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Where to Watch the Tony Winners & Nominees

6/13/2022

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I had so much fun live-tweeting the Tony Awards and sharing the past filmed live work of the nominees! As I shared on Twitter, I love celebrating Broadway & live theatre, but I also want to acknowledge how hard it is for so many people to attend in person because of cost, location, childcare, disability, illness & a myriad of other reasons. 

Filmed theatre provides access to theatre, it creates a historical record of the ephemeral, has the potential to generate new income, and can be used as an educational tool. Filmed theatre must be a part of accessibility planning.

It bodes well that 5 shows from this season were filmed/broadcast (whether from Broadway or the West End). I hope that one day, audiences around the world will be able to access every show. ​

Here you'll find a list of the filmed live musicals and plays from the 2021/22 season, and a list of filmed live musicals that this year's winners and nominees have worked on. 

In this week's newsletter dropping on Thursday, patrons will also have access to a list of plays, operas, films, and other digital works from this year's nominees. If you want access, become a Filmed Live Musical Patron today! You'll also get access to the streaming calendar, early access to the podcast, and more bonus content!  

This post contains affiliate links and as an affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases made through these links.

Filmed Live Shows from the 2021/22 Season
Musicals
Diana: The Musical (2021)
  • Tony noms: Best Costume Design of a Musical - William Ivey Long
  • Sound design by Gareth Owen - nominated for Best Sound Design of a Musical for MJ
  • Filmed live on Broadway without an audience in 2021. Now available to view on Netflix

Girl from the North Country (2022)
  • Tony wins: Best Orchestrations - Simon Hale
  • Tony noms: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical - Conor McPherson, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical - Mare Winningham, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Leading Role in Musical - Jeannette Bayardelle, Best Sound Design of a Musical - Simon Baker, Best Direction of a Musical - Conor McPherson,
  • Filmed live on Broadway in May 2022. Release date TBA.

Six (2022)
  • Tony wins: Best Original Score/Lyrics - Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, Best Costume Design - Gabriella Slade
  • Tony noms: Best Musical, Best Lighting Design - Tim Deiling, Best Sound Design of a Musical - Paul Gatehouse, Best Direction of a Musical - Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, Best Choreography - Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, Best Orchestrations - Tom Curran
  • The West End production will be filmed in July 2022 featuring the original cast. Release date TBA
  • The Broadway cast album, SIX: Live on Opening Night was recorded, as its name suggests, live on opening night and is widely available to stream including on Amazon Music.

Plays
Clyde’s (2022)
  • Tony noms: Best Play, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play - Ron Cephas Jones, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play - Uzo Aduba & Kara Young, Best Costume Design of a Play - Jennifer Moeller,
  • Written by Lynn Nottage - Nominated for Best Book of a Musical for MJ; Sound design by Justin Ellington  - nominated for Best Sound Design of a Play
  • A play that was livestreamed during its final 16 performances at the Helen Hayes Theatre. Not currently available to view.

The Lehman Trilogy (2019)
  • Tony wins: Best Play, Best Director - Sam Mendes, Best Lighting Design of a Play - Jon Clark, Best Scenic Design of a Play - Es Devlin, Best Performance by a Leading Man in a Play - Simon Russell Beale
  • Tony noms: Best Sound Design of a Play - Nick Powell & Dominic Bilkey, Best Performance by a Leading Man in a Play - Adrian Lester & Adam Godley
  • Filmed live at the National Theatre in 2019. Available in select cinemas. Check NT Live for local listings.

Filmed Live Musicals
An American in Paris (2017)
  • Book by Craig Lucas - Nom for Best Book of a Musical for Paradise Square; lighting design by Natasha Katz - nominated for Best Lighting Design for MJ; Choreography and direction by Christopher Wheeldon - nominated for Best Director of a Musical for MJ
  • Filmed live in the West End and widely available to stream.

Anything Goes (2021)
  • Stars Sutton Foster as Fiona - nominated for Best Actress in a Musical in a Leading Role for Music Man
  • Filmed live in the West End in 2021. Available to stream in the UK on BBC iPlayer, and in the US on PBS and AppleTV.

Cabaret (1993)
  • Directed by Sam Mendes - nominated for Best Director of a Play for The Lehman Trilogy
  • Filmed live at the Donmar Warehouse in 1993. It aired on British TV and is now available on YouTube.

