Oliver 1

Adele Oliver
Professor Bradley
ENC3125
25 February 2016
To be, or not to be, Hamlet asked in his soliloquy contemplating death and suicide.
This question has became a symbol in the theatrical community reminding us where theater came
from and how it is different today. Although Shakespeare is still prominent today, theatre has
transformed from a cultural uniformity to culture of consumption and theatrical production.
Theater today differs immensely with that of the 1600s. Theater is an overarching umbrella to
smaller communities that will continue to adapt to the ever-changing environment. Broadway, a
major contributor to theater, is an inventive community filled with artists and consumers. Similar
to how theater has changed from the time of the fifteenth-century, Broadway is facing a current
change that is effecting its community and will continue to effect the theaters industries next half
a century. This transformation acts the part of the communities major issue and has group
members sitting on both sides of the concern. In this digital age, media becomes a protuberant
effector on traditional forms, including Broadway theater. How is the rise of digital media,
particularly film, effecting the Broadway community and how does Broadway plan on keeping
up with the industry? Broadway continues to struggle as people choose the big screen instead of
the stage. Hamlets contemplation of death became significant and so does this issue as it rises
through the industry. If it werent trying to succeed in transforming the community to become
greater, in the future, Broadway will be forced to think about its decline toward unwanted
alternatives along with the idea of unfortunate inferiority to the power of media.

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Broadway is located in the theater district of New York City. There are many different
theaters with different styles and different unique qualities. Broadway theaters then differ from
the off-Broadway and off-off Broadway theaters because of the amount of seats its theaters hold.
Broadway theaters contain 500 seats or more and its productions allow for a larger audience and
increased spectacle. For this research paper, Broadway will not only refer to the Broadway
theaters existing from street A to street B, but the term will refer to the off-Broadway and off-offBroadway facilities as well. Their differences are minimal when it comes to a community dealing
with obstacles and issues. Broadway offers performance and its community offers talent, energy,
and a sense of freedom. Some members of the community refer to the actors the playwrights, the
directors, the composers, and the designers. These artists embrace the creative talent. Another
group of community members is the audience. Because theater is a live production, energy is
transmitted back and forth through the audience member and the actor each night. Whether its
an enthusiastic energy, or a depressed one, the members work together and share some sort of
energy transfusion. The sense of liberty within the Broadway Community, refers to the freedom
individuals feel that they have within the community. In some magical way, Broadway has
changed their lives and opened a door for them. It could have given them a place to use their
voice instead of hiding it, to hear about non-traditional views, and to be a member of a
community that feels right and just.
This community may be wide-ranging and shared among many people, but not everyone
shares the same ideas and opinions on the groups critical issues. In this papers case,
community members reason on either side of the media spectrum. There are patrons on one side
enjoying film and all its glory. Its not that they dont understand the necessity of Broadway, but
they find the digital industry more imperative during this specific time period, whether its an

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actor fleeing for a role in film, or audience members sitting in movie theater seats rather than
those of Broadway. Therefore these people would rather remain advocates and consumers of
movies, TV shows, Netflix, etc. On the other side of the spectrum, theatrical consumers find
Broadway as a necessity to the American life and as a superior leisure activity to say the least.
Those who side with Broadway believe that the films are lacking the communities fundamentals.
They also think that its lacking the talent that Broadway offers, it doesnt portray the same
energy created in a theatrical space, and a sense of freedom is nowhere to be found on a the sofa
at home. Digital media lovers would disagree and believe that they obtained these principles,
plus some.
Pressing into reality, Theater, an institution at the heart of world cultures for millennia,
now confronts unprecedented challenges in a rapidly evolving society. Electronic and digital
technologies have spawned an array of media, from 3-D movies to crowd-sourced video like
YouTube to smartphones, that compete with the stage (and with other traditional media like
books, and each other) for the audiences finite attention (Lambert). Craig Lambert speaks
about the forms of media that compete with Broadway. This source is vital because it not only
proves that the stage has to compete with digital media, but new technologies are provoking even
further competition. In the way technology is growing, it wont be long before 3-D movies and
smartphones can gang up and dominate the Broadway and film culture altogether. Broadway has
revelations that compete with these technologies. Although 3-D movies make it seem like the
film is surrounding the movie theater, a theatrical production is live, happening right in front of
you, therefore the characters are three-dimensional. As Broadway is compared to these new
technologies, they depend on special affects, such as quick changes, lighting arrangements, flysystems, and illusions.

