Last week we finally took Boogie Nights the Seventies Musical to the stage. Five months of rehearsing finally came to life and without wanting to sound like a cliché, it was an experience like no other.

This was my first jukebox musical. And I don’t think I realised just how different it is to an original song based musical. Even compared to contemporary musicals. It’s very unique.

So I’ll start by saying you’d be hard pressed to not enjoy being in a jukebox musical. They are ridiculously fun. Even going beyond the script and songs, you’ll find yourself on stage in the most weird and wonderful scenarios. See exhibit A in which I’m wearing a princess Leia costume with the pope dancing around me.

The miracle of the jukebox musical. This combination came from the incredible mind of our choreographer.

Then there’s the songs. You know them, but you also don’t. Because they’re tweaked for the stage. They have new harmonies. So you get to relearn what you think you know. It keeps you on your toes. There’s also the style of vocal. It’s usually belting, but we also had some falsettos, some soul, and even a bit of karaoke style drunk yelling!

My own experience was two belt numbers back to back. As someone who has never had to belt in her life before, it was certainly a learning curve. And of course it wouldn’t be a jukebox musical without a stretch of lib thereafter. Absolutely exhausting! So I’d definitely recommend working on stamina.

(I also made the very brave/silly decision to do these numbers in a tightened corset!)

Rehearsing for a jukebox is hilarious. It’s a genre you can play with and get creative. It took me up until a few weeks prior to opening night to really tweak my character and I don’t think I fully mastered the comic timing until I got on the stage for dress rehearsal.

And then there’s the audience. A jukebox audience is completely different to the traditional musical audience. For a start, don’t expect them to be quiet! They laugh, cheer, talk back, boo, and sing along. Nothing is off limits! And often each night they react differently. We had audiences side with different characters, laugh at different things, and shout out all sorts! I struggled with it at first, because normally you experience a fairly quiet theatre, bar the odd chuckle or applause. I had a number of moments in which I subtly checked for a costume malfunction because I wasn’t expecting laughter.

My tips for performing in a Jukebox Musical

• Enjoy every moment – it’s one of the most entertaining things you’ll ever do.
• Embrace the madness of it all. Yes you are dancing with the Pope to Starship Trooper whilst dressed as a Star Wars character – don’t question it!
• Take care of your voice because you will be pushing it to its limits.
• Same goes for your body. Don’t expect to be taking it easy on stage.
• Don’t have any expectations of your audience. They will be different every night. And sometimes they’ll say things you can’t help but break character over.
• Support each other. Jukebox Musicals are true ensemble moments, with different roles filling different needs. So make sure you put in your all and give space for others to do the same.
• Adapt as you go. Don’t put yourself in a box and if something isn’t quite landing change it. Your goal is to entertain the audience as much as possible. But pre-warn others if it could impact their performance too!
• Be entertaining! Honestly that’s more important than having the most beautiful voice or delivering tight emotion gripping moments. You have to be able to keep your audience upbeat and enjoying themselves.
• Don’t be too proud to look (or sound) foolish! Crazy costumes, weird dance moves, and ridiculous lines are all part and parcel of the jukebox musical.

I loved being in a jukebox musical – and honestly I can’t wait to do another. It’s fun, ridiculous, energetic and the most amazing on stage experience. So my main advice is if you get the chance to perform in one – go for it! And go see them too!

And on that note, our youth group EMUS will be performing an original jukebox musical, Tainted Love in July. It’s written by Richard Dawson and Lauren Riley, featuring 80s classics you’ll love. Tickets are available now.

All images taken by Ali Langton for Erewash Musical Society (2026) – please do not reproduce without consent and credit.