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Scarce heard amid the guns

11/11/2022

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As elemental as song and dance are to human nature, so to is the quest for power, control of resources, and control over one another. Today marks 104 years since the armistice between the Allied Forces and Germany after four bloody years of war was declared. Now known as Remembrance Day, or Veterans Day in the US, it is a day to reflect upon the sacrifice of war, and honor the men and women who have served their countries through the military.

Sadly, war continues to be an ever-present reality for many people in the world. I had the honor of interviewing Alex Borovenskiy, the founder and executive director of the Ukrainian ProEnglish Theatre and Drama School in Kyiv. Literally amidst falling bombs, power cuts, and continued Russian aggression, Alex and his colleagues are creating new work that speaks to the times and broadcasting it to the world beyond the Ukraine’s borders. The 2022 PRO.ACT Festival, with the theme “Unbreakable,” is available to stream for free on Scenesaver. The episode will be available next week.

Other podcast episodes looking at musicals about war include Allegiance with composer and producer Jay Kuo going behind the scenes of the musical about the incarceration of Japanese-American citizens on American soil during WWII, Pieces of String with composer Gus Gowland talking about his musical inspired by the untold stories of gay men in the military, and Pacific Overtures with theatre historian Margaret Hall delving into the history of Sondheim’s musical about the forcible opening of Japan to the West.

Below is a list of stage musicals you can watch from home which tell the stories of war across history, and from across the world.

Allegiance
Allegiance is loosely based on the events of actor George Takei’s life. During World War II, Takei and his family, along with 120,000 Japanese-American citizens were incarcerated in camps within the United States. Filmed live on Broadway in 2016, and released in cinemas in December of that year. It briefly held the record as Fathom Events’ highest grossing Broadway film. Click here for streaming options.

An American in Paris
Using the music of George and Ira Gerswhin, this romanticized musical tells the story of an American GI who falls in love with a Parisian woman in the days following the end of WWII. Adapted from the MGM movie of the same name, the stage production was filmed live in the West End in 2017. Click here for streaming options.

Bandstand
Filmed live on Broadway in 2017, this swing musical tells the story of a musician who returns from fighting in Europe during WWII, traumatized but with the desire to re-build his life following the death of his best friend. Although the musical was the first theatrical production to be certified by Get Your 6 for its authentic portrayal of the military, Bandstand was criticized for its lack of characters or actors of color. Released in cinemas in 2018, the musical was briefly available to stream on Playbill and Broadway on Demand earlier this year. Click here for streaming options.

From Here to Eternity
British musical From Here to Eternity is based on James Jones’ novel of the same name. With music by Stuart Brayson, lyrics by Sir Tim Rice, and a book by Bill Oakes, the musical depicts the affairs of US soldiers stationed in Hawaii in the lead-up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was filmed live during its West End run in 2014. Click here for streaming options.

Hamilton
A much lauded hip hop musical following the trials and tribulations of American founding father Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton depicts battles from the Revolutionary War, along with the battles of the cabinet. Click here for streaming options.

Imagine This
A fictionalized re-telling of true events, Imagine This is set in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto during the Holocaust. With departure to a camp imminent, a local theatre troupe are encouraged by their director to stage a musical about Masada (where a group of 960 Jewish refugees in the year 70 attempted to evade Roman soldiers before committing mass suicide). The musical had a short-lived run on the West End in 2008 where it was filmed live. Now available on DVD. Click here for purchasing options.

Les Miserables
Based on Victor Hugo’s historical novel of the same name, Les Miserables is not set during the French Revolution, during the uprisings that took place a few decades later. Although the stories and characters in Les Mis are fiction, they are drawn from Hugo’s close observations of Paris life. The musical has to date been filmed live three times, the 10th anniversary concert, 25th anniversary concert, and, most recently, last year’s West End staged concert. Click on each title for streaming options.

Love at Times
A two-act play with music and movement filmed at the ProEnglish Theatre in Kyiv during the Russian invasion in 2022. Part 1 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” sees two gay soldiers from the Territorial Defense of Kyiv discussing their romantic relationship. In part 2, “Katie and Frank,” the title couple argues over the old adage “you never listen to me.” Available for free with registration on Scenesaver. The ProEnglish Theatre’s one-woman play The Book of Sirens, a contemporary adaptation of The Book Thief set in Kyiv, is also worth a watch.

