#pre broadway workshop versions?

[elphabaoftheopera]

them: alright road trip! what should we listen to?

me: defying gravity

them: but...it's a two hour drive

[quantwigmania]

most of this is already on my neocities website but the Legally Blonde ballad is so fascinating to me simply because of how many changes it went through throughout the workshop > pre-broadway shows > broadway > even the national tour and onward... like altogether there are At Least 10 different versions of a combination of lyrics and it is so fun to see the difference between them. like most of the changes are small BUT THEY MEAN SO MUCH!!!!!! AND I WILL TALK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!

i like the final broadway version best simply because Emmett sings in Elle's melody from What You Want (which has it's own implications of awesomeness i want to talk about) but sometime before they actually opened on broadway, they always had him echo her "back to the sun / back to the shore" line and it sounds SO PRETTY.

[polldownhadestown]

Specifically named workers pre-Broadway? I need to know everything right now-

A workshop version of Way Down Hadestown had these lyrics:

Welcome to the skeleton crew! / Welcome to the chain gang, kid / Lemme introduce you to / The members of the working dead / Old Jack Hammer! Mister Miner / Wandering forever in the catacombs / Working on a hole to China / Diggin’ up them dino bones / Way down . . .

Sweatshop Sally! Missus Miller! / Workin’ in the cellar where the sun don’t shine / Sad-eyed little Cinderella / Sweeping up the ashes of the summertime / Used to be one a the boss’s pets / Now she’s just another stiff / One night in the boss’s bed / And a lifetime on the graveyard shift / Way down . . .

They’re a cool insight at who the workers are and why they are there, but it took away from the way they are monolithicized and the loss of identity so Anaïs changed them. You can find a little more discussion of them in Working on a Song!

[cobaltsoulsearcher]

Query: Where can I watch hadestown

It seems interesting but I don’t know where it would be available

Okay soo

It’s a Broadway musical, so the only “legal” way to watch it is to buy a ticket to the show in New York, the North American Tour which is currently in Canada , or the South Korean production in Seoul. There’s also a West End/UK production beginning next year.

The music is however quite easy to stream; The original Broadway cast recording is on most streaming services, as are some of the earlier stuff like the NYTW production and the concept album.

That said, many lovely people have bootlegs. If you decide to watch a boot, make sure to note what version/cast it is, as the lyrics and characterizations change significantly from NYTW to London to Edmonton to Broadway, Broadway being the “canon” version. I have seen bootlegs of all four of those as well as of the Spanish language production from Argentina; feel free to DM me if you wanna know how to find them. Unfortunately, there is not to my knowledge any recordings of Vermont or pre-NYTW workshops, though there is a ten minute clip compilation, an Anais solo concert, and the concept album.

That’s probably way more than you wnated to know, excuse me for being a nerd about this show.

TLDR: buy a ticket to see it live or find bootleg videos on YouTube/MEGA/from a bootlegger

[a-bold-departure]

#Repost @/alextimbers

——

Following our pre-Broadway workshop, it was time to try out all those massive changes in front of an audience. We went into a brief rehearsal process and then began previews for @/beetlejuicebway at the Winter Garden Theater. While everyone working on the show (myself included) had some concerns that we had possibly pulled up one too many couch cushions or undercut some major aspect of what made the show unique, once we were in previews, those worries were dispelled and we felt like we had built a different but better version of the show — one that would hopefully open the tent flaps wider to allow in more audiences. Freezing the show and opening it was a relief to everyone who had worked so hard for so many months straight and it was a dream to get to record the cast album of Eddie’s songs. But there was still a good deal of anxiety after opening… Many NY publications had decided “Beetlejuice” was DOA before we had started previews and had accordingly helped to scare away early audiences. We had a very small advance, and reviews were a bit better than in Washington but still broke down along a generational divide of critics under the age of 45 generally embracing the show and critics above that age struggling with the story, tone, and humor. #beetlejuice #broadway #musical #theater 📸: @/emiliomadrid @/davidkorins

[anais-mitchell]

a comprehensive list of every never before seen hadestown lyric revealed in “working on a song”

Note: This list will not include any lyrics from the OBCR, Broadway previews documented in audios, the London run, the Edmonton run, or the NYTW run. Only lyrics that Anaïs has never revealed before. Also, I strongly recommend everyone actually read the book and support Anaïs! It has amazing insights into the show we love. 

(Also, any ellipses mean the song just goes into the lyrics we already know)

Wedding Song

In early Vermont productions, Wedding Song did not exist; there was another duet called Everything Written.

Fates: Seven Sisters / Little Dipper / Great Bear, Hunter / Drinking Gourd / Libra, Leo / Pisces, Pluto / Venus, Virgo / Capricorn

Eurydice: Don’t it make, don’t it make you feel so small? / Orpheus, when you look up at it all? / When I look into the skies / I lose my head for scale and size / And still you’re larger in my eyes / Than any star / You pull on me like gravity / I want to be where you are

They say that everything is written / Everything written in those stars / The very lives we’re living / The very love in our hearts

Orpheus: Who could write, who could write this kind if love? / From such a height, all these light-years up above? / And all these light-years down below / I don’t need any star to show me / What my heart already knows / Eurydice / You pull on me like gravity / I want to be where you are

Eurydice: Come here

Orpheus: I’m here

Eurydice: It’s so cold

Orpheus: So clear

Eurydice: It’s so dark

Orpheus: So fair

Eurydice: Come near

Orpheus: I’m here

Eurydice: You’re there

A workshop version of Wedding Song included this exchange:

Eurydice: You have a way with words don’t you? It’s too bad none of them are true

Orpheus: It’s not a lie- It’s poetry

Eurydice: How many mouths does a poem feed?

Epic I

From 2007 Vermont:

Orpheus: King of diamonds, king of spades! / First there was Hades, king of the dirt / Miners of mines, diggers of graves / They bowed down to Hades who gave them work /  And they bowed down to Hades who made them sweat / Who paid them their wages and set them about / Digging and dredging and dragging the depths / Of the Earth to turn its insides out / Singing la la la la la la la...

Then came Persephone, Hades’s wife / Our Lady of Shadows and Meadows entwined / Made to spend half of the days of her life / Right alongside of him down in the mine / But the other half she could walk in the sun / And the sun in turn burned half as bright / Which is where the seasons come from / And with them the cycle / Of the seed and the sickle / And the lives of the people / And the birds in their flight / Singing la la la la la la la...

So it was and it might have stayed / And the sun came up and the sun went down / A circle of fourths, a perfect cadence / The serpent’s tail in the serpent’s mouth / But the strong will take what they want to take / And the weak can only tell the tale / And the king began to lay his heavy hand upon the scale / What did he want? He wanted Our Lady / To have and to hold, not half, but wholly / To love him and never to leave him again / And as for the seasons, to hell with them! / And the earth warmed over in the dead of winter / The stillborn spring lay cold beneath /  Summer gave a stormy sermon / Autumn walked in the wake with a wreath / And the people moved like weather patterns / Looking for shelter, looking for warmth / Helter-skelter the four winds scattered / The scavengers over the ravaged earth / Singing la la la la la la la...

From a workshop, presumably pre-London:

Hermes: Orpheus was a poor boy / But he had a gift to give / There was one song he’d been working on / He could never seem to finish / A song about this broken world / That he rewrote again and again / As though if he could find the words / He could fix the world with them

Livin’ It Up On Top

From pre-NYTW workshops:

Persephone: A hundred sunny summer days / Till my lover comes to find me / A hundred blooming olive trees / And a hundred grapevines climbing / Singing songs when the sun goes down / Light the fire in the darkness / Brother, pass that bottle around / And we’ll raise a glass to the harvest, it’s / Just enough fruit for the pressing / Just enough wine to fill our cups / But what we have is a blessing / It isn’t much but it’s enough

Eurydice: A hundred starry summer nights / Since my lover came and found me / Picking fruit and hopping freights / With his music all around me / Stay up late making love / All the stars are naked / Talking sweet and sleeping rough / Our bed is where we make it, there’s / Just enough fruit for the pressing...

Way Down Hadestown

From when Anaïs was 21, long before the show was even a concept:

Follow that dollar for a long way down / Far away from the poorhouse door / You either get to hell or a border town / Ain’t no difference anymore...

Suckin’ on the gristle and chewin’ on the bone / Thinkin’ ‘bout missiles and the old Dow Jones / All alone on your chromium throne /And lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely...

From 2006:

Persephone: Though I’m happy at his side / He’s not an easy man to love / I used to keep him satisfied / But lately he can’t get enough / Never enough of the mine and the mill / Never enough of his working girls / Never enough of the wall he’s building / All around the underworld / Way down Hadestown...

Orpheus: Mr. Hades is slick as an eel / Fountain pen, crocodile shoes / Quick as a snake, and he’s hot on your heels / He’ll make you an offer that you can’t refuse! / Way down Hadestown...

Hermes: Speak of the devil and the devil comes / Here comes Mister Hades now / To gather up his chosen ones / And bring ‘em down to Hadestown / Way down Hadestown...

From 2007:

Hermes: Make room, make room for Hermes, sir! / Make a little room for Hermes, ma’am / They call me a messenger / But that ain’t half of who I am 

I’m a man of influence / I’m connected up and down / And  I got all the documents / You need to get to Hadestown / Way down Hadestown...

Tired of walking in your worn-out shoes? / Tired of running on nothing at all? / Tired of standing your bets to lose? / Tired of losing? Give me a call, we’ll go... / Way down Hadestown...

Orpheus: Mister Hades got an iron fist / Step outta line and he’ll have your head / In the blink of an eye, with a flick of the wrist

Hermes: Hang around here and starve instead!

Orpheus: It’s a cattle pen!

Hermes: It’s a feeding trough!

Orpheus: He’ll fatten you up just to cut you down! / I’d rather starve

Hermes: I’d rather stuff my pockets down in Hadestown! / Way down Hadestown...

Hey, Little Songbird

Anaïs says she tried out this line in 2017 to include a more explicit “job offer” in the wake of the MeToo movement:

Hades: Hey, little songbird, gimme a song / I’m a busy man, and I can’t stay long / I’ve got clients to call, I’ve got orders to fill / I’ve got millions of souls on my payroll, but hell / I could fit you as well if you wanted

When the Chips are Down

From Vermont, 2006:

Fates: Cross my palm! Grease my chin / Can’t you see the kind of shape you’re in? / What you gonna do... ?

Wait For Me

From Vermont, 2007:

(These exchanges intercut the chorus)

Hades: Hermes! / Hermes: Hades! / Hades: Back in town! / Please, sit down / Please, relax / You’ve been around the world and back / Haven’t you, Hermes? / Hermes: I have / Hades: How’s the weather? / Hermes: Worse than ever / How’s your wife? / Hades: My wife is fine / Hermes: You’ve been spending a lot of time together / Haven’t you, Hades?

Hades: What have you brought? / Hermes: The latest crop / Hades: The freshest cut? / Hermes: A cut above / Hades: How many of them, a lot? / Hermes: A lot / Hades: A few too many perhaps / What’s this? / Why have you brought me Orpheus? / I know I never ordered that / It seems you’ve gone behind my back / Haven’t you, Hermes?

Hades: What was that? / Hermes: What was what? / Hades: I heard a voice / Hermes: I heard it not / Hades: Someone singing / Hermes: I heard nothing / Hades: Some kind of song / Hermes: You could be wrong / It could have been the wind / Hades: The wind? / Hermes: It could have been the rain / Hades: The rain? / Hermes: It could have been the train... (the train / the train / the train / the train...)

From “an early cutting room floor version”:

Fates: One (one, one) / You forget the sun

Eurydice: I forget the sun

Fates: You forget where you come from / You forget the sun

Eurydice: I forget the sun

Fates: Two (two, two)

Why We Build the Wall

Pre-NYTW:

Hermes: A lot can happen behind closed doors / With the big boss and his fountain pen / A lot of dirty deals go down / When there ain’t nobody watching...

Our Lady of the Underground

The 2006 version of the song was called “A Crack in the Wall” and these were the lyrics:

Persephone: Come and see the stars! / They’re fixin to fall / Slidin’ and a-slipping’ / In their gravity shoes / Old Man Mars / Taking Venus to the ball / Big dipper dippin’ / To the blue-sky blues

Have you forgot? / Which was is up? / I think you’ll find / I have just the thing for you / Put a quarter in the slot / You can fill your loving cup / With a little bit of moonshine / From the pay-per-view

How selfless! / The silent moon / Holding a mirror / For an ungrateful sun / Hey, Orpheus! / Are you leaving so soon? / Every night around here / Is a fateful one 

Maybe you got blindsided / Lost your papers! / Lost your mind! / Maybe you once lost an angel / Just to watch her fall / Look a little closer and / The water turns to wine / Look a little closer: there’s a crack in the wall!

So I raise my cup / To the stars in the sky / If you want a show / Go on, get in line / Step right up brothers / Don’t be shy / What the boss don’t know / The boss won’t mind

Way Down Hadestown (Reprise)

A 2013 version of this song was called “No One Now,” delivered to Orpheus, and these are the lyrics:

Fates: Used to be a blushing bride / That was on the other side / Better to forget her face / Now she’s like the rest of us / One more number in a crowd / Maybe she was someone once / She ain’t no one now

Used to be a loving wife / That was in another life / Carve it on a marble stone / Now she’s like the rest of us / One more body in the ground / Maybe she was someone once / She ain’t no one now

Brother don’t you think we all / Used to have a name to call? / A tale to tell as well as her? / Now she’s like the rest of us...

Maybe when she first arrived / So alive, so naive / All the bright lights in her eyes / All her insides fluttering (alt. Heart aflutter on her sleeve) / Maybe she was someone then / Back when Hades drew her in / Like a moth into his flame / Borne aloft on burning wings / Well she ain’t the first and she ain’t the last / Hades’ fire is hot and fast / Just ask all the other girls / Sweeping up the ashes in the underworld / See even when the flame is new / She doesn’t hold a candle to / The woman Hades truly loves / So maybe she was someone once / But now she’s like the rest of us / All used up, all burned out / Maybe she was someone once / She ain’t no one now

From the Dartmouth workshop:

Hermes (to Orpheus): If you wanna get around down here in the tank / Down here in the clink / Down here in the hole / You got to think the way they think / Which is to say, your mind is blank / Which is to say, don’t think at all / Come / I’ll show you how it’s done 

Welcome to the skeleton crew! / Welcome to the chain gang, kid / Lemme introduce you to / The members of the working dead / Old Jack Hammer! / Mister Miner / Wandering forever in the catacombs / Working on a hole to China / Diggin’ up them dino bones / Way down...

Sweatshop Sally! Missus Miller! / Workin’ in the cellar where the sun don’t shine / Sad eyed little Cinderella / Sweeping up the ashes of the summertime / Used to be one a the boss’s pets / Now she’s just another stiff / One night in the boss’s bed / And a lifetime on the graveyard shift / Way down...

Flowers

Did not exist in Vermont, but there was a brief reprise of “Everything Written”: 

Eurydice: If it’s me- if it’s me you’re looking for / Orpheus, I can’t be with you anymore

Fates: She signed in blood / She signed for good

Eurydice: I signed before I understood / And I’d unsign it if I could / But it’s too late / They say that everything is written / Everything is written in those stars / Even these lives we’re living / Even this love

Fates: Seven sisters...

Papers

Pre-NYTW:

Hades: Let me see your papers, son / Let me see your documents / Or could it be that you have none? / You’re on the wrong side of the fence...

If It’s True

Pre-concept album:

Orpheus: If it’s true what they say / If there’s nothing to be done / If there’s no part left to play / If there’s no song to be sung / If it’s true what they say / If there’s no stone left to turn / If there’s no prayer left to pray / If there’s no bridge left to burn / If it’s true what they say / I’ll be on my way / If it’s true what they say / Then I have lived a lie / They can take the sky away / Take the stars out of my eyes / And my face will be a mask / And my heart will be a stone / And I’ll throw away the past / And I’ll go away alone...

How Long?

Pre-concept album:

Persephone (to Hermes): Brother Hermes, god of speed / Put your feathers on his feet / Hasten his delivery / Keep him hale and whole / Brother, I’m a jaded woman / But there’s something in his singing / And it feels like spring a-comin’ / To the winter of my soul 

Brother Hermes, god of speed / Put your feathers on his feet / Hasten his delivery / Keep him safe and sound / He reminds me of the lover / That I was when I was younger / Back before my heart went under / Undercover / Underground

Chant (Reprise)

Dartmouth Workshop, 2014:

Hades: And in this symphony of mine / Are power chords and power lines / Which I arrange and orchestrate / And every day I dedicate / The magnum opus of my life / To my unkind, ungrateful wife / Persephone, and she shall see / Her name in lights on my marquee / And every night, another show / My symphony will never close! / And she shall have a front row seat / Which she shall never, ever leave! / Young man, you can strum your lyre...

Epic III

Vermont:

Orpheus: The strong will take what they want to take / And the weak can only tell the tale / And the heart of the king loves everything / Like the hammer loves the nail

The heart of the king is iron and steel / The heart of the king is the color of rust / The heart of the king is soldered and sealed / The heart of the king is a tinderbox / That he has to keep under lock and key / That it not catch fire inside his chest / Cos a lover’s desire is a mutiny / A lover’s desire is a wilderness 

But even that hardest of hearts unhardened...

(I just have to say I fucking love this imagery of a fire oh my god)

Lover’s Desire

Anaïs once set the original Lover’s Desire melody to lyrics around the area of Wedding Song:

Orpheus: Lover, can you hear me? / I’m asking for your hand / Your hand for better or for worse / Forever / Whether you’re sick or well / For rich or poorer, to have and to hold for as / Long as we both shall live

Eurydice: Lover, can you hear me? / I’m asking for a hand / A hand that’s steady and strong / To lean on / To catch me if I fall / That’s the hand that I’ll have and I’ll hold for as / Long as we both shall live

Word to the Wise

Early workshops:

Fates: Hey / Hey / Hey / It’s judgement day! / Are you gonna let ‘em just walk away? / What you gonna do... ?

Wait For Me (Reprise)

Vermont:

Hades: Hermes!

Hermes: Hades!

Hades: Time to go / Time to bring this to a close / Time to lay this thing to rest 

Hermes: Orpheus?

Hades: Orpheus / It’s all agreed / We’ve struck a deal / He’s free

Hermes: He’s free?

Hades: He’s free to walk

Hermes: And she?

Hades: To follow at his heel / And she, to follow at his back

Eurydice: Wait for me, I’m coming...

Hades: And she shall follow at his back / And she shall follow in his wake

Hermes: And what’s the catch?

Hades: The catch is this: / He shall not turn to see her face / And if he turns, the game is up / The deal is off, his race is run / And that’s the end of Orpheus / You’ll see it done?

Eurydice: Wait for me, I’m coming...

Written at an unspecified time but never used:

Hermes: A poor boy and a hungry young girl / Walking single file / While the music played / Brother, they looked for all the world / Like they was walking down the aisle / On their wedding day

We Raise Our Cups

The show once ended with an alternate song called “Cloud Machine” in Vermont, the lyrics of which Anaïs says she is embarrassed by:

Orpheus: What have I done? Mother, what have I done? / Squandered the gift that you gave me / Gambled with Hades and Hades won / And there’s no song now that can save me 

Mother, I failed! Oh Mother, I tried / And I fell like a fool would fall / And I left my love / On the other side / On the other side of the wall

(Alt. There’s a crack in the wall / It’s a little bit wider / It’s a little bit wider, that’s all)

Persephone: Come, my son, don’t take it so hard / Everything is forgiven / You have done naught / But to play out the part / That the Fates in their wisdom have written

Orpheus: Raise up the curtain! The crowd goes wild! / The Fates are drunken clowns / All of us dreamers are walking the wire / While they juggle our dream around 

Apollo, come down in your cloud machine / Apollo, come swallowing fire / With your thunder and lightning and kerosene / For the Fates and their funeral pyre

Persephone: Come, my son, we try and we fail / Every tail has an end

But the pale dawn breaks / And the snake eats it’s tail / And the tale begins again...

[heretherebedork]

Francis critiques something NOT BL.

So!

I just saw Paradise Square, a pre-Broadway premiere of a show set during the civil war in New York about racial tensions, the draft, rich vrs poor and people singing songs that needed some workshopping...

I am a bad person.

Look, it had the bones and the voices of a very, very good show.

But the actual show itself needed a new corset. And by corset I mean it needed a lot tighter timing and FAR better pacing and the songs were all just a bit too long.

Like, I get it, the title of the song is Let It Burn (also, very Hamilton of you surprise surprise) but if you say the same like 15 times in a song and then ALSO hold the last note of the last time you say it for like a minute it's very impressive but I've checked out.

Some parts were fantastic. The whole transition from "Why Must I Die in Springtime?" to "I'd Be a Soldier" was gorgeous beyond belief. Absolutely lovely. A+.

