Final Shows That Should Have Been Taped — Page 3

1. Yes you can, but you usually need some proof of why you want to watch the video...not just because you want to watch it. I had to tell them and then fill out a paper and show them my school ID...but they don't really follow through or ask alot of questions so if you made something up, i doubt they would know.

2. Illegal recordings of showswould hardly kill theatre (I don't have any, don't ask...I gave it up when I moved to New York.) People have been booting shows since the 70s or 80s and Broadway is still churning out those shows. And people are still going to see them. Like someone said earlier -- you aren't losing money when someone buys an illegal recording of something and watches it because they are a) more than likely someone who doesn't live within easy Broadway going distance and b) a broadway fan already -- since the average person isn't going to look very hard to find a bootleg.

When I used to trade, I lived 2000 miles from New York and waiting 2-3 years for the tour just wasn't enough...I had a bazillion rent videos but I still saw the tour and have still seen it plenty of times on broadway. Same goes with every other show I had on tape, I've seen it live...maybe not everyone is like me -- but I wouldn't go so far as to say bootlegs kill theatre. (they didn't kill movies and they didn't kill the music industry either)

I'd rather the first shows after opening be taped so as to capture the original cast. Otherwise we get "actors" like David Hasselhoff in Jekyll.

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I second that baddadnpa -- Jekyll & Hyde as well as other shows that ended with less than brilliant "stars" should have preserved the OBC. But since we're talking final shows, Little Shop, Aida & Bombay Dreams would start my list. And I'd doubt the professional recording of any Broadway show would ruin ticket sales. Most of us who are dreaming these copies existed are repeat offenders anyway -- after dropping hundreds of dollars to see shows over and over, yeah I'd like to sit in the comfort of my own home and enjoy the show. Especially shows that have closed with no prospects of tours or revivals.

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I doubt the taping shows would seriously affect Broawday ticket sales. For starters, the videos would not be released until after the Broadway and first class tours were finished. (The Sondheim shows for example did not come out until a year or two after the shows had closed.) The videos would serve as souvenirs for those who did see the show and give the people who didn't a chance to sort of see what it was like. But as we all know, live theatre is best experienced live, and no video can ever replace that experience.

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Hm, do you know if there's a cost or anything to view the films at the LC Library? And how far in advance would you need to reserve a viewing? I'd love to try it sometime.

~Steven