Stayin’ Alive: Universal Music Group strike deal for Bee Gees musical
Universal Music Group (UMG) has set in motion a musical based on the lives of the Bee Gees brothers.
The project has been sanctioned by Barry Gibb, Maurice’s widow Yvonne Gibb (he died in 2003), and the Estate of Robin Gibb (he died in 2012).
Barry Gibb will serve as an executive producer on the project.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our family,” he said. “I’m personally very excited to be a part of the creative process along with Yvonne and Dwina.
“It’s another adventure for us and a chance to throw the spotlight on all my brothers and finally the real story of us will be told. It’s an honour to be working alongside the people I most respect. I can’t wait to get started!”
The musical will be produced by Universal Theatrical Group (UTG), the live theatre division Universal Pictures.
UMG now represents the Bee Gees’ entire publishing and recorded music catalogues via Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Records and Universal Music Enterprises.
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said: “The Bee Gees are among the world’s most influential and commercially successful artists.
“We’re honoured to represent their publishing and recorded music catalogues and we’re thrilled to be involved in this important new project.
“This production will honour the trio’s iconic legacy and help introduce a new generation of fans to a band responsible for some of the greatest songs and melodies in pop music”
Details as who will be part of the creative team, when work will start on the musical, and where its first run in the world will be, are yet to be announced.
The Bee Gees have, as of July 2013, sold more than 220 million records worldwide. It places them among the world’s best-selling music artists of all time.
Migrating from the UK in the ‘50s, they began their music career on the Gold Coast.
It took awhile for it to get moving. It wasn’t until their 12th single, ‘Spicks And Specks’, that they had a hit in Australia.
They then relocated to London in the late ‘60s and, then to Miami where they plugged into the growing disco boom with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and had phenomenal success with ‘Stayin’ Alive’, ‘Night Fever’, How Deep Is Your Love’ and ‘You Should Be Dancing’.
The Gibbs have been trying to get a musical off the ground for decades. Ten years ago, Barry and Robin signed with producer Steve Wynn but nothing came of it.
However, Saturday Night Fever was also a musical in 1998 and grossed $237million.
But other musicals based on music acts with a catalogue of jukebox hits, have been more successful.
The Jersey Boys, about the US doo-wop group The Four Seasons,which opened in 2005, hit the US$2 billion global gross last December.
The Abba-themed Mamma Mia! which began in 1999 has also gone past $2 billion at the box office.
Carole King’s Beautiful shifted $13 million in its first six months in America.
Universal’s biggest success on Broadway has been Wicked, which was the fastest Broadway production to hit the $2 billion mark and has been seen by 50 million worldwide.
It was also involved in Billy Elliot, Bring It On and Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. In 2016, UTG also acquired DreamWorks Theatricals (Shrek The Musical, Madagascar).
After a break from live performing, Barry Gibb returned to the spotlight, last year releasing the In The Now solo record and playing major festivals.
The Bee Gees also signed a new distribution deal with Capitol Records, which returned them to the Universal family.
In February 2017, Demi Lovato, Little Big Town, Andra Day and Tori Kelly united for an all-star Bee Gees tribute at the Grammy Awards, as part of the 40th-anniversary celebrations of Saturday Night Fever.