Posted: 12/1/21 at 4:38pm
THOUGHTS OF A COLORED MAN to be Filmed by The Theatre by New York Public Library (broadwayworld.com)
Posted: 12/1/21 at 4:58pm
I’m always confused why this is considered news on this site. It happens for literally every single Broadway show.
Posted: 12/1/21 at 6:00pm
because they were sent a press release and decided to run it
Posted: 12/1/21 at 6:00pm
That was my thought, too. So weird to consider this “news”.
Posted: 12/1/21 at 6:11pm
And it’s not for commercial or broadcast release so it’s pointless news for anyone. Even the cast.
Posted: 12/1/21 at 7:55pm
I work at the Performing Arts Library, directly with the TOFT archive. Contrary to popular belief, not every Broadway show is taped by the library. That has never been the case. Some producers choose to tape their own productions (as with Hamilton), while others decline an archival taping for other reasons. In some cases, shows close unexpectedly early, leaving no time to arrange a taping. (That happened with the musical Little Women some years ago.)
Updated On: 12/1/21 at 07:55 PM
Posted: 12/1/21 at 8:29pm
P.S. A few more examples of shows that were not taped for the archives, or (as far as I know) for any professional release: the 2011 revival of Follies with Bernadette Peters, Exit the King with Geoffrey Rush, Tartuffe with Brian Bedford, and the Neil Patrick Harris version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Just to name a few. In an ideal world these all would have been preserved for the TOFT archives, but, for various reasons, they were not.
Of course, some or all of these might be available as bootlegs, but that's an entirely different topic.
Posted: 12/1/21 at 8:58pm
I'm wondering if TOFT somehow managed to preserve the 2020 "West Side Story." Considering it only played (following lengthy previews) from Feb. 20 to March 11, I'm not sure a taping could have been arranged.
Updated On: 12/1/21 at 08:58 PM
Posted: 12/1/21 at 9:07pm
normadesmond2 said: "I'm wondering if TOFT somehow managed to preserve the 2020 "West Side Story." Considering it only played (following lengthy previews) from Feb. 20 to March 11, I'm not sure a taping could have been arranged."
No, that production was not captured for the archive. The last show taped before Broadway shut down was A Soldier's Play. Actually, technically speaking that play was taped after Broadway shut down: on Friday night, March 13, 2020. It was performed in an almost-empty theater, just for the video cameras. As far as we know it was the only show in town that night, and the last one until recently.
Posted: 12/1/21 at 9:12pm
As someone else said, this was clearly a result of a press release, using whatever they could to get their show coverage.
I agree it’s a little annoying. It’s not TECHNICALLY disingenuous, but announcing something like this that happens for most Broadway shows feels a little sneaky. True, not every show gets it, but most do, and it’s not noteworthy when it happens. It comes across like a PR stunt that subtly exploits the general public’s lack of knowledge about how TOFT works. Whenever these announcements come out, there’s always a flurry on social media of people excitedly thinking that the show is being filmed for general release. Especially because filmed productions are such a hot topic in the theatre community right now.
But I guess at the end of the day, it’s probably not worth getting angry about. The show is probably struggling financially - if they can get more coverage this way, while also helping to spread the word about the TOFT archive, no real harm done.
BTW, has TOFT re-opened yet?
Posted: 12/1/21 at 9:23pm
JBroadway said: "BTW, has TOFT re-opened yet?"
Yes, the screening room re-opened to the public this past May.
Posted: 12/1/21 at 9:35pm
I didn’t realize all (or most) shows get recorded. I was hoping Caroline or Change gets a recording. Sounds like they might.
Posted: 12/1/21 at 9:41pm
Alexander Lamar said: "I didn’t realize all (or most) shows get recorded. I was hoping Caroline or Change gets a recording. Sounds like they might."
There are plans to tape the revival for the TOFT archive. But conditions are so uncertain nowadays, one never knows. For that matter, long before the pandemic, there were certain shows that were almost taped, but plans fell through for one reason or another. As I mentioned earlier, sometimes it would happen when a show closed unexpectedly, but there have been other reasons as well.
Posted: 12/2/21 at 7:17am
BrodyFosse123 said: "And it’s not for commercial or broadcast release so it’s pointless news for anyone. Even the cast."
When a show is taped for the TOFT archive, every member of the creative team (including every actor in the cast) must sign a contract. Often, they will include personal notes saying how pleased they are that their show is being recorded. Why would they bother to do that? Because they know that not every show on Broadway gets taped.
Updated On: 12/2/21 at 07:17 AM