Miss Saigon
A modernized re-telling of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Miss Saigon is set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon. The musical tells the ill-fated love story of Kim, a young woman in Saigon, and an American G.I., Chris. The 25th anniversary gala production was filmed live in the West End in 2016. Click here for streaming options.

Only the Brave
Based on true stories, this British musical follows Captain John Howard and Lieutenant Denholm Brotheridge, and their wives Joy and Maggie, as the soldiers prepare for the D-Day landings. The 2016 production at the Wales Millennium Centre featured a real-life vet playing the role of John Howard Senior. Only the Brave was filmed live for archival purposes in 2016. Click here for streaming options.

Pacific Overtures
Self-described by composer Stephen Sondheim as “the most bizarre and unusual musical ever to be seen in a commercial setting,” Pacific Overtures is a concept musical set around Commodore Perry’s first visit to Japan in 1853. It was filmed live during its original Broadway run for distribution on Japanese television. Click here for streaming options.

Pieces of String
Set in 1940 and the present day, British musical Pieces of String was inspired by a BBC documentary that briefly mentioned gay relationships in the armed forces during World War II, and modern day stories of gay men being unable to donate blood. Composer Gus Gowland sought to widen the scope for the way gay male characters are portrayed in musical theatre (a topic which he later explored in his PhD dissertation), and attempted to ensure women were also equally represented in the musical. The musical was filmed live during its run at Mercury Theatre Colchester in 2018. Click here for streaming options.

South Pacific 
Based on the short story collection Tales of the South Pacific, the now classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was ground breaking musical for its exploration of racism, war, and interracial relationships. There are currently two filmed live productions of South Pacific in the database - the 2010 Lincoln Center revival and the 2005 Carnegie Hall concert starring Reba McIntyre and Brian Stokes Mitchell. The latter is available on DVD. Click here for purchasing options.

A Tale of Two Cities
Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities is based on Charles Dickens’ novel of the same name. The musical had a brief run on Broadway in 2008, and has received concert stagings in London, Paris, and Brighton. The concert performances were compiled into a special which was broadcast on PBS and is now available on DVD (this is an affiliate link and as an associate I may earn income from qualifying purchases).

Tyneham: No Small Sacrifice
This British musical tells the story of the residents of Tyneham, who were told to leave their homes in 1942 as the bequest of the British military. Although the residents were promised their homes would be returned, Tyneham remains military property to this day. Performed by amateur theatre company Generations Apart in 2013, the musical is currently available to view on YouTube.

V for Victory
This still-in-development British musical explores the lives of a group of friends in the resistance against the German occupation of Jersey during World War II. A concert version was performed at the Stockwell Playhouse in 2018 and was filmed live. Click here for streaming options.

Waiting for the Ship to Sail
Produced by Chickenshed in the UK, this timely musical is an artistic response to the urgent and pressing questions of global migration, and investigates the concepts of national and personal identity. It is currently available on YouTube.

Yank!
The off-Broadway musical YANK! tells the story of soldiers falling in love, and depicts the gay scene that “thrived just beneath the surface of the US Army in the 1940s.” The musical was a hit of the NY Musical Theatre Festival in 2005, and had a successful off-Broadway run in 2010. Below 54 hosted a 10th anniversary concert in early 2020, and the video is currently available on YouTube.

How will you be honoring those whose lives have been lost in war, and those who have devoted their lives to service today?

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New Database Entries

9/21/2022

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​There are two new entries to take a look at in the database - Better Late (1946) and Of a Lifetime (2021). The titles were filmed 75 years apart and represent very different possibilities of bringing live musicals to the screen. And just for fun, despite being filmed in the UK and US respectively, both musicals have Aussie connections much like yours truly who is Australian born!  

Better Late was a musical revue starring Beatrice Lillie, and it was the first musical to be broadcast live by the BBC from the West End following WWII. The cast also included Aussie actor Murray Matheson who became a dear friend of Lillie's. A fun connection for me, when I was accepted to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama I was awarded the Beatrice Lillie Scholarship! I wonder what Ms. Lillie and Mr. Murray would think of this Aussie, who trained in London and now lives in the US, would think of their revue being studied in this way over three-quarters of century later?!  