But the first half dragged so, so much. I was checking how many songs were left after the third song and that's just NEVER a good sign.

All the voices and the dancing were absolutely top notch, though. I mean, genuinely amazing. Some of the best acting I've seen on stage forever. SO good. Too bad the show let it down.

Like, there were 3-4 plotlines that never went anywhere or, if they did go anywhere, were mostly useless and pointless. A couple songs that could have been cut, for sure.

"One match and one man" was a GREAT song, though. I loved it. What a good song. Absolutely great.

Overall, it's a good show that needs some more trimming and workshopping and, hopefully, it gets to be better and someday it comes back here and I can watch a fantastic version.

[angel-of-stagelights]

Musical Recommendations

We’re doing this again! New musicals for you to listen to based on what popular one you already know and love. I put thought into these and I’d love to hear your thoughts if you do end up listening to one of my recommendations! Note: I am aware that more seasoned theatre people will recognize my “lesser known” recommendations. I’m basing them off of shows that someone whose introduction to musical theatre was social media or current Broadway might not know. That’s all!

If you like Heathers try Emo: The Musical

Emo: The Musical is genuinely one of the strangest things I’ve ever watched. It’s an satirical Australian movie musical with entirely too much self awareness. It’s deeply bizarre and full of the cynicism that’s found in Heathers. You’ve got your typical jocks vs nerds, but instead it’s emos vs Christian band kids. The music slaps. It’s on Netflix and the soundtrack can be found on YouTube.

If you like Beetlejuice try The Dolls of New Albion

The Dolls of New Albion is part of a trilogy of operas, each one set in the fictional city of New Albion during a revolution in a different time period in the city’s history. The Dolls of New Albion is a delightfully dark steampunk show with a surprisingly classic feel to it. The soundtrack as well as several productions of it can be found on YouTube. My favorite production is here. While it lacks the vulgarity and over the top comedy of Beetlejuice, the dark tone and exploration of the macabre is all there.

If you like Les Miserables try Cabaret

Cabaret is a staple in the industry for a multitude of reasons, and yet, somehow I see a lot of young actors going about their business having never seen Cabaret or even listened to the soundtrack all the way through. To be honest, I put off listening to it when I was in high school because I had read the plot synopsis and thought that was enough. I promise you, it’s not. Cabaret is a brilliant show on many levels and it’s also an important show to have studied if you’re going into the industry in any capacity. It paved the way for a lot of what you see on Broadway today. Several decent versions can be found on YouTube, including the original pre-broadway production with Alan Cumming as the Emcee.

If you like Six try The Wild Party

The Wild Party has more of a classic golden-age broadway feel to it than Six, but definitely carries the same wit and high energy. The Wild Party was arguably a commerical flop on Broadway, but is now widely considered a cult classic and an excellent example of the classic Broadway sound. The soundtrack is on YouTube, as well as this stunning performance of its climactic song, “How Did We Come to This?” by Eva Noblezada.

If you like Waitress try Sides

Sides is an up-and-coming “song cycle” or cabaret style show, with several loosely connected songs and story arcs that follow the same themes and sometimes return to the same characters. I had the opportunity to see this production in its workshop phase and I can tell you that I shed a few tears (particularly at this song.) It has the same poignant quality as Waitress, as well as the themes of love and how it changes us. It’s a little tricky to get ahold of at the moment, but a playlist can be found here.

If you like Next to Normal try The Light in the Piazza

There’s a reason I won’t shut up about The Light in the Piazza. This musical had a tremendous impact on me and the way I act. While the musical style could not be more different from Next to Normal’s, the shows share extremely similar central themes including grief, mental health, family love, loss, and learning to let go. The sweeping soundtrack is enough to break your heart before you know anything about the story. The soundtrack can be found here. There are various versions of the show online, but I haven’t watched any of them through and therefor cannot recommend any of them.

If you like Frozen try Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella

This might seem like another obvious one, but a lot of people overlook Cinderella these days. Yes, it’s an old story, yes it has its problems, but the new book and updated score for the Rogers & Hammerstein version solves a lot of those problems elegantly. Plus, Santino Fontana and Laura Osnes as Ella and Prince Topher on the revival soundtrack! This version of Cinderella is chronically sing-along-able without being annoying and maintains a dignified, elegant sound throughout its score while still managing to be playful. Well worth a listen if Frozen is among your favorites. The soundtrack can be found here.

[elenamegan14]

Twisted Wonderland: Headcanons for Dorm Haunted Houses Pt.5 - Octavinelle

MASTERLIST

Part 4

Probably the longest headcanon one I had so far. LOL.

TW: Slight dubcon elements and submechanophobia. 

THE ATTRACTION: 

This dorm’s haunted house is quite unique because it’s a mish-mash between a cruise ship and the jazz lounge hall from the Roaring 1920s. For some reason, after thorough research, Azul wanted to include ‘submechanophobia’ (fear of animatronics submerged in water) into the haunted dorm concept himself. 

Azul went crazy with all the merchandise - there were T-Shirts, posters, the most adorable set of acrylic keychains! And the piece of resistance is a two-song single that he and the twins have recorded. It has a physical and digital release, of which the latter had 1,300,000 downloads in just one day. 

The promos are crazy too. The way the staff had shot the commercial for the dorm’s haunted house is so cinematically professional that many were taught it was a real movie itself. Luckily, Azul also recorded the dorm’s theme. PS: They also did Pomefiore’s promo video too for a cut share of 15%.

Azul wanted to increase his clients on Monstro Lounge, but he cannot go easy on the student participants as well. He wanted to hear BOTH screams - so the treatment for the students in the survival game and the guests is going to be very different from another. 

Regular guests will be scared in a standard manner: jumpscares from animatronics, a bit of gas blowing on their necks - NO TOUCHING AT ALL.

As for the students… well, they’re most likely to get attacked ALL THE TIME. Your name it: physical touches, animatronics dragging them to their ‘doom’, etc. That’s why the dorm made a contract clause to the participants warning them that there will be physical touching and a safe word is provided. Most participants did not read this except for a few. Like MC and Jack. Unless they purchased his charms. 

Yes, the octopus capitalist had created their own charms that worked only for this haunted house ONLY. It protects students from the monsters, well MOSTLY. 

Perhaps because he was attached to the band he, Floyd, and Jade once made back in middle school, he wanted to include the entertainment aspect as well, perhaps for nostalgic sake. Plus, he did it because he knew people would pay money to see hot idol guys singing jazz songs. Of course, he did, why do you doubt him so?

“Do instruments of torture count?” Floyd asked during the first band meeting. Azul quickly dismissed it. And no, mayonnaise is definitely NOT a musical instrument. 

When guests and student participants arrived in the dorm’s haunted house, they were lured into an abandoned pier. During the walk in the eerie, fog-infested docks, guests could see some posters of missing people, old posters of a cruise ship trip promotion, a poster featuring the Octavinelle band in old-timey fashion and old news articles about a tragic malfunctioning animatronic accident. 

As they approached closer, they could hear several jazz songs, including electro swings coming from somewhere. Guests also noticed some abandoned, dilapidated animatronics that was missing some parts, giving it a frightening outlook. What really unsettles them most are writings on the wall that are written either in blood or blacks markers: “TURN BACK!” “WATCH OUT!” “STAY AWAY FROM THE CRUISE SHIP!”

They arrived at their destination: a large cruise ship was waiting on them. On the entrance, the dorm staff sold their merchandise and charms to the students themselves. Already traumatized by the two previous haunted houses, most students hurriedly buy the charm itself. Grimm wanted one because there is no way he would want to be “attacked” again, but Deuce managed to stop him from buying an ‘unnecessary’ object (“Unnecessary my foot! We’re talking about the benefit of humanity here!”).

Ace secretly buys one. “There’s not wrong with being prepared!” He whispered to himself.

Entering the den of the beast, they went inside a lavish foyer area that is reminiscent of a scene in titanic. Chandeliers, art deco furniture, and art, as well as posters of the animatronic bands, were shown in meticulous detail. 

They were then seated at a wide, spacious restaurant theater area. The staff hyped the audience by asking them to sing a few lines from Azul’s song, before introducing Azul’s band like in a jazz concert. 

They began the pre-show in a unique way. Azul is a showstopper mysterious owner and headline singer for “Monstro Lounge”, the cruise ship that is rumored to have a multitude of people missing. Floyd and Jade are his lackeys with the same headline as well. 

Azul charms the audience with a siren-like voice, putting the audience into his trance. For some reason, the Octavinelle trio tends to direct their gazes, winks, and fanservice towards MC the most. It then evolved into a Broadway show-stopping number.

The way Azul plays his piano is started off slow, increasing his tempo and so does his seduction and flamboyance. He makes an expression that one could mistake as a man experienced in the bedroom. 

Floyd goes crazy with his drums. Meanwhile, Jade plays his contrabass with grace and elegance, fingers touching it lightly but spicy. 

Many female clientele almost had a nosebleed... or this close to fainting. 

AZUL UNBUTTONED HIS SHIRT TEASINGLY DURING HIS NUMBER. They’re starting to lose it. 

Oh, the fan’s screams actually racked up their scream counter. There’s no cheating here - who says that happy screams can’t count? 

Yes, Azul does sing on top of the piano. 

After they finished their show, Azul then unleashed one of his proudest creations, an animatronic of a lovely mermaid doll that began to sing like an angel. Then, with a snap of fingers, he unleashed a multitude of doll-like merpeople animatronics that looked strangely alive as her accompanying orchestra, playing a haunting, eerie song. 

During the middle of the show, one of Octavinelle’s actors came to the stage, shouting about his “long-lost daughter”, followed by a couple more people. Despite the actor playing as security told him to go back to his seat, the father ignored him and embraced the mermaid doll animatronic - his daughter. 

In his “rant”, he cursed the Octavinelle trio of deliberately hiding his daughter for three years and turned her into this “monstrosity”. He then declared that he will rescue his daughter from this “vile place‘, unaware that the Octavinelle trio had placed knowing smirks and grins on their face. Begging for his “daughter” to recognize him, the mermaid doll slowly gazed upon her “father”...

...and “tore” his neck apart. Fake blood spewing everywhere, his screams reverberated through the dance hall. 

All of the animatronics came alive and started to gruesomely murdered the intruders as well. 

“Well, this escalated quickly.” Ace muttered at the disturbing sight. 

A guest suddenly screamed - the area is suddenly filled with water, causing the guests and student participants to hurriedly run to the prepared exit. 

The students have enchanted some parts of the aquarium walls where merpeople students could appear in and out of the aquarium water on the wall without spilling the water everywhere. So guests and students participants were often surprised by sudden appearances of the tweels, Azul, animatronics, and staff splashing out of the wall from nowhere. There had been many who claimed to have a heart attack from these encounters. 

As they run through the aquarium walls, the guests and students are spooked with various animatronics of mutated sea creatures, merpeople, and even a FREAKING shark animatronic that chases them around persistently. They appear at random times, and their designs would surely put submechanophobia (fear of underwater animatronics) into their very souls. 

As they moved on further, they entered Azul’s office and workshop - where gory remains of the missing people experimented into animatronics were seen. Horrid screams and desperate shrieks rang all the way - some were even trapped halfway into the animatronic itself. 

Azul had two forms for this haunted house dorm: the first is his regular jazz-lounge entertainer animatronic suit with art deco and aquatic elements. The next form is almost the same except his animatronic parts are more revealed, some parts of his clothes tattered and his tentacles are fully shown. Some guests and students secretly yearned to be trapped inside his “tentacles”.

“Fu, fu, fu… come. Let me squeeze you, let me touch your flesh...” “Yes, please.” A guest squeaked, face flushing red.

The tweels have the same elements as Azul did in their costume, except they’re identical and much more muted than Azul did. Their second forms are their merforms, but with faded mechanical parts and some fresh BLOOD on their teeth and torso...

The final stage and centerpiece of their haunted house is what Azul is most proud of. Thrown again into a twisted version of the animatronic warehouse with aquatic background, the now revealed “animatronic” Azul hypnotized the whole audience with his siren-like singing on a small stage, beckoning several guests into the sweet embrace of his tentacles. Fun fact: most students and guests could not resist the temptation and got ‘squished to death’ instead. Yep, no subcontext here at all. 

THE MISSION:

The students and the guests are separated into different groups, with a glass aquarium wall to divide them. 

The guide relayed the charm mission to them: this cruise ship is infamous for having animatronics and automatons to serve and entertain their guests. But many years ago, there was an incident where an animatronic, fed up with being abused by a spoiled heiress on her sweet sixteen birthday, mauled her and nearly drowned her in the aquarium. 

Their mission is quite simple: get the charm inside Azul’s office then get out of cruise ship “ALIVE”. They were told that they have three chances to find it inside the office itself, or else they would be “eliminated” and had to start all over again. 

But first, they must survive his “show” to get to his office. The students were a bit confused at this part until later.

During the show, they soon learn why they were separated from the guests with a glass wall.  

While the guest audience’s part is flooded with a small bit of water, the student's parts were unleashed with a torrential burst of water that they have to run to. Everyone (who is on the student side) by the end of this segment is wet from head to toe. 

“Damn you, Azul! Once I get out of here, I’ll fry your tentacles!” Grimm growled, drying his soppy fur using his fire magic. 

Octavinelle’s challenge is 90% of Patrick Star’s “WEE WOO WEE WOO” moments. 10% of it is just trying to survive.

The animatronics hissed, jumped, and even grabbed them at random times, which puts the NRC students into a looooot of stress since it attacked them more than once!

Oh, yes, and the mechanical shark will burst out of the “wall” when you least expect it. 

“WHAT THE HECK IS WITH THIS HAUNTED HOUSE?! THIS IS VERY UNREASONABLE!” Cried one student before a mechanical shark got him. 

But the ones who purchased Octavinelle’s charm walked in smoothly - the animatronics did not attack them directly, the staff stayed out of their way - all is good and right in the world...

Spoiler alert: Did they say that the charm protects them? Of course, it did… EXCEPT AGAINST AZUL AND THE TWEELS. 

Yup, Ace learned the hard way when Jade came out of nowhere and tried to drag him inside the aquarium water. The screams that Ace had bellowed does not do justice to how fast he runs. 

“YOU SAID THIS CHARM WOULD PROTECT US!”

Epel read the terms and agreement again, “Oh, whoops. It also says here, that the charm doesn’t guarantee to protect you against Azul, Floyd, and Jade. Should have read it thoroughly.”

“I can’t read while I’m getting chased!”

FLOYD DOES MOST OF THE DAMAGES. Physically and emotionally. 

He first started by licking Ace’s face. Who knew that eel’s tongue is long.(“Nooooo! I feel so physically violated!” Ace ran to the corner and sobbed.)

Epel had a heart attack when he felt someone smacked his ass. As does Deuce. Then Jack (his tail got roughly grabbed as well). 

Jack screamed out all the safe words. Deuce and Epel shouted all kinds of colorful swear words they could ever know, even the foreign ones. 

MC’s ass received the same treatment, but they also received an additional playful grope. And then Floyd licked them. MC was screaming and flustered at the same time. 

“Shrimp-chan is cute when startled!” He cooed before he splashed back to the water. 

There were a LOT of complaints after this event this over, particularly threats of suing Azul for inappropriate sexual harassment. But then the staff asked if they all read the terms and agreements. They all went silent and got on with the next haunted house challenge. 

MC’s group tried to murder Floyd by chasing him down underwater, but they realized that getting inside the water would actually disqualify them. They all promised DEATH upon the Octavinelle trio for putting them into this mess and extorting them out of their money. 

Now there was one this brutal and competitive student who wanted to get the charms himself. So he kinda lures MC using the infamous “Wounded Gazelle Gambit” trick. In MC’s defense, the act was kinda convincing for a student.

They were not prepared to be chained up and kicked outside to the water, leaving them to drown after they got frisked by that said student for the charms. “In this world, only the mighty wins!” 

For a while, MC is left trying to hold their breath while desperately trying to free themselves from the heavy chains. Just as their oxygen almost ran out, Jade managed to see MC struggling underwater. He managed to get Houdini MC out of the water, asking if they’re okay and who actually did this to them. While MC struggled to answer, refusing special treatment, MC decided to get back into the game and get the charms back.

Jade also decided to deal with the violent troublemaker as well, and he just knew what to do with the mechanical shark that he controlled. 

To get to the office, the students went to another path, carrying them to a room filled with water and several large pieces of ice. They had to carefully cross through the thin layers of ice amongst the water. There was a mechanical shark circling around, sniffing for its late-night snack. 

Already five students fell victim to it. 

The ice is slippery, MC’s group is struggling to stay afloat and they do not see MC anywhere. 

Epel does spot a student cackling as he carries two familiar charms. 

“What have you done to them?!” Ace growled. 

“Oh, I guess I made them sleep with the fishes.”

Deuce’s inner delinquent is awakened. He roared and attacked that said student, attempting to avenge poor MC. There was pulling, tugging and pinching. 

Just as that competitive student got the upper-hand to Deuce… well, surprise, surprise, guess who’s back, back again. 

“HISASHIBURI-DANNA, BITCH. BET YOU’D THOUGHT YOU’VE SEEN THE LAST OF ME.” MC, wet from head to toe, raised their fist, punching that said student and causing that student to release the charms. Deuce quickly grabbed them both before they lost it again, then gave an additional uppercut to that said student. The competitive student staggered backward...

...and then the mechanical shark jumped out of nowhere from the water and dragged the student into their watery doom (kidding: that jerk student got thrown out of the cruise instead. INTO THE TRASH BIN). 

The remaining students reached the front of the office, but they could not open the door. Turns out, Azul had enchanted the door so that it can only be opened by using one, particular, embarrassing pose. Oh, and they have to cry out the written words as well. 

“The complete flame in our chests shall not be extinguished by anyone! We are… THE PHOENIX!” They all pose like a phoenix. Once it’s done, there isn't any student that collapses out of sheer humiliation. 

The Octavinelle Trio secretly recorded it. Either for blackmail or marketing purposes, take your pick. 

Once they were inside the office, they were given a riddle and three chances to find it: I am violet, I sing in a limited voice and I am trapped. Find the key inside me. 

At first, they thought it was a musical instrument - but there aren’t any musical instruments that colored purple - unless someone dyes it. Also, they cannot find anything remotely similar to a musical instrument. They finally narrowed down to a purple scorebook, a purple-colored radio and… a music box. 

They decided to select a music box... and voila! The charm is found! It’s a good thing they got enough to share on their brain cells, eh? 

The last challenge after getting the charm is to escape from the cruise itself - but they have to go through Azul to do exactly that! Yup, they have to resist Azul’s hypnotic singing, struggling to escape straight to the exit. Because of Jack’s sensitive ears, he had repeatedly tried to walk straight to Azul, only for Epel to knock him out for a good measure and carried Jack around like he was nothing but a potato sack. 

MC nearly succumbed to hypnotism but Grimm managed to snap them out of it by slapping them repeatedly. 

Azul sighed, “And here I was thinking I could get a chance to get close to you than Floyd did.” 

Yep, they definitely did not waste any chances of getting out of here before Azul starts singing again. 

The Octavinelle Dorm staff is considerate enough to give the students wet towels and a warm drink to keep the students from getting cold. Meanwhile, Ace, Epel, and Deuce joined in the protest about the inappropriate misconduct before they unleashed their rage on the nearby prepared dummies after being told that their contract’s terms and conditions had warned them that there will be touching and the staff is not responsible for it. 

Perhaps getting wet is a good thing because the fiery presence of Scarabia’s haunted house might be able to keep the cold away...

Part 6

[mysticalhearth]

B

Baby - Broadway - December, 1983 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Todd Graff (Danny), Liz Callaway (Lizzie), Beth Fowler (Arlene), James Congdon (Alan), Martin Vidnovic (Nick), Catherine Cox (Pam), Barbara Gilbert, Dennis Warning, John Jellison, Judith Thiergaard, Kim Criswell, Kristi Carnahan, Lisa Robinson, Lon Hoyt, Philip Hoffman

Back to the Future: The Musical - Manchester Opera House - February 25, 2020 (Highlights) (Marty_doc87's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Olly Dobson (Marty McFly), Roger Bart (Dr. Emmett Brown), Hugh Coles (George McFly), Rosanna Hyland (Lorraine Baines-McFly), Cedric Neal (Goldie Wilson / Marvin Berry), Aidan Cutler (Biff Tannen), Courtney-Mae Briggs (Jennifer Parker), Mark Oxtoby (Gerald Strickland)

NOTES: Full act 1 and act 2 highlights, filmed vertically.

