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To celebrate International Women’s Day, here is a list of filmed live musicals featuring female creative teams. Click on the titles to learn more about each show!
Ernest Shackleton Loves Me (2017)
- director: Lisa Peterson
- producer: Bonnie Comley
- lyrics: Val Vigoda
- costume design: Chelsea Cook
- stage manager: Lucy Kennedy
- A multimedia musical performed and captured live during its Off-Broadway run at Second Stage in New York. Available to view on BroadwayHD.
From Here to Eternity (2014)
- director: Tamara Harvey
- A musical based on the novel of the same name. Filmed live during its West End run and released in cinemas. Now available to view on BroadwayHD and on DVD.
Merrily We Roll Along (2012)
- director: Maria Friedman
- producer: Debbie Bindo, Sonia Friedman, Tanya Bink
- scenic & costume design: Soutra Gilmour
- musical director: Catherine Jayes
- The Menier Chocolate Factory’s smash hit 2012 production. Filmed by Digital Theatre, and released in cinemas and online. Not currently available to view.
Bad Girls The Musical (2007)
Legally Blonde the Musical (2007)
- director: Beth McCarthy Miller
- producer: Barbra Danov
- Musical version of the hit movie. Broadcast live on MTV during its Broadway run. Not officially available to view.
Contact (2002)
- director: Susan Stroman
- A “dance play” conceived, choreographed, and directed by Susan Stroman. The final Broadway performance was aired on PBS’ Live from Lincoln Center. Not currently available to view.
A Tale of Cinderella (1995)
- director: Patricia Di Benedetto
- stage manager: Heather Hazelton Hamelin
- An “Italian-flavored” version of Cinderella performed at the New York State Theatre Institute. Taped live by PBS, and now available on DVD.
When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate (1979)
- director: Vinnette Carroll
- Musical featuring poetry by people of color set to music. Conceived and directed by trailblazer Vinnette Carroll. Taped live and aired on Channel 13’s Theater in America. Now available on DVD.
The Heart's a Wonder (1958)
- book: Mairin O’Farrell, Naula O’Farrell
- music: Maria Duane
- choreography: Josie McAvin, Patricia Ryan
- A popular musical based on the play The Playboy of the Western World. During its West End run, the BBC aired excerpts from the show on live television. The live broadcast was not recorded and is not available to view.
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Photo by Johan Persson.
In my post on bootlegs a few weeks ago, I mentioned the National Theatre’s success in broadcasting theatre around the world through its program National Theatre Live (NT Live). This week, we're taking a closer look at the program.
NT Live began as an experiment to see how digital technology could allow a wider audience to enjoy National Theatre productions. The first broadcast took place in June 2009 with the live cinema screening of Phèdra starring Helen Mirren.
Over 60 productions later, NT Live has been broadcast on 2500 screens in 60 countries around the world, and viewed by over 5.5 million people. To date, NT Live has broadcast three musicals, FELA! (2011), The Threepenny Opera (2016), and Follies (2017).
The vast majority of broadcasts are from within the National Theatre in London, however beginning in 2013, NT Live has also broadcast select productions from the West End, including The Audience (coincidentally also starring Helen Mirren) and War Horse. In 2015, NT Live broadcast Of Mice and Men from the Longacre Theatre on Broadway.
Camera plots are specifically designed for each show, allowing the theatre and film director to ensure the most effective capture. Cameras are often placed right in the audience, and audience members are able to purchase tickets for filmed performances at a discounted rate.
Adjustments to various elements of each production are also made, including lighting and sound design, and wig and costume design.
If adjustments are being made to the production for the capture, is the film still a capture of a theatre production? In the 2009 National Theatre annual report, artistic director Nicholas Hytner noted, “…I am confident that we have pioneered a new genre: not quite live theatre, certainly not cinema, but an exciting approximation of the real thing whose potential reach is limitless.”
NT Live screenings are advertised as special events — a limited time chance to see a live capture of a National Theatre production. Cinemas located in the same timezone as London receive broadcasts in real time, while cinemas outside the timezone receive the same capture at a later time and/or date. Due to popular demand, “encore screenings” are also scheduled.
While some broadcasts are also available to schools for streaming in the UK through its On Demand program, most productions are not available to view or purchase after the cinema broadcasts. This is due to licensing, and contract negotiations.
At the time of its launch, NT Live was the only program for broadcasting live theatre in cinemas. As such, there has been significant research into its impact. In various reports, UK organization Nesta has found the following:
Nearly ten years after its launch, NT Live provides a great model for how filmed live theatre can co-exist with, and provide a new experience of, live theatre.
NT Live began as an experiment to see how digital technology could allow a wider audience to enjoy National Theatre productions. The first broadcast took place in June 2009 with the live cinema screening of Phèdra starring Helen Mirren.
Over 60 productions later, NT Live has been broadcast on 2500 screens in 60 countries around the world, and viewed by over 5.5 million people. To date, NT Live has broadcast three musicals, FELA! (2011), The Threepenny Opera (2016), and Follies (2017).
The vast majority of broadcasts are from within the National Theatre in London, however beginning in 2013, NT Live has also broadcast select productions from the West End, including The Audience (coincidentally also starring Helen Mirren) and War Horse. In 2015, NT Live broadcast Of Mice and Men from the Longacre Theatre on Broadway.
Camera plots are specifically designed for each show, allowing the theatre and film director to ensure the most effective capture. Cameras are often placed right in the audience, and audience members are able to purchase tickets for filmed performances at a discounted rate.
Adjustments to various elements of each production are also made, including lighting and sound design, and wig and costume design.
If adjustments are being made to the production for the capture, is the film still a capture of a theatre production? In the 2009 National Theatre annual report, artistic director Nicholas Hytner noted, “…I am confident that we have pioneered a new genre: not quite live theatre, certainly not cinema, but an exciting approximation of the real thing whose potential reach is limitless.”
NT Live screenings are advertised as special events — a limited time chance to see a live capture of a National Theatre production. Cinemas located in the same timezone as London receive broadcasts in real time, while cinemas outside the timezone receive the same capture at a later time and/or date. Due to popular demand, “encore screenings” are also scheduled.
While some broadcasts are also available to schools for streaming in the UK through its On Demand program, most productions are not available to view or purchase after the cinema broadcasts. This is due to licensing, and contract negotiations.
At the time of its launch, NT Live was the only program for broadcasting live theatre in cinemas. As such, there has been significant research into its impact. In various reports, UK organization Nesta has found the following:
- Audiences watching live broadcasts in the cinema feel like they are part of the live event
- Digital technology has allowed for better captures, and ease of distribution
- Compared to audiences at the theatre, NT Live has attracted younger audiences, and lower income audiences (although these audiences are not new to theatre or cinema).
- NT Live has made it possible to reach new audiences who would not normally be able to attend National Theatre productions due to geography, ticket cost, and/or ticket availability.
- NT Live has had a positive affect on ticket sales at the National Theatre, and also for regional theatres where NT Live is available.
Nearly ten years after its launch, NT Live provides a great model for how filmed live theatre can co-exist with, and provide a new experience of, live theatre.
