Idea for iTunes and cast recordings + Wicked

[Loge]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 10:53pm

I was listening to Wicked today, and the biggest problem is it's hard to follow the story listening to the Broadway Cast Recording. I have a complete boot of the San Francisco production, which has all the music and dialogue. It got me thinking - why don't shows record complete live performances and put them on iTunes? It would cost little to produce and they could make some additional profits. The quality of my SF Wicked leads something to be desired. I hope they make a more complete London recording.

I put Wicked in the title so more people would see this.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 10:55pm

omg and I thought I was a n00b.

[Loge]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 10:57pm

What?

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:02pm

.....

There are many reasons why your proposal can't happen.

Your avatar scares me.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:04pm

Why would they do that?

If people don't understand it they should look it up. By putting the whole show out there it makes the show even more open to illegal productions.

[Loge]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:09pm

Of course I looked it up. There are a lot of shows for which I would love complete recordings. I would just love to hear the whole score or Wicked, Martin Guerre (original london), and a bunch of others.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:10pm

So since you would like to hear it, they should record it?

[emo_geek]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:10pm

They are afraid if they do that people will just listen to those and not see the show. Also people might be confused on which to buy. Also people may listen to it and be mad that the story was spoiled without seeing the show.

[Loge]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:13pm

Needy - are you for real?

Emo - good points. But I am not sure people still wouldn't see the show. It obviously hasn't impacted Les Miz that there are a million recordings of the show out there.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:14pm

Plus many other complicated reasons involving rights and money.

[Loge]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:14pm

It was just a suggested. Geez.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:17pm

Geez.

What is your problem?

We were just telling you why it will not happen.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:18pm

I hate when people slam my suggesteds!!1

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:21pm

It would be cost prohibitive only because recording the entire show would require that many more hours of studio time, musicians fees, union costs etc.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:23pm

"since you'd like to hear it, they should record it?"

Yup, that's what's called supply and demand.

People would pay for it. The Met just renegotiated all of its union contracts to reflect "electronic trasmission and reproduction" of their performances, past and present.

In the not too distant future we will be seeing more Met performances available online and in theaters, full performances.

The argument about being vulnerable to illegal productions is just silly, it doesn't make it any more vulnerable to illegal productions than the recordings of Beyond Therapy and Copenhagen that came out did.

The fact is that if the record companies and the Unions could come to an arrangement that would be mutually profitable for everyone concerned, it could happen

But people on BOTH side of that table keep being greedy, and that's what keeps you from getting your recordings.

Don't let anyone tell you differently, I've seen it in action.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:25pm

Most of the operas performed at the MET are in the public domain, though. They don't pay royalties. The performers and musicians are also in a completely different union.

Frankly, I dont think Broaday producers want their shows being broadcast in full.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:25pm

The argument about being vulnerable to illegal productions is just silly

Well that is an absurd statement. If you are going to argue a point back it up!

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:37pm

Some of the Met productions are in the public domain, but new operas like Tan Dun's The First Emperor, is not and was shown worldwide in movie theaters, leaving Tan Dun's opera in its entirety oh so vulnerable to illegal productions from those just itching to cheat multi-millionaires and their corporation out of a few thousand dollars by painstakingly trying to recreate a performance from a recording rather than renting the materials.

personally I dont think it should be about what producers or unions want, it should be about what the public wants, as long as everyone gets remunerated and no one gets greedy, it should work.

There's no practical reason why it can't.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:42pm

Yes but The Met is not nearly as big as WICKED, WICKED has become a world wide phenomenon. Do you realize how many girls would kill to play Elphaba and Glinda in their community theatre production of WICKED?

I don't know how many kids theatre companies are dying to put on an opera like Tan Dun's The First Emperor.

You can't compare the two.

Edit:
personally I dont think it should be about what producers or unions want

Well that is the reality. Updated On: 2/5/07 at 11:42 PM

[B3TA07]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:46pm

OT: I love Tan Dun's Symphony 1997.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/5/07 at 11:46pm

"personally I dont think it should be about what producers or unions want, it should be about what the public wants, as long as everyone gets remunerated and no one gets greedy, it should work."

Broadway producers - much more than opera companies ARE in it for the money - as frankly they should be. There is also a big difference between opera and musical theatre. Most Broadway musicals tour and have an extensive afterlife after New York. Tan Dun's opera will receive maybe half a dozen productions in the next 20 years. We are talking about the difference in potential profit to be in the billions - yes billions of dollars.

I think it would be neat if they say, broadcast the "live" performance of MOVIN OUT' to movie theatres, but I can't imagine it ever becoming standard practice for new musicals.

[Loge]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:00am

I think it's doable too. I mean, I got the 2CD complete SF Wicked, but still bought the Broadway wicked, and I would buy a London Wicked if they released one. I have three Sweeney Todd's, three Chess', three Les Miz's, two Miss Saigon's, three POTO's, both Taboos, two Into the Woods, two Jesus Chris Superstar's....the list goes on and on. Now, I know we are not like everyone (in the sense that we are obsessed), but how many English Les Miz recordings are there? Four (London, Broadway, Concert, Complete). Obviously, the brought Les Miz tons of money.

There are a ton of recordings I would buy, if they were released complete. I also don't like that Wicked didn't want to spoil the story on the CD. It's one of the only musicals that I cannot tell what happens. I asked someone who saw it what Elfie did to become Wicked.

Bottom line - put complete recordings out there, and the shows would benefit. If people want to do illegal productions, they are going to do them...full recordings or not.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:06am

But, Loge, Les Mis isn't the best example. That is a very popular musical worldwide, so of course it will sell. Not every show can afford to do a recording, let alone a full one. A full recording would cost more money, and would most likely not make back its money, if if all the rabid fans of the show bought it. It's just too expensive.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:14am

There are so many things wrong about what you said I don't know where to begin.

I got the 2CD complete SF Wicked

That would be illegal, so I am having trouble understanding why you are saying that you participate in illegal activity on a Broadway website.

Now, I know we are not like everyone (in the sense that we are obsessed)

Who is we? You might be obsessed with Wicked but I am not.

but how many English Les Miz recordings are there? Four (London, Broadway, Concert, Complete). Obviously, the brought Les Miz tons of money.

Only two of those are English.

I also don't like that Wicked didn't want to spoil the story on the CD

Most musicals don't spoil the story on the Cd. Believe it or not there are people who are not like you and if the show is spoiled they won't see it, so in the end they would be losing money (that one ticket unsold is equal to six cd's).

one of the only musicals that I cannot tell what happens

Would you like me to list five more where you can't tell what happens?

Bottom line - put complete recordings out there, and the shows would benefit.

How would it benefit? You keep saying that but you don't say how.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:31am

More exposure means more sales in the long run.
And more recordings mean more exposure, especially if a show like Wicked decides to release a live recording (save the money in the studio) and they make headlines by being one of the first ones to do it.

There are two recordings of the Dreamgirls soundtrack, one highlights and one complete. I can imagine a future where every show has a cast recording and a LIVE recording Collector's edition, two or even three discs, edited and cut, and mastered.

I think it would make a huge splash.