Tag: streaming musicals

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Broadway At Home, Theatre Online

Is BroadwayHD Worth It? A Review

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If you’re like me, you’re always looking for new ways to consume theatre. That’s where BroadwayHD comes in. I’ve spoken about it before on this blog, but if you need a refresher, BroadwayHD is a streaming service that hosts tons of professionally filmed live theatre performances as well as some films and documentaries. But if you are like me, then you also are hesitant to spend your money without being sure its worth it. I tested out a BroadwayHD subscription to see if it was worth it.

The Price

For me, affordability is huge. First of all, BroadwayHD offers a free trial for a week, which is a great way to test the waters and see if you want to commit to a paid subscription. BroadwayHD costs $8.99 a month, which makes it comparable to Netflix, Hulu and Disney+. Say you watch a couple of shows a month. Compared to Broadway ticket prices, you’re definitely saving tons of money.

BroadwayHD only started in 2015, which means in terms of streaming services its still in its infancy. Add onto that the fact that producers in the past have been largely hesitant to allow filming of their shows means there’s really not that much theatrical content like this out there. So, while I do like the affordable price of the service…the content on it is a little lacking. But only you can decide if the content makes the price worth it for you, so check it out before you choose.

The Catalog

There are a lot of great shows on BroadwayHD. You can find classics like Death of a Salesman or the original Pippin. Or you can go more modern with the film adaptation of The Last Five Years, which is a personal favorite. There is also a lot of PBS’s Great Performances, so if you wanted to watch The King and I with Kelli O’Hara or Audra McDonald in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, you can go right ahead. There’s an extensive vintage category and an extensive Shakespeare category, so there is some variety.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, the catalog is a little lacking, though you can’t really compare the small operation of BroadwayHD to other multi-million dollar streaming services. Still, if you’re a musical fan, you may be a little disappointed in the musical category compared to the Shakespeare category. A lot of the content is from London, so I assume that they have different rules when it comes to filming performances than Broadway. And in my research it appears that there were other shows on there that were removed for whatever reason, specifically some Sondheim shows, which again is disappointing. Overall I like the content on the service, but I do hope they add more.

What I Would Like To See

This is purely my opinion on what I think BroadwayHD should add. I would like to see, of course, more musicals. I know that there is probably a reason why there is not too much and I am sure that it all has to do with money, but I hope they add more musicals. In my research, it appears it once had Company with Raul Esparza and the original Into the Woods, but I did not see them on the service, and having those two alone would make it worth it for me. So I would like to see more of that. Going off of that, I would like to see the service add more exclusive content. A lot of the catalog you can find other places so I think exclusive content would make it more of a must-subscribe. This is obviously a little harder to pull off, but I would really like to see more recent content. Shakespeare is great, but having shows like Kinky Boots and Falsettos set BroadwayHD apart from the rest. More of that, please!

Is it Worth It?

So, after all of that, the question remains: is BroadwayHD worth it? Yes, I think so. While there is certainly room to grow and I have made my issues clear, I really like the idea of having a one-stop shop for theatrical content. I’ll keep my subscription because I’m interested to see how it continues to grow and I do hope they continue to add new, exciting content. There is so much potential here and I can’t wait to see what happens. Check it out for yourself. The free trial means you have nothing to lose.

But, honestly, I’ll keep my subscription as long as they keep Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on there. It’s my guilty pleasure.

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Broadway, Broadway At Home, Theatre Online

Broadway Shows I Want to See Streaming

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It seems like all we talk about these days is streaming. But without live theatre, streaming is all we have. And with the immense success of Hamilton on Disney+, all the streaming services are wanting to get in on streaming Broadway shows.

After the recent news about Diana the musical being filmed for Netflix, Filmed On Stage also revealed that the streaming service is eyeing even more shows to add. The rumored shows include Mrs. Doubtfire, Tina and Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations.

Of course, as more streaming services grow interested in adding theatrical content to their platform, I have my own list of what I would like to see. Here are a few of them – and let me know what you would like to see in the comments!

1. Beetlejuice

A victim of COVID-19 closures, this show grew a massive online following due to its popularity on TikTok. While there are still rumors about it potentially moving theatres, even if it doesn’t reopen a professionally filmed version of Beetlejuice would probably be incredibly successful. The show’s fandom stretches farther than those in the NYC area, and it being closed along with the uncertainty of a tour means that the common argument of losing ticket sales may not be valid here. And since it’s produced by Warner Bros., it would be a perfect fit on HBO Max. It’s a fun show with wide appeal, which makes it perfect for streaming.

2. Waitress

Although this one did close a while ago on Broadway, I would still love it if the cast reunited to record the show onstage so it could be streamed. You could even have Sara Bareilles herself star in it, or maybe the London cast which also was a victim to COVID-19. The Sara Bareilles connection would also make it a great fit for Apple TV+, which being relatively new to the streaming game means this could be its big chance to break into the theatre streaming wars.