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This week's blog title comes from Langston Hughe's poem "Note on Commercial Theatre," which is spoken by Brenda Braxton in the 1979 musical When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate. In researching last week’s blog post, History Has Its Eyes, I was fascinated by the biography of the musical's director, Vinnette Carroll, and decided to spotlight her incredible career in this week's post.
Carroll was one of the first African American women to direct on Broadway, and the West End. She was nominated three times for a Tony Award, and was the first (and regrettably, still the only), African American woman to be nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director. She was an Obie and Emmy Award winner, and celebrated in her lifetime as a driving force for theatre by, and about, African American people.
Over the course of her career, Vinnette Carroll created and wrote 16 musical plays, many of which were written with long-time collaborator Micki Grant. Carroll also collaborated with Alvin Ailey and Langston Hughes. Her work has been credited with launching the careers of actors such as Cicley Tyson, Clarence Williams III, James Earl Jones, Jennifer Holliday, Brenda Braxton, and Cleavant Derricks, among many others.
Born in New York in 1922, Carroll spent most of her childhood in Jamaica. She returned to New York City to attend high school and, thanks to her father’s thriving dental practice, enjoyed a rich cultural life attending theatre and receiving music lessons.
To satisfy her father, Carroll trained to be a psychologist. Shortly after leaving her PhD program at Columbia University in 1948, Carroll sought to pursue her true passion as an actor. She attended the New School and the Actors Studio, training with Erwin Piscator, Lee Strasberg, and Stella Adler.
Upon completion of her actor training in the early 1950s, Carroll found regular acting work, but was frustrated by the limited range of roles made available to her as an African American woman: maids, and roles that reinforced negative stereotypes of people of color. In response, Carroll created her own work and successfully toured a one woman show.
Carroll began teaching acting at the High School for the Performing Arts in 1955, a position she held for 11 years. During this time, Carroll developed a passion for directing.
In 1964, Carroll won an Emmy Award for the television production Beyond the Blues, a dramatization of works by African American poets.
In 1968, Carroll joined the New York State Council on the Arts as the new director for the Ghetto Arts Program. The Ghetto Arts Program (GAP) sought to provide collaborative theatre experiences for African American and Hispanic communities in New York, and establish a new repertory company that created new work.
In her capacity as director of GAP, Carroll founded the Urban Arts Corps (UAC). Within a few years Carroll left GAP and became the artistic director of the UAC. The UAC trained a troupe of actors from African American and Hispanic backgrounds, who wrote and performed original material. Later knowns the Urban Arts Theatre, the UAC worked in schools, colleges, and prisons to bring theatre, and theatre training, to minority audiences.
Throughout her 10 years with the Urban Arts Corps, Carroll directed over 50 productions. Musical highlights include But Never Jam Today, Don’t Bother Me I, I Can’t Cope, and Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.
Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, which first opened at the UAC in 1970, opened on Broadway at the Playhouse Theatre in 1972. The musical earned Carroll a Tony nomination for Best Director of a Musical and played 1065 performances. It will be performed in 2018 as part of Encores! Off Center’s summer program.
Your Arms Too Short to Box with God transferred to Broadway in 1976, earning Carroll her second Tony nomination for Best Director. The musical was revived on Broadway in 1980, 1982, and 1996.
But Never Jam Today, was an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland featuring gospel and calypso-infused music. The musical adaptation began life as Alice, and after much re-working and several off- and off-off-Broadway runs opened on Broadway in 1979. It was a commercial flop and closed within a week of opening.
In 1984, living in Florida in “semi-retirement,” Carroll founded the Vinnette Carroll Repertory Company. The company was renamed the Metropolitan Diversity Theatre at Carroll's request in 2000 after she suffered a debilitating stroke. The theatre is now the home of Fort Lauderdale’s Cinema Paradiso.
Despite Carroll’s immense body of work, just one of her shows was filmed live for public distribution: When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate. The musical had a short run at the UAC in January 1979, before being presented as part of the Lincoln Center’s Black Theatre Festival in May of the same year. An hour-length version of the musical co-directed by Carroll was presented on PBS in June 1979. When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate was released on VHS in 1999, and on DVD in 2003. Sections of the musical are currently available on YouTube.
In the capture of When Hell Freezes Over I'll Skate, we get a mere glimpse of Carroll’s incredible talent as a writer and director. One wonders if Carroll had been born white, and a male, how much more of her work we could have continued to enjoy watching today.
Carroll was one of the first African American women to direct on Broadway, and the West End. She was nominated three times for a Tony Award, and was the first (and regrettably, still the only), African American woman to be nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director. She was an Obie and Emmy Award winner, and celebrated in her lifetime as a driving force for theatre by, and about, African American people.
Over the course of her career, Vinnette Carroll created and wrote 16 musical plays, many of which were written with long-time collaborator Micki Grant. Carroll also collaborated with Alvin Ailey and Langston Hughes. Her work has been credited with launching the careers of actors such as Cicley Tyson, Clarence Williams III, James Earl Jones, Jennifer Holliday, Brenda Braxton, and Cleavant Derricks, among many others.
Born in New York in 1922, Carroll spent most of her childhood in Jamaica. She returned to New York City to attend high school and, thanks to her father’s thriving dental practice, enjoyed a rich cultural life attending theatre and receiving music lessons.
To satisfy her father, Carroll trained to be a psychologist. Shortly after leaving her PhD program at Columbia University in 1948, Carroll sought to pursue her true passion as an actor. She attended the New School and the Actors Studio, training with Erwin Piscator, Lee Strasberg, and Stella Adler.
Upon completion of her actor training in the early 1950s, Carroll found regular acting work, but was frustrated by the limited range of roles made available to her as an African American woman: maids, and roles that reinforced negative stereotypes of people of color. In response, Carroll created her own work and successfully toured a one woman show.
Carroll began teaching acting at the High School for the Performing Arts in 1955, a position she held for 11 years. During this time, Carroll developed a passion for directing.
In 1964, Carroll won an Emmy Award for the television production Beyond the Blues, a dramatization of works by African American poets.
In 1968, Carroll joined the New York State Council on the Arts as the new director for the Ghetto Arts Program. The Ghetto Arts Program (GAP) sought to provide collaborative theatre experiences for African American and Hispanic communities in New York, and establish a new repertory company that created new work.
In her capacity as director of GAP, Carroll founded the Urban Arts Corps (UAC). Within a few years Carroll left GAP and became the artistic director of the UAC. The UAC trained a troupe of actors from African American and Hispanic backgrounds, who wrote and performed original material. Later knowns the Urban Arts Theatre, the UAC worked in schools, colleges, and prisons to bring theatre, and theatre training, to minority audiences.
Throughout her 10 years with the Urban Arts Corps, Carroll directed over 50 productions. Musical highlights include But Never Jam Today, Don’t Bother Me I, I Can’t Cope, and Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.
Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, which first opened at the UAC in 1970, opened on Broadway at the Playhouse Theatre in 1972. The musical earned Carroll a Tony nomination for Best Director of a Musical and played 1065 performances. It will be performed in 2018 as part of Encores! Off Center’s summer program.