Of a Lifetime is a new electro-rock sci-fi musical by Aussie writer and composer James C.K. Jefferies. The musical was filmed during its off-Broadway run in 2021, and the film was an official selection of the 2022 International New York Film Festival where it received a Merit Award. It's available to stream online.

Visit the database to learn more! 
Take Me to the Database
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Where to Watch: Sondheim

2/28/2022

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In the month of March, Filmed Live Musicals is celebrating Stephen Sondheim! On the podcast, we have a three-part series with musical theatre historian Margaret Hall. Part 1 (Feb 28) is an overview of filmed live Sondheim musicals, part 2 (March 14) will be a deep dive into Pacific Overtures, and part 3 is a deep dive into the 2011 New York Philharmonic production of Company, the musical that inspired this very website! 

To accompany this week's episode on filmed live Sondheim musicals, here’s a list of where you can watch those musicals! 

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

Candide
  • 1986 New York City Opera: not officially available
  • 1988 Scottish Opera: not officially available
  • 1989 Barbican Theatre (conducted by Bernstein): DVD
  • 2004 Lincoln Center concert: DVD

Company
  • 1996 Donmar Warehouse production: was released on DVD, but now appears to be out of print.
  • 2007 Broadway revival: DVD and Blu-Ray
  • 2011 New York Philharmonic concert: DVD

Follies
  • 1985 concert version documentary: DVD
  • 2013 Opera de Toulon production: DVD (Region 2 only)
  • 2017 National Theatre production: Not available beyond its initial cinema release, though Symphony Space in NYC is holding encore cinema screenings March 30 - 31, 2022. 

Gypsy
  • 2015 West End revival: Apple TV, Amazon, DVD

Into the Woods
  • Original Broadway production: Amazon, Blu-Ray, DVD
  • 2010 Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production: Digital Theatre, Apple TV

Merrily We Roll Along
  • 2013 Menier Chocolate Factory production: Digital Theatre (UK only)

Pacific Overtures
  • Original Broadway production: YouTube

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
  • Original Broadway production filmed live on tour in Los Angeles in 1982: Apple TV, Amazon, DVD, BroadwayHD
  • Concert version with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (2001): DVD and Blu-Ray
  • Concert version with the New York Philharmonic (2014): Not officially available

Passion
  • Original Broadway production filmed for American Playhouse: DVD
  • Lincoln Center concert version: not officially available

Putting it Together
  • Original Broadway production: Apple TV, DVD, BroadwayHD

Sunday in the Park with George
  • Original Broadway production: Apple TV, DVD,
  • Theatre du Chatelet (2013): not officially available

In 2015 Image Entertainment released the Stephen Sondheim Collection, a 6-disc DVD collection of Sondheim’s work including Into the Woods (1990), Company (2011), Sunday in the Park with George (1986), Follies in Concert (1985), Sweeney Todd (2001), and Sondheim: The Birthday (2010), though it appears to currently be out of print.

You can learn more about all of the above musicals in the Filmed Live Musicals database. There are more to be added, including the 1994 National Theatre and 1995 Barcelona productions of Sweeney Todd. Know of other filmed live Sondheim recordings? Send us an email! Remember, to be included in the database, a musical must have been legally filmed in front of a live audience, and made available to the general public. 

Happy watching! 
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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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Ep 14: Eliza Jackson

1/26/2021

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This week on the podcast host Luisa Lyons chats with Eliza Jackson, an Australian producer based in the UK whom The Stage recently listed as one of the Top 100 Theatre Makers of 2020. 
Topics including making the switch from acting to producing, the joys and challenges of producing virtual theatre content during the pandemic, paying artists during lockdown, the future of streaming, what it means to make theatre during this time, and Lambert Jackson Productions streams of The Last Five Years, Songs for A New World, [title of show], and the upcoming I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. 

Australian born Eliza Jackson trained in Musical Theatre at the prestigious NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) in Sydney. She moved to London in 2012 and since then, has worked in the theatre industry both on and off stage. 

In 2018, Lambert Jackson Productions was born and their first project was to take Eliza’s one-woman show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show, The Voice Behind the Stars received 5-star reviews across the board and was then toured around Australia with much success. On her return, she took on the role of Creative Director of Lambert Jackson full time.

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change will stream at select times between January 28-30, 2021. More info and tickets available from the London Coliseum. 

Available wherever you listen to podcasts! 

If you like what you hear, subscribe and leave a review! 

