elephant Man was another significant moment in his
05:59career, showcasing his versatility as a performer well beyond the realms of music.
06:06Bowie portrayed John Merrick, the man with severe physical deformities who was mistreated
06:11and marginalised by society, during his production between April 1980 until February 1981 on
06:18London's West End and Broadway.
06:21His role was met with rave reviews by theatre critics, noting his ability to convey the
06:25character's vulnerability and strength, with one reviewer stating,
06:30Bowie's portrayal of Merrick is haunting and beautifully poignant, bringing humanity
06:34to a character often seen only through a lens of pity.
06:39Bowie described his time in the play as transformative.
06:42He went on to say,
06:44Performing live on stage in The Elephant Man was one of the most intense experiences of
06:48my life.
06:49It pushed me to explore deeper emotions and connect with the audience in a way that was
06:54different from music.
06:56But those are my selections, tell me, any other rock stars that ended up doing musical
07:01productions that you think I've missed or who you've enjoyed?
07:05Let me know by leaving a comment down below wherever you see this video.
07:08And I've been Curious Benji once again, you've been patient.