Your Arms Too Short to Box with God transferred to Broadway in 1976, earning Carroll her second Tony nomination for Best Director. The musical was revived on Broadway in 1980, 1982, and 1996.
But Never Jam Today, was an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland featuring gospel and calypso-infused music. The musical adaptation began life as Alice, and after much re-working and several off- and off-off-Broadway runs opened on Broadway in 1979. It was a commercial flop and closed within a week of opening.
In 1984, living in Florida in “semi-retirement,” Carroll founded the Vinnette Carroll Repertory Company. The company was renamed the Metropolitan Diversity Theatre at Carroll's request in 2000 after she suffered a debilitating stroke. The theatre is now the home of Fort Lauderdale’s Cinema Paradiso.
Despite Carroll’s immense body of work, just one of her shows was filmed live for public distribution: When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate. The musical had a short run at the UAC in January 1979, before being presented as part of the Lincoln Center’s Black Theatre Festival in May of the same year. An hour-length version of the musical co-directed by Carroll was presented on PBS in June 1979. When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate was released on VHS in 1999, and on DVD in 2003. Sections of the musical are currently available on YouTube.
In the capture of When Hell Freezes Over I'll Skate, we get a mere glimpse of Carroll’s incredible talent as a writer and director. One wonders if Carroll had been born white, and a male, how much more of her work we could have continued to enjoy watching today.
- Published on
In honor of Black History month, I wanted to highlight the filmed live musicals that feature predominantly black actors and/or creative teams. I post this entry with the awareness that Black History month, also known as African American History month in the United States, is a contentious entity.
Of the 100+ musicals currently in the database, less than 10 feature predominantly black casts and/or creative teams. It is interesting to note that nearly all of these musicals feature, or are about, the music of black artists.
I want to acknowledge the frustrating fact that the current catalogue of filmed live musicals is dominated by white creators and performers. It is my hope that more musicals with diverse casts and creative teams will not only be produced, but recorded for posterity.
We are watching.
When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate
When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate was a musical drama featuring the poetry of black poets. The show was directed by Vinnette Carroll, a multi-talented and highly influential actor, director, and writer who found success in both the UK and the United States.
When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate aired on Theater in America in 1979.
The musical drama was released on VHS in 1999, and on DVD in 2003.
Sophisticated Ladies
Sophisticated Ladies was a revue celebrating the music of Duke Ellington.
In November 1982, Sophisticated Ladies became the first Broadway musical to air on pay TV. Due to sour contract negotiations, and fears the telecast would affect ticket sales, most of the Broadway cast did not appear in the telecast.
The revue was released on DVD in 2005, and is also available on DVD.com.
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Set in a Harlem nightclub, Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a musical revue featuring the music of stride pianist Fats Waller.
The Broadway production won the 1978 Tony Award for Best Musical, and went on to play 1604 performances before closing in 1982.
NBC aired a filmed live recording of Ain’t Misbehavin’ in June 1982. It is not officially available to view.
The Gospel at Colonus
The Gospel at Colonus is a re-telling of Sophocles’ Oepidus at Colonus through a pentecostal sermon.
The musical was filmed live during the American Music Theater Festival in 1985 and aired on PBS’ Great Performances. The cast included Morgan Freeman, Carl Lumbly, Robert Earl Jones, The Institutional Radio Choir, Clarence Fountain and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama.
The Gospel at Colonus was released on DVD in 2008.
Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Another musical revue, Smokey Joe’s Cafe celebrated the music of 60s rock n’ roll writers Leiber and Stoller.
The cast featured a predominantly African American cast, three of whom were nominated for a Tony Award for Featured Actor or Featured Actress in a Musical, including Victor Trent Cook, B.J. Crosby, and Brenda Braxton (DeLee Lively was also nominated).
The final performance of the five year run was taped by Broadway Television Network in January 2000, and aired on pay TV in September 2000.
Smokey Joe’s Cafe is available to view on DVD.
Passing Strange
Loosely based on the life of rock musician Stew, Passing Strange is a rock musical about a young man who leaves his conservative Californian home to find “the real” in Europe.
Spike Lee filmed the Broadway production live in 2008, and released Passing Strange: The Movie in 2009 to much acclaim. The film was aired on PBS in 2010, and also released on DVD.
Passing Strange: The Movie is available to view on DVD and on Amazon.
FELA!
FELA! is a biographical musical about the pioneering Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. The musical was directed by choreographer and director Bill T. Jones, and featured Sahr Ngaujah in the title role.
When FELA! opened in London in 2010, it became the first National Theatre musical production to be concurrently running on Broadway. The London production was filmed live for the National Theatre’s NT Live program, and broadcast in cinemas around the world.
FELA! is not currently available to view.
Memphis
Memphis is an original musical about the power of music to overcome racial divides in 1950s America.
Despite lackluster reviews, the musical won 4 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and played on Broadway for three years.
Memphis was the first Broadway musical to be released in cinemas whilst playing on Broadway. It was subsequently released on Netflix, DVD, and Blu-Ray, and aired on PBS’ Great Performances.
Memphis is now available to stream on BroadwayHD and YouTube.
Of the 100+ musicals currently in the database, less than 10 feature predominantly black casts and/or creative teams. It is interesting to note that nearly all of these musicals feature, or are about, the music of black artists.
I want to acknowledge the frustrating fact that the current catalogue of filmed live musicals is dominated by white creators and performers. It is my hope that more musicals with diverse casts and creative teams will not only be produced, but recorded for posterity.
We are watching.
When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate
When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate was a musical drama featuring the poetry of black poets. The show was directed by Vinnette Carroll, a multi-talented and highly influential actor, director, and writer who found success in both the UK and the United States.
When Hell Freezes Over I’ll Skate aired on Theater in America in 1979.
The musical drama was released on VHS in 1999, and on DVD in 2003.
Sophisticated Ladies
Sophisticated Ladies was a revue celebrating the music of Duke Ellington.
In November 1982, Sophisticated Ladies became the first Broadway musical to air on pay TV. Due to sour contract negotiations, and fears the telecast would affect ticket sales, most of the Broadway cast did not appear in the telecast.
The revue was released on DVD in 2005, and is also available on DVD.com.
Ain’t Misbehavin’
Set in a Harlem nightclub, Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a musical revue featuring the music of stride pianist Fats Waller.
The Broadway production won the 1978 Tony Award for Best Musical, and went on to play 1604 performances before closing in 1982.
NBC aired a filmed live recording of Ain’t Misbehavin’ in June 1982. It is not officially available to view.
The Gospel at Colonus
The Gospel at Colonus is a re-telling of Sophocles’ Oepidus at Colonus through a pentecostal sermon.
The musical was filmed live during the American Music Theater Festival in 1985 and aired on PBS’ Great Performances. The cast included Morgan Freeman, Carl Lumbly, Robert Earl Jones, The Institutional Radio Choir, Clarence Fountain and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama.
