LONDON — The Spice Girls have reunited, briefly, to launch Viva Forever! - a new West End musical based on their hit songs. Victoria Beckham, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell helped unveil the show at a central London hotel on Tuesday. Written by comedian Jennifer Saunders, the musical will explore the “bitter reality of fame” and be set against the backdrop of a TV talent show. Viva Forever! opens at London's Piccadilly Theatre on Dec. 11. The show is the idea of Judy Craymer, producer of Abba musical Mamma Mia!, who described Saunders as a “brilliant collaborator”. “She understands the anxieties in women, the fear of judgment and trepidation that one day they get to a certain age and become invisible,” Craymer said. According to its producers, Viva Forever! is “the story of a beautiful, talented girl and her best friends who get swept up in the obsession of today's TV celebrity culture”. The musical “charts her journey into the world of overnight fame and its impact on her relationships with her mother and the friends she thought she'd have forever”. Craymer said Saunders' story would “embrace all generations”. The musical will be directed by Paul Garrington, who has staged international productions of Mamma Mia! and Dirty Dancing.
‘Jukebox' musical Viva Forever! is the latest in a line of so-called “jukebox” musicals that use popular songs to score what is often a fresh storyline. The commercial success of Mamma Mia! has helped fuel dozens of similar shows, such as Jersey Boys - featuring the hits of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons - and the Michael Jackson show Thriller Live. Mamma Mia!, which opened in 1999, is booking in the West End until April 2013, while We Will Rock You, based on the music of Queen, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Yet other examples of the genre have enjoyed lesser success. Despite winning an Olivier for best new musical, the Madness-based Our House closed in 2003 after 10 months in the West End. The opening of Viva Forever! will coincide with that of The Bodyguard, a musical based on the 1992 Whitney Houston film that opens at the Adelphi in December. The Spice Girls topped the charts in 31 countries with their 1996 debut single Wannabe and went on to sell more than 75 million albums worldwide. The group created the 1990s mantra “Girl Power” and starred in their own feature film, Spiceworld, in 1997. The Spice Girls disbanded in 2000 but reformed seven years later for a reunion tour. Craymer said she was “thrilled” the five had shown “so much encouragement and support” about a musical she insisted was “not a tribute show”. “The positivity, energy, humour, excitement and friendships that encapsulated the Spice Girls and their songs have inspired the whole creative team,” she added. Tuesday's launch was held at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, the location where the group filmed the video for Wannabe. Previews of Viva Forever! begin at the Piccadilly on 27 November. — Agencies
