Livestreamed Productions

[seahag2]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:15pm

Recently, why have many shows been so eager to jump on the livestreaming bandwagon when making pro-shots and selling them as DVDs is not at all commonplace. The argument I've heard about why many shows don't release dvds of their staged production has to do with rights, royalties, distribution, etc. So how is livestreaming any different? If anything, it seems like streaming would require all of those logistics minus the profit since it's usually free. Does anyone think this will be a stepping stone to more pro-shots, since the livestream viewer numbers have shown producers that people who can't see the show in person are willing to watch from their devices? 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:17pm

Some of this is covered here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/theater/she-loves-me-to-be-streamed-live-a-broadway-first.html?smid=tw-nytimesarts&smtyp=cur

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:23pm

I think your premise is wrong. "Many shows" have not been eager.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:24pm

2 = so many

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:25pm

Isn't it only 1?  She Loves Me?  

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:25pm

Isn't it only 1?  She Loves Me?  

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:27pm

I was thinking of that Daddy Long Legs stream last year.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:28pm

Ahhhhh....don't think I was aware of that one!

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:30pm

I turned it off after like 8 minutes.

[smidge]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:31pm

And Buried Child

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/19/16 at 11:32pm

dramamama611 said: "Ahhhhh....don't think I was aware of that one!"

 

It was very well done and it pushed me over the fence to actually see it live -- lovely show and technically impressive livestream as well.

[seahag2]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 11:55am

No...Buried Child, Daddy Long Legs, She Loves Me, Disaster!, and the Newsies tour were or are going to be livestreamed this year. The last two only streamed 1 song (well, Newsies hasn't yet but is planning to just do Sante Fe) but it's still during a live performance of a Broadway show. I would even consider the Hamilton Grammy performance to be somewhat in this category, since it was in front of an actual audience. True, 6(ish) livestreamed shows isn't a lot, but for someone without access to NYC, it sort of is. 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 11:56am

Seahag, your information about Newsies is (unsurprisingly) wrong.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 12:02pm

It is? (Other than calling it "Broadway"?)

http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/disney-newsies-facebook-live-1201798008/

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 12:52pm

Lumping in single song live performances is mixing apples and oranges. We have had live performances of songs from shows for years-Tonys, Grammys, morning and late night tv etc etc. I believe the only commercial production of a Broadway show that wasn't closing or closed at the time that was shown on TV was Legally Blonde, and it was not streamed. (Shot over multiple performances, edited and shown later.)

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 1:10pm

My point being, there's more news about Newsies to come.

[seahag2]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 4:36pm

You're right, Newsies actually shouldn't be lumped into the live streamed productions category since it's not being streamed from an actual performance, I mindlessly threw it in there though because it was being broadcast via Facebook live. Thanks for bringing that to my attention! What makes you say there is more Newsies news to come? 

I do realize that practically every show has done live performances but very few have been 'live streamed' in the same fashion that Daddy Long Legs was. 

LizzieCurry's first reply answered a lot of my questions, so thank you! 

 

 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 4:48pm

HogansHero said: "Lumping in single song live performances is mixing apples and oranges. We have had live performances of songs from shows for years-Tonys, Grammys, morning and late night tv etc etc. I believe the only commercial production of a Broadway show that wasn't closing or closed at the time that was shown on TV was Legally Blonde, and it was not streamed. (Shot over multiple performances, edited and shown later.)"

 

Legally Blonde filmed three performances: one in an empty theater, one in front of a regular audience, and once special performance where the audience was composed of pink shirt-wearing obnoxious fans screaming like banshees after every line.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/20/16 at 5:03pm

"pink shirt-wearing obnoxious fans screaming like banshees after every line"

now had they live streamed that audience I might've been down for that.

[Nefertiti]

Posted: 6/22/16 at 4:27pm

Bright Star, Fun Home, Finding Neverland and The King and I should have really followed She Loves Me, Even if made available once during the livestream

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 6/22/16 at 4:42pm

Nefertiti said: "Bright Star, Fun Home, Finding Neverland and The King and I should have really followed She Loves Me, Even if made available once during the livestream

 

"

 

What would be their financial incentive to do so???

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/22/16 at 5:05pm

Liza's Headband said: "What would be their financial incentive to do so???"

And if someone has an answer for that question, they might as well go ahead and answer the followup question: how would they balance that against the concomitant disincentives that would result?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/22/16 at 5:22pm

Wasn't Signatures Incident At Vichy livestreamed? I believe it is still on their website.

Updated On: 6/22/16 at 05:22 PM

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 6/22/16 at 6:42pm

I could have made sense for The King And I, but it had quiet a healthy run (unlike She Loves Me which was limited), and isn't it going on tour as well?

 

The reason this makes sense for Roundabout and She Loves Me is that it was a limited run that isn't going to tour, so it's not taking away any business from the running production, which I think many producers are afraid of. At the same time, especially because it was the first of its kind in New York, it's promoting Roundabout as a whole. They got a LOT of free press out of this, and will probably again once after the stream happened, and possibly again once the edited version is released on BroadwayHD. And all those articles are presumably talking about the Roundabout Theatre Company and the great work they are doing. I'm sure they hope for an increase in new subscriptions and possibly even sales for their other shows.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/22/16 at 8:07pm

I do wish Fun Home could be filmed. The in-the-round staging would be a real challenge, but could make for something far more dynamic than the usual stage taping. How was it that the commercial Company revival got funded? Between that and Passing Strange, I had hoped this would become more common.