The Gospel at Colonus was released on DVD in 2008.
Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Another musical revue, Smokey Joe’s Cafe celebrated the music of 60s rock n’ roll writers Leiber and Stoller.
The cast featured a predominantly African American cast, three of whom were nominated for a Tony Award for Featured Actor or Featured Actress in a Musical, including Victor Trent Cook, B.J. Crosby, and Brenda Braxton (DeLee Lively was also nominated).
The final performance of the five year run was taped by Broadway Television Network in January 2000, and aired on pay TV in September 2000.
Smokey Joe’s Cafe is available to view on DVD.
Passing Strange
Loosely based on the life of rock musician Stew, Passing Strange is a rock musical about a young man who leaves his conservative Californian home to find “the real” in Europe.
Spike Lee filmed the Broadway production live in 2008, and released Passing Strange: The Movie in 2009 to much acclaim. The film was aired on PBS in 2010, and also released on DVD.
Passing Strange: The Movie is available to view on DVD and on Amazon.
FELA!
FELA! is a biographical musical about the pioneering Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. The musical was directed by choreographer and director Bill T. Jones, and featured Sahr Ngaujah in the title role.
When FELA! opened in London in 2010, it became the first National Theatre musical production to be concurrently running on Broadway. The London production was filmed live for the National Theatre’s NT Live program, and broadcast in cinemas around the world.
FELA! is not currently available to view.
Memphis
Memphis is an original musical about the power of music to overcome racial divides in 1950s America.
Despite lackluster reviews, the musical won 4 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and played on Broadway for three years.
Memphis was the first Broadway musical to be released in cinemas whilst playing on Broadway. It was subsequently released on Netflix, DVD, and Blu-Ray, and aired on PBS’ Great Performances.
Memphis is now available to stream on BroadwayHD and YouTube.
- Published on
One of the most commonly cited reasons for not filming stage musicals and distributing them to the public is that the availability of filmed live versions will supposedly stop people from attending the theatre in person.
I thought it would be fun to take a look at the numbers and see if that is actually the case.
This week, we’re going to focus on Broadway.
Of the hundreds and hundreds of musicals to open on Broadway, only 24 have been legally filmed live and released to the public. Just 5 of the 24 captures were released or aired while the show was still running on Broadway: Sophisticated Ladies, The Will Rogers Follies, Victor/Victoria, Legally Blonde the Musical, and Memphis.
Additionally, live captures of another 2 musicals, She Loves Me, and Holiday Inn, were aired within two weeks of the show’s previously announced closing date.
That gives us a total of 7 Broadway musicals to have been filmed live and made available to the public while the show was still running on Broadway.
To get a sense of immediate effect on the box office, I looked at the Broadway League statistics on audience capacity for each show two weeks before, one week before, the week of, one week after, and two weeks after, the filmed live release date.
I thought it would be fun to take a look at the numbers and see if that is actually the case.
This week, we’re going to focus on Broadway.
Of the hundreds and hundreds of musicals to open on Broadway, only 24 have been legally filmed live and released to the public. Just 5 of the 24 captures were released or aired while the show was still running on Broadway: Sophisticated Ladies, The Will Rogers Follies, Victor/Victoria, Legally Blonde the Musical, and Memphis.
Additionally, live captures of another 2 musicals, She Loves Me, and Holiday Inn, were aired within two weeks of the show’s previously announced closing date.
That gives us a total of 7 Broadway musicals to have been filmed live and made available to the public while the show was still running on Broadway.
To get a sense of immediate effect on the box office, I looked at the Broadway League statistics on audience capacity for each show two weeks before, one week before, the week of, one week after, and two weeks after, the filmed live release date.
Sophisticated Ladies was the first Broadway musical to air live on national television whilst still running on Broadway. It aired on pay TV, at $15 per view, and was only available in cities where the musical would not be touring, or had already played. It was not made available in New York City. Unfortunately, we don’t have publicly available audience attendance data for Sophisticated Ladies on Broadway, so we can’t say how the television airing affected ticket sales.
The Will Rogers Follies and Victor/Victoria were both filmed for distribution on Japanese television. It’s not clear when The Will Rogers Follies aired on Japanese television, though one blog refers to a broadcast in 1995. Given the widely reported agreement between Japanese network WOWOW and the Broadway producers to air The Will Rogers Follies in Japan over three years (and release the musical on video), was made in 1991, it seems strange that the program was not aired for another four years.
Victor/Victoria was taped live and aired on Japanese television on December 23, 1995 (it did not air on American television until 2001, well after the Broadway production had closed). The ticket sales at the box office were strong in the weeks leading up to, and following the broadcast, though this may be due to the fact that Victor/Victoria had only opened two months before. It is also worth noting that the end of December is normally a high season for Broadway ticket sales. More research needs to be done to determine if there was a boost in ticket sales specifically from the Japanese market in the months, and years, following the broadcast.
In 2007, Legally Blonde: The Musical became the second Broadway musical to air on American television whilst playing on Broadway. It aired on MTV on October 13, 2007. Two weeks prior to the MTV broadcast, ticket sales were at 64% capacity. In the week before the broadcast, capacity rose to 79%, and in the week of the broadcast it rose again to 81%. Capacity stayed steady around 80% for a few more weeks before dipping again the following the month.
On April 28, 2011, Memphis became the first musical to be released in cinemas while also playing on Broadway. In an interesting precedent, the film was also made available in New York City. Capacity at the Shubert Theatre was at 86% two weeks before the release, and jumped to 98% the week before the release. During the week of the cinema release, capacity dropped back down to 87%, where they remained for the next few weeks.
She Loves Me and Holiday Inn were both streamed live on BroadwayHD in the final weeks of their Broadway runs. Audience capacity increased for both musicals in the week of the livestream, though it is difficult to say whether this was due to a normal end-of-run bump or the livestream.
For the five shows for which we have data, the filmed live release did not negatively affect capacity. For 4 of the 5 shows, capacity either increased in the week before the release of the filmed live version (presumably due to extra marketing), or increased after the release.
The Will Rogers Follies and Victor/Victoria were both filmed for distribution on Japanese television. It’s not clear when The Will Rogers Follies aired on Japanese television, though one blog refers to a broadcast in 1995. Given the widely reported agreement between Japanese network WOWOW and the Broadway producers to air The Will Rogers Follies in Japan over three years (and release the musical on video), was made in 1991, it seems strange that the program was not aired for another four years.
Victor/Victoria was taped live and aired on Japanese television on December 23, 1995 (it did not air on American television until 2001, well after the Broadway production had closed). The ticket sales at the box office were strong in the weeks leading up to, and following the broadcast, though this may be due to the fact that Victor/Victoria had only opened two months before. It is also worth noting that the end of December is normally a high season for Broadway ticket sales. More research needs to be done to determine if there was a boost in ticket sales specifically from the Japanese market in the months, and years, following the broadcast.
In 2007, Legally Blonde: The Musical became the second Broadway musical to air on American television whilst playing on Broadway. It aired on MTV on October 13, 2007. Two weeks prior to the MTV broadcast, ticket sales were at 64% capacity. In the week before the broadcast, capacity rose to 79%, and in the week of the broadcast it rose again to 81%. Capacity stayed steady around 80% for a few more weeks before dipping again the following the month.
