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redrumluna · 4 years ago

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Broadway & Accesibility

Written by L. Musch

Broadway in NYC consists of 40 theaters that are visited by over 12 million audience members annually. 80% of all tickets in the 2014–2015 season were purchased by caucasian theatregoers. The average age of the Broadway theatregoer in the 2019–2020 season was 42.3 years old and the average household income of these audience members was $261,000, much higher than the U.S national average of $87,863. The average price of a ticket for a Broadway show has been reported to be $145.60 per ticket. In other words, these audiences are, mostly, old, rich and white. In this essay I’m gonna discuss how social media has been revolutionizing Broadway and the theatre experience over the past few years.

On january 10th, 2009, the Broadway revival of the musical GYPSY was ending it’s run at the St. James Theatre. Broadway icon Patti LuPone (who won her second Tony award for her performance in this production) noticed several camera flashes coming from the audience, causing her to almost trip twice. When another flash went off she stopped the show to yell at the audience member taking pictures and had them kicked out. After that she continued her performance. While this event was happening another audience member made an illegal audio recording from this performance. The recording ended up on YouTube and the rant went viral.

Due to the lack of accesibility surrounding Broadway, there’s a huge demand for illegal footage of performances, which is why bootlegs (illegal recordings of Broadway shows) are the perfect solution for fans who wouldn’t be able to experience the shows in person. To fans, bootlegs give the complete picture of the Broadway experience. It includes the parts of the show that aren’t in the official cast recordings, which can be important, because often just hearing lyrics and music cannot justify the plotholes between the songs. Bootlegs give fans all over the world an understanding of the show, even if it’s recorded with a low quality phone and another audience member’s head is in frame for most of the video.

Although many theatre people, including actors such as Patti Murin (Anna in Frozen the musical), believe that bootlegs will destroy Broadway forever. Because they believe that people will stop paying for the shows since they can see them online for free.

Personally, I believe this is a very privileged way of thinking. The fans that watch, post and trade these bootlegs are mostly teenagers. Teenagers who constantly tweet about their favourite broadway shows, who stream these cast recordings on spotify and who get shows that are currently on Broadway trending on apps like TikTok.

I’d like to use the Broadway hit Hamilton as an example. When the show started it’s run on Broadway it didn’t take long for it to become huge on social media, teenagers quickly started an online fan community on sites like Twitter and Tumblr and the soundtrack was everywhere. Hamilton bootlegs on YouTube got the most views out of all of them, yet it was the second-highest-grossing show (behind only The Lion King). The show set a Broadway box office record for the most money grossed in a single week in New York City in late november 2016, when it grossed $3.3 million for an eight-performance week. the first show to break $3 million in eight performances.

I also believe Hamilton’s online succes has a lot to do with it’s creator and lead Lin-Manuel Miranda being very active on Twitter and engaging with young fans, posting loads of backstage content and answering many questions about the show. Another show that has gained a lot of attention because of social media is Beetlejuice the musical. Presley Ryan (Former ensemble member and now currently starring as Lydia Deetz in the show) started sharing videos of her and other cast members on the app TikTok. Beetlejuice didn’t do very well in the first weeks of it’s run, but became a huge hit when the soundtrack started going viral online.

“TikTok was a game changer for Beetlejuice because it allowed our original cast recording to reach millions more young people than Broadway marketing campaigns usually allow,” explains Jennifer Graessle, social media manager for the musical. Graessle believes the musical’s songs work well on TikTok because of their quick, quirky lyrics. The success on TikTok has helped drive 150 million streams for the cast recording, “and its popularity, both on TikTok and beyond, has had a residual effect on the show’s social media presence and ticket sales,” she says. It’s also been a savior for the show — even if it’s being kicked out of New York’s Winter Garden Theater, to be replaced by a revival of The Music Man. Initial reaction towards the production when it launched on Broadway in October 2018 was muted. “I think that word of mouth is what has saved the show from the initial critics of the show who are from an older generation and maybe just didn’t ‘get us’,” says Ryan.