Candide (2004)
  • Stars Patti LuPone - winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Company)
  • A special limited engagement with the New York Philharmonic filmed live at Lincoln Center in 2004. Now available on DVD.

Carousel (2013)
  • Scenic design by Allan Moyer - nominated for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Paradise Square; choreography by Warren Carlyle - nominated for Best Choreographer for The Music Man
  • The New York Philharmonic’s 2013 production starring Kelli O’Hara filmed live at Lincoln Center. Now available to stream on Amazon and BroadwayHD.

Come From Away -
  • Scenic design by Beowulf Boritt - nominee for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for Flying Over Sunset; costume design by Toni-Leslie James - Nominated for Best Costume Design of a Musical for Paradise Square; sound design by Gareth Owen - nominated for Best Sound Design of a Musical for MJ
  • A special performance of the Broadway production was filmed live during the Broadway lockdown in 2021. Now available to stream on Apple Plus.

Contact (2002)
  • Costume design by William Ivey Long - nominated for Best Costume Design for Diana: The Musical
  • Not currently available to view

Company (1996)
  • Directed by Sam Mendes - nominated for Best Director of a Play for The Lehman Trilogy; stars Adrian Lester as Bobby - nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
  • Filmed live at the Donmar Warehouse in 1996

Company (2011)
  • Features Patti LuPone - winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Company) and Tony Awards host Ariana DeBose in the ensemble
  • A staged concert performance with the New York Philharmonic filmed live at Lincoln Center in 2011. Now available on DVD.

The Cradle Will Rock (1986)
  • Features Patti LuPone - winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Company)
  • The 1983 off-Broadway revival was filmed live and broadcast on PBS in 1986. Not currently available to view.

FELA! (2011)
  • Choreography, direction, concept & book by Bill T. Jones - nominated for Best Choreography for Paradise Square
  • Filmed live during its run at the National Theatre. Not currently available.

Fosse (2001)
  • Costume design by Santo Loquasto - nominated for Best Costume Design for Music Man
  • Filmed live on Broadway in 2001. Available on DVD.

Hamilton (2016)
  • Costume design by Paul Tazewell - nominated for Best Costume Design for MJ
  • Filmed live in 2016 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway.

Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018)
  • Costume design by Paul Tazewell - nominated for Best Costume Design for MJ; choreography by Camille A. Brown - nominated for Best Director of a Play & Best Choreography for for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
  • Filmed live in 2018 and now available on DVD.

The King and I
  • Lighting design by Donald Holder - nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Paradise Square
  • The Lincoln Center revival filmed live in the West End in 2018.

The Last Five Years (2020)
  • Written and composed by Jason Robert Brown - nominated for Best Original Score for Mr. Saturday Night
  • Filmed live without at Southwark Playhouse in 2020. Available via BroadwayHD.

The Light in the Piazza (2006)
  • Book by Craig Lucas - Nom for Best Book of a Musical for Paradise Square
  • Filmed live at Lincoln Center in 2006. Not currently available to view.

Little Women (2021)
  • Composed by Jason Howland - Nominated for Best Original Score for Paradise Square
  • The London premier of Little Women was filmed during its run at the Park Theatre in December 2021. It’s now available to stream on BroadwayHD.

Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary 
  • Sound mix by Paul Gatehouse - nominated for Best Sound Design of a Musical for Six
  • A special concert to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Les Misérables filmed live at London’s O2 in 2010. Widely available to stream.

Love Never Dies
  • Sound design by Paul Gatehouse - nominated for Best Sound Design of a Musical for Six
  • The Australian production filmed live in 2011 and widely available to stream

Newsies
  • Sound mix by Paul Gatehouse - nominated for Best Sound Design of a Musical for Six
  • The Broadway musical filmed live in LA in 2016 and widely available to stream.

Oklahoma! (1998)
  • Stars Hugh Jackman - Nom for Best Actor in a Musical in a Leading Role
  • The National Theatre’s 1998 revival was filmed in a studio at the end of its run and is now available on DVD.

Passing Strange (2008)
  • Assistant director was Stephen Bracket - nominated for Best Director of a Musical for A Strange Loop
  • Filmed live on Broadway in 2008. Now available on DVD & to stream.

