Elvis Coming to Broadway

Elvis Presley's music will be the centerpiece of a Broadway musical that will debut in the spring of 2005. Though Elvis will not be a character in All Shook Up, twenty of his songs will be included in the musical tale of a magic jukebox.

The musical, which was commissioned by Presley's estate, was written by Joe DiPietro (whose I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change was the longest running musical revue in off-Broadway history) and is being produced by Clear Channel Entertainment and Miramax. It will run at a theater in Chester, Connecticut, in May 2004 before arriving in New York City.

The musical will follow other Broadway productions that have utilized rock music from yesteryear including "Movin' Out" (Billy Joel) and "Mamma Mia" (Abba). A musical based on John Lennon's songs is also scheduled for 2005.

All Shook Up continues a wave of Elvis rediscovery sparked by last year's hit compilation Elvis 30 #1 Hits, which spawned a sequel, Elvis 2nd to None, released this summer.

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Great Gatsby' Is a Crushing Disappointment
• 
  TV Why You Should Watch 'Happy Endings'
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter