The Setup
Musical is a Canadian-German television series that originally aired on CBC during the 2014-15 season. The show centres on the Viagra musical, a stage-musical adaptation of the 1997 film Good Will Hunting. The show’s working title was Willing B. Hunter, in reference to the titular character played by Robin Williams in the original film.
Written by Canadian playwright Richard E. Robinson, the musical is directed by Toronto’s Lisa Wolff and features music and lyrics by Jeff Buckley. The series features a cast of prominent Canadian and international actors, including John Malkovich, Jane Curtin, Oliver Platt, Chris Mulhaney, Michael Potts, and Richard Schiff.
The Creative Process
In a 2014 interview with CBC Radio, Wolff discussed the creative process behind the series, “Musical is a challenging show to make because it’s a bit of a departure from what we normally do. We normally do very clean stories with clearly defined characters and this is a bit of a departure. It’s funny because it’s like we’re playing in the world of jazz.”
Wolff continued, “I think it’s going to be interesting for audiences who aren’t familiar with the world of jazz to come along for the ride and see what we’re doing, because it’s an extremely challenging show to pull off. It’s a risk. We’re taking a risk. Either we’re going to be successful or we’re going to fail miserably. But I think that the more risk you take, the more you’re rewarded.”
The fact that the show is set in the world of jazz presents musical with a number of unique challenges. One of the most significant is that, due to the nature of the medium, the show’s creators must grapple with the issue of representation. In the words of Robinson, “We have a lot of characters and they all have different story lines so we have to make sure that we’re not just making one story where everyone fits.”
Another key area of focus for the creators is to ensure that their adaptation accurately reflects the complex nature of the source material. Robinson shared, “One of the things that we’re doing is making sure that the music, the lyrics, and the overall story make sense. So that it’s not just a random mix of songs that you would probably never hear in a bar or at a jazz club. We want to bring in the essence of jazz but make it relevant to the modern world.”
In an interview with NPR, Buckley added, “We’re not just translating the film; we’re taking a whole other approach, which is more theatrical. We want to make it a different kind of experience for people. We want to evoke the spirit of jazz without pandering to it.”
The Response
So far, the show is attracting a lot of attention from television critics and audiences alike, with many praising its fresh approach. In a five-star review for Variety, Joe Leydon wrote, “The unusual pairing of comedian Robin Williams and filmmaker Martin Scorsese yields a strange yet charming cinematic hybrid that should lure both old and new fans to the big screen…This is a singular achievement in television, as well as a great feat of casting.”
In a more mixed review, Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “Though it’s true that musical offers up some intriguingly odd pairings — between the likes of Williams and Scorsese, and John Malkovich and Jane Curtin — the show as a whole only occasionally bursts with creative inspiration.”
In addition to earning positive reviews, the series has attracted a number of high-profile viewers. In a recent interview with CBC Radio, Wolff discussed the show’s unique appeal, “I think that part of what makes this show different is that it’s a little more unusual and a little more unpredictable. So there’s something about that that makes it more appealing to audiences. I think that we have tapped into a little bit of what’s exciting about jazz.”
Why Now?
When the series premiered, it was the subject of much critical and public attention. The series is set to premiere in Germany this coming winter, providing another opportunity for audiences to engage with this intriguing new take on the jazz genre.
But while the show’s initial broadcast was greeted with positivity, it wasn’t long before several problems arose. On December 5, 2014, Robinson tweeted, “The CBC cut off my mic, but now they seem to regret it. I’m just trying to do my job and they’re trying to silence me. Thanks for the love.”
Shortly after the show’s premiere, Robinson became one of the first high-profile figures to speak out against CBC’s “bias towards the right” and demanded that the national broadcaster “acknowledge its privilege.” Soon after, several other prominent figures in the Canadian creative community began demanding a public apology from the network. Following a complaint by Malkovich, the CBC’s director of communications issued a statement claiming that the network “always strives to be impartial and balanced,” asserting that it “does not tolerate bias, and [was] not aware of any wrongdoing.”
But this was far from the end of CBC’s issues with the series. On January 14, 2015, the CBC reportedly issued a legal threat to the creators of a podcast called Law Enforcement Against CBC. The podcast host’s only crime was to discuss plans to investigate the American television network for potential violations of Canadian copyright law. In a statement provided to the media, the show’s creators expressed surprise at the development and denied any wrongdoing.
The Biggest Challenge
The biggest challenge facing musical is to ensure that it does not deviate too far from the original source material while still conveying the essence of the jazz genre. Robinson shared, “One of the things that we’re doing is making sure that the music, the lyrics, and the overall story make sense. So that it’s not just a random mix of songs that you would probably never hear in a bar or at a jazz club. We want to bring in the essence of jazz but make it relevant to the modern world.”
Another area of focus for the creators is to ensure that their adaptation accurately reflects the complex nature of the source material. In an interview with The New York Times, Robinson elaborated, “We want to make sure that we’re not just translating the film; we’re taking a whole other approach, which is more theatrical. We want to make it a different kind of experience for people. We want to evoke the spirit of jazz without pandering to it.”
The fact that the show is set in the world of jazz presents musical with a number of unique challenges. One of the most significant is that, due to the nature of the medium, the show’s creators must grapple with the issue of representation. In the words of Robinson, “We have a lot of characters and they all have different story lines so we have to make sure that we’re not just making one story where everyone fits.”
Another key area of focus for the creators is to ensure that their adaptation accurately reflects the complex nature of the source material. Robinson shared, “One of the things that we’re doing is making sure that the music, the lyrics, and the overall story make sense. So that it’s not just a random mix of songs that you would probably never hear in a bar or at a jazz club. We want to bring in the essence of jazz but make it relevant to the modern world.”
In an interview with NPR, Buckley added, “We’re not just translating the film; we’re taking a whole other approach, which is more theatrical. We want to make it a different kind of experience for people. We want to evoke the spirit of jazz without pandering to it.”