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The Story of Tonight

5/25/2020

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Sara Krulwich, New York Times
"And when our children tell our story..."

Today is Memorial Day, a day where we remember and honor the people who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. I don’t personally have loved ones who served for the United States, but my grandparents were liberated from Japanese occupation in the Philippines by American troops. 

I think it is poignant that seventy years later, a Filipino actor, Lea Salonga, would depict a Japanese-American civilian interned on American soil in the Broadway musical Allegiance. Loosely based on actor George Takei’s experiences, Allegiance depicts the terrible treatment of Japanese-American citizens in the US, and the Japanese-American soldiers who fought for the US, during World War II. The musical opened on Broadway in 2015, and was later screened in cinemas around the US. It is now available on (a rather expensive) DVD, and from May 29 will stream for a limited time on Broadway on Demand.

Similarly set during the Second World War, Bandstand tells the story of Donny Novitsk, a musician who has returned from the war traumatized, but with the desire to re-build his life following the death of his best friend. Opening on Broadway in 2017, the musical was the first theatrical production to be certified by Got Your 6, a veteran’s advocacy organization whose work includes promoting the authentic portrayal of the military in entertainment. Bandstand was filmed live during its run and broadcast in cinemas across North America. To commemorate Memorial Day, the musical is available to stream for a small fee ($6.99 US) on Broadway on Demand from May 25th at 7.30pm, until June 2.

Also set on American soil, though two centuries earlier, the worldwide mega-hit and possibly the most-anticipated filmed live musical ever to be released, Hamilton, tells the story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, and covers battles in the Revolutionary War. Hamilton, filmed live on Broadway in 2016, will be released on Disney+ on July 3.

Returning to World War II, and moving to the southern hemisphere, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1949 musical South Pacific, was the first Broadway musical to explore stories of race and war. White characters Nellie Forbush, a nurse from Little Rock, Arkansas, and Lt Cable from Princeton, New Jersey, learn to overcome racial prejudice when they fall in love whilst stationed in Polynesia. The 2005 Carnegie Hall benefit production starring Reba McEntire, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Alec Baldwin is available on DVD. The 2008 Lincoln Center revival directed by Bartlett Sher, and starring Kelli O’Hara and Paulo Szot, was broadcast on American television on Live from Lincoln Center. It is not currently officially available to view.

Staying in the Asia-Pacific region, but moving to a later conflict, Miss Saigon tells of the ill-fated love between a young Vietnamese woman, Kim, and an American G.I., Chris. An adaptation of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, Miss Saigon first opened in London in 1989 (starring the aforementioned Lea Salonga), and ran for ten years, becoming a worldwide sensation. To celebrate the musical’s 25th anniversary, producer Cameron Mackintosh revived Miss Saigon in the West End in 2014. The production was filmed and broadcast in cinemas, and is now available on Amazon (UK) and BroadwayHD.

Again returning to World War II, but this time in Europe, An American in Paris tells the story of a young American soldier who falls in love in Paris at the end of the war. Based on a film, which was based on George Gershwin’s “tone poem,” the stage production premiered in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet in 2014, before transferring to Broadway in 2015 and the West End in 2017. The London production was filmed live and broadcast in cinemas around the world, and is now available on BroadwayHD.

The lesser-known musical YANK! also tells the story of soldiers falling in love, depicting the gay world that “thrived just beneath the surface of the US Army in the 1940s.” The musical was a hit of the NY Musical Theatre Festival in 2005, and had a successful off-Broadway run in 2010. Below 54th hosted a 10th anniversary concert earlier this year, and the video is currently available on YouTube.

Apart from war, one of the recurring themes across all of these musicals is love. We honor and remember with love, and that is the story that will continue to be told.
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30 Free Musicals

5/23/2020

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Can’t wait for Hamilton on July 3? Catch Lin-Manuel’s one-act musical 21 Chump Street. Want a moving musical to commemorate Memorial Day? Try out the Millennium Wales Centre production of Only the Brave. Need something to occupy the kids? Try Chichester Theatre Festival’s production of The Midnight Gang. If you’re feeling literary, you can catch Wasted, a rock musical about the Brontë family, or Emma Rice’s joyous Wise Children. Science more your thing? You can watch Tangram Theatre’s The Element in the Room about Marie Curie. Or perhaps you'd like to celebrate some historic women? Take a look at the new song cycle Passion Project.