An alternative for bootlegs could be streaming services. There is currently one named Broadway HD. For $8,99 a month you can watch proshots of a limited collection of Broadway plays and musicals. Hopefully the streaming service will continue to broaden their collection and open up a whole new world for anyone at home or unable to travel to NYC.

During the recent pandemic there have also been many livestreams of shows that aren’t currently running anymore, like the recent stream of David Bowie’s Lazarus, which was recorded live in 2016 and streamed earlier this month in honor of the icon’s birthday.

So obviously, the theatre industry has been taking steps to broaden the representation of the performing arts on the internet. Despite the fact that we are far from truly accesible Broadway content i do believe that it will eventually evolve to be that. Theatre people are realizing that the public wants to pay for proshots or streams.

I believe that accesibility will create more appreciation for the arts and therefore save Broadway.

Resources used: Research Reports | The Broadway League (6) Patti Lupone stops 'Gypsy' mid-show to yell at a photographer - YouTube (3) Patti Murin on Twitter: "No, because then Broadway will never come back" / Twitter Hamilton (musical) - Wikipedia Presley Ryan’s TikToks Have Made Beetlejuice Broadway’s Hottest Ticket | by Chris Stokel-Walker | FFWD (medium.com) BroadwayHD David Bowie's 'Lazarus': London Production Livestreams of Musical - Rolling Stone

#broadway #theatre #accesibility #essay #bootlegs #performing arts

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powerborntouch · 8 years ago

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“The Altered Adventure: Secrets of the Cyclone: Grave Robbers (Chp 10)” Reaction

This will probably be the most different from the Minecraft roleplay. That’s exciting.

If you don’t want spoilers, stop scrolling down and blacklist “altered adventure spoilers” or “secrets of the cyclone”

I’m actually sad that Brayden wasn’t that involved in the book. I was under the impression that he would. Well, if the future books at least clarify his motives, I don’t care if he’s underused. Just fix the plot holes.

I thought campfire was a typo. Omg, I loved that joke. (There are a few typos and formatting errors in this book, btw)

Omg, Letvia and Inferno finally appear. Yuuuussss

Omg, guys, the novel is giving so much Voice/Letvia shipping fuel. I think this book is trying to redeem itself with how the roleplay treated Voice/Letvia

LETVIA, YOU’RE BLUE NOW. THAT’S MY ATTACK. Third time. Her skin is actually blue. I assume she’s a Justment. So Justments give no shit about what color they look like. But I want to know what their bodies look like figure-wise and what sets them apart from NPCs.

Inferno looks exactly the same.

I like the tension between these Guardians and the different opinions.

Without his body, Voice felt anxious and empty. And 136% done with all the puns he had to hear

Graves just pop out like daisies? Ok. I can roll with that. It feels like a video game. First the quest vibe. Now this. These aspects make me excited about Altered.

“rip Samantha Telling. You had a very weird name. Like, what parents in their right mind would name someone Samantha in Altered?” I wonder if Samantha Telling is a shoutout/easter egg that I don’t know.

Poor Betsy and Gizzy :( Why did they have to make this hurt

Elizabeth is more appreciated that Barath. Rip Barath. Rip. Still the least favorite Guardian of them all

Gizzy’s asking Benji for advice. That’s a step :D

A trap to anyone who steals the keys. Courtesy of the Guardians. Now that’s what I call actually protecting the Prophecy.

I’m glad there’s flaws to the morph ability. Coming to think about it, I think the morph ability is more balanced in the novel. It’s harder to kill things in the real world than in Minecraft, so it will be harder to gain new forms. I’m starting to appreciate this power

Daaaang. A skeleton army o_o This really escalated from the wolf pack and Ratchet

Barath was destroyed by his own hammer. How ironic. And finally Gizzy uses that hammer for once

Clayton, goddamnit. Have you been following him all this time?

I feel so worried for Gizzy and Benji. Who’s gonna save them this time? Not Betsy, that’s for sure.

