Oliver 1

Adele Oliver
Professor Bradley
ENC2135
15 March 2016
Broadway Vs. Digital Media:
An Impartial Musical!
Theater today differs immensely with that of the 1600s. It has transformed from a cultural
uniformity to a culture of consumption and theatrical production. Hamlet, a tragedy written by
William Shakespeare, was originally performed at the Globe Theatre in London. The audiences
eyes focused on the characters because little to no sets or special effects were used to distract
them. Its almost expected to walk into a theater on Broadway nowadays and be wowed by the
power of the passionate designers and their technology. Theater is an overarching umbrella to
smaller communities that will continue to adapt to the ever-changing environment such as
Broadway, a major contributor to theater. The evolution of theater is prominent and questionable
regarding whether its changes are results of the digital age. In this digital age, media becomes a
protuberant effector on traditional forms, including Broadway Theater. How is the rise of digital
media, particularly media utilized at home, affecting the Broadway community and how does
Broadway plan on keeping up with the industry? Hamlet would currently be played by an actor
who would speak to a holographic ghost rather than another actor dressed in a white sheet .This
futuristic effect is questionable to whether or not Broadway enhances their productions in order
to compete and not deal with an unfortunate inferiority to the strength of media. This
transformation acts the part of the communitys major issue and has group members sitting on
both sides of the concern.

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Broadways members differ in the sense of their role in the community. Broadway offers
production and performance, but its community offers talent, energy, and a sense of freedom.
The members who embrace their creative talent are the actors, playwrights, directors, composers,
and designers. Their profession revolves around the amount of talent they have in order for the
show to go on not only without a dent, but in a delightful way. Another group of community
members is the audience. Because theater is a live production, energy is what this group has to
bring forth. Energy is transmitted back and forth through the community members sitting in the
theaters seats and the actors performing on the stage every night. Whether its an enthusiastic
energy, or the show is going poorly and its a depressed one, the members work together and
share some sort of energy transfusion. Besides the talent and energy, the Broadway community
proposes the sense of liberty. This refers to the freedom individuals feel that they have within
this community over any other, including digital medias. These individuals lives have been
changed by the live production as it gives them a place to use their voice instead of hiding it, to
hear about non-traditional views, and to live in an alternate world for two and a half hours.
Broadway is a big contender for persuading and informing its society and its freedom allows this.
Alexander Alter explains about the upcoming adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird, A new stage
production of Mockingbird could also animate the novels themes of racial injustice and the
pervasiveness of bias and inequality issues that resonate deeply at a moment when the country
is wrestling with many of the same problems (Alter). This feeling of freedom mixed with the
talent and energy are the qualities that set this population apart from others. They also continue
to bond each member as they disagree over the communitys issue.
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

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members reason on either side of the media spectrum. There are patrons on one side enjoying
home media and all its glory. Its not that they dont understand the necessity of Broadway, but
they find the digital industry more imperative in their life at that time. This could be any
community member such as an actor fleeing for a role in film, or an audience member sitting at
home watching a movie on Demand. 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 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 communitys
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
sofa at home. Digital media lovers would disagree and believe that theyve obtained these
principles, plus some. Some people arent impacted on such a personal level; they recognize both
medias, but simply disagree on whether Broadway is affected by digital media.
Digital media lovers at home can be entertained with the click of a button. They can be
dressed in their pajamas while watching Greys Anatomy. 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 arriving on time, not standing up during the performance,
dressing nicely (specifically in theater-attire), keeping an eye on your cup, and many more.
Although these rules seem like common sense, assumptions cannot be made. Someone who has
to leave the theater because his or her kids are too young, might fear ever going back. These
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 and rewind it whenever you choose. The program wont stop playing if

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the user gets up to make a cup of coffee. Maybe the application of rules affects the normal
theater attendance rather than how Broadway is transforming.
However, the transformation of Broadway is relevant. 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). Their clarification of coinciding, 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 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, the values and core essentials of Broadway will be lost in history.
Broadways prominent history is filled with shows that will forever be remembered for
being great or not as great as its movie adaptation. The matter raised in this research paper allows
the exploration of adaptations and how they influence both sides of the argument. Numerous