Here is a list of over 30 musicals you can currently watch online (legally!) for free! There truly is a musical for everyone!

Musicals are sorted below by Broadway & West End Composers, off-Broadway & off-West End Beyond London & New York, Musicals in Development/Concert Readings, & Family Friendly.

If you’re able, please consider making a donation to the theatre or company making their content available. As reported by producer Sonia Freedman this week, up to 70% of theatres in the UK risk permanent closure by the end of the year, and things are also looking grim in the US.
Broadway and West End Composers
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21 Chump Street
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 14 minute one-act musical based on This American Life episode “What I Did for Love” about a high school student who falls in love with an undercover police officer, and is arrested for selling drugs. Features Lindsay Mendez and Anthony Ramos. You can also purchase the full 2 hour concert, performed at Brooklyn Academy of Music, for $5 from This American Life.
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Ghost Quartet at the McKittrick Hotel 
The original production of Dave Malloy’s song cycle about love, death, and whiskey. A camera breaks and four friends drink in four interwoven narratives spanning seven centuries. Currently freely available on YouTube.
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From Here to Eternity 
With music by Stuart Brayson, lyrics by Sir Tim Rice, and a book by Bill Oakes, the musical depicts the affairs of US soldiers stationed in Hawaii in the lead-up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Available to stream for free during Memorial Day weekend on BroadwayHD.
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The World Goes ‘Round 
Blunt Theatre’s production the Kander and Ebb revue. Available on Vimeo.
Off-Broadway and Off-West-End
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The Dolly Mixtures 
The incredible true story based on 8 South Shields womn who set up a variety act, The Dolly Mixtures when one of their husbands' Ken Graham, was diagnosed with cancer in 1972. For 15 years they performed in working men's clubs through-out the North East to raise laughs and money for Cancer Research. They raised £100,000 for Cancer Research in the male dominated clubs in the 70's and 80's. Available on YouTube. 
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Eugenius! 
Nerdy Eugene is picked on at school, but he soon needs to find his own inner superhero when his comic “Tough Man” gets optioned by a Hollywood producer. Available on YouTube
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Molly Wobbly
The women of Little Happening are desperate - all three are trapped in loveless marriages and stuck with failing businesses.  There is only one person who can help them - a woman they’ve never met.  Her name is Molly Wobbly. Available via Paul Boyd Music. 
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Myth: The Rise and Fall of Orpheus
A modern retelling of Orpheus and the underworld, looking at mental illness and addiction in society through the rock music business. The storyline with echoes with the tragically short lives of some of music’s brightest stars, including Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. Available on YouTube. ​
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Sistas The Musical
The story of African-American women told through Top-40 music, from Bessie Smith to Beyonce. Available on TubiTv. ​
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The State of Things 
A new British musical about a high school band, fighting to save their music course from being cut. Set against the backdrop of Austerity Britain, join this unlikely bunch of misfits as they stick two fingers up at the state of things! Available on YouTube
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Timpson the Musical
With a nod to Romeo and Juliet, Timpson: The Musical is a fictional origin story of how the British retailer came to provide both cobbling and key cutting services. Available on YouTube.
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V for Victory
A British musical exploring the lives of a group of friends in the resistance against the German occupation of Jersey during World War II. Available on YouTube.
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Waiting for the Ship to Sail 
London-based theatre Chickenshed presents an artistic response to the urgent and pressing questions of global migration, and investigates the concepts of national and personal identity. Available on YouTube.
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Wasted 
A “rocumentary,” or documentary rock musical about the Brontë family. Available at Southwark Playhouse.
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Wise Children (UK only, until June 11) 
A big, bawdy tangle of theatrical joy and heartbreak, Wise Children is a celebration of show business, family, forgiveness and hope. Expect show girls and Shakespeare, sex and scandal, music, mischief and mistaken identity. Emma Wise’s inaugural production with her new production, also called Wise Children. Only available in the UK until June 11. Available on BBC iPlayer.
 Beyond London and New York
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Friends: The One Where They Sing! (The UnAuthorized Musical Parody)
The title says it all. Available on YouTube
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Mushy: Lyrically Speaking 
Mushy, a young man with a debilitating stammer, finds himself at the centre of a television documentary. In a moment of inspiration from his teacher, Mr. Burton, he starts to find a rhythm in his voice through music. Social media erupts hailing it a miracle cure and both teacher and pupil become overnight celebrities. Available on Vimeo.
