ThinkProgress: BroadwayHD, a site that could become the Netflix of theater, launched on Monday. The site is the brainchild of Tony award-winning producers Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley; they’ve been working on this project for four years and have, at present, the rights to stream over 100 productions. Lane and Comley spoke with ThinkProgress by phone about how BroadwayHD was conceived, what musicals and plays you can expect to find on the site (and which shows you probably shouldn’t hold your breath for), and why they believe making Broadway shows available to stream won’t cannibalize ticket sales but will instead spark an interest in live performance among audiences who have extremely limited access to the theater.
19 comments:
YYYAYYYY no more shitty pirated versions to watch all of the amazing doorbusting shows that I can never afford the time or money to go see!!!! To be completely honest, and I know this puts some people in shock, I’ve only ever seen one Broadway production in my whole life. Sure, I’ve seen a ton of shows in my young young career, but they’ve all been tours or student or semi-professional productions. The only time I’ve ever been on Broadway and seen a real Broadway show was in my Sophomore year of high school on the music trip to New York City. We saw How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, starring Nick Jonas. Which admittedly, kind of ruined the magic of Broadway for me since I had seen Nick Jonas live before. At a Jonas Brothers Concert. When I was like 8 years old. But anyway, the magic of Broadway was still stunning and I’m excited these people are working towards making it more available to everyday viewers.
THIS IS SO EXCITING! Broadway tickets, as we know, are really expensive and Broadway is all the way in New York, which is nowhere near close enough for me to casually go see a show whenever, so I have had to resort to seeing a tour, which are great but it isn't the same, or just not seeing it at all. I have said for a long time that when things cost money, many people’s (read college kids) first reaction is to find it online for free, but what Netflix, and services like it, has done is give us an easy way to get as much content as we want for a relatively low monthly cost. The ticket sales that a lot of these producers are worried will get lost don’t really exist because the people who will watch are the ones that can’t get to Broadway shows all the time. BroadwayHD is going to open so many more doors to everyone- the people watching will get to experience more types of theatre and the people making the shows are going to get more money by letting BroadwayHD stream their shows. Everyone’s happy.
"The idea was, it’s Broadway, it’s high art, and not for regular “TV people.” BroadwayHD is a brilliant idea and I'm thoroughly excited about it! One of the most common phrases that I hear which prevent people from seeing great Broadway theatre is "the ticket is too expensive!" I've always said and sincerely whole-heartedly believe that art is for everybody. Art is supposed to bring people and their emotions closer together and when there's such a barrier like a price tag, it becomes elitist. Netflix has infiltrated our society like a plague (don't get my wrong, I love it) which makes me think about how BroadwayHD will affect our media consumption. I don't think that BroadwayHD will hit home like many Netflix shows do just because live theatre is best, well, live. Netflix shows are filmed like how they're supposed to be seen but then again, like the article mentions, "If you can't get to Broadway, get to BroadwayHD." However, It really will be the next best thing if you can't get to the theatre.
I'm really excited to see where this site heads next and I'm hoping this catches on quickly. Even though I do live close to Broadway, getting tickets and planning out the trip there is expensive and usually only reserved for special occasions, and I know just how lucky I am to even be able to have those special occasions. There are so many people who are unable to access this content at all because of these types of obstacles and it's amazing that the people behind this are working to make it available to everyone. They're working very closely with producers and creators on Broadway and I hope that in the near future we'll be able to see the wide variety of content that the BroadwayHD creators have in store for us.
This article encapsulates one of the biggest problems in the theatrical culture at large, which is the Broadway snob. Now, this service is meant to break down that barrier, but the service itself came from a place of saying that theatre isn't just for TV watchers, and so it needed it's own service as opposed to, say, partnering with Netflix. This is certainly a good way for people to see shows they otherwise would never get the opportunity to, but the model is also one that doesn't really apply to theatre the same way it does for Film and TV. On Netflix, it's easy to hop on, watch an episode or two of your favorite show, and then go back to getting something real done. Watching a show is a much larger time investment, as you will probably be invested enough to lose 3 hours watching a show. Granted, you can stop at an intermission, but it disrupts the flow of the content and will ultimately sour your experience of that show in particular. BroadwayHD also loses the "live" aspect of theatre, which will create more of a disconnect. A huge part of theatre is being there with others and sharing the experience, while TV and movies are significantly more solitary.
I think this is an awesome idea. As much as I like seeing shows live its not always practical, and if there’s a show you want to watch more than once that’s going to get expensive really fast. It would be great to be able to go to a Netflix like service and just watch shows whenever I felt like it. I’m really looking forwards to seeing where this site goes, especially whether or not they’ll be able to get access to older shows that have closed. I think that could be a great use of their service, there’s plenty of shows that I would love the chance to see again/for the first time but I can’t due to them having closed. Hopefully they’re able to convince producers that this service will help their shows and not damage their profits, it would be a shame if that was what caused the death of this idea.