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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). Usually if the movie does good, 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 raised by the media. Film and other digital media, in
general, have a larger platform for advertisement. They even use one another to market.
Especially if a movies premiere was absolutely adored my millions, advertisement will become
even greater and reviews will be published on multiple mediums. Contrastingly, a Broadway
production doesnt receive as much publicity.
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 Into the Woods is

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not the premier weekends outstanding numbers, but the second weekend and the third and the
reviews, which lack regular moviegoers attention.
On the other side, if the movie is a flop, the 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. Broadway is given
credit on behalf of the musical Les Miserables. It premiered on Broadway in 1987 and ran for
multiple 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 precedence and can compete with the digital media on an even playing field,
and that competition is certainly noticeable.
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

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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 and happening right in front
of you. Therefore, the characters are three-dimensional. As Broadway is compared to these new
technologies, they depend on special effects, such as, quick changes, lighting arrangements, flysystems, and illusions. There are many other lengths that community members will go to in order
to protect their society.
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. Stolowitz 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 to be specifically interesting because of
the reasons why this adaptation is going to occur. Kalb explains, School of Rock: the Musical is

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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 based at home that could be affecting 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 affects the Broadways
audience if the actor is current, renowned, and has a large, flexible following.
Live TV shows receive a huge audience when they perform 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 had 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
some degree and dont always benefit from conforming to the other. Because of the live shows

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Grease-less critiques, people who havent seen the original production may never understand its
unusual, yet electrifying theme the original production conveyed.
This issue is prevalent in the Broadway community and is communicated through its
obvious efforts of becoming non-traditional and more relatable to the people in the digital media
arena; its purpose being to persuade members to see the show. 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 home media. 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.
However, Nils-Petter Ankarblom, the assistant musical director of the show, explains, I think
the only way to sell tickets on Broadway is to present a fantastic show that people will want to
see, regardless of origin and name recognition. He explains that familiarity with shows has
nothing to do with ticket sales, nor Broadway conforming. He also explains that these familiar
shows either stay true to the original content or do not, but in Tuck Everlastings case, As
always when you adapt any story, you must look for the theatrical opportunities and build the
show around those (Ankarblom).

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Broadways issue is certainly communicated by its obvious endeavors, but it is also
communicated by its actions of dominating other medias. This multimedia aspect is prevalent on
the musical app platform in particular. The app Spotify allows listeners to listen to almost any
song they want including full albums of Broadway musicals. These original cast recordings
entice people to see the show. They give a preview of the productions story line, main characters,
and how the show sounds. This preview persuades the listeners enough without giving them too
much of the show. Anyone, community members or non-community members, can listen to these
albums if they pay a monthly payment for their individual Spotify account.
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. The people existing in this world who are not
apart of this community arent typically affected. They most likely enjoy digital media and arent
Broadway enthusiasts. People who dont use or enjoy either wont relate to the issues that
happen between the two medias. Social factors also play a huge role on the community members
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 where leisure activities are not taken for granted and people are willing to pay for
their entertainment, both will remain superior. Digital media could be affecting Broadways
attendance, but, more importantly, it 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. Broadway is evolutionary and will continue to surprise

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its participants. Nils-Petter Ankarblom talks about the future and stated, I think since everything
is available to us all the time: all the movies, all the music, all TV, we will seek out unique
experiences of here and now. Concerts and live theater offer that and they force us to be present
in the now make us feel alive (Ankarblom). Broadway and digital media can work cohesively
rather than apart and their inevitable distinctions will continue to set one community apart from
another.

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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.

Alter A. To Kill a Mockingbird is headed to Broadway. Theater Web site. nytimes.com.

Updated 2016. Accessed February 15, 2016.

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

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.

Genzlinger N. Not the movies, but real theater

Putting on a show at the Tonys. New York Times Web site. nytimes.com. Updated
20162016.

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.

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

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

Lambert C. The future of theater

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

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.

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

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

Ankarblom, Nils-Petter. Personal Interview. 29 February 2016