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Only the Brave
Wales Millennium Centre’s moving musical based on a true story. Only the Brave follows Captain John Howard and Lieutenant Denholm Brotheridge, and their wives Joy and Maggie, as the soldiers prepare for the D-Day landings. Available on Vimeo. ​
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Three in the Bed
A new Australian musical comedic farce about the blunders of relationships and sexuality for twenty-somethings, written by songwriter & actor Jonathon Holmes. Jessica has always had a crush on Tim, who turns up to her party suddenly single. Unfortunately, Tim meets Zoe. But Zoe thinks she has a way to make all parties happy… what could possibly go wrong? Available on YouTube. ​
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Tyneham: No Small Sacrifice
In 1942, more than 200 residents of Tyneham had to leave their homes when the area was needed as part of a tank firing range. The villagers were promised their homes would be returned, but this promise was never fulfilled. Tyneham remains military property to this very day. Available on YouTube
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Albert Einstein: Relativitively Speaking
It’s 1933 and Einstein is giving his inaugural lecture on Special and General Relativity at Princeton University. But it's tough when your two wives and mother keep coming in, your equations are being used to make atomic bombs and there’s the small (rather large) matter of the Universe to explain. Available on SceneSaver.
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The Element in the Room 
Marie Curie's story is a tale of of glowing powders with extraordinary powers, lives saved and destroyed, and unparalleled achievements in the face of unbelievable odds. Available on SceneSaver
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The Origin of Species 
Charles Darwin is hard at work on his new book about barnacles. To boost sales, his publisher has invited you young and not so young naturalists to watch him at work. Easily distracted, Charles begins sharing his family history, songs he has written and some of his new discoveries about barnacles. However today is about to prove to be no ordinary day. Available on SceneSaver.
Musicals in Development/Concert Readings
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Golden Bricks and Ruby Shoes 
Inspired by a news article about the FBI assisting in the recovery a pair of stolen ruby slippers, Golden Bricks and Ruby Shoes is an in-development song cycle about the famed Wizard of Oz pumps, and the people who were obsessed with them. Available on YouTube.
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Passion Project in Concert
A song cycle about twelve unsung women from history who sing to their great loves: the object of their careers. An aviator sings to her airplane, an acrobat to her tightrope, an astronomer to her comet. Available on Facebook. ​
 Family Friendly
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The Hunting of the Snark 
Inspired by the genius of Lewis Carroll and his much beloved classic poem, a sparkling new musical extravaganza for the whole family. Available for a limited time on YouTube. ​
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The Midnight Gang 
Based on David Walliams book of the same name. Twelve-year-old Tom lands in the children’s ward of the spooky Lord Funt Hospital and meets a gang of fellow kids whose missions of wish fulfillment begin at midnight. Available until May 29 via Chichester Festival Theatre. ​
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Beauty and the Beast
Not the Disney musical, but a new version by Chichester Festival Theatre. Available until June 19. Available at Chichester Festival Theatre. 
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Stellaluna The Musical
Stellaluna the bat, Verdi the snake, and Pinduli the hyena all seek refreshment at a watering hole one hot day, only to find themselves the subjects of a bullying lion's ridicule. But by sharing stories about building self-confidence, these three misfit animals find wisdom, peace, and friendship. Available at Broadway On Demand. ​
StarKid Musicals
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A Very Potter Musical 
StarKid’s first production and a viral sensation that launched Darren Criss’s career. The sequels, A Very Potter Sequel and A Very Potter Senior Musical are also freely available online. Available on YouTube.
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Ani: A Parody Musical
A musical parody of Star Wars. Available on YouTube. ​
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Holy Musical, B@tman
It’s Batman, singing and dancing. Available on YouTube. ​
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Me and My Dick
Adults only. A coming of age story about Joey Richter whose best friend is...his dick. Available on YouTube. ​
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Starship 
Bug wants to be a Starship Ranger, but there's one thing they are he's not... human. Available on YouTube. ​
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The Trail to Oregon
Produced in Chicago in 2014. Claims to be the most historically accurate musical portraying the Oregon Trail. Available on YouTube.
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Twisted
Hop on your flying carpet, because this musical parody retells the classic tale of Aladdin... from the villain's point of view! Available on YouTube.
Still want MORE musicals?
Use the Filmed Live Musicals database to search for musicals to watch online! 