I'm so happy to see this! This is a great way to connect theatre to people who have little access/knowledge of theatre. I don't think this will necessarily "cannibalize ticket sales" and it will incite even more people to watch live shows. I still remember watching a recording of the live performance of Phantom of the Opera online, and if anything it only made me want to go watch it live on stage even more. I think this works the same way as musicians/singers today - they release their songs, music videos and even live performances online, only to attract more and more people who want to go see them live at concerts. In my opinion, videos will never measure up to live performances, but they are just enough to a a sneak peek and temporarily satisfy one's curiosity/craving for theatre. There are so many shows that I'd love to see but don't have a chance to, and I am so glad that such a thing exists.
I'm so excited to have heard about this site! I think that working professionals on Broadway should be pleased that this is happening because their art will now be able to reach more people than ever. I think that this site is addressing one of the problems we have in theater: trying to make something as expensive as a Broadway show accessible to people who can't afford it. As mentioned in the articles there are lotteries and rush tickets, etc. But this website would address the issue of opening up the Great White Way to people that don't have the advantage of being able to get to New York City. I don't think a site like this will ever negatively affect ticket sales because as people before me have said, watching a show on your laptop could never be a replacement for being in a theater and sharing the live experience with the other audience members and the performers. But as someone who doesn't often get the chance to see Broadway shows I couldn't be happier that this site will be there to help tide me over until I find the money and time to get to NYC again.
I think that this is an absolute terrible idea! The whole point of theater is that you are supposed to experience storytelling in a live form. Magic is created making you think the impossible is possible. By filming theatrical shows you are basically just creating movies that are done on stage instead of on a lot. To take this idea of purely creating a film you are only basically having one take instead of several. I know that there are people out there who are fans of this because they don’t get to see enough theater and this and that. However, if you are complaining about the fact that you don’t see enough theater you response should be to go see more theater in it’s purest form instead want turn theater into a Netflix and chill kind of evening (if you know what I mean). All in all I am not a fan.
I think a lot of theater people will take Jason's position on BroadwayHD, but I disagree for multiple reasons. First, this idea has already proven to be successful in the live performing arts. The Metropolitan Opera launched its Met HD Live campaign, and it has been wildly successful. Not only has the Met made a ton of money off of the Live HD showings, but it has also drawn a new, younger audience to attend the Met live in person. I think BroadwayHD has the potential to do the same for Broadway. I think it can inspire more young people to go out an rush student tickets, enter lotteries, or go see cheaper productions Off-Broadway or in their hometowns. Second, BroadwayHD will not be competing with any productions that are currently open and running. It seems to me, in fact, that many of the productions available for rent are very old, yet iconic productions that will now be available to anyone in the world. Of course it won't be the same as being there live to see a show in person, but access to Broadway's most iconic productions will be great for the whole community, as it will inspire viewers to see the great productions currently on the Great White Way. Lastly, the theatre industry is severely behind other industries in incorporating digital media in our artform. According to the NEA's research, the majority of our country is engaging with art through digital media, and the theatre industry really needs to jump on the bandwagon. As long as industry leaders treat BroadwayHD as a tool and opportunity rather than a barrier, I think it has the potential to be a step in the right direction for our industry.
This is so amazing to hear! I myself am not a Netflix user, but I am definitely aware of the recent movement towards streaming everything, and the computer replacing television as the medium through which we watch our entertainment. Of course, and as the article states, there isn’t anything quite like the magic of watching and experiencing a show live, and I think all of us would definitely prefer to see every single show live if it weren’t for the always- prevalent issue of cost. I love the idea of this making theater more accessible to people who don’t live in/ close to a major city, or to people who can’t afford expensive tickets. I can understand why some people wouldn’t like the idea of watching theater performances on a screen like a movie or television show, but I also think that it’s important for theater to evolve as the way we consume entertainment evolves. I’ve definitely watched far too many crappily and illegally filmed cell phone videos of Broadway shows, either for enjoyment or as reference when beginning the design process. I think it’s about time that someone acknowledges and makes attempts to fix this issue. I’ll be excited to see if this, or something similar to this, catches on.
I have mixed feelings about this site.
In some ways, I believe that live theatre should really be experienced the way it was intended: live and in person. As I just commented on another article, there are all kinds of important neurological processes that we practice when we witness live theatre, one of the most important of them being empathy. To summarize: those who experience live theatre (especially with other people) will be giving their mirror neurons practice, which are the parts of the brain that mimic the feelings that we see and give us the ability to "step into someone else's shoes." So for these reasons I do not like that Broadway is becoming easily accessible entertainment.
I also think it is going to impact theatre attendance, but that is less important to me.
On the other hand, I am excited that Broadway is being brought to the greater community. Shows are expensive. New York is far away for many people. It is excellent that those who might not have gotten the opportunity otherwise will be able to see what all the buzz is about.
This is a really incredible idea and honestly I'm a little surprised it's taken so long to make something like this happen. A streaming site for Broadway seems like such a great idea for literally everyone involved. The people running it will make a ton of money because basically any fee they charge will seem like nothing compared to Broadway ticket prices. It will expose more people to live theatre, and will remind people just how great theatre is. If more people can easily access theatre, more people will want to actually see it. If theatre is dying now, this would be a good effort to bring it back to life. BroadwayHD will get a lot more people interested in theatre and wanting to go see their new favorite shows on Broadway. It's similar to the idea of concerts being streamed or recorded for fans. When I was younger, I was so upset because I didn't get to see the Hannah Montana Best of Both Worlds tour. Luckily for me, someone on her team decided it would be a good idea to me a "live concert experience" movie for all the poor kids that missed the real thing. It wasn't the most high quality and convincing "concert experience," but I was still thrilled, and I was sitting in a sold out theater.
