Variety Reports on TV Exposure for Bway Shows

In an article posted on Variety, Gordon Cox looks at the intricate challenges of airing Broadway show segments on television talkshows and programs.

In an age where clips of stage shows regularly appear on social networks and news channels, one may argue the need for added exposure, but as the article points out, television remains "an important step in establishing a musical as a recognizable brand". Diane Paulus who has restaged segments of 'Hair' for the 'Late Show with David Letterman' and 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien' agrees, "It helps the show penetrate in a way that's very hard to do when you're doing live theater." she is quoted in Variety as saying.

The challenges are many: the cost of mounting these segments can run an average of $30,000; an appearance on one television program (i.e. Today Show) may prevent a follow-up appearance on its competitor (i.e. Good Morning America) for a while; and selecting which segment to show is a delicate process which requires a lot of planning. According to Variety, "The rule of thumb, according to the legiters who work on crafting such appearances, is that you're not trying to make good theater. You're trying to make good TV."

Associate director for 'The Lion King' John Stefaniuk says that detail is imperative to the success of a segment on television, "We sit down and storyboard out where we want the camera to look at any given moment." 'The Lion King' was recently featured on a segment on "Dancing With the Stars."

To read the rest of the story on Variety, please click here.