Back to the Future: The Musical - Manchester Opera House - February 27, 2020 (Highlights) (Marty_doc87's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Olly Dobson (Marty McFly), Roger Bart (Dr. Emmett Brown), Hugh Coles (George McFly), Rosanna Hyland (Lorraine Baines-McFly), Cedric Neal (Goldie Wilson / Marvin Berry), Aidan Cutler (Biff Tannen), Courtney-Mae Briggs (Jennifer Parker), Mark Oxtoby (Gerald Strickland)

NOTES: Act 2 filmed vertically

Back to the Future: The Musical - Manchester Opera House - February, 2020 (Preview) (queenofthedead's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Olly Dobson (Marty McFly), Roger Bart (Dr. Emmett Brown), Hugh Coles (George McFly), Rosanna Hyland (Lorraine Baines-McFly), Cedric Neal (Goldie Wilson / Marvin Berry), Aidan Cutler (Biff Tannen), Courtney-Mae Briggs (Jennifer Parker), Mark Oxtoby (Gerald Strickland), Will Haswell (Dave McFly), Emma Lloyd (Linda McFly)

NOTES: Preview performance of BTTF's pre-West End run. Obstructed by one head. Obstructed by a few heads. Missing the last 15 minutes.

Bad Girls: The Musical - West End - November 17, 2007 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: David Burt (Jim Fenner), Sally Dexter (Yvonne Atkins), Caroline Head (Nikki Wade), Nicole Faraday (Shell Dockley), Laura Rogers (Helen Stewart), Helen Fraser (Sylvia "Bodybag" Hollamby), Maria Charles (Noreen Biggs)

The Baker's Wife - London Rehearsal Reading - 1989 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alun Armstrong, Siobhan McCarthy

NOTES: Original London cast in a workshop/performance of the complete show. Absolutely beautifully pro-shot with multiple cameras in a dance studio. A+

The Baker's Wife - Music Theatre Wichita - 2005 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Mari Swan (Geneviève), Steve Frazier (Aimable), Greg Spencer (Claude), Brian Miller (Jean-Paul)

The Band Wagon - Encores! - November 13, 2014 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Brian Stokes Mitchell (Tony Hunter), Tracey Ullman (Lily Martin), Michael McKean (Lester Martin), Tony Sheldon (Jeffrey Cordoba), Laura Osnes (Gabrielle Gerard), Michael Berresse (Paul Byrd), Don Stephenson (Hal Meadows)

NOTES: Very good video with clear sound and some spotlight washout but excellent close-ups and well filmed full stage shots for the dancing scenes.

The Band's Visit - Broadway - October 16, 2017 (Preview) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Katrina Lenk (Dina), Tony Shalhoub (Tewfiq), John Cariani (Itzik), Ari’el Stachel (Haled), Etai Benson (Papi), Adam Kantor (Telephone Guy), George Abud (Camal), Andrew Polk (Avrum), Bill Army (Zelger), Rachel Prather (Julia), Jonathan Raviv (Sammy), Sharone Sayegh (Anna), Kristen Sieh (Iris), Alok Tewari (Simon)

NOTES: There is a 4-minute blackout during a song, due to a disturbance in the theater. Still images are placed over the audio instead of having a black screen.

The Band's Visit - Broadway - June, 2018 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Katrina Lenk (Dina), Sasson Gabai (Tewfiq), John Cariani (Itzik), Ari’el Stachel (Haled), Etai Benson (Papi), Adam Kantor (Telephone Guy), Ahmad Maksoud (u/s Camal), Andrew Polk (Avrum), Bill Army (Zelger), Rachel Prather (Julia), Jonathan Raviv (Sammy), Sharone Sayegh (Anna), Kristen Sieh (Iris), Alok Tewari (Simon)

NOTES: Very nice video of the show with Sasson Gabai, who starred as Tewfiq in the film version. Great clear picture and sound throughout

The Band's Visit - First National Tour - January, 2020 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Hannah Shankman (s/b Dina), James Rana (u/s Tewfiq), Pomme Koch (Itzik), Joe Joseph (Haled), Adam Gabay (Papi), Mike Cefalo (Telephone Guy), Ronnie Malley (Camal), David Studwell (Avrum), Or Schraiber (Zelger), Sara Kapner (Julia), Marc Ginsburg (Sammy), Jennifer Apple (Anna), Bligh Voth (s/b Iris), Loren Lester (s/b Simon)

The Band's Visit - First National Tour - January, 2020 (2) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Bligh Voth (s/b Dina), Loren Lester (s/b Tewfiq), Pomme Koch (Itzik), Joe Joseph (Haled), Adam Gabay (Papi), Mike Cefalo (Telephone Guy), Ronnie Malley (Camal), David Studwell (Avrum), Or Schraiber (Zelger), Sara Kapner (Julia), Marc Ginsburg (Sammy), Jennifer Apple (Anna), Hannah Shankman (s/b Iris), James Rana (Simon)

NOTES: Starts 17 minutes in after the scenes in the cafe

The Band's Visit - First National Tour - January, 2020 (3) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Dina), Sasson Gabai (Tewfiq), Pomme Koch (Itzik), Joe Joseph (Haled), Adam Gabay (Papi), Mike Cefalo (Telephone Guy), Ronnie Malley (Camal), David Studwell (Avrum), Or Schraiber (Zelger), Sara Kapner (Julia), Marc Ginsburg (Sammy), Jennifer Apple (Anna), Hannah Shankman (s/b Iris), James Rana (Simon)

The Band's Visit - First National Tour - January, 2020 (3) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Janet Dacal (Dina), Sasson Gabai (Tewfiq), Pomme Koch (Itzik), Joe Joseph (Haled), Adam Gabay (Papi), Mike Cefalo (Telephone Guy), Ronnie Malley (Camal), David Studwell (Avrum), Or Schraiber (Zelger), Sara Kapner (Julia), Marc Ginsburg (Sammy), Jennifer Apple (Anna), Hannah Shankman (s/b Iris), James Rana (Simon)

Bandstand - Broadway - March 31, 2017 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  mpg CAST: Corey Cott (Donny Novitski), Laura Osnes (Julia Trojan), James Nathan Hopkins (Jimmy Campbell), Joe Carroll (Johnny Simpson), Geoff Packard (Wayne Wright), Brandon J Ellis (Davy Zlatic), Joey Pero (Nick Radel), Beth Leavel (Mrs. June Adams), Mary Callanan (Jean Ann Ryan/Production Assistant), Kevyn Morrow (Al/James Haupt), Carleigh Bettiol (Jo), Drew McVety (Oliver), Ryan Kasprzak (Mr. Jackson), Jonathan Shew (Andre Bauch), Ryan VanDenBoom (Roger Cohen), Morgan Marcell (Entertainment Director), Max Clayton (Tom), Andrea Dotto (Betsy)

NOTES: Excellent HD capture of the Broadway transfer. Solid performances from Laura and Corey in this Swing musical. Two of the powerful musical numbers make you want to stand up and cheer, some did! A

Bandstand - Broadway - September, 2017 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Corey Cott (Donny Novitski), Laura Osnes (Julia Trojan), James Nathan Hopkins (Jimmy Campbell), Joe Carroll (Johnny Simpson), Geoff Packard (Wayne Wright), Brandon J Ellis (Davy Zlatic), Joey Pero (Nick Radel), Beth Leavel (Mrs. June Adams), Mary Callanan (Jean Ann Ryan/Production Assistant), Kevyn Morrow (Al/James Haupt), Carleigh Bettiol (Jo), Drew McVety (Oliver), Ryan Kasprzak (Mr. Jackson), Jonathan Shew (Andre Bauch), Ryan VanDenBoom (Roger Cohen), Morgan Marcell (Entertainment Director), Max Clayton (Tom), Andrea Dotto (Betsy)

NOTES: Recorded stage performance. May be of varying quality depending on where it was captured from.

Bandstand - Broadway - September, 2017 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Corey Cott (Donny Novitski), Laura Osnes (Julia Trojan), James Nathan Hopkins (Jimmy Campbell), Joe Carroll (Johnny Simpson), Geoff Packard (Wayne Wright), Brandon J Ellis (Davy Zlatic), Joey Pero (Nick Radel), Beth Leavel (Mrs. June Adams), Mary Callanan (Jean Ann Ryan/Production Assistant), Kevyn Morrow (Al/James Haupt), Carleigh Bettiol (Jo), Drew McVety (Oliver), Ryan Kasprzak (Mr. Jackson), Jonathan Shew (Andre Bauch), Ryan VanDenBoom (Roger Cohen), Morgan Marcell (Entertainment Director), Max Clayton (Tom), Andrea Dotto (Betsy)

NOTES: The same proshot, but recorded from a theater using a PSP (lol). Kinda shaky at the beggining, but stabilizes later.

Bare: A Pop Opera - 15th Anniversary Reunion Concert - October 12, 2015 (ren598's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Ariana Groover, Charity Hill, Dale Evans, Elizabeth Judd, Isaac Calpito, Jenna Leigh Green, Jennie Kwan, Jim Price, John Griffin, John Hill, John Torres, Jonah Platt, Joseph Pinzon, Justin Gregory Lopez, Kaitlin Hopkins, Kearran Giovanni, Keili Lefkovitz, Maura Knowles, Michael Arden, Michael Tacconi, Mike Cannon, Natalie Avital, Natalie Joy Johnson, Payson Lewis, Phillip Dean Lightstone, Reed Prescott, Richard Hellstern, Romelda Benjamin, Sara Kapner, Sierra Rein, Stephanie Andersen, Taylor Trensch

NOTES: Reunion concert of member of the cast from the 2000 Los Angeles, 2004 New York, 2012 New York, 2013 Los Angeles and 2013 London productions. Performance cut into 24 clips of the featured songs

Bare: A Pop Opera - Argentina Workshop - December 3, 2017 (Closing Night) (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Eric Sacc (Peter Simmonds), Maxi Castro (Jason McConnell), Toia Schumacher (Ivy Robinson), Aldi Eve (Nadia McConnell), Bárbara Jalife (Sister Chantelle), Bruno Amigo (Matt Lloyd), Julián Giorello Constantini (Priest), Maxi Girado (Lucas Carter), Lucrecia Zunino (Tanya Garrett), Eugenia Britos (Claire Simmonds), Valentina López (Diane Lee), Manuela Crimerman (Kyra), Ignacio Coria (Zack/Jake), Martina Urquiola (Rory), Lucas Lacentra (Alan)

NOTES: Multi-cam pro-shot including speeches and behind-the-scenes. Youtube 1080p rip

Bare: A Pop Opera - Argentina Workshop - December 3, 2017 (Closing Night) (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Eric Sacc (Peter Simmonds), Maxi Castro (Jason McConnell), Toia Schumacher (Ivy Robinson), Aldi Eve (Nadia McConnell), Bárbara Jalife (Sister Chantelle), Bruno Amigo (Matt Lloyd), Julián Giorello Constantini (Priest), Maxi Girado (Lucas Carter), Lucrecia Zunino (Tanya Garrett), Eugenia Britos (Claire Simmonds), Valentina López (Diane Lee), Manuela Crimerman (Kyra), Ignacio Coria (Zack/Jake), Martina Urquiola (Rory), Lucas Lacentra (Alan)

NOTES: Multi-cam pro-shot including speeches and behind-the-scenes. Youtube 1080p rip

Bare: A Pop Opera - Austin, Texas - June, 2017 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Rodrigo M Zaragoza (Peter Simmonds), Andrew Brett (Jason McConnell), Alicia Cornwell (Ivy Robinson), Cat Phillips (Nadia McConnell), Allegra Fox (Sister Chantelle), Jacob Barber (Matt Lloyd), Darren Scharf (Priest), Dylan Tacker (Lucas Carter), Susannah Crowell (Tanya Garrett), Emily Christine Smith (Claire Simmonds), Susan Johnston Taylor (Diane Lee), Nina Amara (Kyra), Isaac Arrieta (Zack/Jake), Rebecca Adelson (Rory), Samuel Todd (Alan)

Bare: A Pop Opera - Barcelona - 2014 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Marc Flynn (Peter Simmonds), Jan Forrellat (Jason McConnell), Anna Herebia (Ivy Robinson), Iskra Bocanegra (Nadia McConnell), Lucy Lummis (Sister Chantelle), Marc Gómez (Matt Lloyd), Eduard Doncos (Priest), Miguel Ángel Sánchez (Lucas Carter), Anna Lagares (Tanya Garrett), Ester Bartomeu (Claire Simmonds), Laura Morales (Diane Lee), Clara Gispert (Kyra), Joan Mas (Zack/Jake), Gerard Mínguez (Rory), Marc Andurell (Alan), Desirée Moreno, Eduard Lacueva, Gara Roda, Helena Jara, Joan L Santos

NOTES: Multicam Proshot, performed in Catalan

Bare: A Pop Opera - Buenos Aires - May, 2016 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Mariano Magnífico (Peter Simmonds), Ezequiel Rojo (Jason McConnell), Sol Giménez (Ivy Robinson), Mica Romano (Nadia McConnell), Patrissia Lorca (Sister Chantelle), Facundo Magrané (Matt Lloyd), Martín Repetto (Priest), Hernán Cáceres (Lucas Carter), Eugenia Gil Rodriguez (Tanya Garrett), Andrea Lovera (Claire Simmonds), Pilar Muerza (Diane Lee), Tali Lubi (Kyra), Juan Fonsalido (Zack/Jake), Fede Fedele (Alan)

Bare: A Pop Opera - Korea - December 14, 2017 (Highlights) (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  FLV (SD) CAST: unknown

NOTES: Press footage, includes Epiphany, You & I, Role Of A Lifetime, Portrait Of A `Girl, Are You There, 911 Emergency, See Me, Warning, Once Upon A Time, Cross, Bare and a 30 minute interview with the cast (unsubtitled)

Bare: A Pop Opera - LA Revival - September 14, 2013 (Matinee) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Payson Lewis (Peter Simmonds), Jonah Platt (Jason McConnell), Lindsay Pearce (Ivy Robinson), Katie Stevens (Nadia McConnell), Stephanie Andersen (Sister Chantelle), Nathan Parrett (Matt Lloyd), Alissa-Nicole Koblentz (Claire Simmonds)

Bare: A Pop Opera - LA Revival - September, 2013 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Payson Lewis (Peter Simmonds), Jonah Platt (Jason McConnell), Lindsay Pearce (Ivy Robinson), Katie Stevens (Nadia McConnell), Stephanie Andersen (Sister Chantelle), Nathan Parrett (Matt Lloyd), John Griffin (Priest), Alisa-Nicole Koblentz (Claire Simmonds)

Bare: A Pop Opera - Los Angeles - 2000 (Highlights) (Press Reel's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: John Torres (Peter Simmonds), John Griffin (Jason McConnell), Jenna Leigh Green (Ivy Robinson), Keili Lefkovitz (Nadia McConnell), Stephanie Andersen (Sister Chantelle), Wallace Smith (Matt Lloyd), Mark Edgar Stevens (Priest), Charity Hill (Tanya Garrett), Jennie Kwan (Diane Lee), Reed Prescott (Zack/Jake)

NOTES: Press reels from the original 2000 production, along with "Navigate the Maze - Bare Documentary"

Bare: A Pop Opera - Minneapolis - July, 2017 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Elliot Hicks (Peter Simmonds), Noah Ratgen (Jason McConnell), Grace Reese (Ivy Robinson), Bella West (Nadia McConnell), Aliya Mukamuri (Sister Chantelle), Brigham Williams (Matt Lloyd), Ben Siglin (Priest), Carl Hallberg (Lucas Carter), Lydia Stannard (Tanya Garrett), Piper Bruce (Claire Simmonds), Kia Brown (Kyra)

NOTES: A regional production presented by the Broken Ivy Theatre Company. It involved a student creative team and cast.

Bare: A Pop Opera - Off-Broadway - April 17, 2004 (Preview) (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Michael Arden (Peter Simmonds), John Hill (Jason McConnell), Jenna Leigh Green (Ivy Robinson), Natalie Joy Johnson (Nadia McConnell), Romelda Benjamin (Sister Chantelle), Aaron Lohr (Matt Lloyd), Jim Price (Priest), Adam Fleming (Lucas Carter), Sasha Allen (Tanya Garrett)

NOTES: One cam pro shot. A bit of generation loss.

Bare: A Pop Opera - Off-Broadway - May 27, 2004 (Closing Night) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Michael Arden (Peter Simmonds), John Hill (Jason McConnell), Jenna Leigh Green (Ivy Robinson), Natalie Joy Johnson (Nadia McConnell), Romelda Benjamin (Sister Chantelle), Aaron Lohr (Matt Lloyd), Jim Price (Priest), Adam Fleming (Lucas Carter), Sasha Allen (Tanya Garrett), Kaitlin Hopkins (Claire Simmonds), Kay Trinidad (Diane Lee), Kearran Giovanni (Kyra), Mike Cannon (Zack/Jake), Lindsay Scott (Rory), Isaac Calpito (Alan)

NOTES: Closing performance! There are 2 versions of this video. LQ and HQ. The LQ is very common.

Bare: A Pop Opera - São Paulo, Brazil - November 7, 2018 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Mateus Ribeiro (Peter Simmonds), Diego Montez (Jason McConnell), Thuany Parente (Ivy Robinson), Vânia Canto (Nadia McConnell), Júlia Sanches (u/s Sister Chantelle), Vitor Moresco (Matt Lloyd), Eduardo Leão (Priest), Marya Bravo (Claire Simmonds)

NOTES: House-cam pro-shot video. Performed in Portuguese. Microphone problem during Confessions and later in Reputation Stain’d.

Bare: A Pop Opera - St. Louis, Missouri - June, 2011 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Mike Dowdy (Peter Simmonds), Jacob Golliher (Jason McConnell), Terrie Carolan (Ivy Robinson), Charlotte Byrd (Nadia McConnell), Nikki Glenn (Sister Chantelle), Jonathan Foster (Matt Lloyd), Zachary Allen Farmer (Priest), Rahamses Galvan (Lucas Carter), Michelle Sauer (Tanya Garrett), Alison Helmer (Claire Simmonds), Nyssa Duchow (Diane Lee), Andréa Kimberling (Kyra), Chance Kilgour (Zack/Jake), Sarah Porter (Rory), John Michael Rotello (Alan)

Bare: A Pop Opera - Wheeler Art's Center - Indianapolis - July 28, 2008 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Brian Benson (Peter Simmonds), Justin Ivan Brown (Jason McConnell), Kagiso Alicia Paynter (Ivy Robinson), April Armstrong (Nadia McConnell), Jorie Johnson (Sister Chantelle), David Ross (Matt Lloyd), John Phillips (Priest), JT Whitmer (Lucas Carter), Christina Humphery (Tanya Garrett), Juli Inskeep (Claire Simmonds), Susie Mohr (Diane Lee), Briana Walker (Kyra), Brion Monroe (Zack/Jake), Linda Heiden (Rory), Andrew Elliot (Alan)

Bare: The Musical - Off-Broadway - December 2, 2012 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jason Hite (Jason McConnell), Taylor Trensch (Peter Simonds), Elizabeth Judd (Ivy Robinson), Barrett Wilbert Weed (Nadia McConnell), Gerard Canonico (Matt Lloyd), Missi Pyle (Sister Joan), Jerold E Solomon (Father Mike), Alice Lee (Diane Lee), Alex Wyse (Alan), Justin Gregory Lopez (Beto)

NOTES: A great revisal of this coming of age story set in a co-ed Catholic boarding school. Great HD capture from the front row and a very moving story and cast! A- Not the Pop Opera version. Commonly mislabeled as Dec 20, 2012.