On April 28, 2011, Memphis became the first musical to be released in cinemas while also playing on Broadway. In an interesting precedent, the film was also made available in New York City. Capacity at the Shubert Theatre was at 86% two weeks before the release, and jumped to 98% the week before the release. During the week of the cinema release, capacity dropped back down to 87%, where they remained for the next few weeks.
She Loves Me and Holiday Inn were both streamed live on BroadwayHD in the final weeks of their Broadway runs. Audience capacity increased for both musicals in the week of the livestream, though it is difficult to say whether this was due to a normal end-of-run bump or the livestream.
For the five shows for which we have data, the filmed live release did not negatively affect capacity. For 4 of the 5 shows, capacity either increased in the week before the release of the filmed live version (presumably due to extra marketing), or increased after the release.
Although the Broadway production has not been filmed live, Phantom of the Opera provides an interesting case study. During its thirty year Broadway run, Phantom has benefited from a movie musical, a filmed live London production, and two livestreams of 30th anniversary events.
On October 2, 2011, Fathom Events livestreamed the 25th anniversary gala performance of The Phantom of the Opera from Royal Albert Hall in London to cinemas around the world. The Broadway production benefited from the livestream, with capacity at the Majestic Theatre rising from 73% two weeks before the livestream to 85% in the week of the release.
For the 30th anniversaries of both the West End and Broadway productions, the finale of each show was livestreamed on Facebook. In the week before the livestreams, the Majestic Theatre saw a rise in audience capacity of over 10%.
The movie version of The Phantom of the Opera also had a positive impact on box office sales at the Majestic Theatre. Capacity rose from 86% two weeks before the release, to 98% during the week of the release.
On October 2, 2011, Fathom Events livestreamed the 25th anniversary gala performance of The Phantom of the Opera from Royal Albert Hall in London to cinemas around the world. The Broadway production benefited from the livestream, with capacity at the Majestic Theatre rising from 73% two weeks before the livestream to 85% in the week of the release.
For the 30th anniversaries of both the West End and Broadway productions, the finale of each show was livestreamed on Facebook. In the week before the livestreams, the Majestic Theatre saw a rise in audience capacity of over 10%.
The movie version of The Phantom of the Opera also had a positive impact on box office sales at the Majestic Theatre. Capacity rose from 86% two weeks before the release, to 98% during the week of the release.
Nine other Broadway shows have had movie musical releases whilst still playing on Broadway, including Chicago, Hairspray, RENT, Mamma Mia!, The Producers, Rock of Ages, Cats, A Chorus Line, and Jersey Boys.
Hairspray, RENT, Rock of Ages, and Mamma Mia! were all already doing strong business before the movie version was released. Their capacity numbers remained consistent, or were slightly raised, during the week of the film release.
Chicago and Jersey Boys saw notable increases in audience numbers as a result of the movie releases, while Cats and A Chorus Line saw their capacities dip.
It would be interesting to delve further and see the impact of filmed live and movie versions on touring productions. Of the 20 currently touring Broadway productions, 9 are based on movie musicals, or have been adapted into movie musicals. It’s also worth noting that of the 10 longest running Broadway musicals, 9 have been adapted for, or are based on, movie musicals.
These limited numbers suggest that filmed live musicals, and movie musical versions, do not negatively affect box office. How would a filmed live release affect already sold-out shows like Dear Evan Hansen or Hamilton? The answer is, right now we don’t know.
What we do know, is that legally filming musicals and releasing them to the public makes those musicals available to potentially millions of people who may not have access to the 41 theaters in a 14 block radius in mid-Manhattan.
If only more Broadway shows were filmed live and distributed to the public for us to find out.
Hairspray, RENT, Rock of Ages, and Mamma Mia! were all already doing strong business before the movie version was released. Their capacity numbers remained consistent, or were slightly raised, during the week of the film release.
Chicago and Jersey Boys saw notable increases in audience numbers as a result of the movie releases, while Cats and A Chorus Line saw their capacities dip.
It would be interesting to delve further and see the impact of filmed live and movie versions on touring productions. Of the 20 currently touring Broadway productions, 9 are based on movie musicals, or have been adapted into movie musicals. It’s also worth noting that of the 10 longest running Broadway musicals, 9 have been adapted for, or are based on, movie musicals.
These limited numbers suggest that filmed live musicals, and movie musical versions, do not negatively affect box office. How would a filmed live release affect already sold-out shows like Dear Evan Hansen or Hamilton? The answer is, right now we don’t know.
What we do know, is that legally filming musicals and releasing them to the public makes those musicals available to potentially millions of people who may not have access to the 41 theaters in a 14 block radius in mid-Manhattan.
If only more Broadway shows were filmed live and distributed to the public for us to find out.
- Published on
Surprise bonus post on the topic of MORE!
Missing BroadwayCon? Missed out on attending entirely? Fear not. Over the three magical days of BroadwayCon 2018, I live-tweeted 17 panels covering new shows, old shows, musicals on screen, criticism, and how to make Broadway more accessible. It was exhausting, and a lot of fun.
You can re-live the glory, or catch up, on each panel the full Twitter threads below!
While we're on the topic of more, I'm excited to share that people have started writing in to let me know the shows missing from the Filmed Live Musicals database! I'm continually updating the database as I learn more, so please feel free to get in touch and share your knowledge!
Check back in next week for a post on how filmed live musicals affects Broadway ticket sales!
Missing BroadwayCon? Missed out on attending entirely? Fear not. Over the three magical days of BroadwayCon 2018, I live-tweeted 17 panels covering new shows, old shows, musicals on screen, criticism, and how to make Broadway more accessible. It was exhausting, and a lot of fun.
You can re-live the glory, or catch up, on each panel the full Twitter threads below!
- Waitress
- Beautiful
- Stage to Screen
- In the Heights
- Chicago
- Frozen
- Leading Women of Broadway
- Accessibility
- Spongebob
- Critics of Color
- Church with Aunty Lesli
- Journey to the Island
- Come From Away
- West Side Story
- Women Critics
- Golden Age of Broadway Meets Television
- NYPL
While we're on the topic of more, I'm excited to share that people have started writing in to let me know the shows missing from the Filmed Live Musicals database! I'm continually updating the database as I learn more, so please feel free to get in touch and share your knowledge!
Check back in next week for a post on how filmed live musicals affects Broadway ticket sales!
- Published on
This past weekend, I had the absolute privilege and joy to attend the 3rd annual BroadwayCon, a three day celebration of Broadway at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.
I attended 17 panels on shows old and new, theatre criticism, musicals on screen, and accessibility. I sang my heart out, laughed, cried, was inspired over and over again, and moved by how damn awesome the Broadway community is.
Here are some of my key takeaways:
Things I Learnt About Being an Actor
Things I Learnt About Theatre Criticism
Things I Learnt About Filmed Live Musicals
Things I Learnt About Broadway
Make sure to follow Filmed Live Musicals on Twitter and Facebook - I’ll be sharing more fun insights from BroadwayCon over the next week!