When I first saw that there was going to be this kind of streaming for Broadway I was thrilled that there was this opportunity but thinking through it I don’t know how well it’s going to go. I think that it is great that they are trying to bring Broadway into every house and encourage people to see live theatre and I think that will work but I think it will really only work for theatre goers. The people who like live theatre will see a show on BroadwayHD and want to see it in person and experience the feeling of being there live so they will pay to go see it however the other subscribers to BroadwayHD will feel fine just watching it on their screen and never going to New York or any other place again because they have already seen it. I know people who will never see a live show if they have the choice to stay home and watch it on a screen. But maybe this does go off well and people start going to live theatre because of this site.
I'm so excited for this to go live. Living nowhere near New York and not having the ability to go there, I've never seen a Broadway show before. This site would make it possible for people in the same position, especially teenagers, to have easier access to theater. I think the fact that people are willing to create this website and think this is something that needs to be done represents an attitude shift about the accessibility of Broadway theater. The comparison to sports was interesting, because I've never put it in that light before but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. I think treating Broadway theater as something that should be shared with all of its fans despite age or affluence is a sentiment that could only mean positive things for theater as a whole. By making watching these shows as easy as subscribing to Netflix, they are showing everyone that Broadway isn't just for a cultured elite or 14-year-olds on their eighth grade field trips.
when I heard about this, my immediate thought was "finally". To be honest this is the exact direction Broadway needs to push itself in. Right now, Broadway is popular with not only theater geeks but the masses, and I think this would propel it even further. Also, it's good that they're not putting current shows to compete with their sales, but merely archived ones. That's genius. I'm glad they're finally realizing that 99% of the population has not the time/money or travel to get to New York and see every Broadway show they would like to. Now, fans can, and I think this is the direction they need to go. It makes them more accessible and less of a luxury, as to me, theater should be. Theater should be able to reach audiences far and wide, and not just rhough seedy bootlegs. And to qualm fears of losing regional theater attendance, I think they need not worry. Seeing it lives is always better, and if one really loves theater they'll want to see the original and a reproduction.
I like that they are doing this because I personally have not been able to see any Broadway shows, I've seen war horse but so far thats it. I want to see Hamilton, I wanted to see book of mormon while it was on Broadway, although later I saw the tour. I think this is a great way for people to be exposed to theatre if they are not able to do so now. But I don't think this is better or will replace live theatre. I think the happy medium for this is for these filmed musicals to be put on the internet after they have been closed. I think if people see them at home, a modern audience will not put in the effort to go see it live even though that is what they should do. To experience Broadway live much more immersive obviously and it will showcase what the people who worked on it dreamed it would be. So I think it is a great idea to showcase Broadway to people who cant experience it but it should not become a main medium for viewing broadway. Broadway is meant to be live theatre and I think anyone in entertainment knows the value in it being that way.
I think a Netflix of Broadway is something that the theatre world desperately needs. I completely agree with the idea that it will strike up interest. The fact that someone has to go to the theatre to see theatre could be intimidating for some people. While I understand that theatre is intended to be live, sometimes people need some form of motivation to get there. This might be the key. People shouldn’t be worried about this driving down ticket prices because once people see the show on a screen it will encourage them to see it live. The marketing behind this is pure genius. Both the founders are heavily involved in the theatre world and have a common goal to promote the world of theatre. I will be interested to see the impact on pricing, and what shows will be offered. I hope the drama community accepts the idea and that we will see it on the web within the next year.
This sounds like an awesome, win-win business idea. The Broadway HD service’s main selling point is that it will increases access to Broadway. There are many, many people interested in theatre who are too far away or cannot afford a trip to Broadway, or they just can’t afford tickets. The service will also create a new source of income for present and past productions as, is mentioned in the interview. In addition, more jobs may even be created as more shows are filmed, creating a larger need for high-quality and well thought-out recordings.
Most importantly, this service could foster a new love for theatre in the “Netflix and Chill” generation.
Teens are far more likely to stream a play online from their bedroom then scrape together upwards of $100 to go see a play on Broadway, so the result is that many young people aren’t going to plays.
If you look at many audiences, it’s a lot of old white people. Increasing access to theatre for those who don’t currently have it is super important, as both Lane and Comley mention. Ideally, we’d be getting more people into the actual theatres, but this is a first step. I wonder what the resulting difference is between a movie adaption and a filmed Broadway performance. Will people want to go see the Broadway show after already watching the recording? I think many will, but the point is that many people who would have never seen the show at all now have the ability to do so.
I know that as a theatre student this service definitely appeals to me – it will allow me to watch productions of plays that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to see, and since reading a play just isn’t the same as watching it performed, students can benefit greatly from viewing these productions.
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