Bare: The Musical - Off-Broadway - December 19, 2012 (Matinee) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jason Hite (Jason McConnell), Taylor Trensch (Peter Simonds), Elizabeth Judd (Ivy Robinson), Barrett Wilbert Weed (Nadia McConnell), Gerard Canonico (Matt Lloyd), Missi Pyle (Sister Joan), Jerold E Solomon (Father Mike), Alice Lee (Diane Lee), Alex Wyse (Alan), Justin Gregory Lopez (Beto), Ariana Groover (Vanessa)

NOTES: Well filmed with few obsructions with clear picture and sound throughout. A-

Bare: The Musical - Off-Broadway - 2013 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Matthew Corr (Peter Simmonds), Dalles Wilie (Jason McConnell), Madeleine Lodge (Ivy Robinson), Virginia Marcs (Nadia McConnell), Anita Purcell (Sister Chantelle), Brad Widener (Matt Lloyd), Gary Lizardo (Priest), Danny Beason (Lucas Carter), Christina Carlucci (Tanya Garrett), Kimberly Larkin (Claire Simmonds), Britain Gebhardt (Diane Lee), Brittane Rowe (Kyra), Joey Lozada (Zack/Jake), Tiffany Springle (Rory), Kevin Necciai (Alan)

NOTES: This is actually Bare: A Pop Opera performed at The York Theater. NOT Bare the Musical

Barefoot in the Park - Broadway Revival - March 26, 2006 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Patrick Wilson (Paul Bratter), Amanda Peet (Corie Bratter), Jill Clayburgh (Mrs. Ethel Banks), Tony Roberts (Victor Velasco)

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Bat Boy: The Musical - Off-Broadway - November 30, 2001 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Deven May (Bat Boy), Kaitlin Hopkins (Meredith Parker), Sean McCourt (Dr Parker), Kerry Butler (Shelley), Richard Pruitt (Sheriff), Jim Price (Bud), Trent Armand Kendall (Reverend Hightower), Doug Storm (Rick), Daria Hardeman (Ruthie), Kathy Brier (Maggie)

NOTES: *Audio is slightly out of sync

Bat Boy: The Musical - Old Bethpage, New York - May, 2003 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Doug Storm (Bat Boy), Ashia DeLaBastide (Meredith Parker), JR Lotito (Dr Parker), Amanda Taraska (Shelley), Tony Frangipane (Sheriff), Mike Kaczurak (Bud), Mark Weekes (Reverend Hightower), Ron Menin (Rick), Susannah Hoffman (Ruthie)

Bat Out of Hell - Oberhausen, Germany - November 10, 2018 (Matinee) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Antonio Calanna (u/s Strat), Maureen Mac Gillavry (u/s Raven), Alex Melcher (Falco), Willemijn Verkaik (Sloane), Aisata Blackman (Zahara), Benet Monteiro (Jagwire), Michael Moore (Ledoux), Lorenzi Di Girolamo (Blake), Tom van der Ven (Tink), Jessica Lapp (Valkyrie), Sander van Wissen (Sports announcer)

Bat Out of Hell - West End (Dominion Theatre) - May, 2018 FORMAT:  MKV (HD) CAST: Simon Gordon (alt Strat), Georgia Carling (u/s Raven), Rob Fowler (Falco), Sharon Sexton (Sloane), Danielle Steers (Zahara), Wayne Robinson (Jagwire), Giovanni Spano (Ledoux), Patrick Sullivan (Blake), Alex Thomas-Smith (Tink), Emily Benjamin (Mordema), Julie Stark (Crysteva), Natalie Chua (Spinotti), Eve Norris (Scherzzo), Hannah Ducharme (Vilmos), Collette Guitart (Lunarrow)

NOTES: Limited trade 2:1

Bat Out of Hell - West End (London Coliseum) - August 12, 2017 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Andrew Polec (Strat), Christina Bennington (Raven), Rob Fowler (Falco), Sharon Sexton (Sloane), Danielle Steers (Zahara), Dom Hartley-Harris (Jagwire), Giovanni Spano (Ledoux), Patrick Sullivan (Blake), Aran MacRae (Tink), Georgia Carling (Valkyrie), Jemma Alexander (Crysteva), Eve Norris (Scherzzo), Hannah Ducharme (Vilmos)

Be More Chill - Broadway - March 5, 2019 (Preview) (Highlights) (Press Reel's master) FORMAT:  MOV (HD) CAST: Will Roland (Jeremy Heere), George Salazar (Michael Mell), Stephanie Hsu (Christine Canigula), Jason Tam (The SQUIP), Lauren Marcus (Brooke Lohst), Katlyn Carlson (Chloe Valentine), Tiffany Mann (Jenna Rolan), Britton Smith (Jake Dillinger), Gerard Canonico (Rich Goranski), Jason SweetTooth Williams (Mr. Heere/Mr. Reyes/Scary Stockboy)

NOTES: Press footage including Michael In The Bathroom, More Than Survive, The Smartphone Hour, Two Player Game, a montage and Be More Chill

Be More Chill - Broadway - May 18, 2019 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Will Roland (Jeremy Heere), Troy Iwata (u/s Michael Mell), Stephanie Hsu (Christine Canigula), Jason Tam (The SQUIP), Lauren Marcus (Brooke Lohst), Katlyn Carlson (Chloe Valentine), Tiffany Mann (Jenna Rolan), Cameron Bond (u/s Jake Dillinger), Gerard Canonico (Rich Goranski), Jason SweetTooth Williams (Mr. Heere/Mr. Reyes/Scary Stockboy)

NOTES: Nice HD stage shot from the center mezzanine, with a mostly unblocked view of the stage except for the top of a head at the bottom of the screen. Only known video of Troy as Michael and Cameron as Jake! Act One is full, but Act Two starts missing scenes after the Smartphone Hour and the master filled those in with audio from Cameron's debut as the SQUIP, with George Salazar as Michael, Joel as Heere, and Britton as Jake.

Be More Chill - Broadway - June 23, 2019 (Matinee) (Highlights) FORMAT:  MOV (SD) CAST: Gerard Canonico (u/s Jeremy Heere), George Salazar (Michael Mell), Stephanie Hsu (Christine Canigula), Jason Tam (The SQUIP), Lauren Marcus (Brooke Lohst), Katlyn Carlson (Chloe Valentine), Tiffany Mann (Jenna Rolan), Britton Smith (Jake Dillinger), Troy Iwata (u/s Rich Goranski), Joel Waggoner (t/r Mr. Heere/Mr. Reyes/Scary Stockboy)

NOTES: Gerard's debut as Jeremy, and Troy's first performance as Rich on Broadway! Act One Only, ends after Two Player Game. Includes audios of the show—Act One starts at Do You Wanna ride, and Act Two is full. Filmed between two heads, but they don't interrupt the action for the most part. Only known footage of Gerard as Jeremy and Troy's only performance as Rich on Broadway.

Be More Chill - Broadway - August 11, 2019 (Closing Night) (notjustthespongenextdoor's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Will Roland (Jeremy Heere), George Salazar (Michael Mell), Stephanie Hsu (Christine Canigula), Jason Tam (The SQUIP), Lauren Marcus (Brooke Lohst), Katlyn Carlson (Chloe Valentine), Tiffany Mann (Jenna Rolan), Britton Smith (Jake Dillinger), Gerard Canonico (Rich Goranski), Jason SweetTooth Williams (Mr. Heere/Mr. Reyes/Scary Stockboy)

NOTES: Closing Night on Broadway! Fantastic HD stageshot from the rear right balcony without zooms. The action is caught really well and there is no washout. The cast were on top of their game for the final performance and includes the speeches after the show.

Be More Chill - Exit 82 - November, 2017 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Matt Dalton (Jeremy Heere), Ryan Everett Wood (Michael Mell), Elizabeth Ritacco (Christine Canigula), Sal Pavia (The SQUIP), Katie McGrath (Brooke Lohst), Lisa Adams (Chloe Valentine), Emily Nielsen (Jenna Rolan), Billy Cardone (Jake Dillinger), Jason Arellano (Rich Goranski)

NOTES: Full show but very few visuals, mostly audio

Be More Chill - Off-Broadway - August 15, 2018 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Will Roland (Jeremy Heere), George Salazar (Michael Mell), Stephanie Hsu (Christine Canigula), Jason Tam (The SQUIP), Lauren Marcus (Brooke Lohst), Katlyn Carlson (Chloe Valentine), Tiffany Mann (Jenna Rolan), Gerard Canonico (Rich Goranski), Jason SweetTooth Williams (Mr. Heere/Mr. Reyes/Scary Stockboy)

NOTES: Your typical phone recording; filmed vertically with no zooms, severe washout, obstructions on both sides, and heads are always visible at the bottom. No drops at all though, and captures the show in its entirety.

Be More Chill - Off-West End - February, 2020 (queenofthedead's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (4K) CAST: Scott Folan (Jeremy Heere), Blake Patrick Anderson (Michael Mell), Miracle Chance (Christine Canigula), Stewart Clarke (The SQUIP), Eloise Davies (Brooke Lohst), Millie O’Connell (Chloe Valentine), Renée Lamb (Jenna Rolan), Miles Paloma (Jake Dillinger), James Hameed (Rich Goranski), Christopher Fry (Mr. Heere/Mr. Reyes/Scary Stockboy)

NOTES:​Notes: Act 1 was filmed completely blind so some heads get cut off at times. 19.46GB uncompressed or 6.82GB compressed, in 2 mp4 files/2:04:27

Be More Chill - Workshop - Unknown (Highlights) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Adrien Thornburg, Drew Norris, Claudia H. Stein, Harley Winzenried, Will Stapleton, Christina Duchesne, Riley Hough

NOTES: Workshop, only Upgrade to Michael In The Bathroom

Beaches - Chicago - June 25, 2015 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Andrew Varela (Arthur), Brooklyn Shuck (Little Bertie/Nina), Holly Stauder (Janice), Jim DeSelm (Michael Barron), Kelly Anne Clark (Rose White), Michael Accardo (Nathan), Nancy Voights (Leona Bloom), Olivia Renteria (Teen Bertie), Presley Ryan (Little Cee Cee), Samantha Pauly (Teen Cee Cee), Shoshana Bean (Cee Cee Bloom), Travis Taylor (John Perry), Whitney Bashor (Bertie White)

NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of a PreBroadway premier. This was the second preview and the show ran long. The following week a lot of cuts were made. Shoshana did an amazing job, she is such a musical theatre gem and has unparalleled talent! A+

Beardo - Berkeley - April, 2011 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Highsmith (Tsarista), Ashkon Davaran (Beardo), Ben Langhorst (Person of the Court), Brian Bock (Yusapoof), Liz Leimkuhler (Shack Sister), Rolls Andre (Shack Man/Murderer), Shaye Troha (Shack Woman/Lady), Willy Appleman (Tsar)

NOTES: Proshot from Shotgun Players.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - Broadway - April 9, 2014 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Jessie Mueller (Carole King), Jake Epstein (Gerry Goffin), Anika Larsen (Cynthia Weil), Jarrod Spector (Barry Mann), Jeb Brown (Don Kirshner), Liz Larsen (Genie Klein)

NOTES: Beautiful HD capture with no obstructions. Wonderful and stunning production with a cast that is perfection! Jessie gives a performance that is incredible, as does the rest of the cast! Can't say enough wonderful things about this production as a whole! A+

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - Broadway - June 24, 2018 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  MKV (HD) CAST: Melissa Benoist (Carole King), Evan Todd (Gerry Goffin), Jessica Keenan Wynn (Cynthia Weil), Ben Jacoby (Barry Mann), Paul Anthony Stewart (Don Kirshner), Nancy Opel (Genie Klein), Kevin Duda (Neil Sedaka/Righteous Brother/Lou Adler)

NOTES: A beautiful HD capture of Melissa Benoist's run in the show. She develiers a wonderful and beautiful performance as Carole and also has great vocals! The whole cast is spectacular and the show is still running strong for being on broadway for five years! Nice capture with filmed with a mix of wides, mediums and close-ups! Includes curtain call and encore. File quality/format varies across traders.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - Broadway - October, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Sarah Bockel (Carole King), Cory Jeacoma (Gerry Goffin), Jessica Keenan Wynn (Cynthia Weil), Ben Jacoby (Barry Mann), Paul Anthony Stewart (Don Kirshner), Liz Larsen (Genie Klein), Ashley De La Rosa (Janelle Woods/Shirelle), Elena Ricardo (Betty)

NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the show, filmed from the orchestra before closing. The video starts when Carole mentions being from Brooklyn. Act Two starts part of the way through “Chains.” Please do not post screenshots of this video on Twitter ever. Gifs on Tumblr are okay after the NFT date, but don't go linking things to actors and shows.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - Broadway - October, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Sarah Bockel (Carole King), Cory Jeacoma (Gerry Goffin), Jessica Keenan Wynn (Cynthia Weil), Ben Jacoby (Barry Mann), Paul Anthony Stewart (Don Kirshner), Liz Larsen (Genie Klein), Ashley De La Rosa (Janelle Woods/Shirelle), Elena Ricardo (Betty)

NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the show, filmed from the orchestra before closing. The video starts when Carole mentions being from Brooklyn. Act Two starts part of the way through “Chains.” Please do not post screenshots of this video on Twitter ever. Gifs on Tumblr are okay after the NFT date, but don't go linking things to actors and shows.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - First National Tour - December 15, 2015 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Abby Mueller (Carole King), Liam Tobin (Gerry Goffin), Becky Gulsvig (Cynthia Weil), Ben Fankhauser (Barry Mann)

NOTES: Beautiful HD capture with no obstructions. Wonderful and stunning production with a cast that is perfection! Jessie gives a performance that is incredible, as does the rest of the cast! Can't say enough wonderful things about this production as a whole! A+ Sometimes inaccurately circulated as October 15, 2015.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical - Second UK Tour - February, 2020 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MTS CAST: Vicki Manser (alt Carole King), Adam Gillian (Gerry Goffin), Laura Baldwin (Cynthia Weil), Cameron Sharp (Barry Mann), Oliver Boot (Don Kirshner), Susie Fenwick (Genie Klein), Carly Cook (Marilyn Wald), Katrina May (Janelle Woods/Shirelle), Mica Townsend (Little Eva/Shirelle), Julia Dray (s/w Betty), Grant McConey (Nick/Righteous Brother), Jordan Fox (Neil Sedaka/Righteous Brother/Lou Adler), Louise Francis (Lucille/Shirelle)

NOTES: This video is never to be publicly shared on YouTube, Tumblr, Facebook, Stage Dork, etc.

Beauty and the Beast (Anna Ledwich/Richard Taylor) - Chichester Festival Youth Theatre - 2017 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Evie Carter (Rose), Noah Peirson (Dennis), Albie Stisted (James), Georgina Liley (Perkins), Alfie Scott (Peter), Ella O'Keeffe (Violet), Ellie Dickens (Edith), Rudi Millard (Roger), Oluwafunmilayo Ajayi (Poppy)

NOTES: An adaptation of the original fairytale, by Anna Ledwich and music and lyrics by Richard Taylor. An overall wonderful new take on the classic story.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Broadway - April 25, 1995 FORMAT:  MKV (SD) CAST: Susan Egan (Belle), Terrence Mann (Beast/Prince), Gary Beach (Lumière)

NOTES: Missing the first 3 minutes and last 3 minutes

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Broadway - September 7, 1997 (Highlights) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kerry Butler (Belle), Chuck Wagner (Beast/Prince)

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Broadway - March 11, 1999 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Andrea McArdle (Belle), William Michals (Beast/Prince), Steve Blanchard (Gaston), Beth Fowler (Mrs. Potts)

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Broadway - April 28, 2002 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Sarah Litzsinger (Belle), Steve Blanchard (Beast/Prince), JB Adams (Maurice), Chris Hoch (Gaston), Bryan Batt (Lumière), Beth Fowler (Mrs. Potts), Jeff Brooks (Cogsworth), Mary Stout (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Pam Klinger (Babette), Steve Lavner (Le Fou)

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Broadway - July 27, 2007 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Anneliese van der Pol (Belle), Steve Blanchard (Beast/Prince), Jamie Ross (Maurice), Chris Hoch (Gaston), David DeVries (Lumière), Jeanne Lehman (Mrs. Potts), Glenn Rainey (Cogsworth), Ann Mandrella (Babette), Trevor Braun (Chip), Aldrin Gonzalez (Le Fou)

NOTES: Two days before the show closed on Broadway. Good amount of closeups and good quality filmed from the mid-mezzanine; there is a railing issue for a while in Act 1 but the taper improves. 'Me', 'Gaston' and 'Be Our Guest' are all predominantly missing and recording stopped for some time after 'Gaston', which created a little jump in the timeline to where Maurice gets thrown out of the tavern. Still a nice video with great closeups of the last Broadway cast.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Dutch Tour - October 4, 2005 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Chantal Janzen (Belle), Stanley Burleson (Beast/Prince), Dick Rienstra (Maurice), René van Kooten (Gaston), Carlo Bozschard (Lumière), Mariska von Holck (Mrs. Potts), Ger Otte (Cogsworth), Caroline Mout (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Nicole Berendsen (Babette), Jorge Verkoost (Le Fou)

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Dutch Tour - 2006 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Chantal Janzen (Belle), Stanley Burleson (Beast/Prince), Dick Rienstra (Maurice), René van Kooten (Gaston), Carlo Bozschard (Lumière), Casey Fransisco (Mrs. Potts), Ger Otte (Cogsworth), Caroline Mout (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Nicole Berendsen (Babette), Jorge Verkoost (Le Fou)

NOTES: Rare video with Casey Fransisco, who temporarily replaced Mariska van Kolck, as Mrs Potts.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - First National Tour - 1998 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Erin Dilly (Belle), James Barbour (Beast/Prince), Tom Bosley (Maurice), Michele Lee (Mrs. Potts)

NOTES: Often labelled as the Los Angeles tour, however LA closed in 1996, and Erin Dilly was a replacement in the 1NT company.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Fourth National Tour - January 19, 2014 (Matinee) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Hilary Maiberger (Belle), Darick Pead (Beast/Prince), Paul Krane (Maurice), Tim Rogan (Gaston), Hassan Nazari-Robati (Lumière), Kristin Stewart (Mrs. Potts), James May (Cogsworth), Roxy York (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Stephanie Moskal (Babette), Jack Mullen (Chip), Jardan Aragon (Le Fou), Kieron Cindric (Monsieur D'Arque)

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Los Angeles - April 12, 1995 (Opening Night) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Susan Egan (Belle), James Barbour (Beast/Prince), Tom Bosley (Maurice), Burke Moses (Gaston), Gary Beach (Lumière), Beth Fowler (Mrs. Potts)

NOTES: For the time period that it was filmed, It's great. Sound and picture synch up and Gary Beach kills it as Lumiere. Susan Egan is wonderful.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Madrid, Spain - 2007 (Matinee) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Julia Möller (Belle), David Ordinas (Beast/Prince), Lorenzo Valverde (Maurice), Pablo Puyol (Gaston), Armando Pita (Lumière), Angels Jiménez (Mrs. Potts), Esteban Oliver (Cogsworth), María José Oquendo (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Silvia Luchetti (Babette), Raúl Peña (Le Fou)

NOTES: Performed in Spanish

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Madrid, Spain - June 5, 2008 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Julia Möller (Belle), David Ordinas (Beast/Prince), Lorenzo Valverde (Maurice), Pablo Puyol (Gaston), Armando Pita (Lumière), Patricia Paisal (u/s Mrs. Potts), Esteban Oliver (Cogsworth), María José Oquendo (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Silvia Luchetti (Babette), Raúl Peña (Le Fou)

NOTES: An Official Video of this wonderful production.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - New Zealand Tour - April, 2006 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jade Steele (Belle), Glen Drake (Beast/Prince), Lloyd Scott (Maurice), Russell Leighton-Dixon (Gaston), Roy Ormsby (Lumière), Gladys Hope (Mrs. Potts), Stephen Gledhill (Cogsworth)

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Toronto - August 8, 1995 (Opening Night) (Highlights) (Press Reel's master) FORMAT:  DVD ISO (SD) CAST: Kerry Butler (Belle), Chuck Wagner (Beast/Prince), Terry Doyle (Maurice), Dan Chameroy (Gaston), Andre Therien (Lumière), Judy Marshak (Mrs. Potts), Paul Brown (Cogsworth), Jo-Anne Kirwan Clark (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Elizabeth Beeler (Babette), Cliff Saunders (Le Fou)

NOTES: Press reels with footage from the show and interviews

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - UK Tour - 2003 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Dianne Pilkington (Belle), Alex Bourne (Beast/Prince), Richard Tate (Maurice), Earl Carpenter (Gaston), Stephen Matthews (Lumière), Marilyn Cutts (Mrs. Potts), Barry James (Cogsworth), Drew Varley (Le Fou)

NOTES: One camera housecam pro-shot, full stage, no zooms

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Vienna - May 16, 1996 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  AVI (HD) CAST: Caroline Vasicek (Belle), Ethan Freeman (Beast/Prince)

NOTES: It's an old house cam video.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - West End - April 29, 1997 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Michelle Gayle (Belle), John Barrowman (Beast/Prince), Billy Boyle (Maurice), Alex Bourne (Gaston), Mark Caven (Lumière), Gemma Craven (Mrs. Potts), Barry James (Cogsworth)

NOTES: Good video, camcorder. Includes LA Cast Press Reels. VOBs+smalls

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - West End - November 24, 1999 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Annalene Beechey (Belle), Earl Carpenter (Beast/Prince), Billy Boyle (Maurice), Alex Bourne (Gaston), Mark Caven (Lumière), Gemma Craven (Mrs. Potts), Barry James (Cogsworth), Shezwae Powell (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Kate Graham (Babette), Richard Gauntlet (Le Fou)

NOTES: House Cam recording of the final West End Cast.

Beauty and the Beast (Disney) - Wichita, KS - 2016 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Catherine Charlebois (Belle), Thaddeus Pearson (Beast/Prince), Timothy W Robu (Maurice), Johnny Stellard (Gaston), Steve Hitchcock (Lumière), Katie Banks-Todd (Mrs. Potts), James Beaman (Cogsworth), Karen L Robu (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Lexis Danca (Babette), James Heinrichs (Chip), Tanner Pflueger (Le Fou)

NOTES: Pro-Shot. Filmed using one camera on a tripod with excellent clear picture and sound.