Filmed Live Musicals is a labor of love
that takes many hours of research & hundreds of dollars to run.


Become a patron and support original research into filmed live musicals.
​From June 2020, Patrons will receive a monthly newsletter with bonus content not available on the site, and Star Patrons also receive a filmed live musical review.

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One, two, three, and!

5/8/2020

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There are so many musicals streaming online right now it's hard to keep up! 

Today alone, the 8th of May, there are THREE filmed live musicals being made available for a limited time for free (not to mention all the musicals already available online)!

If you are so able, please consider making a donation to the institutions providing these streams, especially the independent theatres. Times are tough for everyone right now, and the theatre industry is facing an incredibly difficult time. Theatres rely on ticket sales to bring in income, and with the shutdown, many institutions are facing serious economic difficulty. If we can, let's give back to the places that give us so much joy.  

Pieces of String 
A new British musical set simultaneously in 1940 and the present day exploring LGBT themes, and the impact of secrets on generations. Free to watch from 10am - 11.59pm (GMT) on May 8 only at Mercury Theatre Colchester. If you miss the free screening, it's also available for a small fee from Digital Theatre. 

The King and I 
Bartlett Sher's gorgeous Lincoln Center revival starring Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe filmed live during its West End run at the London Palladium. Free watch party on May 8 at 8pm (EST) hosted BroadwayHD and Playbill. Only available in North America. Also available through a BroadwayHD subscription. 

By Jeeves 
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn's musical based on the book by P.G. Wodehouse. Will be available to stream for free from 2pm on May 8 for 48 hours on YouTube. 

Royal Court Livestream
Missing being inside an actual theatre? This one is not a musical, but London's Royal Court theatre is live-streaming from within the empty auditorium on May 8th with Caretaker, a "durational installation" by Hester Chillingworth. 7.30pm GMT. Visit Royal Court for more info. 

Still want MORE musicals?! You can visit the Filmed Live Musicals database and search for musicals to watch online! There are currently 75 musicals listed as available online, with more being added each week. 

Happy viewing! 
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Shall We Dance?

10/5/2018

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My dance card is getting full! The end of 2018 is shaping up to be something wonderful for Filmed Live Musicals with several new filmed live releases on the horizon. Find out what's coming to a cinema near you!

October
Emma, a new “soundstage musical” created by Paul Gordon (co-creator of Daddy Long Legs, the first off-Broadway musical to be livestreamed), was released on the newly launched Streaming Musicals on October 3.

Funny Girl starring Sheridan Smith and filmed live on the West End by Digital Theatre will screen globally in select cinemas on October 24. Go to https://www.funnygirlincinemas.com/ for local listings.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the hit Broadway musical Wicked, NBC will present "A Very Wicked Halloween” on October 29th. The concert will be performed at the Marquis Theatre, with original leading ladies Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel hosting.
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November
Filmed live in London, An American in Paris will air on PBS on November 2. It will also be available to stream through the PBS website on November 3, and is already available to stream on BroadwayHD. 

The West End musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will be screened in select cinemas across the United States on November 7, with encore screenings on November 11 and 14. To find local listings visit https://www.jamieincinemas.com/.

The acclaimed Lincoln Center revival of The King and I transferred to the West End this year, opening at the Palladium. The production was filmed live and will be released in the United States on November 29 and December 4 under the title The King And I: From The Palladium. Find local listings at https://www.kingandimusicalcinema.com. 
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Interview with Carrie Sutton

8/9/2018

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British actress and writer Carrie Sutton. Photo by Samuel Black.
The following interview was originally published in the July edition of the Filmed Live Musicals Patron newsletter. When you become a patron, you will be supporting the running of this site, and original research into the ever growing field of filmed live musicals. Previous newsletters include content on upcoming screenings, new movie technology, and 360º captures. Star Patrons also gain access to filmed live musical reviews. To gain access to Patreon-only content, become a Patron today!

British actor and writer Carrie Sutton has performed in many West End musicals including Sister Act: The Musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Little Women, Cabaret, Imagine This, and Kiss Me, Kate. She also worked as a dresser on the recent West End musical The Wind in the Willows. You can catch Carrie performing as Laurey in Oklahoma! later this month at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage.