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When solutions dont necessarily work Broadway doesnt just give up. There are many
different factors that can lead to the reasoning of empty seats in a theater. These factors should
all be explored. Broadway is a sanctuary for many community members; thus, they implement
many rules they expect audience members to obey. Some of these include no texting, to arrive on
time, do not stand up during the performance, dress nicely (specifically in theater-attire), keep an
eye on your cup, and there are many more. Although these rules seem like common sense,
assumptions can not be made. Someone who has to leave the theater because his or her kids are
too young might fear ever going back. Theses rules might seem like solid reasons to join the
digital age. There isnt implementation of rules when sitting at home watching a movie. As a
matter of fact, there are no rules. Netflix allows you to pause your program, rewind it, and it
wont stop playing if you get up and make a cup of coffee. Contrarily, if these rules are obeyed in
the Broadway theater, the performance could be a considered a flawless experience.
Maybe the application of rules does effect the normal theater attendance. If too many
community members from the audience sector sway towards the other side, actors and other
artists might do the same. This seemed prevalent during the 2014 Tony Awards . Artists were
okay with assimilating themselves to the movies. They were trying to conform themselves to the
productions of film. Their live performance on the show proved otherwise. Viewers who were
paying close enough attention could occasionally not help but acknowledge that live
performance is hard work in a way that sorry, Hollywood movies arent (Genzlinger).
This clarification of theirs that they should just coincide, was not, in fact, the right one. Live
theater is ever changing and will not stop the performance if a microphone cue is dropped or the
set is changed too late. If a person needs to be on the other side of the stage in 5 seconds, they
will get there. The ever-changing factor of theater relies on these community members. This also

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demonstrates that the two sides of the issue are different and solutions cannot revolve on one
adapting into the other.
This source, relating to the Tonys also talks about how the answer to raising Broadway
enthusiasm, in the younger population, is to make it more like the movies. This explains the
reasoning behind transforming the Tonys. This award show is to honor the Broadway
community. It seems that even honoring the Broadway community has turned into a production
too big for the Broadway stage itself. This issue behind fixing theatrical productions so they
appeal to younger people is okay, but if they fix them by making them more like the digital
media, then Broadways values and core essentials will be lost in history.
The matter raised in this research paper allows the exploration of adaptations and how
they influence both sides of the argument. Numerous stage musicals throughout the past century
have evolved into Hollywood musicals, and, especially in recent years, a few movie musicals
have found themselves recreated on Broadway (Calderazzo). Movie and musical adaptations
can either do well or do badly in the consumer society. The movies that were originally theatrical
productions tend to do better than musicals that were originally movies. Usually if the movie
does good, than the digital media industry sky rockets out of control. The movies revenue
expedites and its income triples that of the original Broadway production. Also, if the movie was
a success critics and viewers might think it was better than the original. This proves some
conflict risen by the media. On the other side, if the movie is a flop, than articles and newspaper
titles will read, Nothing is better than the original! This tricky idea truly emphasized the
prominent element of theater that adaptations created in the issue of the Broadway community.
Film and other digital media in general, have a larger platform for advertisement. Especially if a
movies premiere was absolutely adored my millions, advertisement will become even greater

