Broadway is going off the stage and onto the screen. In the new age of media, Broadway shows are transforming into different forms of media.
With the release of recorded stage shows and movie musicals comes a lot of controversy whether they encompass the full effects of theatre.
“As I see it, a recorded stage show is a straight stage-to-screen recording of a show, with only minor adjustments to adapt to the camera. It still preserves the original design, staging, and elements of the show, whereas a movie musical takes more creative license and may use different sets, special effects, etc. to tell the story,” said President of Troupe 1139 and senior Carly Tamborello.
“Dear Evan Hansen” and “Everybody Loves Jamie” are two new movie musical releases that bring up certain opinions. Even though creating a film out of a musical does not give the same effect as seeing it on stage, it creates a mix of the movie and musical world allowing people to travel on an emotional journey.
“There are some great movie musicals out there too, though, of course, that couldn’t have done what they did if they stuck to the stage show––for example, the movie of In the Heights, which had all kinds of special effects and different scenes that weren’t in the original show but definitely contributed to a visually beautiful and emotionally compelling story,” said Tamborello.
Stage recordings of shows, like two recent releases “Come From Away” and “Hamilton,” attract viewers and provide a way to watch shows when going to a live theatre is not an option. They give different angles and perspectives to shows that viewers are used to just viewing from a seat in the audience.
“Recorded stage shows don’t have pre-recorded audios and they have no editing effects that improve the performance of the actors. My favorite recorded stage show is Hamilton because I love the score and the choreography,” said freshman Jocelyn Lowder.
While there is debate on stage shows and movie musicals, they are still able to give access to people who would have never had the opportunity to see them, drawing a new audience to the theatre experience.
“I think movie musicals and recorded stage shows as a whole are a great introduction to the theatre world and allow people to experience theatre and all the great things about it and from that they can be introduced to more and more things in the world of theatre,” said Lowder.
With new releases and creative ideas, more and more people are compelled to watch movie musicals or stage shows. “West Side Story” directed by Steven Spielberg is one of the most anticipated musical movies of the year, making a creative change on a classic musical.
“I think it definitely will [attract more viewers to musicals]. When you make theatre more accessible, people show up. That’s true of any art form. People really do want to experience art; it’s a form of catharsis, of connection. So when Hamilton shows up on Disney+, or In the Heights hits movie theaters, I think that really does bring people in and get them interested in musicals,” said Tamborello.
Even though there are many different points of views, putting Broadway on the screens offers a whole new perspective of theatre.