Check back next Monday for a new post on how filmed live musicals affect box office sales on Broadway!
I attended 17 panels on shows old and new, theatre criticism, musicals on screen, and accessibility. I sang my heart out, laughed, cried, was inspired over and over again, and moved by how damn awesome the Broadway community is.
Here are some of my key takeaways:
Things I Learnt About Being an Actor
- Many actors go through a period of being ready to quit before they land a dream role.
- Your career will not follow a timeline you expect.
- Doing a show 8 times a week for years on end is like a yoga practice. You have to meet it new every day. ~ Beautiful leads Evan Todd and Chilina Kennedy.
- Replacements in long running shows get very little rehearsal time.
- Swings work their butts off (and make use of colored markers to write notes).
- If you see something missing from the stage, you must create it for yourself. You will find people to support you who also needed that thing.
- Be Yourself.
- Open mind. Open heart.
- Kindness, kindness, kindness. Be kind to everyone.
- You must Keep Going.
Things I Learnt About Theatre Criticism
- Critics of color and female critics are often left out of the conversation.
- We need more diverse voices in theatre criticism.
- More voices in theatre criticism means a more nuanced conversation about theatre.
- Critics love watching shows and want to see them succeed.
- Fans consume theatre. Critics enjoy theatre and engage in a dialogue with the show.
- It is a critics job to see everything: the good, the bad, the atrocious. And you have to keep your fan light alive through the dreck.
- If you want to do it, GO DO IT.
Things I Learnt About Filmed Live Musicals
- Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, watches bootlegs.
- There is a hunger for musical theatre content.
- Technology is not something to be feared, and it’s not going to kill live theatre.
- The New York Public Library is run by incredibly smart, fun, and passionate people.
- Audiences don’t want fast action movies when watching filmed live theatre, they want to see the show. Sondheim agrees.
Things I Learnt About Broadway
- Broadway is just a bunch of people who love to sing and dance and tell stories
- “There is no I in Broadway” ~ Mo Rocca. Broadway is 100s and 100s of people working their butts off.
- The only difference between Broadway and a community production is $$$.
- Music unites us across age, race, ability, and background.
- The more specific it is, the more universal it is.
- Audiences love it when things go wrong.
- We have a long way to go in making theatre accessible for EVERYBODY.
- Theatre changes lives.
- The audience and fans are what make Broadway possible. Without an audience, there is no Broadway.
- Nothing beats being in the room where it happens.
Make sure to follow Filmed Live Musicals on Twitter and Facebook - I’ll be sharing more fun insights from BroadwayCon over the next week!
Check back next Monday for a new post on how filmed live musicals affect box office sales on Broadway!
- Published on
Last week, following in the footsteps of Patti LuPone, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dear Evan Hansen actor Will Roland became the latest actor to take to social media to request audience members stop illegally filming the show.
The responses ranged from enraged supporters cheering Roland on, to far-away fans claiming they have no other way to access Broadway.
I want to make very clear that I absolutely do not support audience members going into a theatre, taking out their cellphones/devices and filming the show. First of all, it’s incredibly distracting to the performers and to their fellow audience members. Secondly, bootlegs mean cast/crew/creatives are not being properly compensated for their work being captured and distributed. Finally, we live in an age where professional filmed live recordings are becoming more and more prevalent.
We know bootlegs exist. We knows there’s a demand for them, no matter how shoddy the quality. So what are we going to do about it?
The following is an anecdotal study, compiled by reading through published articles, message board threads, and talking with fans.
Why do people bootleg?
People bootleg musical theatre to have a record of an ephemeral performance, trade videos with other fans, and to make a profit.
Why do people watch bootlegs?
It comes down to a few crucial reasons, geography, cost, high ticket demand, and the desire to see specific performances (eg. original cast, replacements, first/final performances). Across all of these reasons, the theme that constantly came up was the sense of “being deprived” of not being able to see theatre performances live.
Who is watching bootlegs?
Anecdotally, everyone… From audience members to the creators making new shows, people who love theatre are watching bootlegs. In the past two years I’ve been lucky enough to attend BroadwayCon, and in almost every single panel, theatre professionals, writers, directors, actors, and fans, all spoke openly about their avid consumption of bootlegs.
What happens when people watch bootlegs?
The availability of bootlegs encourage fans to seek out more bootlegs. Bootlegs inspire many people to pursue a life in the performing arts. Crucially, illegal recordings leave fans with a desire to see, and experience, the show in the theatre.
Why can’t we just film stage musicals?
Union contracts and agreements are a big factor, which are important to ensure casts and creatives are properly compensated for their work being captured and distributed. Another significant hindrance is an industry fear that making videos available will jeopardize box office sales. Add into these factors the cost of filming and distribution, and, finally, the ingrained belief that filmed theatre is no longer theatre.
What about ticket sales?!
The worlds of classical music, ballet, and opera, have all shown that filming concerts for public distribution, boosts ticket sales at the box office.
In 2011, The Detroit Symphony Orchestra had an in-person attendance rate of around 50%. After introducing free livestreams of some of their concerts, in-person attendance rose to 90%. Anne Parsons, CEO of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra stated of the change, “I think the digital world makes us hungrier for the real world.” In 2014, the DSO introduced robotic cameras, lessening the intrusion of cameras for the live audiences.
In the National Theatre Annual Review 2016-17, the company announced its shows had a 93% percent audience capacity, the highest numbers it has seen in a decade. What happened just under a decade ago? The launch of NT Live, where select National Theatre productions are broadcast live in cinemas around the world.
Research on the The Met Opera’s The Met Live in HD has shown that while the program appeals mainly to people who are already opera devotees, the program has also been able to attract a more diverse audience, including younger people, and people with lower incomes. The program has also encouraged people who had not previously seen a live opera to seek one out.
As noted by Sean Douglass of The Clyde Fitch Report, even though sport is widely available to watch on television, fans still flock to live games. Even though concerts and performances are freely available on YouTube, fans still pack out stadiums to see musicians live.
We already know that movie versions of stage musicals boost attendance at the Broadway box office. As noted by Broadway producer Ken Davenport, “…every time, even if the movies have sucked, the Broadway box office has gone up. It happened every time. So we know it doesn’t cannibalize.”
Will filmed live musicals replace live musical theatre?
All existing research points to the fact that at the end of the day, people want tangible in-person real-life experiences. Like movie musicals, like cast recordings, like digital content, making filmed live recordings available to the general public will only encourage people to seek out more live theatre.
What can we do?
Bootlegs aren’t going away. So why not tap into the market and provide professionally recorded, legal, captures that fairly compensate the artists?
It doesn’t mean a musical capture should be released globally on YouTube on opening night. As Jennifer Tepper noted in response to Will Roland’s tweet, “producers [need to] make a strategic educated decision about when to create and release this based on when the show needs it most.”