Imagine This, Kiss Me, Kate, and The Wind in the Willows were all filmed live. I recently chatted with Carrie about her experiences working on these filmed live musicals. 

What difference is there between acting for camera and acting on stage? How does that translate when you’re filming a live stage show? 
You’re still giving a theatrical performance, but there is an awareness of the camera. It’s a different scale. I aimed for the middle of the audience rather than the back, and in close-up moments, I tried to be still. The audience is recorded too, and that energy translates on camera. 

For “Kiss Me, Kate” and “The Wind in the Willows,” we did pick-ups after the performance. For example, a mic went down during the show, so afterwards we re-recorded some scenes out of sequence.

You knew Kiss Me, Kate was going to be filmed from the outset. Did you rehearse for the stage or for the camera? 
We rehearsed it as a piece of theatre, and it was filmed as a piece of theatre. In fact, John Wilson [the conductor], told us to “chip your teeth on the words” because Royal Albert Hall is so big. You really have to work hard to make yourself understood in that space. So we definitely worked for the live performance of it. 

We had rehearsals at the Town Hall in Belsize Park, and then the camera guys would come in and see the work. They would check angles and close-ups, and compare it to marked-up scripts. There is a lot of back and forth between the director, the DP [director pf photography], and the choreographer. It’s very much a group effort.

"Kiss Me, Kate" aired during prime time on Christmas Day. That was so exciting for me. A real bucket list item. 

Stage musicals are sometimes altered when the cameras come in. What aspects of Imagine This were changed for the filming?
Some slight blocking changes were made to accommodate the cameras, but from the actors’ perspective very little was changed. 

What was it like working as a dresser on “Wind in the Willows”? 
It was filmed over three days. We had a dress rehearsal for close-ups, and where they got pick-up footage for when things go wrong in live filming, like a child screaming in the audience, or costume failure. The costumes had to be immaculate — it has to be perfect for film. What passes on a regular show won’t pass on a recording. Socks have to be level, ties have to be straight. There is extra attention to detail on quick changes because all the clothes use velcro, ties are stuck on with velcro, shirts do up with velcro, it has to be exact or it doesn’t look right. 

How do contract negotiations work for filmed live musicals? 
All the negotiations are done through the producer. For “Imagine This” we were given a fee for filming, or perhaps we waived it, and were bought out for the broadcasts. “Kiss Me, Kate” was all done prior and we just signed a standard BBC contract. If you had a step out, you received extra. 

You get reimbursed for royalties. It’s all worked out with the cast and crew and everyone is allocated points based on how much you work during the rehearsals and during the show. Like in “The Wizard of Oz,” we ended up distributing points based on word count. The female ensemble had a lot more to do in that show, so we were given more points. 

EPKs [Electronic Press Kit] are included in new contracts. We spend around a day in the theatre shooting scenes for promotional copy. The scenes are different from what’s in the show, we learn new blocking that works better for the camera, like a dance will be more spaced out, or the angles will be slightly different. “The Wizard of Oz” were on Children in Need. We did a montage specifically for that show. It was covered in the EPK as “reasonable promotion.” 

What do you think of filmed live musicals or filmed live theatre in general?
It’s both theatre and film. It’s a record. It is important to have records of shows. People who would otherwise never be recorded are able to have a record of their work, especially ensemble members. It creates revenue for the production. It brings art back to the people. It makes the West End accessible to people who are far away. 

Do you have a favorite filmed live theatre event?
The entire Kenneth Branagh season. I saw it filmed live, and I watched the films. I loved the Royal Ballet’s “Alice in Wonderland.” I felt really involved in the production, even though I was watching it in the cinema. Also the RSC’s “Henry” plays. 

Why are filmed live musicals important? 
The “Imagine This” DVD potentially gives that show a future life. It honors the work of the all the people that create the show, all the creatives, and the cast. The level of work that went into the show is incredible. Everything was handmade for the production, and every moment of work is captured. It was just a flash in the pan, but all the work, and commitment, and artistry, it isn’t lost. 

Learn more about Carrie at www.carriesutton.com  and  http://www.londonvoiceover.com/carrie-sutton/. 

This site is financially supported by the generosity of patrons 
Mercedes Esteban-Lyons, Jesse Rabinowitz and Brenda Goodman, and David and Katherine Rabinowitz.
Become a patron today and support original research into filmed live musicals.
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