Passion (2005)
  • Stars Patti LuPone - winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
  • Filmed live at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theatre in 2005. Not officially available to view.

Phantom of the Opera at Royal Albert Hall (2011)
  • Sound mix by Paul Gatehouse - nominated for Best Sound Design of a Musical for Six
  • A special concert to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Phantom of the Opera filmed live at Royal Albert Hall. Widely available to stream.

She Loves Me -
  • Lighting design by Donald Holder - nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Paradise Square; choreography by Warren Carlyle - nominated for Best Choreographer for The Music Man
  • the first Broadway musical to be livestreamed. Now available on BroadwayHD.

Shrek the Musical 
  • Stars Sutton Foster as Fiona - nominated for Best Actress in a Musical in a Leading Role for Music Man; Jennifer Simard - nominee for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical plays the Wicked Witch
  • Filmed live on Broadway in 2013. Available to stream on Amazon and Netflix.

Smokey Joe’s Cafe (2000)
  • Costume design by William Ivey Long - nominated for Best Costume Design for Diana: The Musical
  • The final 3 performances were filmed live on Broadway in 2000. Available on DVD.

South Pacific (2010)
  • Lighting design by Donald Holder - nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for Paradise Square
  • Filmed live at Lincoln Center in 2010. Not currently available to view.

Spongebob The Musical (2019)
  • Orchestrations by Tom Kitt - nominated for Best Original Score for Flying Over Sunset, associate sound design by Drew Levy - nominated for Best Sound Design of a Musical for A Strange Loop

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Live in Concert -
  • Stars Patti LuPone - winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
  • A staged concert version filmed live with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in 2001. Now available on DVD.

Taboo
  • Musical director Jason Howland - Nominated for Best Original Score for Paradise Square
  • Howland worked on the Broadway production, but the original West End production was filmed during its run at the Cambridge and is now available on DVD.

The Wiz Live! (2015)
  • Costume design by Paul Tazewell - nominated for Best Costume Design for MJ
  • Filmed live in 2015 and now available on BroadwayHD.

Want to know what new musicals are streaming?
Sign up to the Filmed Live Musicals newsletter! 
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Check 1, 2, 3... Checklist for Promoting Your Stream

5/30/2022

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In my work cataloging filmed live musicals that have been filmed and made available to the public, I've heard from many theatre fans who are confused about a show's content, as well as logistical questions like where to buy tickets, if a stream is available worldwide, or if the show is live-streamed or has been pre-recorded. 


As a researcher, I've grown to share these frustrations. For over a year now, I've been sending out a weekly newsletter with listings of upcoming musical theatre streams. From professional theatres to local community groups all around the world, the productions represent a wide range of the possibilities for streaming musical theatre. I love being able to help spread the word about these productions, and I want to help more theatres, companies, and productions sell tickets! When theatres don't make basic info about their streams available, it makes it harder for audiences to access them. 


For theatres that have been doing an excellent job with providing comprehensive info about streamed shows, check out Bristol Old Vic and New Victory Theater. 



I've created a check-list for theatres to use when promoting their streamed shows. If your theatre/company/production is streaming a show, here's a list of essential information to include when you're promoting it. ​
​
☐ Date, Time, & Time Zone
  • Clearly list the date and start time of the stream, even if it's on demand. 
  • Make sure to include the time zone. Audiences from around the globe are looking for content, and want to know if your show will be available to them at a reasonable hour

☐ Country/Regions it's available
  • Is the stream geo-blocked, or only available to watch in a specific country/region?​

☐ Blurb
  • What is it? A play? A musical? A play with music? A concert?
  • What is it about? A title is not enough. 
  • Why should we watch it? 

☐ ​Live v. Pre-Recorded
  • Is the show being live-streamed (the stream of the show happening in real time) or is it pre-recorded? 
  • Is the show being filmed with a live in-person audience? 

☐ Watch it once or on-demand?
  • Can ticket-buyers re-watch the production after the initial stream? 
  • Will it be available on-demand? 

☐ Accessibility
  • Will viewers have the option to watch with closed-captioning, audio-description, and/or sign-language interpretation? 
  • Are captions available in multiple languages? 

