By David DeRocco                            dave@gobeweekly.com  https://twitter.com/?lang=en 

Discovering a four trombone instrumental cover version of the Bon Jovi classic “Livin’ On A Prayer” on YouTube might inspire a typical social media user to just share the link. Paul O’Donnell, on the other hand, was inspired to write a Bon Jovi musical – sort of.

“This is what kicked me off on this route,” explained O’Donnell, the British creator and sole performer in the “almost entirely imagined” Bon Jovi musical, We’ve Got Each Other. “There was something about this track that automatically clicked as the grand overture for a hit musical. I was also pretty surprised that a musical hadn’t already been made on the work of Bon Jovi. I decided to set this right – confetti cannons and all – except, sadly, I couldn’t afford the cannons.”

From Mama Mia to Tommy to Jersey Boys, modern “jukebox” musicals usually feature a multi-talented cast, a live band, colourful costumes, extravagant dance routines and all the typical excesses of big-budget theatre. We’ve Got Each Other has none of that, relying instead on the singularly focused comedic talents of O’Donnell himself. The result is a bizarre but entirely hilarious hybrid of stand-up comedy, sit down comedy, story-telling, singing and dancing that has O’Donnell narrating the Bon Jovi musical he’d love to stage – if only he had the money.

“You, the audience, get to imagine it, with the help of my live comedic descriptions, 180+ lighting cues and cover versions of Bon Jovi classics,” explained O’Donnell. “It shouldn’t work. I’m still not fully sure how it works. But you leave the theatre after just over an hour of watching me on an empty stage with that glorious musical-theatre feeling as though you had just watched a two hour musical extravaganza. And really, is there anything more “Livin’ On A Prayer” than that?”

Given the austere nature of the production budget, O’Donnell says he relies heavily on audience reaction and engagement to heighten the energy of the performance. “We’ve Got Each Other has never felt boring for me. This is purely because of the always surprising and unpredictable audience responses. Every single show I am faced with a spontaneous gasp or cheer or shout out, and whenever or however they happen they dramatically change how I bring that section to life.”

O’Donnell promises that Bon Jovi-loving fans will hear plenty of the Jersey rocker’s hits, performed in a fashion worthy of Jon Bon’s own theatrical stage presence. As for how audiences should prepare to view the production, O’Donnell says they should come to We’ve Got Each Other open-minded and prepared to “play along.”

“What audiences have consistently fed back on tour, at Edinburgh Festival Fringe or on other international tour dates, is that ‘this is not at all what I expected, but I absolutely love it.’ Some say ‘I love Bon Jovi so I absolutely adored the show.’ Others have said ‘I hate Bon Jovi but absolutely adored this show.’ If you fancy taking a little risk, if you’re a bit of a thrill seeker, or someone who just thrives on the unexpected, then in the words of Bon Jovi, give it a shot!”

(Photo credit: Alex Brenner) 

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