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and reviews will be published on multiple mediums. Contrastingly, a Broadway production
doesnt receive as much publicity.
Broadway is given credit on behalf of the musical Les Miserables. It premiered on
Broadway in 1987 and ran for a many performances over the course of many years. When the
movie version came out in 2012 the hype was extreme. It was the must see movie of the year
because it was adapted from a beloved musical and had a very distinguished cast. Although the
movie received many outstanding reviews, Bossard argued, The movie seemed to me too far
away from the spirit of the book, dwelling more on human feelings than illuminating the society
of this time (Bossard). This is only one example of an adaptation that was not as popular as the
original. It proves that Broadway can set a precedence and can compete with the digital media on
an even playing field.
On the contrary, movies have been credited for transforming a piece of art into a work of
art. If a movie is well liked it will receive more income, it will prove better than the original and
it will receive more publicity because the digital media, particularly film community, is larger
and more well know. Piccalo argues about Into the Woods, The film opened on Christmas Day
with the best box office debut of a Broadway-inspired movie musical, earning $31 million the
first weekend, breaking the 2008 record set by "Mamma Mia!" and proving once again the broad
appeal of the genre and Marshall's mastery of it (Piccalo). Revenue cant always be accounted
for when discussing the pros and cons of both versions of an adaptation. Like this quote states,
box office income shoots up extremely. This amount of money might be similar by the end of a
Broadway run which lasts longer than the time span of a movie being in the movie theaters.
Community members might not think of this and therefore still recognize the movie as the
better version. However, the difference between the movie adaptations of Les Miserables and

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Into the Woods is not the premier weekends outstanding numbers, but the second weekend and
the third and the reviews, which lack regular moviegoers attention.
Now that many arguments were exemplified on how Broadway remains in competition
with the digital media industry, points of clarification for its community members need to be
discussed. There are many other lengths that the Broadway community will go to, to keep
weekly attendance regulated. These lengths are the ways Broadway will keep up with the film
industry. The Broadway industry envisions these lengths as possible solutions.
One specific length that a playwright will go through is writing shows that might not
particularly please themselves, but will thrive in a place of business. An interview between
Andrea Stolowitz and Henning Bochert relates to this idea. This article talked about their
theatrical backgrounds and the realities of theater. One topic of the interview focuses on the
economics and aesthetics of production. Andrea argued, Another example: In the U. S. it is still
in practice for theaters to commission plays with no guarantee of producing them. This is a
problem because instead of granting aesthetic freedom it forces a marketable product
(Stolowitz). If the idea of money is always in a playwrights mind, they might write their show
based off of how a current audience would love to see it play out, rather than how it should
artistically encompass the playwrights vision. This idea also ties back to the technologies
Broadway comes up with in order to remain in competition. Instead of producing a show with
the original minimal set, the designers, off of the directors wishes, now might have the stage
engulfed in a flashy set that might not make as much sense to the story.
Previously commented on, musicals based on movies are not as popular as the other way
around, but lengths the Broadway community strive for, will not end shortly. The School of
Rock is coming out in a near Broadway season. This proves specifically interesting because of

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the reasons why this adaptation is going to occur. Kalb explains, School of Rock: the Musical is
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Julian Fellowess effort to squeeze a few more millions out of a
deliciously dumb and infectiously silly movie (Kalb). Money will forever remain a priority as
long as Broadway is contending with digital media.
The new phenomenon of Broadway shows occurring live on TV is another form of digital
media that could be effecting the Broadway community. Grease Live was the most recent
production and it received great reviews. Two of the three main stars have performed on
Broadway. They are just a few of many people who have gone back and forth between stage and
film. Although they tend to go back to Broadway and they float seamlessly between the
mediums, several of these actors dont always return to the stage. This effects the Broadways
audience if the actor is current, renowned, and has a large, flexible following.
Live TV shows receive a huge audience when they are performed on the screen, but the
Broadway attendance doesnt meet par. This is simply due to the fact that clicking on the
program at home is easier and more affordable than attending the Broadway production.
Reiterating on conformity, these live shows are becoming even more similar to the real
Broadway productions. Grease Live incorporates a live audience seen on screen. This made it
seem like the viewers were watching an actual Broadway show with people sitting all around us.
In reality, the audience was sitting on their couches and Grease Live was taking place on the
Warner Brothers set. The article talks about how well Grease Live did, but it did have some
critics speak slightly otherwise. Although the live show did do well, the article speaks about how
it lacked some of the original Grease characteristics. It was a fabulous, well-scrubbed and
flawlessly executed show that could have been just a little bit greasier. (Stuever) It seems like
the live show is now honoring Broadway, but aforementioned, the two mediums are distinct to