☐ Tickets
  • How much are tickets? 
  • Is there an option for individual tickets or household? 
  • Include links for where to buy tickets. Make sure the link takes audiences to the page where they can actually buy tickets. 
​
☐ All the above listed on your website
  • Make sure all of the above info is clearly listed, and easy to find, on your website. 
  • Make those pages available after the stream in an archive of your productions
Want to know what new musicals are streaming? In my weekly newsletter, I send out info on upcoming streams with all this information already included so you don't have to go looking for it! Sign up here! Want to include your show in the newsletter? Get in touch here! 

If you want access to info on new on-demand streams, become a Filmed Live Musicals patron! Patrons receive early access to site content, bonus content in the newsletter, and exclusive access to the streaming calendar. Sign up at Patreon.com to become a Filmed Live Musicals patron today!
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Ep 41: Ben Rimalower & Sweeney Todd

5/9/2022

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On episode 41 of the Filmed Live Musicals podcast, host Luisa Lyons chats with author, director, actor, and producer Ben Rimalower. Topics include the importance of cast recordings, working with Patti LuPone, creating the one-person show Patti Issues, and how Ben came to work with Lonny Price. We also take a deep dive into the 2001 Sweeney Todd with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra starring Patti LuPone and George Hearn, for which Ben was the assistant director.

BEN RIMALOWER is the author and star of the long-running solo plays Bad with Money (The Advocate’s #1 of 2014) and Patti Issues (New York Time Critics Pick, M.A.C. and Bistro Awards), available as a double audiobook on iTunes, Audible and Amazon, as well as host of the Broadwayworld/Broadway Podcast Network co-productions, Ben Rimalower’s Broken Records and Next Year, Some Year. He writes the theatre column in Metrosource Magazine and is a frequent contributor to Vulture, Out, The Huffington Post and Time Out New York, with past regular columns at Playbill, Broadwayworld and Decider. Ben directed Snoopy! (Symphony Space, starring Tony winners Sutton Foster and Christiane Borle), the Off-Broadway plays Joy (Actors Playhouse) and The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero (Daryl Roth/DR2 Theatre, starring Gillian Jacobs and Anna Chlumsky), and a slew of solo shows, most notably conceiving and directing Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches and subsequently producing Ghostlight Records’ “Patti LuPone at Les Mouches.” He is recognizable around the world for his four seasons on Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York City” as the writer-director of Luann de Lesseps’s record-breaking cross-country cabaret sensation, Countess And Friends. He also co-wrote de Lesseps’s hit single, “Feelin’ Jovani.” 

Follow @benrimalower on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and visit benrimalower.com.

Patti Issues and Bad with Money are available via Audible (as an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases from this link). 
Filmed Live Musicals is the most comprehensive online searchable database for musicals that have been filmed live on stage. Visit www.filmedlivemusicals.com to learn more. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also support the site at Patreon. Patrons get early access to content, no matter how much you pledge. 

Filmed Live Musicals is created by Luisa Lyons. Luisa is an Australian actor, writer, and musician. She holds a Masters in Music Theatre from London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and now lives, works, and plays in New York. Learn more at www.luisalyons.com or follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 
​
Enjoyed this podcast? Make sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 
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Ep 35: Tralen Doler

2/14/2022

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Host Luisa Lyons chats with Tralen Doler, the Vice President of Partnerships & Brand Engagement at Broadway Licensing. 

Topics include how the pandemic has changed the game for theatre streaming, the importance of teachers in the early days of the pandemic, ShowShare, Tralen’s “yes and!” approach to digital theatre content and his genius idea for for filming Wicked live, how streaming sports can provide a model for theatre, the case for an abundance of theatre streaming and more! 

Tralen Doler Vice President of Partnerships & Brand Engagement at Broadway Licensing, previously served as the VP of Partnerships & Programming for Broadway On Demand. Before joining Broadway Licensing, he was the Content Manager at Music Theatre International and Artistic Director of The Little Theatre on the Square. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for New York Theatre Barn and produces the Night of a Thousand Genders gala, benefitting the Gender and Family Project.

Visit www.broadwayondemand.com to find a wealth of theatre content from around the world! ​
Enjoyed this podcast? Leave a review and help spread the word!
​
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Ep 34: Jean-Paul Yovanoff

1/31/2022

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On episode 34 of the Filmed Live Musicals podcast, host Luisa Lyons chats with Jean-Paul Yovanoff, the artistic director of Musical Theatre Radio and co-founder of the new virtual theatre space, The Jill Edmund Theatre.  

