What is a "filmed live musical"?
A stage musical, filmed in front of a live audience, and made available for public viewing."
To be included in the database, a show needs to be:
The following shows are not included:
In 2011, I was among a group of musical theatre students sitting enthralled in London's Swiss Cottage Odeon Cinema watching Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, and a luminary cast perform Stephen Sondheim's Company at the Lincoln Center in New York. The show had taken place some six months before, but the production had been filmed live, and made available in cinemas around the world. We didn't have to be in New York, to go to Broadway. Broadway had come to us.
The screening included a pre-recorded interview with producer Ellen M. Krass who stated that she had had trouble getting funding for the project. I was surprised. After all, the Met Opera and National Theatre had been making filmed live performances available for years. Digital Theatre had just launched in the UK. Why were Broadway musicals the exception to this rule?
There is an abundance of information in the world about movie musicals, and stage musicals. But what about stage musicals that are filmed live and broadcast? Is the result still theatre? Is it a film? Is filmed theatre a whole new genre of its own?
As a result of the screening, I wrote my Masters thesis on "Filmed Live Theatre" in 2011. I have followed the world of filmed live musicals ever since and been excited by the growth of available content. It is my belief that legal and high quality filmed live recordings for musicals will soon be as accepted as cast recordings.
- A stage musical
- Legally filmed in front of a live audience
- Legally made available for public viewing
The following shows are not included:
- Bootlegs. They're illegal. They deny the cast and creatives fair compensation for their work. They are often poor quality and make people think that filmed live theatre is awful.
- "MusicalLIVE!" events like The Sound of Music Live!, Peter Pan Live!, Grease LIVE! and The Wiz LIVE! Yes, Grease had a "live audience," but audience members could not watch the entire show. Also I hate adverts in the middle of my musical experience thank you very much.
- Movie musicals. I love 'em, but they are not films of live stage shows - even if the movie is based on a show that was once on stage
- Musicals filmed for the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT) at the New York Public Library. These recordings are only made available to approved researchers, and are only available to view in New York City.
In 2011, I was among a group of musical theatre students sitting enthralled in London's Swiss Cottage Odeon Cinema watching Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, and a luminary cast perform Stephen Sondheim's Company at the Lincoln Center in New York. The show had taken place some six months before, but the production had been filmed live, and made available in cinemas around the world. We didn't have to be in New York, to go to Broadway. Broadway had come to us.
The screening included a pre-recorded interview with producer Ellen M. Krass who stated that she had had trouble getting funding for the project. I was surprised. After all, the Met Opera and National Theatre had been making filmed live performances available for years. Digital Theatre had just launched in the UK. Why were Broadway musicals the exception to this rule?
There is an abundance of information in the world about movie musicals, and stage musicals. But what about stage musicals that are filmed live and broadcast? Is the result still theatre? Is it a film? Is filmed theatre a whole new genre of its own?
As a result of the screening, I wrote my Masters thesis on "Filmed Live Theatre" in 2011. I have followed the world of filmed live musicals ever since and been excited by the growth of available content. It is my belief that legal and high quality filmed live recordings for musicals will soon be as accepted as cast recordings.