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some degree, and dont always benefit from conforming to the other. Because of the live shows
grease-less critiques people who havent seen the original production may never understand its
unusual, yet electrifying theme the original production conveyed.
This issue prevalent in the Broadway community is communicated through its obvious
efforts of becoming non-traditional and more relatable to the people in the digital media arena.
This issue doesnt necessarily regard ticket sales. For example, the new musical Hamilton is
performed in front of a sold out crowd almost every night, but it does stray away from traditional
Broadway Theater. Hamilton is not a show swaying from traditional theater in order to relate
more to film. However, it is more relatable to community members that enjoy rap music and it is
more relatable to people who feel familiarity with pre-existing ideas or people, such as,
Alexander Hamilton. Today, a higher percentage of new Broadway productions are new to an
extent. Because Broadway competes with film, it recognizes the importance of its audience being
able to identify with the productions themes, story lines, and characters. The new show Tuck
Everlasting is coming to Broadway in a few short weeks. Its based on a childrens book written
in 1975. Because of its popularity and vulnerable theme, its coming to life might draw a huge
audience of the Broadway Community to experience the production.
The truth is that people will always side with either theatrical performances or digital
media. Community members who understand the art of theater will remain true to Broadway
even if they do enjoy the rise of digital media. Social factors also play a huge role on the people
sitting on both sides of the spectrum. If the community members live in New York or have grown
up with a family who attends Broadway production, their delight for the theater may ultimately
be higher than someone who has grown up playing video games with their siblings. However, no
matter how strong one feels about the other, neither community will fail altogether. In a society

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where leisure activities are not taken for granted and people are willing to pay for their
entertainment, they will both remain superior. Digital media could be effecting Broadways
attendance, but it more importantly effects how Broadway is running. Broadways solutions,
such as conformity, dont prove to be justified answers simply because the two mediums are very
distinctive and should remain that way.

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Works Cited
Shakespeare W. Act III, scene 1
Elsinore. A room in the castle. In: Hamlet. Shakespeare, William; 1603.

Wikipedia. Broadway theater. Wikipedia Web site. en.wikipedia.org.

Stuever H. Is there anything foxs fabulous Grease: Live didnt have? yes: Libido. Washington
Post Web site. Washingtonpost.com. Updated 2016.

Genzlinger N. Not the movies, but real theater

putting on a show at the tonys. New York Times Web site. nytimes.com. Updated
20162016.

Stolowitz A, Bochert H. One year in berlin. hotreview.org Hunter on-line theater

review Web site. hotreview.org. Updated 2016. Accessed February 15, 2016.

Calderazzo D. Book reviews: "Through the screen door: What happened to the broadway
musical when it went to hollywood". Theatre Journal. 2006;58(4):715-716.

Piccalo G. Record-breaking 'into the woods' is a surprise hit. Los Angeles Times Web site.
latimes.com. Updated 20152016.

Branch J. Broadway etiquette: 8 things every theatergoer should know

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did you know that broadway theaters have age requirements? or that your seat assignment
can help determine when you should arrive? here are the rules everyone should follow.
NewYork.com Connected to Everything Web site. newyork.com. Updated 2016.
Accessed February 15, 2016.

Lambert C. The future of theater

in a digital era, is a play still a thing? Harvard Magazine Web site. Harvardmagazine.com.
Updated 20122016.

Bossard A. "Les misrables" does not rise above the musical. New York Theater Wire Web site.
nytheatre-wire.com2016.

Kalb J. Rebel rhetoric and restless tweens. hotreview.org Hunter Online Theater Review Web
site. Hotreview.org. Updated 2016. Accessed February 15, 2016.

Alter A. To kill a mockingbird is headed to broadway. Theater Web site. nytimes.com.

Updated 2016. Accessed February 15, 2016.