Learn about how Jean-Paul got a very early start in show business, career pivots and the creation of Musical Theatre Radio (currently available to stream across North America and the UK), being a musical recording collector in the digital age, and the development of the Jill Edmund Virtual Theatre. 

Jean-Paul Yovanoff is the founder of MusicalTheatreRadio.com an internet radio station, co-founder of the Jill Edmund Virtual Theatre, Assistant Producer of Vanier College Productions (York University), composer/lyricist/librettist (Paradise Island, Seven of Us), Directing Credits Include: Peter and the Starcatcher, Festival IV, Paradise Island, Secondary Wishes, Nose to Nose. Producing Credits: Ground Zero One Act Play Festival (1996 - 2002, 2018) Vanier College Productions (2017-2022) Education: Musical Theatre Performance (Sheridan College) Theatre Studies - Fine Arts (York University) Jean-Paul has been a Mobile DJ, Virtual Event Tech and owner of Performers Looking for Work, a mascot company. Learn more at www.musicaltheatreradio.com and www.jilledmund.com, and follow on Twitter and Instagram. ​ 
Enjoyed this podcast? Leave a review and help spread the word!
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Ep 32: Ricky and Dana Young-Howze

11/15/2021

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Host Luisa Lyons chats with Ricky and Dana Young-Howze, also known as RnD, theatre critics who throughout the pandemic have reviewed over 200 digital theatre productions. 

In this deeply informative discussion, RnD share wisdom about digital theatre, being critics, theatre and accessibility, and the impact of disability on audiences both in person and online.

We chat about how chronic illnesses affected Ricky and Dana’s careers, how the pair became theatre critics, how a series of unfortunate events at the start of 2020 almost led to their quitting reviewing altogether and how the pivot to digital theatre opened up a whole new world of access to theatre. We discuss disability and theatre access, the role of critics in theatre, seeking out work by queer, Black, and disabled artists, why brick and mortar theatres have resisted digital theatre, and more! 
​
RnD also known as Ricky and Dana Young-Howze (they/them) are theatre critics from South Jersey. They have reviewed over 200 digital theatre reviews during the pandemic. They are vocal advocates for how digital theatre can be tool for indie, BIPOC, LGBTQ, and artists with disabilities. Besides reviewing they offer 1-on-1 Theatre Criticism classes, social media consulting, and dramaturgy. Talk to us at [email protected]. Find our articles at www.rndyounghowze.tumblr.com and www.howlround.com/two-hundred-digital-theatre-reviews-and-counting. Venmo: @rndyounghowze. Become a patron at www.patreon.com/rndyounghowze​. 
Enjoyed this podcast? Leave a review and help spread the word!
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Ep 31: Bottle Cap Theatre

11/1/2021

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Host Luisa Lyons chats with Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams, founders of new musical theatre company Bottle Cap Theatre, and creators of recently streamed musicals The Limit, about mathematician Sophie Germain, and RIDE, about Annie Londonderry, the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle.

Topics include how song cycles and the Edinburgh Fringe inspired Freya and Jack to start writing musical theatre, deadlines and creativity, the development of The Limit, and RIDE, how the pair feel about filming their work, and more!

Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams are award-winning composers and lyricists, and founders of Bottle Cap Theatre. Their work focuses on telling female led stories and includes musicals RIDE (The Garrick, 2021) and THE LIMIT (VAULT Festival 2019). They are the joint winners of Aria Entertainment and ALP's Chamber Musical commission (2021).

Their work has been performed at venues including: The Garrick, The Other Palace, The Roundhouse and The Leicester Square Theatre, and has been developed with drama schools including the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and ArtsEd.

In 2021 Freya received a Michael Grandage Futures Bursary and took up a writing residency at Norwich Theatre Royal.

Learn more at www.bottlecaptheatre.com, follow on Twitter, and at Freya Catrin Smith, and Jack Williams.

Available wherever you listen to podcasts or on Buzzsprout. 
Enjoyed this podcast? Leave a review and help spread the word!
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Up Close with Flanders & Swann

10/11/2021

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Photo by Angus McBean
When I first started researching At the Drop of a Hat (1962), and its sequel At the Drop of Another Hat (1967), I wasn't expecting to need to dedicate a whole lot of time to it. It's just two white dudes singing comedy songs right?! 