But for high-demand sold-out shows like Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen, why not adopt the NT Live model and hold a one-night-only livestream to cinemas, as the National Theatre did for Fela and Follies? Or like Legally Blonde, use a television broadcast to boost ticket sales for the national tour? Allegiance continues to build a fan base through its select cinema screenings, while Newsies was screened in cinemas, and later released online for on demand viewing.
More and More
The great news is that more and more producers and creatives are realizing the importance, and benefits, of filming stage musicals for public distribution. I look forward to continuing to catalogue them here, and celebrating the joy of filmed live musicals.
The responses ranged from enraged supporters cheering Roland on, to far-away fans claiming they have no other way to access Broadway.
I want to make very clear that I absolutely do not support audience members going into a theatre, taking out their cellphones/devices and filming the show. First of all, it’s incredibly distracting to the performers and to their fellow audience members. Secondly, bootlegs mean cast/crew/creatives are not being properly compensated for their work being captured and distributed. Finally, we live in an age where professional filmed live recordings are becoming more and more prevalent.
We know bootlegs exist. We knows there’s a demand for them, no matter how shoddy the quality. So what are we going to do about it?
The following is an anecdotal study, compiled by reading through published articles, message board threads, and talking with fans.
Why do people bootleg?
People bootleg musical theatre to have a record of an ephemeral performance, trade videos with other fans, and to make a profit.
Why do people watch bootlegs?
It comes down to a few crucial reasons, geography, cost, high ticket demand, and the desire to see specific performances (eg. original cast, replacements, first/final performances). Across all of these reasons, the theme that constantly came up was the sense of “being deprived” of not being able to see theatre performances live.
Who is watching bootlegs?
Anecdotally, everyone… From audience members to the creators making new shows, people who love theatre are watching bootlegs. In the past two years I’ve been lucky enough to attend BroadwayCon, and in almost every single panel, theatre professionals, writers, directors, actors, and fans, all spoke openly about their avid consumption of bootlegs.
What happens when people watch bootlegs?
The availability of bootlegs encourage fans to seek out more bootlegs. Bootlegs inspire many people to pursue a life in the performing arts. Crucially, illegal recordings leave fans with a desire to see, and experience, the show in the theatre.
Why can’t we just film stage musicals?
Union contracts and agreements are a big factor, which are important to ensure casts and creatives are properly compensated for their work being captured and distributed. Another significant hindrance is an industry fear that making videos available will jeopardize box office sales. Add into these factors the cost of filming and distribution, and, finally, the ingrained belief that filmed theatre is no longer theatre.
What about ticket sales?!
The worlds of classical music, ballet, and opera, have all shown that filming concerts for public distribution, boosts ticket sales at the box office.
In 2011, The Detroit Symphony Orchestra had an in-person attendance rate of around 50%. After introducing free livestreams of some of their concerts, in-person attendance rose to 90%. Anne Parsons, CEO of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra stated of the change, “I think the digital world makes us hungrier for the real world.” In 2014, the DSO introduced robotic cameras, lessening the intrusion of cameras for the live audiences.
In the National Theatre Annual Review 2016-17, the company announced its shows had a 93% percent audience capacity, the highest numbers it has seen in a decade. What happened just under a decade ago? The launch of NT Live, where select National Theatre productions are broadcast live in cinemas around the world.
Research on the The Met Opera’s The Met Live in HD has shown that while the program appeals mainly to people who are already opera devotees, the program has also been able to attract a more diverse audience, including younger people, and people with lower incomes. The program has also encouraged people who had not previously seen a live opera to seek one out.
As noted by Sean Douglass of The Clyde Fitch Report, even though sport is widely available to watch on television, fans still flock to live games. Even though concerts and performances are freely available on YouTube, fans still pack out stadiums to see musicians live.
We already know that movie versions of stage musicals boost attendance at the Broadway box office. As noted by Broadway producer Ken Davenport, “…every time, even if the movies have sucked, the Broadway box office has gone up. It happened every time. So we know it doesn’t cannibalize.”
Will filmed live musicals replace live musical theatre?
All existing research points to the fact that at the end of the day, people want tangible in-person real-life experiences. Like movie musicals, like cast recordings, like digital content, making filmed live recordings available to the general public will only encourage people to seek out more live theatre.
What can we do?
Bootlegs aren’t going away. So why not tap into the market and provide professionally recorded, legal, captures that fairly compensate the artists?
It doesn’t mean a musical capture should be released globally on YouTube on opening night. As Jennifer Tepper noted in response to Will Roland’s tweet, “producers [need to] make a strategic educated decision about when to create and release this based on when the show needs it most.”
But for high-demand sold-out shows like Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen, why not adopt the NT Live model and hold a one-night-only livestream to cinemas, as the National Theatre did for Fela and Follies? Or like Legally Blonde, use a television broadcast to boost ticket sales for the national tour? Allegiance continues to build a fan base through its select cinema screenings, while Newsies was screened in cinemas, and later released online for on demand viewing.
More and More
The great news is that more and more producers and creatives are realizing the importance, and benefits, of filming stage musicals for public distribution. I look forward to continuing to catalogue them here, and celebrating the joy of filmed live musicals.
Want to read more on bootlegs?
Check out my guest post for New Musical Theatre on Kicking the Bootlegs!
Check out my guest post for New Musical Theatre on Kicking the Bootlegs!
Sources
Books
Articles
Websites
Books
- Ed. Susan Elliott, Digital Streaming: Reaching a Larger Audience Through Digital Means, Musical America (June 2015)
Articles
- Mary-Margaret Annab, “Bootlegs: Inclusive or Destructive?” New Musical Theatre (Sept 1, 2015)
- BWW News Desk, “Photo Flash: First Look at Rehearsal Photos from JOHN at The National Theatre,” Broadway World (Jan 10, 2018)
- Nicole LaBresh, “Complicated Feelings on Bootlegs,” The Odyssey Online (July 5, 2016)
- Luisa Lyons, “Kicking the Bootlegs: The Case for Legally Filmed Live Musicals,” New Musical Theatre (Oct 24, 2015)
- I.M., “Theatres are acting locally and streaming globally,” The Economist (Jan 4, 2016)
- Aly Markov, “Bootlegs: Will they Destroy or Save Theatre?” OnStage Blog (Dec 10, 2017)
- National Theatre Live, “National Theatre Live: everything you need to know,” The Telegraph (Aug 31, 2016)
- Maddi Ostapiw, “On Bootlegs, Broadway and Breaking Barriers,” New Musical Theatre (April 16, 2015)
- Rona, “To Bootleg or Not To Bootleg Theatre,” Thrifty Theatre Thinker (June 17, 2015)
- Sean Douglass, “5 Reasons Digital Streaming Won’t Kill Theater,” The Clyde Fitch Report (Nov 25, 2015)
- Shugoll Research, “Metropolitan Opera Live in HD Survey,” Opera America (July 2008)
Websites
- Broadway World, “What is so bad about bootlegs?” Accessed via: https://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1064562
- Part of His World: Howard Ashman, "Why are home video releases of Broadway shows so rare?” Accessed via: http://howardashman.com/FeedMe/discussion/791/why-are-home-video-releases-of-broadway-shows-so-rare
- Published on
Ohmigod You Guys!
