The Mary Sue: Right now, fans of the musical Waitress are getting to relive the magic of the Sara Bareilles musical released to a wider audience, which is a nice change of pace for what normally happens with musicals. From director Adrienne Shelly, who died prior to seeing the success it would have, the film Waitress has a soft spot in the hearts of its fans. Then, the musical came to make us love the story even more.
6 comments:
I found this article to have a refreshing standpoint that I do not read too often in terms of theatre accessibility. So many theatre critics do not believe that shows should be available once they close as it ruins the “theatre magic.” While there is validity to this argument, it forgoes the very important nuance of accessibility of theatre. In my opinion, once a show closes, there is no reason that a proshot cannot be released, provided cast, crew, and creatives get proper pay and royalties. Additionally, shows that are still running that have released proshots, do not seem to have suffered economically. Hamilton, which is currently streaming on Disney Plus, is still grossing positively in its box office across its Broadway runs and tours, so I simply do not see the explanation for how streaming live shows will ruin the in-person economy. While watching a production through the screen will never have a same spectacle as an in person show, it provides a much needed accessibility option for audience members unable to make it to the theater.
It’s super cool that a recording of Waitress the Musical is being put online! I agree with the article about the difficulties of accessing recordings of shows, and wish it was more accessible to the public, as the more theater people are exposed to, the better! Especially as we want to limit the amount of pirating as much as possible, because it is important to respect the necessary compensation for all those involved with the production. I wonder who head started the Waitress initiative, and how they are covering that topic of compensation. It would be handy if certain websites, like the “Theatre on Film and Tape Archives” mentioned in the article, and other organizations such as ‘Broadway HD,’ were to connect with educational institutions, so that students who possibly would be unable to pay for a regular subscription could still be exposed to these great theater resources. It is great that for Waitress, it is said to be more broadly accessible.
The idea of filmed theatre is such a double-edged sword. On one side you have that the arts are becoming more accessible to the audiences with lower ticket prices and the availability to see a show that would not necessarily be attainable for some people who don’t have the ability to just fly to New York to see Broadway level shows. At the same time, a portion of a shows budget comes from the ability to sell tickets at the price where they are but if a person could sit at home, or in a local movie theatre, and watch a Broadway level show for a significantly lower price then why would they pay to go see it in person? What seeing a show in a movie theatre versus a live theatre takes away from the process is the act of going to the theatre which is almost like a religious experience for some and like a date night for others. It is something special. That being said, I wonder what the increased rate of pro-shots is going to do to ticket sales and audiences over the course of the next few years.
I one thousand percent agree with everything this article is saying and I have been saying this forever. I really really think that broadway shows should be recorded and then released to the general public after their run. Plenty of other theaters do this, such as the Globe, the National Theater, and The MET Opera. I do not think this has infringed on any of their profits, though I cannot say for certain. There are so many shows that I would absolutely love to see a recording of. I love theater but seeing every show I like and am interested in is just not feasible. I do not think that being able to access recordings of closed shows would discourage me from seeing in person shows, it would just mean that I am able to access even more theater. I would absolutely love to watch a recording of the broadway Great Comet Run as well as the broadway American Idiot. Neither of those shows are currently on Broadway so having access to a professional recording wouldn’t diminish their profits.
YES! I could not agree more with this article! I am extremely passionate about this topic! As someone who was born and raised in Idaho I was not exposed to much quality theatre during my childhood despite wanting to. I was hearing and learning about these big broadway shows and performers yet I could not see any of it. While there has been an increase in professional theatre in my hometown things like waitress would make a HUGE difference. Not everyone lives in New York or has the money to get there, yet they still have a deep love for the art and want to see it. Filming and releasing shows like waitresses did would open up the world of professional theatre to a greater community. I understand the argument that theatre is best seen live, and I agree, however if the show closed anyway, why not preserve it and open it to those who did not get to see it live. Recording it and releasing it is better than nothing at all. Hamilton would be a great example of this. After it was released on disney plus the popularity grew and people that would not be able to see it live were able to experience it
I absolutely agree with this article! I think it is wonderful to see the life of a story preserved in a way that extends its reach and is more accessible to the general public. Live theatre, specifically Broadway, is a very elitist and inaccessible art form. It caters to the people who can afford tickets, which tends to be upper and middle-class individuals. Some of my good friends who want to make a career out of theatre have never seen a Broadway or touring Broadway show due to ticket prices and location. I think it is so important to make theatre accessible, and starting by filming closed shows is a wonderful way to do that. In filming shows and releasing them on popular streaming platforms, those from places where touring shows simply don't go, or those with economic challenges who can't afford to spend upwards of a hundred dollars on a ticket, have access to theatre in a new way.
Post a Comment