3. Hadestown

Netflix, are you listening? I would give so much money to have a filmed version of Hadestown. I honestly believe that with the right marketing, it could be as big as Hamilton. It’s such an incredible show, and any streaming platform would be lucky to get their hands on it. Plus, the performances of the original cast are so amazing that they deserve to be immortalized. Please, if nothing else, we need to be able to stream Hadestown.

4. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

This one is a commercial success (though, if you are a Harry Potter fan like I am, you may have your own opinions about the content of the play) and though I’m sure Warner Bros. are saving this one for a film when the Fantastic Beasts series runs out, it would be great to have the stage production to watch whenever. I’ve heard such wonderful things about the staging and it would be so nice to to see this play without having to pay the exorbitant Broadway prices. Plus, it just makes sense from a commercial standpoint – it appeals to the non-theatre fans as well.

What do you think? What shows would you love to be able to stream? Let me know below!

f you liked this post, check out:

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Broadway, Broadway At Home, Theatre Online

Diana on Broadway Comes to Netflix: Theatre Streaming Wars Continue

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Netflix has thrown its hat into the musical streaming wars with a totally new move. The streaming service announced that the new musical about Princess Diana, Diana, will premiere on Netflix before its opening on Broadway.

Diana was originally scheduled to open March 31, which was impeded by the ongoing Broadway shutdown. Its new official opening night is May 25, 2021, and it will premiere on Netflix before then.

This is a completely unprecedented move. Never before has a musical gone to streaming before it opened on Broadway.

The show will be filmed on the Longacre Theatre stage without an audience. The full original cast is expected to return. The safety protocols for filming have been Equity-approved as well, though I am curious as to how this will reflect in the film or if it will not at all.

“We speak for the entire company when we say that we couldn’t be more excited to finally be able to share our show with theater lovers everywhere,” the Diana producers said in a joint statement. “Though there is no substitute for the live theater, we are honored to be a part of the quality entertainment that Netflix provides its subscribers worldwide.”

As I have said before, even without live theatre, this is still an exciting time to be a theatre fan. This theatre streaming war just grows more and more interesting as the streaming services try to get in on that Hamilton success Disney+ snatched up. And Diana is an interesting choice. I must admit I am not familiar with the show, but to choose an unopened show that never had a real chance to gauge its success for streaming is, well, an interesting choice.

Netflix has not announced an airdate other than “early 2021,” but I am keeping my eyes on this one. I wonder if it will lead to more shows doing the same with different streaming services. Feel free to speculate in the comments. Maybe HBO Max will pick up Harry Potter and the Cursed Child…but I would just love to be able to watch Hadestown over and over. What do you think?

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Broadway At Home, Theatre Online

Do Musical Streams Translate to Real Life Ticket Sales?

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Although we are seeing more musicals available for streaming, the vast majority of the musical theatre canon is unavailable outside of seeing the shows live. The most-used argument by Broadway producers against filming and releasing musicals is that of profit. That is, most producers are afraid that having a show readily available to watch will lead to revenue losses as people will choose to stay home to watch a musical instead of going to the theatre. And while we could discuss the problems with this argument, such as its inherent classism, the fact is this is the way things are right now. That is why most shows for streaming are released after the show has closed on Broadway.

Now, Hamilton has come and change everything. Even though Broadway is shut down for now, Hamilton is technically still running. So, now you can see one of the most popular and expensive musicals for $6.99 a month…but people are still interested in buying tickets, according to a recent survey done by TodayTix.

Turns out, this old idea of releasing a musical on film cheapening the experience may not be true. 38.6% of those surveyed who streamed it are now more likely to buy tickets to Hamilton.

This TodayTix survey also revealed that 81% of people who streamed Hamilton on Disney+ would pay to watch another filmed version of a Broadway or West End show. Plus, 78% of TodayTix users surveyed all around the world will still watch streamed shows when theatres open up. And when live theatre is back, 72% say they will still buy tickets to a streamed show.

When it comes to theatre, we’re definitely still in the early stages of streaming. And it will be interesting to see how these survey results are reflected in real life when theatre eventually does return in its live form.

As I mentioned before, I personally believe the argument that live theatre is special and therefore cannot be filmed to be classist. While I adore live theatre (clearly) and do agree that it is special, it is not a strong enough argument to justify keeping it locked to only people who live near NYC or in a touring area, are able to afford it or are otherwise part of the elite. There are so many theatre lovers out there who are unable to see professional live theatre. Theatre should absolutely be accessible to all, and streaming is helping it get there.

I hope as we go on that filming and releasing musicals grows in popularity. These numbers from TodayTix show that no matter what the platform, fans are eager to consume any form of theatre. And everybody should be able to watch theatre, no matter where they are.

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