   A Bed and a Chair: A New York Love Affair - Encores! Special Event - November 13, 2013 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Bernadette Peters (Female 1), Cyrille Aimee (Female 2), Elizabeth Parkinson (Female Dancer 1), Grasan Kingsberry (Male Dancer 1), Jeremy Jordan (Male 2), Meg Gillentine (Female Dancer 2), Norm Lewis (Male 1), Tyler Hanes (Male Dancer 2)

Beetlejuice - Broadway - July 27, 2019 (Matinee) (Medium Observation's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), Rob McClure (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Dana Steingold (Girl Scout)

NOTES: Full HD stageshot filmed from the front orchestra! This is fairly better than the other stageshot, including less heads, more facial features, but one major head that's sometimes filmed around whenever the master isn't wandering downward. Great video quality overall and it includes full Act One and Act Two starting at Beetlejuice's entrance after Girl Scout through Curtain Call!

Beetlejuice - Broadway - October 10, 2019 (Highlights) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD)|Gifted: Upon Request CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), David Josefsberg (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Dana Steingold (Girl Scout)

NOTES: Highlights video (approx. 10 minutes) with 'Creepy Old Guy'. Poorly filmed and you cannot really see anything. Decent audio. This is a YouTube rip and is to be gifted only.

Beetlejuice - Broadway - October 30, 2019 (Highlights) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Dana Steingold (u/s Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), David Josefsberg (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Brooke Leigh Engen (u/s Girl Scout)

NOTES: A few short clips filmed poorly from a phone

Beetlejuice - Broadway - November 30, 2019 (Matinee) (theatrecouple14's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), David Josefsberg (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Dana Steingold (Girl Scout)

NOTES: Phone boot filmed wide from the right orchestra. Some obstruction throughout and the 2nd act points up a lot, some action lost.

Beetlejuice - Broadway - July, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), Rob McClure (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Dana Steingold (Girl Scout)

NOTES: Good HD capture from the right orchestra with beautiful zooms and way less obstructions than the March video. Please do not post screenshots of this video on Twitter ever. Gifs on Tumblr are okay after the NFT date, but don't go linking things to actors and shows.

Beetlejuice - Broadway - July, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), Rob McClure (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Dana Steingold (Girl Scout)

NOTES: Good HD capture from the right orchestra with beautiful zooms and way less obstructions than the March video. Please do not post screenshots of this video on Twitter ever. Gifs on Tumblr are okay after the NFT date, but don't go linking things to actors and shows.

Beetlejuice - Broadway - March, 2019 (Preview) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), Rob McClure (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno)

NOTES: Previews! This is probably my most obstructed bootleg ever. When I could get zooms they’re pretty (and I’m really trying my hardest for both Sophia and Kerry - “Dead Mom” looks GREAT and is really consistent), but I would probably consider this more like highlights with how many heads keep popping up. I don’t love it, but you can keep up with what is happening and see the WILD effects they have going on here...which is good enough for now. Video starts at “Ready, Set, Not Yet” and is complete from there. And honestly this video (and this show) is worth it just for “Dead Mom.”

Beetlejuice - Broadway - November, 2019 (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Will Blum (u/s Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), David Josefsberg (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Kim Sava (u/s Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Sean Montgomery (u/s Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno)

NOTES: A few heads show up briefly and a quick video drop after the first two songs. Covers from opening song to final applause, great shot.

Beetlejuice - Broadway - September 24–26, 2019 (Highlights) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Dana Steingold (u/s Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), David Josefsberg (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Presley Ryan (u/s Girl Scout)

NOTES: YouTube rip of various clips of Dana Steingold in the role of Lydia. Highlights include Invisible, Dead Mom, Home, and curtain call.

Beetlejuice - Broadway - September, 2019 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), Rob McClure (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Dana Steingold (Girl Scout)

NOTES: Full HD stageshot of this incredible show! Filmed from the rear orchestra without zooms, with a lot of head obstructions.

Beetlejuice - Broadway - September, 2019 (2) (StarCuffedJeans's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Presley Ryan (u/s Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), David Josefsberg (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Dana Steingold (Girl Scout)

NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the incredible Presley Ryan as Lydia and David’s first week as Adam! Filmed from the left orchestra without obstructions with a mix of wides, mediums, and closeups. This is hands down the best video of the show to date. Starts about 3 minutes into performance (mid whole being dead thing).

Beetlejuice - Pre-Broadway / Washington D.C. - October-November, 2018 (Preview) (Highlights) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alex Brightman (Beetlejuice), Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia Deetz), Kerry Butler (Barbara Maitland), Rob McClure (Adam Maitland), Adam Dannheisser (Charles Deetz), Leslie Kritzer (Delia Deetz/Miss Argentina), Kelvin Moon Loh (Otho), Danny Rutigliano (Maxie Dean), Jill Abramovitz (Maxie Dean/Juno), Dana Steingold (Girl Scout)

NOTES: Highlights include clips from some different scenes. (each clip is around 30 seconds) Includes quite a bit of short curtain calls. Also includes a full curtain call **NOT TO BE POSTED ONLINE ANYWHERE**

 Bells Are Ringing - Broadway Revival - May 23, 2001 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Faith Prince (Ella Peterson), Marc Kudisch (Jeffrey Moss), David Garrison (Sandor), Beth Fowler (Sue)

  Bent - Los Angeles, Center Theatre Group - August 8, 2015 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Andy Mientus (Rudy), Brian Slaten (Lieutenant), Brionne Davis (SS Officer), Charlie Hofheimer (Horst), Jake Shears (Greta), Jonathan B Wright (Guard), Matthew Carlson (Prisoner), Patrick Heusinger (Max), Ray Baker (Uncle Freddie), Tom Berklund (Wolf), Wyatt Fenner (Prisoner)

Beowulf - A Thousand Years of Baggage - Berkeley Rep - May, 2008 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Jason Craig (Beowulf), Dave Malloy (King Hrothgar), Jessica Jelliffe (Academic 1/Grendel's Mother), Chris Kuckenbaker (Academic 2/Grendel), Cameron Galloway (Academic 3/Dragon), Anna Ishida (Warrior 1), Shaye Troha (Warrior 2)

NOTES: The camera work, contrasting, resolution and aspect ratio (23:20) are pretty poor by today's standard, but this is the exact quality that has been provided for streaming

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas - Actors Fund Benefit Concert - October 16, 2006 (Matinee) (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Emily Skinner, Terrence Mann, Jennifer Hudson, Bob Martin, Mary Faber, Felicia Finley, Andrea McArdle, Richard Kind, Constantine Maroulis.

NOTES: Rehearsal for the Actor's Fund Concert.

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas - Broadway - 1978 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Carlin Glynn (Miss Mona Stangley), Henderson Forsythe (Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd), Delores Hall (Jewel), Clinton Allmon (Melvin P. Thorpe), Susan Mansur (Doatsy Mae), Jay Garner (Governor of Texas), J. Frank Lucas (Senator J.T Wingwoah), Don Crabtree (Edsel Mackey), Jay Garner (C.J Scruggs), J. Frank Lucas (Mayor Rufus Poindexter), Pamela Blair (Amber), Joan Ellis (Shy), Donna King (Linda Lou), *Becky Gelke (Ruby Rae), Jan Merchant (Beatrice), Marta Sanders (Eloise), Lisa Brown (Dawn), Carol Chambers (Taddy Jo), Debra Zalkind (Durla), Louise Quick-Brown (Ginger), Edna Milton (Miss Wulla Jean), Clinton Allmon (Farmer), Jay Garner (Traveling Salesman), K.C Kelly (Slick Dude), Gerry Burkhardt (Shy Kid), Bradley Clayton King (Leroy Slinley), K.C Kelly (Ukranian Aggie), James Rich (Aggie Soloist), Jay Burksy (Governor's Aide), Susan Mansur (Reporter 1), Paul Ukena, Jnr (Reporter 2), Michael Scott (Reporter 3), K.C Kelly (Soundman), Tom Cashin (Stage Manager), Edwina Lewis (Ensemble), Gena Ramsel

NOTES: New copy of the show, that is low generation. Actually surprisingly very good and much better than many that are out there. Lots of mid stage shots with a few zooms. B+

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas - US National Tour - 2001 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Ann-Margret (Miss Mona Stangley), Avery Sommers (Jewel), Rob Donohoe (Melvin P. Thorpe), Gary Sandy (Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd), Matt Landers (C. J. Scruggs), Terri Dixon (Angel), Roxie Lucas (Doatsy Mae), Jen Celene Little (Shy), Larry L King (TV Announcer)

The Best Man - Broadway - June 20, 2012 FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Candice Bergen, Mark Blum, Kerry Butler, James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, John Larroquette, Jefferson Mays, Eric McCormack, Curtis Billings, Coreey Brill, Tony Carlin, Donna Hanover, Sherman Howard, Olja Hrustic, Bill Kux, James Lecesne, Dakin Matthews, Angelica Page, Fred Parker, Amy Tribbey

Big Fish - Broadway - November 23, 2013 (Lanelle's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Norbert Leo Butz (Edward Bloom), Bobby Steggert (Will Bloom), Zachary Unger (Young Will), Kate Baldwin (Sandra Bloom), Ryan Andes (Karl), Brad Oscar (Amos Calloway), Ciara Renée (The Witch), Kirsten Scott (Jenny Hill)

Big Fish - Musical Theatre West - November 1, 2014 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Jeff Skowron (Edward Bloom), Andrew Huber (Will Bloom), Jude Mason (Young Will), Rebecca Johnson (Sandra Bloom), Kristina Miller (Josephine Bloom), Timothy Hughes (Karl), Gabriel Kalomas (Amos Calloway), Zachary Ford (Don Price), Molly Garner (The Witch), Michelle Loucadoux (Jenny Hill), Richard Bulda (u/s Dr. Bennett), Jake Saenz (Zacky Price), Marisa Field (Girl in the Water)

NOTES: Impeccably shot, 10/10.

Big Fish - Pre-Broadway/Chicago - May 4, 2013 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Norbert Leo Butz (Edward Bloom), Bobby Steggert (Will Bloom), Zachary Unger (Young Will), Kate Baldwin (Sandra Bloom), Krystal Joy Brown (Josephine Bloom), Ryan Andes (Karl), Brad Oscar (Amos Calloway), Ben Crawford (Don Price), Katie Thompson (The Witch)

NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of this PreBroadway tryout. This was done the final week of shows and has many changes to earlier versions, stunning capture! A+

Big River - Broadway - September 23, 2003 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Michael McElroy (Jim), Tyrone Giordano (Huckleberry Finn), Lyle Kanouse (Duke), Troy Kotsur (The King), Troy Kotsur (Pap Finn), Melissa van der Schyff (Mary Jane Wilkes), Michael Arden (Tom Sawyer), Gina Ferrall (Widow Douglas), Phyllis Frelich (Miss Watson), Alexandria Wailes (Johanna), Ryan Schlecht (Young Fool), Drew McVety (Dick Simon), Iosif Schneiderman (Judge Thatcher), Daniel Jenkins (Mark Twain), Scott Barnhardt (Ben Rogers), Walter Charles (Preacher), Gwen Stewart (Alice), Christina Ellison Dunhams (Alice's Daughter)

NOTES: Most the first hour Act 1 is covered up or shot blind. When there’s something to see, it’s nice. The fidelity is cleaned up from the unfortunate dark ages of when it was shot, but the audio is a touch harsh.

Big River - Encores! - February 8, 2017 (Opening Night) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kyle Scatliffe (Jim), Nicholas Barasch (Huckleberry Finn), Christopher Sieber (Duke), David Pittu (The King), Wayne Duvall (Pap Finn), Lauren Worsham (Mary Jane Wilkes), Charlie Franklin (Tom Sawyer), Cass Morgan (Widow Douglas), Annie Golden (Miss Watson), Adrianna Hicks, Andrew Cristi, Andrew Kruep, Gizel Jimenez, Horace V Rogers, John-Michael Lyles, Katherine A Guy, Megan Masako Haley, Mike Evariste, Patrice Covington, Stephen Lee Anderson, Tom Nelis, Zachary Infante

Big: The Musical - Broadway - April, 1996 (Highlights) (Press Reel's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Daniel Jenkins (Big Josh Baskin), Barbara Walsh (Mrs Baskin), Crista Moore (Susan Lawrence), Jon Cypher (George McMillan), Gene Weygandt (Paul Seymour), Patrick Levis (Young Josh), Brett Tebisel (Billy)

NOTES: The original press reels. This video contains 90 minutes of footage from the show, so very extensive highlights. Contains interviews and behind the scenes footage that go for about 30 minutes. Contains timecode running on bottom and has clearly been transferred from videotape to DVD.

Billy Elliot: The Musical - Australian Tour - January 23, 2008 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Corey John Snide (Billy Elliot), Genevieve Lemon (Mrs. Wilkinson), Richard Piper (Dad), Lola Nixon (Grandma), Justin Smith (Tony), Linal Haft (George), Samantha Morley (Mum), John Xintavelonis (Mr. Braithwaite), Fiona Booker (Debbie)

Billy Elliot: The Musical - Australian Tour - January 23, 2008 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Corey John Snide (Billy Elliot), Genevieve Lemon (Mrs. Wilkinson), Richard Piper (Dad), Lola Nixon (Grandma), Justin Smith (Tony), Linal Haft (George), Samantha Morley (Mum), John Xintavelonis (Mr. Braithwaite), Fiona Booker (Debbie)

Billy Elliot: The Musical - Broadway - November 15, 2008 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Trent Kowalick (Billy Elliot), Stephen Hanna (Older Billy), Haydn Gwynne (Mrs. Wilkinson), Gregory Jbara (Dad), Santino Fontana (Tony), Frank Dolce (Michael), Thommie Retter (Mr. Braithwaite), Erin Whyland (Debbie)

NOTES: Amazing performance and a beautiful capture. Trent was beyond amazing and this performance was ELECTRIC and beyond words. This performance is in my top three theatrical moments ever, it was that amazing. This also includes the curtain call finale. A

Billy Elliot: The Musical - Broadway - November 21, 2008 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: David Alvarez (Billy Elliot), Haydn Gwynne (Mrs. Wilkinson), Gregory Jbara (Dad), Carole Shelley (Grandma), David Bologna (Michael)

NOTES: Worked around a lot heads! Still a good capture with some nice close ups. B

Billy Elliot: The Musical - Broadway - February 14, 2009 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kiril Kulish (Billy), David Bologna (Michael), Haydn Gwynne (Mrs. Wilkinson), Gregory Jbara (Dad), Leah Hocking (Dead Mum), Santino Fontana (Tony)

NOTES: Nicely filmed from the balcony with a good balance of close-ups and full stage shots, although a little shaky at times. This is the first (and so far, only) video with Kiril Kulish in the role of Billy. Unfortunately about 15 minutes of the show is missing due to battery issues. What's missing is: Grandma's song "We Go Dancing", the scene between Dad and Tony, the beginning of "Deep Into The Ground", and the scene between Mrs. Wilkinson and Dad discussing Billy's ballet. It appears the filmer was trying to conserve battery power and was trying to focus on Billy's scenes. DVD has been enhanced with main menu and thumbnail images for access to the various songs. A-

Billy Elliot: The Musical - Netherlands - January, 2015 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Svenno van Kleij (Billy Elliot), Pia Douwes (Mrs. Wilkinson), Bas Heerkes (Dad), Carry Tefsen (Grandma), Reinier Demeijer (Tony), Michiel Deddens (Michael), Bas Grevelink (George), Loes Worm (Mum), Dennis Willekens (Mr. Braithwaite), Fleur Hogenboom (Debbie), Bo Burger (Small Boy)

NOTES: Great recording of the Dutch production of Billy Elliot. Similar staging as on Broadway and the UK Tour.

Billy Elliot: The Musical - West End - 2005 FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Liam Mower (Billy Elliot), Haydn Gwynne (Mrs. Wilkinson), Philip Whitchurch (Dad), Ann Emery (Grandma), Chris Lennon (Tony), Brad Kavanagh (Michael), Paul Broughton (George), Alex Delamere (Mr. Braithwaite), Brooke Havana Bailey (Debbie)

Billy Elliot: The Musical - West End - April 28, 2006 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Leon Cooke (Billy Elliot), Haydn Gwynne (Mrs. Wilkinson), Philip Whitchurch (Dad), Ann Emery (Grandma), Brad Kavanagh (Michael)

NOTES: View often blocked by heads but good zooms.

Billy Elliot: The Musical - West End - November 2, 2006 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Matthew Koon (Billy Elliot), Sally Dexter (Mrs. Wilkinson), Philip Whitchurch (Dad), Ann Emery (Grandma), Ryan Longbottom (Michael), Leigh Laurie (Debbie)

NOTES: Excellent show and amazing capture here, crystal clear picture and sound. This features the Asian Billy, and he was an amazing dancer, and gave an amazing performance. A+

Billy Elliot: The Musical - West End - March 31, 2010 (Highlights) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Tom Holland (Billy Elliot), Barnaby Meredith (Older Billy), Joanna Riding (Mrs. Wilkinson), Joe Caffrey (Dad), Ann Emery (Grandma), Craig Gallivan (Tony), Connor Kelly (Michael), David Nellist (George), Samantha Seager (Mum), Sean Kingsley (Mr. Braithwaite), Francesca Mango (Debbie)

NOTES: 5th Anniversary, 10 minutes of highlights including parts of Angry Dance, Electricity, special Finale, and press clips

Billy Elliot: The Musical - West End - September 28, 2014 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Elliot Hanna (Billy Elliot), Liam Mower (Older Billy), Ruthie Henshall (Mrs. Wilkinson), Deka Walmsley (Dad), Ann Emery (Grandma), Chris Grahamson (Tony), Zach Atkinson (Michael), Howard Crossley (George), Claudia Bradley (Mum), David Muscat (Mr. Braithwaite), Demi Lee (Debbie), Caspar Meurisse (Tall Boy), Liam Sargeant (Small Boy), David Stoller (Posh Dad), Alan Mehdizadeh (Big Davey)

NOTES: Multi-cam pro-shot broadcast live to cinemas. Filmed on 28 September 2014 at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London's West End.

Black Friday - LA Premiere - October 31, 2019 (Opening Night) (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MOV (HD) CAST: Dylan Saunders (Tom Houston), Angela Giarratana (Lex Foster), Lauren Lopez (Linda Monroe), Kim Whalen (Becky Barnes), Corey Dorris (Frank Pricely), Jon Matteson (Wiggly), Robert Manion (Ethan Green), Jaime Lyn Beatty (Sherman Young), Joey Richter (Uncle Wiley), Curt Mega (President Howard Goodman), Kendall Nicole Yakshe (Hannah Foster), James Tolbert (Xander Lee), Jeff Blim (A Man In A Hurry)

NOTES: Opening night digital ticket

Black Friday - LA Premiere - December, 2019 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Dylan Saunders (Tom Houston), Angela Giarratana (Lex Foster), Lauren Lopez (Linda Monroe), Kim Whalen (Becky Barnes), Corey Dorris (Frank Pricely), Jon Matteson (Wiggly), Robert Manion (Ethan Green), Jaime Lyn Beatty (Sherman Young), Joey Richter (Uncle Wiley), Curt Mega (President Howard Goodman), Kendall Nicole Yakshe (Hannah Foster), James Tolbert (Xander Lee), Jeff Blim (A Man In A Hurry)

NOTES: Excellent HD proshot. Almost 13Gb.

Black Friday - LA Premiere - November, 2019 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MOV (HD) CAST: Dylan Saunders (Tom Houston), Angela Giarratana (Lex Foster), Lauren Lopez (Linda Monroe), Kim Whalen (Becky Barnes), Corey Dorris (Frank Pricely), Jon Matteson (Wiggly), Robert Manion (Ethan Green), Jaime Lyn Beatty (Sherman Young), Joey Richter (Uncle Wiley), Curt Mega (President Howard Goodman), Kendall Nicole Yakshe (Hannah Foster), James Tolbert (Xander Lee), Jeff Blim (A Man In A Hurry)

NOTES: Second digital ticket for the show filmed later in the run

Blithe Spirit - Broadway - May 16, 2009 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Christine Ebersole (Elvira), Angela Lansbury (Madame Arcati), Rupert Everett (Charles), Jayne Atkinson (Ruth), Simon Jones (Dr. Bradman), Susan Louise O'Connor (Edith)

Blood Brothers - Dutch Revival - 2015 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Vera Mann (Mrs Johnstone), Guido Spek (Mickey), Jim Bakkum (Eddie), Maike Boerdam (Mrs Lyons), Jonathan Demoor (Sammy)

NOTES: Also known in dutch as Hartsvrienden

Blood Brothers - New Zealand - January 1, 1994 (Closing Night) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Delia Hannah (Mrs Johnstone), Warwick Evans (Narrator), Stefan Dennis (Mickey)

NOTES: Exact date unknown - 75% of the show filmed from the audience with I believe Warwick evans as Narrator(it is 100% not David Soul) Disc also includes parts of the show filmed from backstage with again Warwick Evans as Narrator t.v interview with Warwick Evans and more backstage talk in dressing rooms and the wings and a performance in a church. on the whole dvd David Soul is on probably less than 5 minutes during his final performance

Blood Brothers - UK Tour - November, 2018 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Linzi Hateley (Mrs Johnstone), Robbie Scotcher (Narrator), Sean Jones (Mickey), Mark Hutchison (Eddie), Sarah Jane Buckley (Mrs Lyons), Danny Taylor (Sammy), Danielle Corlass (Linda), Tim Churchill (Mr Lyons), Graham Martin (Policeman/Teacher), Alison Crawford (Brenda), Amy Jane Ollies (Donna Marie), Graeme Kinniburgh (Bus Conductor), Andy Owens (Perkins), Josh Capper (Neighbor)

Blood Brothers - West End - April 29, 1989 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Kiki Dee (Mrs Johnstone), Warwick Evans (Narrator), Con O’Neil (Mickey), Robert Locke (Eddie), Joanne Zorian (Mrs Lyons), Terry Melia (Sammy), Annette Ekblom (Linda), John Conroy (Mr Lyons), Michael Atkinson (Policeman/Teacher), Dee Robillard (Donna Marie), Fenton Gray (Perkins)

NOTES: Pro-Shot for BBC. A little gen loss.