As I delved deeper into the comedic duo of Flanders and Swann, I became intrigued by their stories. Both were fascinating men who were immensely brilliant writers and, by all accounts, absolutely charming individuals. 

As a young man, Michael Flanders had contracted polio and as a result became a wheelchair user. From what I can gather, Michael Flanders was the first actor in a wheelchair to perform on Broadway and in the West End. Writers of the day barely gave this fact a mention, and one author infuriatingly noted that maybe Flanders "could surely step out" of his chair. Flanders faced many difficulties as a performer in a wheelchair, and he was devastated that despite the fact he could perform, other wheelchair users were not permitted in the theatre. He became a passionate advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, a cause his wife Claudia Cockburn also became involved in and was awarded an Order of the British Empire for her work. 

Donald Swann was born in Wales, the child of a British national father born in Russia and a Muslim mother from southern Russia in what is now Turkmenistan. Swann was a conscientious objector in the war and as a result of his service with the Friends' Ambulance in became fascinated with the music and culture of Greece. 

Through their revue At the Drop of a Hat, the duo performed not only in the West End and on Broadway, but across the United States, in Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. 


The taping of their two shows in 1962 and 1967 also revealed history about concerns of filming live theatre, how performers should be remunerated for broadcasts, and the role of theatre on television. ​

Information about the filming of At the Drop of Another Hat was relatively easy to find. The show had been filmed at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York and was released on VHS. The footage is currently available on YouTube, under the erroneous title "The Only Flanders & Swann Video."

Watching the video, it struck me that Flanders sometimes seemed to be in a bad mood, and some of the audience members even appeared to be bored. I later learned that the studio taping took over 7 hours. Flanders and Swann were reportedly frustrated by the stops and starts to adjust lighting and angles, and the audience were likely exhausted. 

I kept finding mention of At the Drop of a Hat being filmed, but couldn't find information on where or when. This lead me to one of my all time favorite pastimes, delving into the archives at the Billy Rose Theatre Division at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

The archive holds literally hundreds of boxes containing the papers of Alexander H. Cohen, the groundbreaking American producer who bought Flanders and Swann to Broadway. Due to space and COVID restrictions, and limited time to spend at the library, I was only able to access exactly 6 boxes per appointment, and I had to choose from the hundreds of boxes which 6 boxes might hold the answers to my questions. 

I hit the jackpot in a folder labelled "
Alexander H Cohen Papers, Billy Rose Theatre Collection, Theatre - At the Drop of a Hat Correspondence 1957." Letters exchanged between Cohen, Michael Flanders, and Flanders and Swann's agents at MCA, detailed that At the Drop of a Hat had been filmed with an invited audience at the BBC's Studio 4 in London. It was filmed as part of the Festival of the Performing Arts, a short-lived cultural television program sponsored by the New Jersey Standard Oil Company.

The program was only supposed to be aired in the US, but the BBC immediately wanted to air it in the UK. The letters detail Flanders and Swann's concerns over a UK release, which included worries about the impact on future ticket sales, and also proper renumeration for such a broadcast. British Equity had just emerged from a 7 month strike against ITV over payments based on potential audience size, and Flanders and Swann wanted to ensure they were properly compensated. 

Although it has not been released since airing on either British or American television, truncated video footage of At the Drop of a Hat may still exist, as Donald Swann discusses watching it, with some trepidation, many years later in his autobiography. 

I'm so glad that my research led me to the work of Flanders and Swann. While some of their comedy is a little dated, much of the music and witty songs are as delightful and fun as when they were first performed over seventy years ago. 


You can learn more about At the Drop of a Hat and At the Drop of Another Hat in the database!
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Ep 28: Digital Theatre with Jared Mezzocchi

9/20/2021

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Host Luisa Lyons chats with a leader in the world of digital theatre, Jared Mezzocchi.

Topics include the intersection of theatre and film, how Jared’s mom (who was also his 8th grade math teacher), helped him see the world through numbers and story-telling, we deep dive into the world of digital theatre - what it is, what should we do with it, and delve into Luisa’s favorite question “what should we call it?!”

