Five rock stars who (almost) appeared in musical theatre

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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

Transcript

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.

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