Blood Brothers - West End - March, 2010 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Melanie C (Mrs Johnstone), Philip Stewart (Narrator), Stephen Palfreman (Mickey), Richard Reynard (Eddie), Vivienne Carlyle (Mrs Lyons), Michael Southern (Sammy), Louise Clayton (Linda), Owen Oldroyd (Mr Lyons)

NOTES: Some heads in the bottom of the screen but they are shot around very well and completely avoided whenever possible. Overall, a good video of an amazing cast. A-

Blood Brothers - West End - October, 2012 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Vivienne Carlyle (Mrs Johnstone), Philip Stewart (Narrator), Mark Rice Oxley (Mickey), Paul Christopher (Eddie), Abigail Jaye (Mrs Lyons), Michael Southern (Sammy), Louise Clayton (Linda), Kevin Palister (Mr Lyons)

The Bodyguard - Cologne, Germany - August, 2017 (Rumpel's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Christian Peter Hauser (Tony), Dennis Kozeluh (Bill), Jadran Malkovich (Sy), Jürgen Fischer (Frank Farmer), Patricia Meeden (Rachel), Tiago C Pinade (Fletcher)

The Bodyguard - First National Tour - February 5, 2017 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alex Carrado (Tony), Charles Gray (Bill), Deborah Cox (Rachel), Jarid Faubel (Ray), Jasmin Richardson (Nicki), Jonathan Hadley (Sy), Jorge Paniagua (Stalker), Judson Mills (Frank Farmer), Kevelin B Jones III (Fletcher)

NOTES: Excellent HD capture of the new musical based on the movie. Contains Whitney Houston's cataloge of music from the movie and her career. A very enjoyable musical with terrific songs and performances. Deborah does a terrific job taking on the music of Whitney! A

 The Bodyguard - Second UK Tour - January, 2019 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alexandra Burke (Rachel), Benoit Marechal (Frank Farmer), Craig Berry (Tony), David Turner (Sy), Micha Richardson (Nicki), Peter Landi (Bill), Phil Atkinson (Stalker), Simon Cotton (Ray)

NOTES: Not the best capture, a lot of wandering and a few heads in the way. Does not include curtain call or encore.

Boeing Boeing - Broadway - April 19, 2008 (Preview) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Christine Baranski (Berthe), Mark Rylance (Robert), Bradley Whitford (Bernard), Gina Gershon (Gabriella), Kathryn Hahn (Gloria), Mary McCormack (Gretchen)

NOTES: Filmed on the first night of previews.

Bombshell - Actors' Fund Benefit Concert - June 8, 2015 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Brian d'Arcy James, Christian Borle, Debra Messing, Donna McKechnie, Jeremy Jordan, Katharine McPhee, Leslie Odom Jr, Megan Hilty, Ripley Sobo, Will Chase

NOTES: The Actors Fund's one-night-only Broadway concert of Bombshell, the fictional musical about Marilyn Monroe that was central to the NBC series "Smash" **Audience shot, not professionally shot release.

Bombshell - Actors' Fund Benefit Concert - June 8, 2015 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Brian d'Arcy James, Christian Borle, Debra Messing, Donna McKechnie, Jeremy Jordan, Katharine McPhee, Leslie Odom Jr, Megan Hilty, Ripley Sobo, Will Chase

NOTES: The stars of the NBC musical drama series will reunite virtually for a special one-night-only streaming event: Bombshell in Concert. The event, announced by The Actors Fund in association with PEOPLE, features the never-seen sold-out live performance of Bombshell in Concert that electrified Broadway at the Minskoff Theater in New York City in 2015. The evening will be introduced by two-time Academy Award winner Renée Zellweger and, during intermission, Julie Klausner of “Difficult People” will host a live, virtual reunion with the show’s original cast members including: Christian Borle, Jaime Cepero, Will Chase, Brian d’Arcy James, Jack Davenport, Ann Harada, Megan Hilty, Jeremy Jordan, Katharine McPhee, Andy Mientus, Debra Messing, Leslie Odom Jr., Krysta Rodriguez and Wesley Taylor.

  Bonnie and Clyde - Broadway - November 9, 2011 (Preview) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: Act 1 only CAST: Laura Osnes (Bonnie Parker), Jeremy Jordan (Clyde Barrow), Melissa van der Schyff (Blanche Barrow), Claybourne Elder (Buck Barrow), Joe Hart (Sheriff Schmid), Louis Hobson (Ted Hinton), Michael Lanning (Preacher), Mimi Bessette (Emma Parker), Kelsey Fowler (Young Bonnie), Talon Ackerman (Young Clyde)

NOTES: A great capture of this shortly lived show. Jeremy and Laura did a great job in the roles and great voices! A+

Bonnie and Clyde - La Jolla Playhouse - November 14, 2009 (Matinee) (Preview) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Laura Osnes (Bonnie Parker), Stark Sands (Clyde Barrow), Melissa van der Schyff (Blanche Barrow), Claybourne Elder (Buck Barrow), Wayne Duvall (Sheriff Schmid), Chris Peluso (Ted Hinton), Michael Lanning (Preacher), Mare Winningham (Emma Parker)

NOTES: Nice capture of this new Wildhorn show. There are only a couple very short blackouts throughout the show and hardly any washout. A

The Book of Mormon - Brazil - 2014 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Hugo Kerth (Elder Price), Leo Bahia (Elder Cunningham), Giulianna Farias (Nabulungi), Vinicius Teixeira (Elder McKinley), Nando Brandão (Doctor)

NOTES: Unirio production.​

The Book of Mormon - Broadway - 2011 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Andrew Rannells (Elder Price), Josh Gad (Elder Cunningham), Nikki M James (Nabulungi), Rory O’Malley (Elder McKinley)

The Book of Mormon - Broadway - March 1, 2011 (Preview) (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Andrew Rannells (Elder Price), Josh Gad (Elder Cunningham), Nikki M James (Nabulungi), Rory O’Malley (Elder McKinley), Michael Potts (Mafala Hatimbi), Lewis Cleale (Mission President)

NOTES: Very nice video of the show however a bar can be visable in wide shots but it doesn't interfere with anything. Disc also includes behind the scenes footage, interviews and reviews. A

The Book of Mormon - Broadway - March 7, 2011 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Andrew Rannells (Elder Price), Josh Gad (Elder Cunningham), Nikki M James (Nabulungi), Rory O’Malley (Elder McKinley), Michael Potts (Mafala Hatimbi), Lewis Cleale (Mission President)

NOTES: Notes: Listed in various places as both 3-7-2011 and 3-11-2011... it's due to a labeling error by the master. They are the same capture it's just the DVD Menu shows the capture date as 3-11-2011 while the poster at the beginning says 3-7-2011 A nice capture of this hilarious original show. A very solid and funny cast. Nikki does a fantastic job acting and vocally. On wide shots there can be heads on the sides, but nothing that really obstructs the action. During Broadway previews, less than a month before the official premiere. So there are differences from the Cast Recording. Very nice video of the show however a bar can be visible in wide shots but it doesn't interfere with anything.

The Book of Mormon - Chicago - December 23, 2012 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST. Working on uploading :) CAST: Nic Rouleau (Elder Price), Ben Platt (Elder Cunningham), Syesha Mercado (Nabulungi), Pierce Cassedy (Elder McKinley), James Vincent Meredith (Mafala Hatimbi), Christopher Shyer (Mission President), David Aron Damane (General)

NOTES: Beautiful HD capture of the Chicago Cast. I can not say enough wonderful things about this company! They really are rock solid and give terrific performances! Nic and Ben are really sensational and have great chemistry. A+

The Book of Mormon - Second National Tour - May 17, 2014 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: David Larsen (Elder Price), Cody Jamison Strand (Elder Cunningham), Tallia Brinson (u/s Nabulungi), Pierce Cassedy (Elder McKinley), James Vincent Meredith (Mafala Hatimbi), Christopher Shyer (Mission President), David Aron Damane (General), Jeff Heimbrock (u/s Cunningham’s Dad)

NOTES: A fantastic capture of the second tour cast. This is the first known dvd of the 2NT, and the cast doesn’t disappoint. David and Cody are strong leads with great voices and comedic timing. Pierce is perfect as McKinley. Tallia also does a great job; she has a strong belt and does an endearing rendition of Sal Tlay Ka Siti. This is a very nice capture with no obstruction or blackouts, and only a bit of washout in superwide shots of high-contrast scenes. The video is very steady and the sound is excellent as usual. It’s filmed in 16:9 with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. Includes curtain call.

The Book of Mormon - Sweden - 2017 (Highlights) FORMAT:  MKV (HD) CAST: Linus Wahlgren (Elder Price), Per Andersson (Elder Cunningham)

NOTES: Act 1 and first few minutes of Act 2 (until Spooky Mormon Hell Dream) only. Vertical; filmed from a mobile phone. Camera wanders a lot. Lots of washouts and no zooms but audio is clear quality.

The Book of Mormon - UK & Ireland Tour - 2019 (Rumpel's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Kevin Douglas Clay (Elder Price), Connor Peirson (Elder Cunningham), Nicole-Lily Baisden (Nabulungi), Will Hawksworth (Elder McKinley), Ewen Cummins (Mafala Hatimbi), Thomas Vernal (General), David Brewis (Cunningham’s Dad), Tre Copeland-Williams (Doctor), Johnathan Tweedie (Prices Dad/Joseph Smith/Mission President), Cleopatra Isaac (Mrs Brown), Jemal Felix (Guard), Lukin Simmonds (Guard), Alex James-Hatton, David Brewis, Evan James, Fergal McGoff, George Crawford, Isaac Hesketh, Jed Berry

NOTES: One of the best videos of this show out there. Recorded from the right wing, doesn't miss any action. High quality video and excellent sound. Kevin is a very good Elder Price.

The Book of Mormon - West End - 2013 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Ashley Day (u/s Elder Price), Jared Gertner (Elder Cunningham), Alexia Khadime (Nabulungi), Stephen Ashfield (Elder McKinley), Giles Terera (Mafala Hatimbi), Haydn Oakley (Mission President), Chris Jarman (General)

NOTES: Filmed by house camera, full stage shot with no zooms, picture quality is poor but audio is clear recorded through the soundboard.

The Book of Mormon - West End - May 29, 2013 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Gavin Creel (Elder Price), Daniel Buckley (s/b Elder Cunningham), Alexia Khadime (Nabulungi), Stephen Ashfield (Elder McKinley), Giles Terera (Mafala Hatimbi), Haydn Oakley (Mission President), Tosh Wanogho-Maud (u/s General), Haydn Oakley (Price's Dad), Haydn Oakley (Prices Dad/Joseph Smith/Mission President)

NOTES: Clear capture with some spotlight washout; filmed from the stalls in clear 16:9 widescreen HD

The Book of Mormon - Workshop - September 1, 2010 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: Highlights CAST: Andrew Rannells (Elder Price), Josh Gad (Elder Cunningham), Nikki M James (Nabulungi), Rory O’Malley (Elder McKinley), Michael Potts (Mafala Hatimbi), Asmeret Ghebremichael, Clark Johnson, John Eric Parker, Justin Bohon, Kevin Duda, Lewis Cleale, Scott Barnhardt

NOTES: Workshop all staged on barebones sets. Very interesting changes from the eventual Broadway version, including a much different “All American Prophet” (a squaredaney number called “The Bible is a Trilogy, Too”) This version is far less polished and focused but incredibly interesting to see for fans of the show.

The Boy Friend - US Tour - 2005 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Rick Faugno (Bobby Van Husen), Jessica Grové (Polly), Berthe Austin (Hortense), Scott Barnhardt (Alphonse), Andrew Breidis (Pierre), Jordan Cable (Marcel), Paul Carlin (Percival Browne), Andrea Chamberlain (Maisie), Margot de La Barre (Nancy), Darcy Pulliam (Lord Brockhurst), Drew Eschelman (Lord Brockhurst), Nancy Hess (Madame Dubonnet), Pamela Otterson (Monica), Sean Palmer (Tony), Krysta Rodriguez (Fay), Eric Santagata (Phillipe), Tom Souhrada (Gendarme), Kristien Wyatt (Dulcie)

NOTES: Can't really see the faces of the actors; spotlight washout; great sound

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Broadway - March 9, 2013 (Lanelle's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Cory Michael Smith (Fred), Emilia Clarke (Holly)

NOTES: Shot in between a great deal of heads. Be warned, this production contains nudity during a bathtub scene. The production strays away much from the film that made it so popular.

The Bridges of Madison County - Broadway - April 16, 2014 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kelli O’Hara (Francesca), Steven Pasquale (Robert), Hunter Foster (Bud), Michael X Martin (Charlie), Cass Morgan (Marge), Caitlin Kinnunen (Carolyn), Derek Klena (Michael), Whitney Bashor (Marian/Chiara)

NOTES: Excellent HD capture of this short lived musical, gone too soon. This is the second and even better capture of the show. Kelli and Steven still creating excellent work here. Gem of a show that should have stuck around longer! A

The Bridges of Madison County - Broadway - April 16, 2014 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Kelli O’Hara (Francesca), Steven Pasquale (Robert), Hunter Foster (Bud), Michael X Martin (Charlie), Cass Morgan (Marge), Caitlin Kinnunen (Carolyn), Derek Klena (Michael), Whitney Bashor (Marian/Chiara)

NOTES: Excellent HD capture of this short lived musical, gone too soon. This is the second and even better capture of the show. Kelli and Steven still creating excellent work here. Gem of a show that should have stuck around longer! A

Brief Encounter - Broadway - September 12, 2010 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Joseph Alessi (Alex/Fred), Dorothy Atkinson (Beryl), Damon Daunno (Bill/Bobbie), Gabriel Ebert (Stanley), Annette McLaughlin (Myrtle), Tristan Sturrock (Alec), Hannah Yelland (Laura), Adam Pleeth, Edward Jay

Brigadoon - New York City Opera - November 13, 1996 (Opening Night) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Brent Barrett (Tommy Albright), Rebecca Luker (Fiona MacLaren), Judy Kaye (Meg Brockie)

Bright Star - Old Globe Theatre (San Diego, CA) - September 13, 2014 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Carmen Cusack (Alice Murphy), Wayne Alan Wilcox (Jimmy Ray Dobbs), Wayne Duvall (Mayor Josiah Dobbs), AJ Shively (Billy Cane), Hannah Elless (Margo Crawford), Stephen Bogardus (Daddy Cane), Allison Briner (u/s Mama Murphy), Stephen Lee Anderson (Daddy Murphy), Kate Loprest (Lucy Grant), Jeff Hiller (Darryl Ames), Libby Winters (Dora Murphy)

Bring It On: The Musical - Broadway - October 24, 2012 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Taylor Louderman (Campbell), Adrienne Warren (Danielle), Elle McLemore (Eva), Janet Krupin (u/s Bridget), Jason Gotay (Randall), Ariana DeBose (Nautica), Michael Mindlin (u/s La Cienega), Neil Haskell (Steven), Calli Alden (u/s Kylar), Nikki Bohne (s/b Skylar), Nicolas Womack (Twig)

NOTES: Heads at the bottom of the screen during a good part of the show when action takes place at the foot of the stage but it's shot around well. A-

Bring It On: The Musical - Broadway - October 24, 2012 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) |  TRADER'S NOTES: Part 1 only CAST: Taylor Louderman (Campbell), Adrienne Warren (Danielle), Elle McLemore (Eva), Janet Krupin (u/s Bridget), Jason Gotay (Randall), Ariana DeBose (Nautica), Michael Mindlin (u/s La Cienega), Neil Haskell (Steven), Calli Alden (u/s Kylar), Nikki Bohne (s/b Skylar), Nicolas Womack (Twig)

NOTES: Heads at the bottom of the screen during a good part of the show when action takes place at the foot of the stage but it's shot around well. A-

Bring It On: The Musical - First National Tour - December 4, 2011 (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Taylor Louderman (Campbell), Adrienne Warren (Danielle), Elle McLemore (Eva), Ryann Redmond (Bridget), Jason Gotay (Randall), Ariana DeBose (Nautica), Gregory Haney (La Cienega), Neil Haskell (Steven), Janet Krupin (Kylar), Kate Rockwell (Skylar), Nicolas Womack (Twig)

NOTES: From the National Tour that would eventually lead to a run on Broadway. An excellent capture of this new musical that was surprisingly a great time. A

Brokeback Mountain: The Opera - Teatro Real Madrid - February 7, 2014 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Celia Acedo (Alma's Mother), Daniel Okulitch (Ennis), Ethan Hirschenfield (Aguirre/Hog Boy), Hannah Esther Minutillo (Lureen), Heather Buck (Alma), Jane Henschel (Jack's Mother), Ryan MacPherson (Jack's Father), Tom Randle (Jack)

NOTES: with english subtitles

A Bronx Tale: The Musical - Broadway - November 14, 2016 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Bobby Conte Thornton (Calogero), Nick Cordero (Sonny), Hudson Loverro (Young Calogero), Richard H Blake (Lorenzo), Lucia Giannetta (Rosina), Ariana DeBose (Jane), Bradley Gibson (Tyrone)

NOTES: A great HD capture of the new musical which is based on the play. The ledge blocks the actors legs only when action is downstage far right, never really an issue with zooming in. A mix of Jersey Boys and West Side Story with upbeat music. A-

A Bronx Tale: The Musical - Broadway - May 31, 2018 (NYCG8R's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Adam Kaplan (Calogero), Chazz Palminteri (Sonny), Hudson Loverro (Young Calogero), Richard H Blake (Lorenzo), Lucia Giannetta (Rosina), Christiani Pitts (Jane), Gerald Caesar (Tyrone), Gilbert L Bailey II (Jesse), Joe Barbara (Police Officer/Gang Leader/Carmine), Ted Brunetti (Frankie Coffeecake)

Buried Child - Off-Broadway - March 30, 2016 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Ed Harris (Dodge)

But I'm a Cheerleader - London Reading - December 6, 2013 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Bronté Barbé (Megan), Maria Coyne (Graham), Hannah Waddingham (Mary), Adrian Hansel (Mike), Emma Bateman (Sinead), Phillip Labey (Joel), Shaun Rennie (Rock), Nicolas Colicos (Lloyd), Ian Knauer (Larry), Andy Conaghan (Jared), Carly Mercedes Dyer (Kimberly), Belinda Wollaston, Caroline Rogers, Charlotte Harwood, Gary Wood, Helen Walsh, Jamie Muscato, Jamie Ward, Michael O'Connor, Michelle Francis, Ricky Schroeder

NOTES: Proshot of a reading. Missing the last 5 minutes.

Bye Bye Birdie - Broadway Revival - September 16, 2009 (Preview) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: John Stamos (Albert Peterson), Gina Gershon (Rose Alvarez), Bill Irwin (Harry MacAfee), Nolan Gerard Funk (Conrad Birdie), Jayne Houdyshell (Mae Peterson), Matt Doyle (Hugo Peabody), Allie Trimm (Kim MacAfee)

NOTES: One brief cover-up due to latecomers. Very good and clear video with great close-ups.

Bye Bye Birdie - Third National Tour - 1992 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Tommy Tune (Albert Peterson), Ann Reinking (Rose Alvarez), Marc Kudisch (Conrad Birdie), Marcia Lewis (Mae Peterson), Susan Egan (Kim MacAfee)

NOTES: Full show, from the overture to the bows; supposedly shot in Los Angeles, CA; the songs "A Giant Step" and "He's Mine" were written for this production

[blackkudos]

Robert Hooks

Robert Hooks (born Bobby Dean Hooks, April 18, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and activist. He is most recognizable to the public for his more than 100 roles in films, television, and stage. Most famously, Hooks, along with Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald S. Krone, founded The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). The NEC is credited with the launch of the careers of many major black artists of all disciplines, while creating a body of performance literature over the last thirty years, providing the backbone of African-American theatrical classics. Additionally, Hooks is the sole founder of two significant black theatre companies: the D.C. Black Repertory Company, and New York's Group Theatre Workshop.

