We love live theater.
Well, we would, wouldn’t we? Live theater is the biggest part of why The Straz exists in the first place.
We believe that the potential for transcendence is greatest when the audience and the performance are under the same roof.
We are also realists. We know that there are countless situations that keep would-be theater-goers at home.
Fortunately for theater-lovers who can’t always be theater-goers, there are plenty of options, at varying prices, for enjoying everything from Shakespeare to Broadway classics old and new.
The Shakespeare’s Globe site offers Globe Player, a service providing subscribers access to productions of the Bard’s works filmed at London’s Globe Theatre, a replica of Shakespeare’s playhouse, opened in 1997. Along with more traditional presentations the service also offers bold interpretations of the Shakespeare canon, performed in Arabic, Bangla, Japanese and other languages. Presented with English subtitles, these presentations are testament to the universality of Shakespeare’s works.
BroadwayHD is a subscription service offering filmed productions of Broadway and off-Broadway shows, as well as concerts, ballets, Shakespeare, documentaries and more. It will take some serious binge watching to make a dent in BroadwayHD’s catalog of presentations.
Broadway on Demand is similar, but also offers some pay-per-view options. Besides Broadway productions, BoD also offers limited series, Broadway previews and educational titles.
Streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Netflix also have Broadway fare among their offerings. Disney+ famously brought Hamilton to its subscribers shortly after pandemic shutdowns began, making the Tony®-winning historical drama/musical accessible to millions of viewers.
And while a film and a stage play are very different things, many Broadway hits, particularly musicals, have become beloved and classic movies such as Carousel, Oklahoma, The Music Man and Bye Bye Birdie. Most of the classic filmed musicals are available for streaming.
Nothing beats the thrill of live theater: the buzz of anticipation as the audience awaits show time; the hushed thrill of the house lights being dimmed; the sweep and spectacle of the production; and the wonder of a story being told in real time by actors sharing the same space as the spectators.
The Straz hopes you never forget the feeling you get from live performance. The Straz hopes you will attend as many theatrical productions as you are able.
The Straz also understands that sometimes you want to stay home, order pizza and watch from the comfort of your sofa. With streaming, you still have the option of seeing a stellar Broadway production while wearing pajamas.
Or you can binge watch Real Housewives of Des Moines or whatever. Your call.