I’m hoping that we’re seeing the beginning of what could be a huge trend in the way large theater markets approach the availability of their work. Fathom Events has been broadcasting large concert and opera events to select movie screens for a good while already. You can usually see things like Metropolitan Opera performances or special one-off tribute concerts. This year, however, has seen the addition of theatrical events like plays and musicals.
Back in April, Memphis–the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical–broadcast the entire show in select movie theaters. This was a huge deal for many reasons. One, most recordings of Broadway shows are never released to the general public. They go into the vaults in the New York Public Library and are available for viewing by special request. Two, the few that are released don’t see the light of day until after the show is closed. There is a fear that immediate access to a show while it is running will stop people in the greater NYC area from buying the ticket to see live theater.
I believe this fear is unfounded and outdated. People haven’t stopped watching live TV broadcasts because of DVRs and the Internet. People haven’t stopped going to live concerts because of iPods and DVDs. People haven’t stopped going to live sports events because they’re broadcast on TV. So why would allowing more people to see an edited, mixed, and packaged version of a live theatrical event be the exception to this rule?
Guess what happened to Memphis because of the movie theater screenings? Nothing bad.