Jared Mezzocchi is an Obie award winning director and multimedia designer, playwright, and actor. Mezzocchi’s work spans the United States at notable theaters such as: The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Geffen Playhouse, Woolly Mammoth, Cornerstone, Portland Centerstage, South Coast Rep, HERE Arts, and 3LD. In 2016, he received The Lucille Lortel and Henry Hewes Award for his work in Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone at the Manhattan Theatre Club. In December of 2020, The New York Times highlighted Jared on a list of the top 5 national artists making an impact during the pandemic. His work on Sarah Gancher’s Russian Troll Farm, Caryl Churchill’s What If If Then and his own work Someone Else’s House was all praised for being some of the first digitally native successes for virtual theater. He is a two-time Macdowell Artist Fellow, a Princess Grace Award winner, Artistic Director of Andy’s Summer Playhouse, and an Associate Professor at The University of Maryland. Learn more at www.jaredmezzocchi.com and follow on Twitter.
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High School Musical

8/5/2021

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Pre-pandemic the rules for streaming local school or community musical productions were very clear: no filming allowed! Although it was sometimes possible for these groups to buy additional licenses to film the show for archival purposes or purchase a license to sell show DVDs to friends and family at cost.

The pandemic saw a seismic shift in permissions for streaming. It took much negotiating with playwrights, composers, and music publishing houses, but it is now easier than ever for schools and amateur theatre groups to stream their productions so that non-local relatives, friends, people restricted by geography, physical ability, or global pandemics, can tune into their productions.

Due to the complex negotiations required for streaming, it’s not surprising that licensing companies themselves are behind new specialized platforms for streaming theatre. After purchasing a license for a show, schools and community groups can use platforms such ShowTix4U and ShowShare to stream their productions. One fee takes care of royalties and streaming rights, and the ticket sales or donations are all through the one platform. The platforms also provide tech and streaming support, resulting in higher quality streams than using Zoom, YouTube, or Facebook Live.

The first platform to go live was ShowTix4U, which launched in mid-June 2020. A partnership between musical licensing company Music Theatre International (MTI), streaming platform Digital Theatre, and tech experts Broadway Media, ShowTix4U provides a platform for both ticket sales and streams. Tickets can be sold to both in-person and streamed events, and shows can be streamed live or on demand. Another benefit of using the platform, is that licensing fees and royalties for MTI shows are automatically part of the fee.

MTI titles are available with 4 different types of streaming rights: Live-Streaming (streamed in real-time), Scheduled Content (stream pre-recorded productions), Video on Demand (pre-recorded video or previous productions), or Remote Content (produced virtually). There are currently 97 titles available including Annie, Billy Elliot the Musical, Daddy Long Legs, Spring Awakening, Urinetown, and Working. There are also 35 Disney titles available, including Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Descendants, and The Little Mermaid, and Newsies, with most only available using Scheduled Content Streaming. According to Playbill, the top three streamed MTI titles throughout the pandemic were Songs for a New World, Disney’s High School Musical, and Annie.

An initiative of Broadway on Demand, ShowShare launched in September 2020. Its current licensing partners include Broadway Licensing, Playscripts, Stage Rights, Concord Theatricals, and Youth Plays. Musicals with streaming rights include After Midnight, BRKLYN the Musical, Emma: A Pop Musical, and Polkadots. According to Broadway on Demand Vice President Tralen Doler, 1466 schools streamed their musical productions via ShowShare throughout the pandemic. The most produced musicals were Emma, Disenchanted, and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

A third platform is BookTix, which as its name suggests, started as a digital ticket booking platform. Founders Tim DiVito and Jason Goldstein increasingly saw a need to also provide streaming services, and expanded. As of May 2020, BookTix is partnered with Theatrical Rights Worldwide, whose entire catalog, including Monty Python’s Spamalot, Bright Star, The Prom, and The Color Purple, includes free streaming rights. According Director of Operations Cassie Balint, the most produced musical “by far” throughout the pandemic was The Addams Family. Other popular shows included You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, We Will Rock You, and Spamalot.

It will be great to see these streaming rights extended to professional productions, though this will need a significant shift from Equity and SAG/AFTRA, who have long battled over how to negotiate who gets paid what for live theatre broadcasts.

I have been sharing upcoming high school and community theatre streams in the weekly Filmed Live Musicals newsletter. Sign up to find out what’s streaming near you!
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