Broadway Pay-Per-View

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/30/10 at 11:35pm

The ABC TV musicals thread got me to thinking that in the early 90s Pay-Per-View tried to present Broadway shows live. Unfortunately I think the idea failed. I know they presented "Smokey Joe's Cafe" but does anyone remember if there were any others?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/30/10 at 11:47pm

There was also a very promising series on Showtime that did well-intended television versions of Broadway plays. CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF with Tommy Lee Jones comes to mind.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 3:40pm

There was also that unfortunate Pay-Per-View airing of David Hasselhoff in Jekyll & Hyde, which was pretty much the final blow to this otherwise great idea....................

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 3:43pm

Wasn't there also a live performance of On Golden Pond?

[The Boy From Ohio]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 5:22pm

Sounds good to me... B-way in my living room.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 10:48pm

Oh yes, I forgot about the J&H broadcast. It's unfortunate that this idea couldn't have had a longer shelf life.

[Almira]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 10:59pm

I thought the Sondheim review PUTTING IT TOGETHER was part of that pay-per-view series.


I distinctly remember reports that the 90's revival of DAMN YANKEES was being considered as a pay-per-view broadcast.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/31/10 at 11:19pm

Oops, my mistake. This idea didn't start until 2000.
Link

[Almira]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 12:26am

Well you aren't entirely wrong, Gothampc. The idea of pay-per-viewing broadway shows was talk about in the early 90's. Like I said, DAMN YANKEES was once considered.

It wasn't until 200O that Broadway Television Network actually made it happen. Unsuccessfully it seems.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 12:09pm

"It wasn't until 200O that Broadway Television Network actually made it happen. Unsuccessfully it seems."

I have no doubt that it's the unions that mnake it prohibitively expensive(all of them, not just Equity). The restrictions are so tight you'd think that each show was going to do Avatar-like success.

The problem is these types of recordings aren't in the mainstream, so they aren't going to do well. So even the hits won't get the audiences they need. While Mamma Mia! broke box office records for a musical, if they had simply filmed the stage show instead I doubt it would have even broke even. We almost always have to rely on the altuistic nature of the producers and a distributer to make it happen. I wonder if even RENT's closing performance broke even.

[SFFrontRow]

Posted: 9/1/10 at 1:00pm

The first Broadway show that was supposed to be shown on pay per view (at least here in SF) was Jelly's Last Jam. I actually ordered it but was never charged as the broadcast fell through.
I had already seen the show and was very disappointed as I wanted to record the broadcast.

Before that there were some random productions on networks like LifeTime (I can remember seeing Romance/Romance as a touring company outside of NY - sponsored by Clairol - wish I had that show taped now - one of my favorite little musicals).

Ever since then, there have been random productions on PBS (the first I remember was the original B'way production of Crazy for Youa and later 12th Night with Helen Hunt from Lincoln Center). More recently, Live from Lincoln Center has shown Light in the Piazza and just a few weeks ago South Pacific.

Thank goodness for PBS as they have shown some quality stuff. But after seeing it on stage, the broadcast seems a little flat and uninspired. Nothing beats seeing these shows live.