(SPOT.ph) With limited runs and tickets that tend to sell out, there's often not a lot of plays and musicals you can see in a week's time, or even over the span of a month. But BroadwayHD—a New York-based on-demand streaming platform—lets you do what you've always dreamed of: rewatch your favorite shows and discover new ones that are worth your attention. Plus, you can do this from the comfort of your couch (and in your pajamas!).
The streaming platform, which has been around since 2015, has over nearly 300 titles of live theater performances and theater-related documentaries. You can sign up for U.S. $8.99 (roughly P460) per month, but if you're not one for committing right away, you can enjoy seven whole days to try the service for free.
Check out some of the available titles for the Philippine audience:
Brokeback Mountain: The Opera (2015)
The 2005 drama film Brokeback Mountain featuring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as lovers in 1960s American West probably cost you a bucket of tears. The opera version is no different. Based on Annie Proulx's 1997 short story of the same title, it follows the covert love story of two cowboys, Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, who meet on the fictional Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming. Brokeback Mountain: The Opera by Charles Wuorinen premiered in 2014 at Teatro Real de Madrid with director Ivo van Hove and musical conductor Titus Engel at the helm.
Falsettos (2017)
Falsettos, which premiered on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre in 1992, touches on the harsh realities of being gay in 1970s New York City without being melodramatic. At the center of this funny musical is Marvin, who has left his wife Trina for his boyfriend Whizzer. With the hopes of keeping his family intact for the sake of his 10-year-old son, both the ex-wife and the lover are weirdly aware of the other. Falsettos, which was created by William Finn and James Lapine, won Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score at the 1992 Tony Awards. BroadwayHD features the Broadway Revival that was filmed as part of PBS television program Live from Lincoln Center, aired in October 2017. It stars Christian Borle as Marvin and Andrew Rannells as Whizzer.
An American in Paris (2018)
The musical An American in Paris is an adaptation of an adaptation. It was originally an orchestral competition by George Gershwin in 1951, then a movie musical directed by Vincente Minnelli in the same year, and finally a musical with script by Craig Lucas in 2014. The story follows World War II veteran Jerry Mulligan, who is trying to make a name for himself as a painter in Paris. An American in Paris premiered in France in 2014 before it opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in April 2015. It earned four Tony Awards in 2016: Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Orchestrations, and Best Scenic Design of a Musical.
If I Forget (2017)
Produced by Roundabout Theatre Company in 2017, If I Forget imagines the last few months before the tragic events of 9/11. It follows Jewish Studies professor Michael Fischer as he reunites with his two sisters to celebrate their father's 75th birthday, showing how a family that is at odds can be willing to compromise and start anew.
Oklahoma! (1988)
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein are best known for Carousel, The King and I, and Sound of Music; but this legendary duo's first ever collaboration is the 1943 musical Oklahoma! It follows the story of Laurey Williams, who is being courted by rival suitors Curly McLain and Jud Fry. Oklahoma! premiered on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in New York City where it went on to stage more than 2,000 performances, aside from winning a Pulitzer Prize. It had four Broadway revivals: at The Broadway Theatre in 1951, Palace Theatre in 1979, Gershwin Theatre in 2002, and Circle in the Square Theatre in 2019. The recording distributed by BroadwayHD presents the 1998 West End Revival at the National Theatre in London, which stars Hugh Jackman.
Street Scene (2018)
A brainchild of Kurt Weill (music), Langston Hughes (lyrics), and Elmer Rice (book), Street Scene is regarded as a groundbreaking piece for combining the techniques of European opera and American musical theater. It focuses on life in a Manhattan tenement in 1946, as romance and gossip abound. Street Scene premiered on Broadway in 1947 and won the Tony Award for Best Original Score.
Jekyll & Hyde (2001)
You may already know the mystery of Dr. Jekyll and his more sinister side, Mr. Hyde, but Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical can still give you the creeps you would never expect from a familiar story. With music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, the 1990 theatrical adaptation of the 1886 novella ran for over four years at Plymouth Theatre. The recording Jekyll & Hyde: Direct from Broadway was captured in December 2000 and features the show's final Broadway cast—including David Hasselhoff (yes, of Baywatch fame) in the title role. A bit of trivia: The song “This Is the Moment” is from Jekyll & Hyde.
She Loves Me (2016)
A musical by Joe Masteroff (script), Sheldon Harnick (lyrics), and Jerry Bock (music), She Loves Me follows the love-hate relationship between co-workers Georg Nowack and Amalia Balash—who turn out to be each other's secret pen pal. It premiered on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in 1963, and was revived by the Roundabout Theatre Company as a live stream on BroadwayHD on June 30, 2016. It was the first time that a Broadway show has been broadcast live.
Romeo and Juliet (2014)
We all know the William Shakespeare classic: star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet choose to die in each other’s arms, rather than be apart. In 2013, it was shown on Broadway for the 36th time and enjoyed 93 performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. This filmed performance of Romeo and Juliet, which is directed by David Leveaux and produced by BroadwayHD, stars Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad.
Disney's Broadway Hits at Royal Albert Hall (2016)
Celebrate the songs of your childhood as you get lost in the theatrical performance of Disney's Broadway hits. The musical extravaganza, which was filmed in 2016, features Tony- and Academy Award-winning scores from Beauty and the Beast, Aida, The Lion King, and many more.
this strange new world.