Here’s a preview of the content coming your way from Filmed Live Musicals:
The Art of Making Art
In February, Filmed Live Musicals will be launching a Patreon. The database will remain free and available to all, but patrons will have access to specialized content including a monthly newsletter, weekly film reviews, and industry interviews.
Once we hit certain levels of funding on Patreon, new features will include:
Children Will Listen
Tell me what you'd like to see on the site! Email or tweet your suggestions!
The World Will Know
Make sure you’re following us on Twitter to stay up-to-date with all the latest news on filmed live musicals!
Check back next Monday for a post about bootlegs!
Here’s a preview of the content coming your way from Filmed Live Musicals:
- More musicals in the database!
- Histories: articles on each decade from 1920 through to the present day
- Other Models: a look at Cirque du Soleil, Met Live, and NT Live
- Television Musicals LIVE! section
- Who’s who page
- Where to watch by country
- Musicals in languages other than English
The Art of Making Art
In February, Filmed Live Musicals will be launching a Patreon. The database will remain free and available to all, but patrons will have access to specialized content including a monthly newsletter, weekly film reviews, and industry interviews.
Once we hit certain levels of funding on Patreon, new features will include:
- Search function on the whole site
- Ability to search the database by names (director/writer/performer etc)
Children Will Listen
Tell me what you'd like to see on the site! Email or tweet your suggestions!
The World Will Know
Make sure you’re following us on Twitter to stay up-to-date with all the latest news on filmed live musicals!
Check back next Monday for a post about bootlegs!
- Published on
Welcome to the very first post of the Filmed Live Musicals blog! I’m your host Luisa Lyons and I am so excited to be sharing my passion project with you.
The idea for this website started back in 2011 when I was studying for an MA in Music Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. A group of my friends went to the cinema to see the filmed live version of Company, which featured Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, and Stephen Colbert amongst its starry cast. In a taped interview prior to the main feature, producer Ellen M. Krass claimed she had had trouble getting funding to film Company because investors had not heard of filming a live show for public distribution.
Huh?! Maybe all the investors had pockets overflowing with cash and lived in close proximity to Broadway... But as a musical theatre nerd growing up in Sydney, I cherished my DVD copy of the original Broadway production of Into the Woods, and thrilled at being able to see Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria. Not to mention the delight of being able to see Hugh Jackman in Oklahoma!
Ellen M. Krass’ comment inspired me to write my thesis on filmed live musicals. I learnt that stage musicals have been filmed for distribution since the advent of sound on film, and, as technology has improved, so has the demand for filmed live theatre content. I compiled a list of nearly 80 stage musicals that had been legally filmed live and made available for public distribution, and tried to figure out what to call a filmed live musical — is it film? Is it theatre?
As excited as I was to learn about filmed live musicals, I discovered there is a lot of resistance to the idea of filming stage musicals for the screen. Fears around the impact on ticket sales, contract negotiations, and what should be filmed and when, all play into what is made available to the general public. The biggest fear is of course that theatre on screen will replace the experience of live theatre.
Nothing will ever replace the magic of live theatre, but in my research I found that filmed live musicals inspire audiences to seek out real-life theatre experiences. Filmed live musicals provide access to shows to people who for a myriad of reasons, such as geography and finances, would not otherwise be able to see a fully realized stage musical. Filmed live musicals not only give further reach to Broadway and West End shows, but provide wider audiences for regional and smaller-scale productions. Filmed live musicals create a historical record of an impermanent performance, and provide students with a fantastic educational tool.
Fast forward a few years, and my love for filmed live musicals has not gone away. More and more musicals are being legally filmed for public consumption, and in the age of Digital and the Interwebz, it is easier than ever to access them.
In the many conversations I’ve had with performers, writers, directors, and especially audience members, people want to know where they can watch filmed live stage musicals. And so, Filmed Live Musicals was born. My thesis list formed the basis for the database, which now has over 100 musicals, and counting. The database is currently searchable by year, where to watch, and Broadway/West End shows. You can learn about each musical's history, how it was filmed, and, where possible, where to watch them.
Every Monday (New York time), I will be sharing research, interviews, articles, and news about upcoming filmed live musicals. Tune in next week for a preview of some of the exciting additions coming to Filmed Live Musicals!
Until next week, happy watching!
Luisa
The idea for this website started back in 2011 when I was studying for an MA in Music Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. A group of my friends went to the cinema to see the filmed live version of Company, which featured Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, and Stephen Colbert amongst its starry cast. In a taped interview prior to the main feature, producer Ellen M. Krass claimed she had had trouble getting funding to film Company because investors had not heard of filming a live show for public distribution.
Huh?! Maybe all the investors had pockets overflowing with cash and lived in close proximity to Broadway... But as a musical theatre nerd growing up in Sydney, I cherished my DVD copy of the original Broadway production of Into the Woods, and thrilled at being able to see Julie Andrews in Victor/Victoria. Not to mention the delight of being able to see Hugh Jackman in Oklahoma!
Ellen M. Krass’ comment inspired me to write my thesis on filmed live musicals. I learnt that stage musicals have been filmed for distribution since the advent of sound on film, and, as technology has improved, so has the demand for filmed live theatre content. I compiled a list of nearly 80 stage musicals that had been legally filmed live and made available for public distribution, and tried to figure out what to call a filmed live musical — is it film? Is it theatre?
As excited as I was to learn about filmed live musicals, I discovered there is a lot of resistance to the idea of filming stage musicals for the screen. Fears around the impact on ticket sales, contract negotiations, and what should be filmed and when, all play into what is made available to the general public. The biggest fear is of course that theatre on screen will replace the experience of live theatre.
Nothing will ever replace the magic of live theatre, but in my research I found that filmed live musicals inspire audiences to seek out real-life theatre experiences. Filmed live musicals provide access to shows to people who for a myriad of reasons, such as geography and finances, would not otherwise be able to see a fully realized stage musical. Filmed live musicals not only give further reach to Broadway and West End shows, but provide wider audiences for regional and smaller-scale productions. Filmed live musicals create a historical record of an impermanent performance, and provide students with a fantastic educational tool.
Fast forward a few years, and my love for filmed live musicals has not gone away. More and more musicals are being legally filmed for public consumption, and in the age of Digital and the Interwebz, it is easier than ever to access them.
In the many conversations I’ve had with performers, writers, directors, and especially audience members, people want to know where they can watch filmed live stage musicals. And so, Filmed Live Musicals was born. My thesis list formed the basis for the database, which now has over 100 musicals, and counting. The database is currently searchable by year, where to watch, and Broadway/West End shows. You can learn about each musical's history, how it was filmed, and, where possible, where to watch them.
Every Monday (New York time), I will be sharing research, interviews, articles, and news about upcoming filmed live musicals. Tune in next week for a preview of some of the exciting additions coming to Filmed Live Musicals!
Until next week, happy watching!
Luisa
Are you following Filmed Live Musicals on Twitter? Follow now for regular tweets and updates!