The Seattle Repertory Theater is launching a musical based on the city’s definitive era of music 90’s ‘grunge’ with music from the BMG library which includes Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and even our Chicago guys Smashing Pumpkins. Former Nirvana manager Janet Billig Rich is on board with the production according to Variety and the song writers will be credited as authors for the musical theater show which will use lyrics from previously released songs to tell the story. The concept reportedly revolves around the story line taking place in Seattle in the early 90’s featuring ” a brilliant grunge musician and the rival who may have killed him. ”
- NEW UNEARTHED VIDEO: Nirvana plays in an empty Radioshack in 1988
- AUDIO: Chris Cornell performing in the 101WKQX studios in 2013
This may sound like a stretch but solid musicals have been adopted from rock bands in the past. Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ album which is already a high concept album has been produced into a musical with a film version set to be produced by HBO in the future. British rock legends the Who and Queen have also had their music adapted into stage musicals. And overall there is a lot of stage musicals based of adapted material from TV and Movies currently running. Still the Grunge era of alternative never seemed to lend itself to chorus lines and dancing, did it? Unless they are doing it ironically like the kids in that ‘Hulapalooza’ episode of The Simpsons.