Ouch. Hit in the head. …is it bad that I’m hoping for one of those flashbacks?

Yaaay, flashback

Omg. Please don’t mess up with Ratchet’s character and the timeline continuity. Pleeeeeaaaase. I’m begging you.

Witch left his chill back in the Minecraft roleplay. He’s so dramatic in the novels.

Oooooooooh, Voice. That was SAVAGE

“Egotistical notion” Witch is implying that Voice is saving the world just to improve his image. I can take this in two ways. 1: Voice loves his reputation, will do anything to secure it and thinks saving the world is the best way to do so. He’s not saving the world for the lives, but for himself, and doesn’t care if people get hurt. Or 2: Voice is so concerned about being Altered’s best Guardian. He feels like he has no choice but to prioritize the Prophecy over Aurona because he believes it’s what’s expected of him. He doesn’t want to fail Altered and make the people fall into despair.

“you’re going to pay for those words” BY BECOMING WORDS

Witch is also calling Voice hypocritical.

“This, Voice, is a fitting punishment for such a ridiculous name.” OOOOOOOOOH OOOOOOOOOOOH OOOOOOOOOH BUUUUUUURN. So apparently, in Altered, Shamas, Witch, Letvia, Samantha and Alpha are acceptable names. But being named Voice is a tragedy. Lol.

Looks like Voice’s attacks are weak when he has no body. I like that limitation.

Ok, the book doesn’t acknowledge the timeline continuity nor Ratchet’s motives. It better not had mess it up…

Seriously, Gizzy needs to get his head checked for a concussion. He won’t survive long enough to kill the Demon if he’s suffering internal bleeding.

Witch as ashamed? Gypsy has no chill? OMG, did he just SLAP his son? Omg, they’re both crying?? Omg. No nooooo. Omg. Witch’s mental breakdown reminds me of my Witch Redemption AU. I don’t know if I should be happy for the similarities or be even sadder. Aaaaaaah Omg. We finally get Witch’s backstory…but I don’t know what to make out of it :’D

Aurona overshadowed Witch. But Witch still cares about him.

Ok, Witch’s motives are better explained. I like that.

“You will become king of Altered” *DESK SLAM* STOP LYING. We know this isn’t true! The book describes Gypsy as uncertain when he said that. But why is Gypsy insisting it anyway? I hope this is addressed later.

Witch says that the Guardians made him look bad…but he is bad. He did a lot of bad stuff in the Minecraft roleplay. I wonder how the novel series is gonna present this guy. So far, he’s someone I sympathize for.

I’m finding so much info that aligns with my Witch redemption AU too :D Differences are Witch being more sentimental and being the older brother

I’m kinda confused…the Chosen One and the savior of Altered…are not the same thing. ???

Dang, Ratchet is still villainous. I’m starting to doubt that he will receive a redemption. Like, at this point, Witch has a better chance to be redeemed that Voice and Ratchet

I’m still confused about the Prophecy. It can either make Witch king or take Gizzy home. I hope this is addressed better later. If I didn’t knew about the Minecraft roleplay, I would assume that the Prophecy is something that grants people wishes.

Also, I noticed that Gypsy didn’t say that his time was coming to an end…hmm…

There’s one great thing about making Aurona and Gizzy children in the books: it questions morality. Witch was angry at Voice for separating him from Aurona (a child), but he was ok with Voice’s plan to separate Gizzy (another child) from his family. So, is Witch just as bad as Voice?

I don’t know what to think about Witch. His character is not clearly defined with all these different perspectives. Like, this info contradicts the info from chapters 2 and 3. I want to analyze this later and figure out why the narrator lied about Witch in chapters 2 and 3.

Did Witch agree to Voice’s plan willingly or unwillingly? What did Witch do as a Guardian? So many questions, but they can’t be answered in the book.

#alteredadventure #altered adventure #altered adventure spoilers #secrets of the cyclone #altered reactions

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