Biography

Early life

The youngest of five children, Hooks was born in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C. to Mae Bertha (née Ward), a seamstress, and Edward Hooks who had moved from Rocky Mount, North Carolina with their four other children, Bernice, Caroleigh, Charles Edward "Charlie", and James Walter "Jimmy". Named Bobby Dean Hooks at birth, Robert was their first child born "up-north" and the first to be born in a hospital. His father, Edward, died in a work accident on the railroad in 1939.

Hooks attended Stevens Elementary School. In 1945, at the insistence of his sister Bernice who was doing community arts outreach for youngsters at Francis Junior High School, he performed the lead in his first play, The Pirates of Penzance, at the age of nine. From the ages of 6 to 12, Bobby Dean journeyed with his siblings to Lucama, North Carolina to work the tobacco fields for his uncle's sharecropping farm as a way to help earn money for the coming school year in D.C.

In 1954, just as Brown vs. Board of Education was being implemented in the north, he moved to Philadelphia to be with his mother, her second husband, and his half-sister, Safia Abdullah (née Sharon Dickerson). Hooks experienced his first integrated school experience at West Philadelphia High School. Hooks soon joined the drama club and began acting in plays by William Shakespeare and Samuel Beckett. He was graduated in 1956, passing on a scholarship to Temple University in order to pursue a career as a stage actor at the Bessie V. Hicks School of Theatre (alongside Charles Dierkop and Bruce Dern, with whom he second-acted plays doing their pre-Broadway tryouts in Philadelphia) while working at Browning King, a men's tailor shop at Fourteenth and Chestnut streets.

Career

Having trained at the Bessie V. Smith School of Theatre in Philadelphia, and after seeing A Raisin in the Sun in its Philadelphia tryout in February 1959, Hooks moved to New York to pursue acting. In April 1960, as Bobby Dean Hooks, he made his Broadway debut in A Raisin in the Sun replacing Louis Gossett, Jr. who would be doing the film version. He then continued to do its national tour. He then stepped into the Broadway production of A Taste of Honey, replacing Billy Dee Williams; then repeating the same national tour trajectory as he had done for "Raisin..." the previous year. In early 1962 he next appeared as the lead in Jean Genet's The Blacks, replacing James Earl Jones as the male lead, leaving briefly that same year to appear on Broadway again in Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright before stepping back into the lead role in The Blacks in 1963. He then returned to Broadway, first in Ballad for Bimshire and then in the short-lived 1964 David Merrick revival of The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Any More (as a character created by Tennessee Williams for this revival) and starring Tallulah Bankhead and Tab Hunter in his only stage performance. Immediately thereafter, in March 24, 1964 he originated the role of Clay in Amiri Baraka's Dutchman. With this play, on the advice of Roscoe Lee Brown, Hooks became known as, Robert Hooks. He also originated roles on the New York stage in Where's Daddy? for which he won the Theatre World Award and he was nominated for Best Male Lead in a Musical for Hallelujah Baby while he was simultaneously starring in David Susskind's N.Y.P.D.—the first African American lead on a television drama.

In 1968 Hooks was the host of the new public affairs television program, Like It Is.

Hooks was nominated for a Tony for his lead role in the musical, Hallelujah, Baby!, has received both the Pioneer Award and the NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement, and has been inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame. He also won an Emmy for his PBS special, Voices of Our People.

Significant roles for which Hooks is known include Reeve Scott in Hurry Sundown (1967), Mr. T. in the blaxploitation film Trouble Man (1972), grandpa Gene Donovan in the comedy Seventeen Again (2000), and Fleet Admiral Morrow in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). He also appeared on television in an episode of the NBC crime drama series The Eddie Capra Mysteries in 1978 and portrayed Doctor Walcott in the 1980s television series Dynasty.

Activism

Arts and Culture

In 1964, as a result of a speaking engagement at the Chelsea Civil Rights Committee (then connected to the Hudson Guild Settlement House) he founded The Group Theatre Workshop (GTW), a tuition-free environment for disadvantaged urban teens who expressed a desire to explore acting. Among the instructors were Barbara Ann Teer, Frances Foster, Hal DeWindt, Lonne Elder III, and Ronnie Mack. Alumni include Antonio Fargas, Hattie Winston, and Daphne Maxwell Reid.

The Group Theatre Workshop was folded into the tuition-free training arm of the The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) founded in 1967 with Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald S. Krone with a $1.3 million grant from the Ford Foundation under the auspices of W. McNeil Lowry.

From 1969-1972, Hooks served as an original board member of Black Academy of Arts and Letters (BAAL) (located in New York) alongside C. Eric Lincoln, President; John O. Killens, Alvin F. Poussaint, and Charles White. Chartered by the State of New York, BAAL's mission was to bring together Black artists and scholars from around the world. Additional members included: Julian Adderley, Alvin Ailey, Margaret Walker, James Baldwin, Imamu Baraka, Romare Bearden, Harry Belafonte, Lerone Bennett, Arna Bontemps, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee Davis, St. Clair Drake, Ernest Dunbar, Katherine Dunham, Lonne Elder III, Duke Ellington, Alex Haley, Ruth Inge Hardison, Vertis Hayes, Chester Himes, Lena Horne, Jacob Lawrence, Elma Lewis, Henry Lewis, Paule Marshall, Donald McKayle, Arthur Mitchell, Frederick O’Neal, Gordon Parks, Sidney Poitier, Benjamin Quarles, Lloyd Richards, Lucille D. Roberts, and Nina Simone.

In response to the violence in his home town of Washington, D.C. in the wake of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, and aided by a small grant from the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, Hooks took a leave of absence from the Negro Ensemble Company to create The D.C. Black Repertory Company (DCBRC, 1970-1981). As Founder and Executive Director, the DCBRC was intended as a further exploration of the ability of the arts to create healing. The a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock was created and developed within its workshop process.

The Inner Voices (Lorton Prison arts training program, 1971) proved to be a result of the beneficial effect of the DCBRC in the D.C. area. In response to a direct plea from an inmate, Rhozier "Roach" Brown, who was serving a life sentence in Lorton, Hooks' D.C. Black Repertory Company structured the first prison-based arts program in the United States. While it is the norm now, it was then a revolutionary attempt at rehabilitation through the arts. Eventually The Inner Voices performed more than 500 times in other prisons, including a Christmas special entitled, "Holidays, Hollowdays." Due to Roach's work, President Gerald Ford commuted his sentence on Christmas Day, 1975.

His relocation to the West Coast redirected Hooks' approach to parity in the arts with his involvement with The Bay Area Multicultural Arts Initiative (1988) as a board member and grant facilitator-judge. Funded by monies from a unique coalition made up of the San Francisco Foundation (a community foundation); Grants for the Arts of the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, and The National Endowment for the Arts, the function of this organization was the funding of deserving local multicultural arts organizations.

In 1992, Hooks co-founded (with writer Lonne Elder III) Arts in Action. Located in South Central Los Angeles, this was a film and television training center established to guide individuals who aspired to careers in film production. It formulated strategies and training for securing entry-level jobs. Courses included: career development workshops; pre-production and production for film and television; creative problem solving in production management; directing for stage and screen—principles and practices; also the craft of assistant directors, script supervisor, technicians, wardrobe, make-up, etc.

The Negro Ensemble Company of Los Angeles (NEC-LA) (1994-1997) was created because so many New York members and original members had relocated to the west coast. Hooks, as founder and executive director enlisted alumni from his New York Negro Ensemble Company to serve as board members: Denise Nicholas, Denzel Washington, James Earl Jones, Laurence Fishburne, Richard Roundtree, Samuel L. Jackson. NEC-LA's goal was to be a new and innovative multi-ethnic cultural project that strived to achieve the community effectiveness and professional success of its parent organization.

Personal life

Hooks is the father of actor, television and film director Kevin Hooks. He married Lorrie Gay Marlow (actress, author, artist) on June 15, 2008. Previously, he was married to Yvonne Hickman and Rosie Lee Hooks.

Awards

1966 - Theatre World Award (1965–66 ) for "Where's Daddy?" (The Billy Rose Theatre)

1979 - American Black Achievement Award - Ebony Magazine

1982 - Emmy Award for Producing (1982) Voices of Our People: In Celebration of Black Poetry (KCET-TV/PBS)

1966 - Tony Nomination, Lead Role in a Musical for Hallelujah, Baby

1985 - Inducted into The Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, recipient Oscar Micheaux Award (1985)

1986 - March 2nd declared Robert Hooks Day by the City of Los Angeles, Mayor Tom Bradley

1987 - Excellence in Advertising and Communications to Black Communities from CEBA (Excellence in Advertising and Communications to Black Communities)

2000 - Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa honorary degree, Bowie State University

2000 - May 25th declared Robert Hooks Day in Washington, D.C.

2005 - Beverly Hills/Hollywood Chapter NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement

2005 - Beverly Hills/Hollywood Chapter NAACP Trailblazer Award to the Negro Ensemble Company

2005 - Trailblazer Award – City of Los Angeles

2006 - The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL), Lifetime Achievement Award (Dallas)

2007 - The Black Theatre Alliance Awards / Lifetime Achievement Award

2015 - Living Legend Award (2015) National Black Theatre Festival

2018 - October 18th proclaimed Robert Hooks Day by Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington, D.C.

2018 - Hooks is entered into The Congressional Record by the Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton, September 4, 2018, Vol. 164

2018 - Visionary Founder and Creator Award - D.C. Black Repertory Company on its 47th anniversary

Acting Credits

Film

Sweet Love, Bitter (1967) .... Keel Robinson

Hurry Sundown (1967) .... Reeve Scott

Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) .... Chicken

Carter's Army (1970) .... Lt. Edward Wallace

Trouble Man (1972) .... Mr. T

Aaron Loves Angela (1975) .... Beau

Airport '77 (1977) .... Eddie

Fast-Walking (1982) .... William Galliot

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) .... Admiral Morrow

Passenger 57 (1992) .... Dwight Henderson

Posse (1993) .... King David

Fled (1996) .... Lt. Clark

[riddlerosehearts]

I was wondering if you had a particular place where you watched musicals at and if you could recommend me some musicals to watch if so? O: The ones you've been reblogging look so good!

okay, so it can honestly be really hard to find a way to watch a lot of broadway muscials because there often aren’t professional recordings or movie versions so you either have to go searching for a bootleg or just settle for the soundtrack. people unfortunately often have to use clips that are available on youtube or sharpen up low quality bootlegs to make gifsets, and i basically just search “(show name) bootleg” on youtube or here on tumblr and see what i can find tbh dfgkfs. most bootlegs aren’t exactly great quality either but we take what we can get. broadway sadly isn’t the most accessible thing to get into.

but even though there’s not 1 easy place to watch them all, i can still recommend some of my favorite musicals!! i really really love musical theater so i’ll try to stick to just 5 skjgfhdf but here’s another post i made last time someone asked me about musical recs! this will get kinda long so i’ll stick it under a readmore! also, i’m gonna mostly list different ones from the other post i made, so if you’re curious about any of those or really any of the musicals you see me blog about feel free to ask!

1. one of my favorite musicals of all time is wicked, which is based on a book that’s basically a wizard of oz prequel about elphaba, the wicked witch of the west, and glinda the good witch, who become best friends in school! it’s about as cheesy as it sounds but i adore it and i have a youtube playlist of the soundtrack, and there’s also a bootleg with the original cast on youtube!

2. something that’s quickly becoming one of my favorites is hadestown, a musical that adapts the greek myth of orpheus and eurydice–where orpheus journeys into the underworld to save his wife and fails to rescue her at the last second–into a somewhat more modern retelling set to folk music! its official broadway cast album isn’t out yet and it’s gone through a looot of changes through each of its productions, but full audio of the broadway version is available here, i have a playlist of the original workshop version’s music here, and a (very low quality but it’s all that currently exists afaik) video of the london version is here.

3. newsies is based on a 1992 movie musical of the same name, and is about a group of underpaid newsboys from 19th century new york rising up to go on strike, which probably sounds very boring but i like the characters a lot and the music is a ton of fun. and it stars jeremy jordan, who also plays varian in tangled the series! there’s actually a professionally filmed version of it that can be watched here, and i also have a youtube playlist of the soundtrack.

4. the prom is about a lesbian student named emma whose school prom gets canceled so that she won’t be allowed to bring her girlfriend alyssa, and four broadway actors who try to help her because they see it as an opportunity to get good press. it has really fun music and an adorable canon lesbian couple! here’s a playlist of the broadway soundtrack, but the only bootleg i’ve been able to find is from pre-broadway so it will have different lyrics and a slightly different cast, though you can still watch it here. (edit because i forgot to say this the first time: the playlist i linked includes 2 different versions of the song “you happened” and that’s because the song was changed drastically when the musical moved to broadway but i prefer the old version adkjfsgs, so i put the broadway version on there first and the old one second because i wanted them both in my playlist)

5. rent is a rock musical that follows the life of a group of friends, most of whom are broke and/or performance artists, living during the aids crisis in the late 1980s-early 1990s, and most of whom are also lgbt and/or poc! i’m very bad at explaining rent’s story but it’s really uplifting and a little sad, the cast is extremely diverse, and every song is awesome. here’s a youtube playlist of the songs, and a professionally recorded version of the musical itself is here, although it will have a different cast than the songs in the playlist. there’s also a movie which is a bit different but still good, though i’m not sure of a free place to watch it.

you can also check out the website stagedork and see what bootlegs people have uploaded to it!! for example i can see that aladdin, frozen, and the lion king are on it right now, and they’re all based on the popular disney movies of the same name and are all pretty good imo!

[gdelgiproducer]

What did you think of Rent Live?

My main focus was on how shitty the (in my opinion, unnecessary) book editing turned out to be. Granted, I think the book did need some editing, but not what it got.

Granted, no one likes a back seat driver, but I’d have pushed for the following book changes were I the director:

A question of timeline. I don’t know about anyone else, but 1991/92 seemed like kind of an arbitrary choice. In fact, I daresay that I suspect the only reason they picked 1991 was that when they picked 1989 in the movie, everyone screamed that Thelma and Louise hadn’t come out in 1989 but in 1991, so how could Angel reference it? 1991, the movie’s out, they’re safe… or so they thought. The show is kind of an anachronism stew anyway – yes, Angel does a Thelma and Louise shout-out and Maureen pretty directly references the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing (“yellow rental truck packed in with fertilizer and fuel oil” was Timothy McVeigh’s weapon), but there’s still alarms to remind people to take their AZT every four hours. This phenomenon was already dead by 1992, when a new form of AZT came out that could be taken every 12 hours – no need for beepers. (Indeed, part of me suspects the alarms were the reason they picked 1989 in the movie, but we’ve already covered what a mistake that was.) On balance, leaving the beepers out of the picture for a second, if we need to pick a realistic time-frame for Rent, 1994/95 (or, at the latest, 1995/96) makes the most sense.

A question of non-linear timeline. Pre-Broadway, post-workshop, there was briefly a revision (oddly enough, this choice was reflected in the 10th anniversary concert) that opened with “Seasons of Love” and part of “Halloween,” and told the story of Rent as a flashback from Angel’s funeral that then caught up to current events. I feel that going back to that choice would make the script much stronger and help with the structural problems Jonathan never got to fix; if the show really is “single frames from one magic night […] on the 3D IMAX of my mind,” it makes more sense that the story is so fragmented in Act II as Mark self-edits some of the bad stuff, montages things, etc. In my version, much as in the film (although there is no formal intermission in the film), Act II would open with “Seasons of Love B” to cue the audience back in to the story and remind us of how much has changed since the events of Act I, that this story is a flashback, before returning to Mark’s memories that bring us up to the “present.” In fact, once you know this bit of info, you can kind of read between the lines that Jonathan hadn’t finished revising the remnants of that structure out of Act II.

The most heard question: “WHY DON’T THE CHEAP ASS-HATS JUST FUCKING PAY RENT???” There is an answer, believe it or not, and it’s not (necessarily) that they’re merely self-absorbed entitled twats. Rent fans familiar with the bootleg of the 1994 NYTW workshop will recall that Mark’s mom signs off her voice mail not with consolation over Mark’s breakup with Maureen, but with this cold dismissal: “Oh, and Mark / Your father got a call from Chemical Bank / I don’t know how they got our number / but we meant it when we said that you’re cut off / …love Mom.” Additionally, a message from “Dave” at the top of the show consists of firing Roger, who has “left [him] without a bartender for the last time.” Put that info back in the show, to some extent (I mean, it’s sorta still implied; Mark’s mom suggests discord between Mark and his dad in one of her second act voicemails), and Benny’s rescinding his “rent-free” offer clearly can’t have come at a worse time. It’s one thing if it’s just them having unrealistic expectations, but add in that Mark’s family has cut the umbilical cord, and Roger lost his job (we’re even allowed to sympathize – must suck to go back to being a bartender after six months of rehab, not sure I’d be able to avoid triggers in that environment), and there’s no time or resources to scrape together a payment to ward him off, and suddenly rather than being a selfish gesture we’re meant to interpret as gutsy, “How we gonna pay last year’s rent?” becomes a cry of panic. Everything falling apart at once for young adults struggling with independence after having made some really big mistakes is much more sympathetic, and the best part is, it’s not a reach, you’d be pulling from Jonathan’s own writing to do it. (Shit, it’d turn the “#RentLive” Twitter feed of people admitting they sympathize more with Benny right the fuck around when they recognize themselves in Mark and Roger’s situation…) I honestly feel like Jonathan would have figured that out and re-included the material had he lived. He may have been a suburban kid from White Plains, but he wasn’t that out of touch.

The most divisive question: “Should Mimi live?” …no. No she shouldn’t. At least not if I held the reins. Having Mimi come back is thoroughly awful; it goes against all sense, feels like a cheap grab at a happy ending, and is an appalling betrayal of the “No day but today” message. “The show is about life, not death” is just not a valid excuse, and Jonathan Larson can haunt me about it all he wants. The argument that it goes against his message of “living with […] not dying from disease” falls apart when you consider that loads of people are living with HIV – and grappling with it, and facing the challenges – and not dying from it in the show. Even if Mimi dies, a positive (if layered) outlook on the fact that one can live with HIV is still shown in the lives of Roger, Collins, people in the support group, none of whom are martyrs. Do their journeys somehow not matter? Everybody has their share of hardships, but they work through them with the help of their friends and each other. The same point is made. In 2019, it is no longer commercially necessary, as it was at the time, to kill the LGBT character and let the straight character live because audiences prefer a happy ending; if one dies, they both die. (Indeed, I’ve always resented the unspoken implication when I have the argument about Mimi’s death that it’s okay that Angel dies. Here we are debating whether or not Mimi surviving “changed the conversation,” when Angel was no one’s definition of a victim or a martyr, and lived for each moment as much as anyone else.) And, dramaturgically speaking, if one is careful and smart about positioning dialogue and using staging appropriately, one can stick to the text and score as written and still have Mimi die without damaging the show at all. Of the four things I suggest, I’m almost positive this is the one Larson’s family would have the most trouble with, but I stand by it.

[michael-radi-the-glamorous-life]

Hey, Old Friend

What is a theatre writer’s best friend and worst enemy?

You might think: Writer’s block? The blank page? Technology? Caffeine? Sleep? Outlines? All good possible answers, but…nope. What applies only to theatre writers and to no other form of writing?

Readings.

DUN DUN DUN! *Insert dramatic zoom here*

But why, Michael? Why are readings both potentially wonderful and oh-so-evil at the same time?

An excellent question.

“As the Horses Go Round…”"

Theatrical readings of all types - but particularly for musicals - have a tendency to live within a cycle. And this cycle is simultaneously comforting and deadly.

Allow me to explain:

You write and finally finish a presentable first draft of a new show. YAY!!! So what do you do next?

Home Reading - You gather some actor and/or writer friends together to give the new piece a read aloud and see what it is that you have created.

You have some food and drink for your guests, you have a light and easy time, stakes are low, and you all have fun. Your friends stick around and chat with you about the show to give some constructive critiques, you realize you have a lot of rewrites to do (insert small crisis here), and then you all disperse.

You rewrite lots for a lengthy period of time and come up with a new, better presentable version. Yay!!! What do you do next?

Closed Reading - This could take place in your home again, if there’s room, or you can rent a studio for this one. What’s different?

The atmosphere is definitely still casual and stakes are relatively low, but now it’s time to find out if what you have is worth digging into and pursuing. You now have rehearsed the show with your friends/actors/writers who are helping you out, you’ve taught music to be sung live, and perhaps hired an accompanist. You’ve invited a director friend you think might be interested in the piece or have good critiques. You hold off on the snacks and booze until after the reading is over and you’re all in discussion mode. It’s just a tad more professional.

