Netflix for Broadway superfans? You have our attention
For those of us with a love for Broadway shows and a lack of time or money to fly to New York for every single one we want to see (so basically everyone), we have amazing news: A new streaming service called BroadwayHD is here! Excuse us while we put on our dancing shoes.
BroadwayHD is “on a mission to promote and preserve live theatre, extending the reach of Broadway and Broadway caliber shows to anyone, anywhere,” touts its website. According to the New York Daily News, the service aims “to be the Netflix of Broadway” and offers viewers around 120 shows they can watch from their televisions, computers, or mobile devices like smartphones. Among the site’s catalog are such titles as Memphis, Romeo and Juliet, and A Doll’s House.
And rest assured that BroadwayHD was founded by some of the greats: husband-and-wife Tony Award-winning producer couple Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley, who worked together on such notable productions as Legally Blonde: The Musical and A Streetcar Named Desire. But they don’t consider it a substitute for the actual Broadway experience for a second.
“We’re not going to replace the Broadway experience,” Lane told the Associated Press. “But if you can’t get to Broadway, get to BroadwayHD. Hopefully it will whet your appetite to go see it live.”
Makes sense. There are some shows whose sets and costumes are so beautiful we still have to see them in person at some point (The Lion King, anyone?). Plus, Broadway-theatre acoustics can’t be beat. Similarly, movies are usually better in a movie theatre, too – especially blockbusters with lots of amazing graphics and action sequences – but both movie theaters and services like Netflix are making bank. We’re sure Broadway shows will fare the same way!
The service costs $169.99 per year, which may seem like a lot at face value but is less than the price of a non-nosebleed seat at pretty much any show. Hey, if nothing else, it’s worth throwing on your holiday wish list…just make sure you prepare your couch, snack bowls, and tap shoes in advance. .
(Image via Broadway HD)
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