Fans surely remember and love the Cameron Crowe-directed 2000 cult classic Almost Famous, telling the story of a young music journalist in the early ‘70s who takes up an ambitious job with Rolling Stone magazine. That young writer was Crowe himself, and over the past few years has taken up the project of rebooting the story on Broadway.
LISTEN NOW: Rolling Stone Music Now: Cameron Crowe on 'Almost Famous: The Musical' and More
In this episode of Rolling Stone Musc Now, writer and director Cameron Crowe discusses with host Brian Hiatt the making of his brand new musical reboot of Almost Famous, on Broadway now, revealing some of the real-life rock stories behind it.
"I wanted the musical to kind of have a similar elixir," Cameron says of the way the film itself pulls you into this feeling of it being the best time, while also feeling as though you are in the best time yourself. "But you gotta chase it, and really be observant with all the little changes that happen as you go."
"I did like coming up with new music," he says, "so that you could play the game with it of what's new and what's from the era. Also there's a little bit of looking forward and looking back with references to how things are gonna be in the future."
"I do have a sentimental feeling about 1973; I do kind of feel like that's the year when things definitely started to change. I remember these young managers... I started to see them get replaced by lawyers, and I would overhear conversations sometimes like, 'they don't know how much money is on the table and if I don't take it someone else will.' I remember thinking even as a little guy, 'this is gonna not be good. This is gonna punish these guys for being idealistic young musicians and as Rock gets bigger, they're gonna get screwed more and be replaced by people who are more commercially minded.' I saw it even as a young Rock fan; and it started happening in 1973. So, I like that we have the last glowing embers of what was briefly an idealistic venture, even Rolling Stone at the time, and that's present in the play along with a fond tip of the hat to all the things that can never last. But a great song from that era does last, so if the play can give you that feeling, it's not muzac, it's something that's still alive."
Also in this episode, Cameron reveals the story about the day Joni Mitchell came to see the show, why he's into the idea of making a movie in the Marvel Comic Universe, and much more; plus Broadway veteran Tom Kitt digs into the making of the music.
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Listen to the full Rolling Stone Music Now episode featuring Cameron Crowe -- now playing on Audacy -- and follow along for more conversations with the writers and editors of Rolling Stone, bringing listeners inside the biggest stories in music.
While you're in the mood, browse and follow some of Audacy's all-new stations like See You At The Movies, The 60s, The 70s, 80s Guitar, Rock N’ Road, Freedom Rock, The Canyon, Arena Rock, Wake Up and Rock, and The Roots of Rock for those who crave the early days.
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