And the critique is more specific, because the show has grown and changed. There are now multiple drafts that people have heard - they can compare and contrast. Ideas and opinions begin to flow, some helpful and some not. It’s harder to detach from the critiques, though they need to be heard. You gain a lot.

A little time away from the piece. Then more rewrites. A little re-structuring. More songs. Fewer characters. Better dialogue. You begin to really like the piece. YAY!!! What now?

Staged Reading - This one often comes in the form of a festival or an open reading for people you and your creative team know, taking place in some studio or small theater. Now what’s up?

Well, there’s still no real staging. “Staged reading” is a little bit of a misnomer. Usually everyone is at music stands and the director does their best to make this feel natural on the movement of your show - a true feat for all involved. The performers are now of the correct vocal and personality type - some of them you knew ahead of time and some you did not. There is a director and a musical director. The piece has been worked a bit during your short rehearsal process (well under 29 hours if using AEA actors). Many changes have been made with the actors on their feet. The whole thing feels more like a performance, even though it isn’t. Everyone is being paid…except the writers, who are usually paying for everyone else out of pocket while taking off time from work to make the reading happen. This occurs quite often.

The feedback? From the cast and creatives it’s usually over drinks in a celebratory fashion right after the reading. From the audience? Perhaps there was an open talk back session where people you do and don’t know offer their opinions. Some great, some out of left field. Otherwise, you approach your friends and beg them to be honest to help your work grow, even though you know some of the critiques will hurt more at this point. More work piles on. Major changes needed. Off you go.

Back to the drawing board. Great experience. More work necessary. Lots of rewriting. Plenty of new material. Now it needs to be tested again before the public sees and hears it. Yay?!?

Home Reading - We’ve been here before, haven’t we? What’s different?

You’ve more actor friends who know the material to choose from. More performing can take place for the older material and you can personally supplement for the newer material. Things are lighthearted and fun as you test out the new version, but there’s more stakes now for you the writer. Critiques are critical, particularly from those who know the show well. Everyone has pizza and booze, or you give a little gift, and they go on their way. Onward.

Now you have a plan. You know what the show is missing, it’s not nearly as much as before. You’re oh-so-very close and you have a goal. Solid rewrites. More fire. Lots of coffee. Excellent new draft. Very solid yay.

Invited Reading - This one has definite stakes attached. Money will be raised, everyone will be paid, industry people you know and trust and/or are interested in will be invited, and music stands will be nowhere in sight. What is this thing?

We may be in a high profile festival of some sort, or perhaps just rented a nice space somewhere. You’ve gotten performers with excellent credits in the city - Broadway and Off-Broadway for sure - with at least one recognizable name who will perk ears up. You have found, or are courting, a director you really like who has great connections, whose interest in the piece could really move you forward. Scripts are in hand - contractually - but the performers like the material and care, so they’re basically off-book anyway. There is light staging and some good lighting. It feels theatrical. The audience is excited to be there - since they’ve all been invited for xy or z reason. This time it’s not about getting critiques - though necessary always - it’s about garnering interest in the piece and getting it out there into the world/the NY theatre scene’s psyche.

It goes well. You get good feedback, potentially even great feedback. You get industry people interested and/or attached. Or you don’t. Many factors are involved. You’re stoked about your piece. Lots of celebration after the reading. Everyone goes home, having had a great experience and looking forward to next time. You go home, knowing there has to be a next time. You’re not getting produced quite yet. The balloon deflates. Or perhaps you are! Congratulations! Depends on who you know, who came, where you are in your career, and what exactly happened. But there’s still more work to do.

If you’re getting produced, it’s time now to get the piece in perfect working order for production. Lots of work, much of it minutia. If your not getting produced, it’s time to get the piece in perfect working order to be sent out to every submission opportunity you can think of or find. Lots of work to do. Lots of cover letters to write and samples to be created. Demos to be recorded. Formatting to detail. This thing is great now. It’s totally what you want it to be. You’re pretty sure at least. YAY.

Home Reading - Whoa. What are we doing back here?

Well, you need to make sure you’re not crazy and that this thing is indeed where it should be. Friends love to hear and be a part of good pieces in good developmental stages. It’s actually a lovely time, despite how much work went into this little reading. You’re happy, they’re happy. It’s a good evening. Yes, there’s always more work to do, but you’re, like, totally there.

The show gets produced! Wahoo! (If it doesn’t, see above instructions for another Invited Reading and also do tons of submissions. Perhaps you’ll win a contest or be accepted to an opportunity where they will put on a Staged Reading for you. In that case, see instructions even further up.) Production went great. Much happiness. Not perfect though, and it needs revision before the next production and the next step. Okay, yay!

Workshop Reading - There’s a lot that’s great about this one. Like what?

It’s produced for you. Hells yes! Now you can be the writer, and only the write,r during a reading process - isn’t that a luxury? You are given more time. BOOYAH. It’s not rushed and everyone can take time to engage in the creative process together. It’s memorized. It’s rehearsed on its feet. There’s a dedicated creative team - and some cast - that are likely to remain attached to the project. The piece is finally starting to resemble what you had envisioned all along. The reading takes place for for backers and the next production step is discussed - will you be able to do a big regional premier? A pre-Broadway contract of some kind? Off-Broadway? West End? Minor tour to gain interest? Many possibilities.

From here, it’s likely production to production with tweaks in-between until you get to your final destination (Broadway, Off-Broadway, licensing, etc.). Perhaps another Workshop Reading takes place, but it’s unlikely to go too many steps back up on the list. I think you did it. You think you did it. You broke the cycle. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, until you do it all over again with your next show, at least. But that’s for another day.

Whaddya Say, Old Friend?

There are many lessons to take away from the reading cycle. There are many emotions attached to each step of it, as well as the entire concept. It’s a lot. And it’s easy to get caught cycling between a few of those steps. It’s difficult to break out.

But you know what helps at every single stage? The people. The friends. The artists you know and love who help you, support you, sing for you, read for you, and give you the most honest-yet-kind feedback throughout the entire journey.

Never underestimate their value. Cherish them. Pay them, even if all you can afford is some pizza and booze to share. They are you biggest fans and your best allies.

Short Personal Application

This past weekend I held a Home Reading (version 3 from above) of The King’s Legacy in preparation for this summer’s production. It was wonderful.

The show is in a fantastic place, the people were lovely and helpful and generous and kind, the food was good, the booze was better, the critiques were tops, and it was the best. And readings can totally be the best.

I am so incredibly grateful to all of the artists who have been involved in readings of my shows over the past decade+, for without them I could not do what I do. So, here’s to all of you who support writers through the chaos that is the reading process - you are loved more than you could know. Cheers!

[galacticnewsnetwork]

What Happens When Fandom Doesn't Grow Up?

Adults are insisting childhood brands from 'Star Wars' to Marvel continue to cater to them, but does preserving the past limit the future?

There’s a proverb that says, “you can’t take it with you,” popularized by playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart in their 1936 Pulitzer Prize-winning production of the same name. The expression was in reference to our inability to take our material possessions with us to the afterlife, though opinion differs on whether this advice is a suggestion to spend freely, or to not worry about collecting pricey material possessions at all — the conclusion being that our possessions only have worth in the present, or that they may not have as much value in the grand scheme of life as we think.

Though the idiom is seen through the perspective of mortality, it works just as well when viewed through the lens of life’s transitional periods, particularly childhood to adulthood. The notion that we can’t take it with us is arguably a sibling to 1 Corinthians 13:11, which states: When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways.” Perhaps these expressions once carried weight, but in our current age of pop culture, a living and breathing monument to nostalgia, it has become harder and harder for adults to leave the things they loved as children behind.

From superheroes, Star Wars, fairy tales, and cartoons, the things many of us loved as children remain something we love today – protectively, passionately, and even problematically. This fierce nostalgia is arguably even more common with Millennials whose instantaneous embrace of the internet has allowed very few childhood staples to slip through the cracks in memory. Even if we’re not buying lightsabers, Hulk hands, or Barbie Dream Houses anymore, these characters and concepts are possessions that reside with many of us and sometimes define a key aspect of our identities. Previous generations, less driven by early age consumerist culture, don’t quite have the same involvement as late game Gen Xers and Millennials. In other words, no one is asking for a Lincoln Logs movie. Our inability, or maybe our unwillingness, to put childish things behind us and accept their temporary value isn’t an inherently negative facet of generational culture. But it is interesting how this modern nostalgia presents itself.

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion PicturesAvengers: Infinity War Still

If you take a brief perusal of the Twitter reactions to the teaser for the live-action Kim Possible TV movie that Disney Channel released last Aug. 10, you’ll find plenty of opinions from people upset with the casting, claims it could never live up to the cartoon, or fans hyped with the addendum that "this is for us, not the kids." These passionate, often volatile responses about a once popular kids cartoon are overwhelming from adults. Similar sentiments came after Nickelodeon announced a CGI animated version of the Rugrats and released an image of the updated Chucky. More alarming were male commenters on Twitter photos for the new She-Ra cartoon, noise that basically resulted in a claim that the cartoon character should be “hotter,” and closer to the depiction of the character in the 1985 Filmation cartoon.

There’s an intense desire that these new iterations and reboots not be for the kids of today, but for those in their 20s and 30s. A quick search online will deliver any cartoon character from the '90s you could think of as adult contemporary versions. Some artists, like Brandon Avant, whose work went viral last year, have brought a real craft to these reimaginings of the characters from Doug, Goof Troop, and Arthur, as adults in their 20s, tattooed and stylish. There’s certainly fun to be had in alternative depictions of fictional characters, but there’s also a sense that many fans of these '90s shows would prefer these versions brought back to life on TV and movie screens, as opposed to anything geared towards children.

This feeling of ownership stems from an idea that kids today don’t care about certain characters anymore, at least not in the same way that those of us who grew up in the late '80s and '90s did, or do. Perhaps there is something to that. How many of the properties popularized in the '80s or '90s would still be popular without the adult fandom that keeps it alive through memes and Buzzfeed posts? Of course there are properties like Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney animated movies that are eternal. But there are also properties like Gargoyles, Animaniacs, and So Weird that would draw a blank for many kids today. Even once popular shows and platforms like Looney Tunes and The Muppets have fallen out of favor among children in terms of the position they used to hold with previous generations. While the rumored Space Jam 2 starring Lebron James may bring some children back on board with Warner Bros’ classic library of toons, there’s also the fact that that project currently seems to be more anticipated by those who grew up with the original 1996 film. Perhaps the only way to keep some of these characters and concepts alive is to cater to the now adult audiences. But what happens when these characters grow up?

Properties like Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney’s reimaginings of animated classics have managed to bridge the generational gap, appealing to children, adults, and elderly audiences. While Disney collectively has managed to find a way to appeal to almost everyone, there are a few recent examples that call into question the desire to really see our childhood heroes grow up. Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi created controversy last December, a controversy that has unfortunately bled into 2018 in regards to its depiction of Luke Skywalker, who has become bitter and disconnected from the force. Luke Skywalker grew up, got old, got tired, and got fandom in their feelings over the fact that the Jedi wasn’t leading the charge across space, green lightsaber in hand. While The Last Jedi is a commentary on the failure of the previous generation, setting the stage for new characters Rey, Finn, Rose, and Poe to start their own revolution on their own terms and “let the past die,” many Star Wars viewers weren’t interested in seeing the next generation take charge and instead clung to defunct canon. While many want these characters to grow up with them, they want them to grow up on their own terms, and if not to remake the plot points of their childhoods, then at least to recreate the feeling they got from those original films.

Laurie Sparham/DisneyChristopher Robin

A similar situation of childhood properties expected to grow up under strict terms followed the release of Marc Forster’s Christopher Robin. While Winnie the Pooh remains a beloved children’s property, kept alive by various television shows and animated movies, Christopher Robin tells a story where the titular boy has become a man and left his childhood friends, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore behind in the Hundred Acre Wood. Christopher Robinisn’t only the first iteration of the property to be rated PG, it’s also deeply melancholy, and grounded in the working class struggle of post-World War II London. Favoring dark grays and weather-worn cinematography, along with allusions to the directorial touches of Terrence Malick, Christopher Robin often feels explicitly geared towards adults. Yes, there are moments of warmth, brightness, and the humor that made A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard’s stories so beloved in the first place, but unless you have a kid who’s eagerly sitting down to watch Days of Heaven, there’s a lot in Forster’s presentation geared towards adults. The reaction to this take has been somewhat mixed, with a number of critics lamenting the film’s more serious insights and a lack of fun. But what’s interesting is that Christopher Robin speaks directly to the phenomenon we’ve been discussing. Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) realizes that being an adult doesn’t necessarily mean leaving childhood things behind, but incorporating them into adulthood. While this revelation doesn’t take Christopher Robin into Ted (2012) territory, there are interesting parallels to these stories of men who are incomplete without the literal representations of their childhood in tow.

The Happytime Murders

Perhaps this is all a rather roundabout way to approach the issue of Muppets offering unsolicited sex and hard drugs in Happytime Murders, but nonetheless, the sentiment remains true. We don’t really want to put away childish things, we want them to grow up with us. Brian Henson’s R-rated crime-comedy film starring Melissa McCarthy, earned its share of pre-release controversy, with the Sesame Workshop suing production company STX for the use of the tagline “No Sesame. All Street.” Sesame Street remains popular among young audiences, but the Disney owned Muppets have largely fallen out of favor with the last movie The Muppets Most Wantedmaking a poor box office showing ($80.4 million on a $50 million budget), and sitcom The Muppets being canceled in 2016 after one season. With Disney seemingly having no plans for the characters anytime soon, perhaps Brian Henson’s best bet to keep his father’s art-form alive, if not the characters themselves, was to appeal to a desire to see Muppet-esque characters in adult situations, something that worked well for the popular Broadway musical Avenue Q.  

Not every modern resurrection of once sensational properties has opted to appeal to adults. R.L. Stine’s book series Goosebumps, which led to a popular television series in the '90s, was adapted as a film in 2015. A sequel, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is set for release on Oct. 12 this year. The first film is kids’ movies through and through, and trailer for the sequel indicates that this new installment will go even further in that direction, given its younger cast. This doesn’t mean the films don’t register with adults, but rather they aren’t appealing to our nostalgia, going as far to drastically redesign some of the characters popularized by Fox Kids/YTV show and refrain from utilizing the classic theme song. The Goosebumps films haven’t grown up with us, but rather see kids of Gen Z as their primary audience.

Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time (2018) is another film that struck a chord with younger audiences more so than adults who read the book series growing up, or those who remember the 2003 ABC television film. It’s a film that aims to be an intelligent kids’ movie, a big-budget PG experience that we rarely see in live-action theatrical releases anymore. Films like Goosebumps and A Wrinkle in Time ask us to meet kids on their level, rather than asking them to rise to an adolescent or adult level to enjoy the things we refuse to loosen our grips on. With films based on Are You Afraid of the Dark and Barbie set to receive new interpretations, and a Sandlot(1993) prequel in development, it will be interesting to see which audience demographic they appeal to and how much nostalgia they’ll give into. We’re living in the height of pop culture adaptations, and if we’ve proven anything, it’s that we’ll take these childish ways with us as far as we can.

Source: Hollywood Reporter by Richard Newby

[bellesdomain]

Starlight Express Workshop - what would I do?

A lot of talk has been floated about “Updating Starlight Express” and most of that seems to focus on the cosmetic elements, the choice of musical instrumentation, the costume design, and to be honest these are the elements of nostalgia which attract a lot of the audience! There’s no problem with the show looking or sounding like its 1980s roots. However the deeper issues of the show, the social politics, the representation and the role models for young minds, these need to be addressed.  Also, the many alterations and re-writes over the years have left a patchwork of plot holes and elements lost in translation, and the show will enormously benefit from being unpicked, and cut from fresh cloth, to be put back together in a near identical result but strong and clean!

So I humbly present my personal opinions, as a fan who knows the show well. What would I do were I directing the overhaul of Starlight Express?

First - since the concept is on the table already - Gender switch Electra.  Switching Poppa to Momma has been interesting, but vocally it doesn’t work, and I don’t think it particularly brings anything new to the show.  However, female Electra would kick ass! she would immediately break the convention of “Engine = male”.

She would bring some complications - while I am all for bisexual representation onstage, I think it’s a bit much to expect Pearl to be able to consider Electra a “lover” immediately in “Make Up My Heart”.  But then it’s somewhat ridiculous as the show stands that she’s taking Electra’s race invitation as seriously as Rusty’s interest in her, so regardless of Electra’s gender, I’d want to restore “He Whistled At Me” in place of “Make Up My Heart”.  The Upbeat, funky song is far more fun anyway! 

That then brings a complication - “He Whistled At Me” is the same melody as “Engine of Love”, so in order to not drive the audience mad at the repetition, Rusty’s introduction needs to me “Call Me Rusty”, which might benefit from being a more light-hearted tweak on the original, dark and angry version. However keeping the coaches’ section is important as it gives their perspective on Rusty’s hopeless optimism. 

Second - Include Belle, the old Sleeping Car.  Poppa’s coach, an older female character. “Belle’s Song” is one of the hidden gems in the show, but after the Broadway production she was cut, justified as she wasn’t needed in the plot.  Well, I’d make her vital to the plot, as part of the third point...  Also she would take her place in “Girl’s Rolling Stock”, where slight lyric changes are needed to express that the girls are convincing Dinah “You don’t need him” rather than “Take him back”. 

Third - Logic in the Races.  If you were to ask, say, Flat-Top what was most exciting about the races, he’d say it’s between Electricity and Diesel.  Nobody takes Rusty seriously, it’s all about the fight between Electra and Greaseball. WHO WILL WIN?  So, in order to stretch out that excitement, move Electra to Heat 2.  Poppa still races in Heat 2 as well - and he races with Belle, his old partner.  It’s not the weight of pulling Dustin that overloads him, simply his age.  This is really important, as Dustin is the least likely race partner - except he races twice.  If Poppa races with Belle, then when Rusty comes to pick Dustin as his partner for the Downhill Final, the reaction is “Oh no, don’t be ridiculous?” rather than the current “hmm, well, he managed ok last time I guess...” The “Two heats, two qualifiers from each” structure works well when it is observed, so it’s simply a matter of swapping Electra with Ruhrgold (or national engine of choice).  Greaseball wins the first heat comfortably, and Ruhrgold comes second.  The second heat is won by Electra, and Poppa crosses the finish line second to qualify. 

Fourth - Ensemble piece, layered story. Starlight loses a lot of interest when it becomes “The Pearl and Rusty Show”.  Scenes that don’t include either of them - such as Girl’s Rolling Stock, or Caboose’s character arc including “There’s Me”, are just as valuable to the show.  It’s a rich and interesting world, especially when we get to know more characters.

Fifth - Control is Dreaming. This element is subtle but important.  The child drifts off to sleep during the “Overture”, and from then on we’re seeing their dream. This is important because if Control is awake and playing, their conscious mind is creating these scenarios, they are choosing to beat up their favourite oldest engine, they’re choosing distinctly adult concepts of gender and sexuality well beyond their pre-pubescent years.   However, if Control is asleep, then it is their unconscious mind at work, these elements are a way of processing the world they’re learning.  For example, Electra is an openly sexual character, and comes from “The Future”.  Control is a young kid, and sexuality is a subject that lies in their future.  It’s intriguing and confusing and scary. 

Linked to this concept, the “Entry of the National Trains” needs to be placed before AC/DC to allow for the full lullaby/to sleep/to dream sequence of the Overture.  “Entry of the National Trains” works better in this position for two further reasons - it contextualises Electra’s arrival, and causes less confusion for the audience.  The first characters the audience are introduced to are assumed to be important - and really, remembering the name of the Russian engine is not vital to understanding the plot!

One more small point about Electra - I would include “No Comeback”, as she throws the biggest tantrum, and storms out after losing the race! The melody is so deeply woven into the show already, yet its source is missing.  While seeing Electra crashed and humiliated is poetic justice, the contrast with Greaseball and Caboose crashing and Electra storming off would add variety.  Especially with Greaseball redeemed by the end, but Electra is not.

Finally, Love Song, I would want to use “Only You” for Rusty and Pearl - the duet version used as “Du Allein” in Germany for many years. Part of the glory of the Starlight Sequence is the blending of two strong themes from the show - Rusty’s questioning, lost in “Starlight Express”, and he finds his answer in the form of “Only You”. It’s the completion of the story, and having a new love song shoe-horned in loses that arc.  The “Du Allein” version in particular suits Pearl’s character so well, it’s quieter and reflective rather than a big impassioned belter. As Pearl has finally stopped and taken the time to reflect on her choices, she realises her mistakes, and that version conveys the moment best.

So overall my choices land heavily on the original material, and I don’t think most of these changes would even be recognised as alterations by casual audience members - except for those who remember Electra as male. The audience would simply not find many flaws to criticise.  My intention is to focus on the characters and telling their stories, the theatrical spectacle lies on top of solid characer based plot.