Broadway To TV
Live television broadcasts of Broadway musicals are proving to be a ratings bonanza again for TV networks. Peter Pinne reports that everything old is new again.
The recent phenomenon of Broadway musicals being performed “live” on TV is not new. Back in 1954 Mary Martin’s Tony-winning Broadway outing in Peter Pan was televised live in black-and-white by NBC. A kinescope (film pre-cursor to videotape) remains of the event and apart from showing us Martin in top form as the gamin-like Peter it also shows us how inventive and boisterous Jerome Robbins’ production was. The telecast received so much acclaim that NBC decided to videotape a colour version in 1960, which was repeated in 1963, 1966 and 1973. The same year (1954) Ethel Merman brought her brassy portrayal of Reno Sweeney in Cole Porter’s Anything Goes to life in a truncated one-hour version, with Frank Sinatra as Billy and Bert Lahr as Moonface, so it’s no surprise TV networks have jumped on the bandwagon again.
The Wiz Live! was NBC’s Thanksgiving musical last year. According to the critics it was a “colourful triumph” and the best of their three recent “live” musical attempts. Although it didn’t reach the astronomical ratings of 18 million for Carrie Underwood’s The Sound of Music in 2012, with 11.5 million viewers it was up on Peter Pan’s dismal 9.1 millionin 2013. Top-starred was Queen Latifa as the Wiz, in a cast that included several pop performers and Glee star Amber Riley. Stephanie Mills, Broadway’s original Dorothy, was a welcome addition as Aunt Em.
A big production, with the inclusion of Cirque du Soleil acrobats adding to the mix of singers and dancers, the FX heavy show worked remarkably well on multiple screen sound-stages, which included colourful LED screens designed by Derek McLane. Paul Tazewell’s costumes were described as “eye-popping” and “ostentatious”.
As Dorothy, newcomer Shanice Williams lit-up the small-screen with powerhouse diva vocals on “Be a Lion”, “If You Believe” and “Home”. The whole production, including the A-list cast and Cirque du Soleil performers, takes a trip to Broadway later this year.
It came as no surprise that TV networks in the UK followed the U.S. trend. As a 2015 Christmas treat ITV broadcast its own “live” version of The Sound of Music, which had started the latest trend at NBC in 2013.Heading the cast was former Eastenders star Kara Tointon as Maria, with Julian Ovenden (Downton Abbey) as Georg and multi Olivier Award-winning Maria Friedman as the Mother Abbess.
With a set budget of 750,000 pounds, it was produced on soundstages at 3 Mills Studios in London. Like NBC’s version it was an adaptation of the stage musical and not based on the film, although the score did include the movie’s “Something Good”.
Creative director Coky Giedroyc said she wanted to “keep it true to the original” and maintain a focus on the political aspects of the story. To this end, when the Nazi’s invade Austria, historical black-and-white footage of the real thing was included, helping give the production authenticity.
Reviews were mixed but the Daily Telegraph judged it “more a success than a failure”, with praise for Tointon’s “refreshing earthiness and grit” as Maria. Casting Ovenden, a true musical theatre leading man, as Georg meant his songs had vocal heft with the second act duet “Something Good” particularly pleasing, whilst the roles of Max and Elsa in the hands of Alexander Armstrong (host of game show Pointless) and Katherine Kelly (Mr Selfridge’s Lady May) could not have been bettered.
BBC also got into the act at Christmas by broadcasting a “live” performance of Imelda Staunton’s Mama Rose in Gypsy, filmed at London’s Savoy Theatre, where the Evening Standard Awards’ Best Musical sold-out its entire West End season. Appearing with Staunton was True Blood’s Lara Pulver as Louise and UK Law & Order’s Peter Davison as Herbie. Staunton’s riveting performance, called “exquisitely brilliant” and “triumphant”, was not only a viewing treat but an archival gem.
The latest live-to-air musical has been Fox’s Grease Live! It aired 31st January 2016, and, as far as the viewing numbers go, was a worldwide hit, airing in Canada the same time as it did in the U.S., then in Australia, the UK and N.Z. in early February. The U.S. broadcast pulled 12.2 million viewers, which increased to 14 million after the figures for the digital soundtrack, which went to #5 on iTunes, were added. It was replayed as an encore performance on Easter Sunday, 27th March.
Aaron Tveit as Danny Zuko and Julianne Hough as Sandy didn’t erase memories of John Travolta and Olivia Newton John in the movie, but although they lacked chemistry their dancing was superb and helped make the telecast the success that it was. Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical films/Gigi) was a cool Betty Rizzo.
The difference in this “live” production was that you saw the cast move on the studio lot from soundstage to soundstage with the subsequent exterior locations adding enormously to the “live” feel. The production was based on the stage version but did include the songs that were added to the movie. It also featured a new ballad “Angel” by Tom Kitt and sung by the character of Frenchie (Carly Rae Jepsen), which felt like it was in a different show and was totally out-of-place with the rest of the score.
To produce an event like this takes an enormous amount of rehearsal and split-second timing. The fact that the only technical hitch was some audio static during Hough’s singing of “Hopelessly devoted to you” was an amazing feat. Even a shower of rain just prior to the performance starting didn’t throw the techs or performers off. Apart from being a technical triumph for veteran Dancing with the Stars television director Alex Rudzinski, it was also a triumph for creative director Thomas Kail, fresh off his award-winning chores on Broadway’s Hamilton. “Born to Hand Jive” sizzled, but it was the concluding numbers “We Go Together” and “You’re The One That I Want” which provided the goose-bumps, along with the finale run-down as the performers took their bows to camera as they would in the theatre.
What does the future hold? More of the same, with Fox announcing their fall schedule will include a TV remake of The Rocky Horror Show, starring Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Annaleigh Ashford (Sylvia) as Columbia, Reeve Carney (Spider-Man) as Riff-Raff, Adam Lambert (American Idol) as Eddie, Staz Nair (Game of Thrones) as Rocky, with Ryan McCarten (Heathers) and Victoria Justice (Victorious) as Brad and Janet. Tim Curry, the original Frank-N-Furter, plays the Narrator. It’s being directed, choreographed and executive produced by Kenny Ortega.
The Rocky Horror Show is an obvious choice, as it blitzed the box-office in the UK and across Europe when it was broadcast “live” on its 40th Anniversary from London’s Playhouse Theatre on 17 September 2015, in a production starring the show’s creator Richard O’Brien. Screened in 600 cinemas across the UK and Europe it took more than £600,000 at the UK box-office alone. An edited version was later broadcast on BBC America, Sky Arts in the UK, SBS in Australia, Canal+ Extra in Spain and YLE Teema in Finland.
NBC have announced their next musical, which will premiere on 7 December 2016, will be Hairspray Live. It will be the first time a title from the contemporary Broadway catalogue will be produced “live”. Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who also produced NBC’s three previous “live” entries, are attached to the project along with director of The Wiz Live Kenny Leon and original choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Most of the creative talent associated with the hit Broadway production will be on hand to recreate it on television including the composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and book writer Harvey Fierstein, who originated the role of Edna Turnblad on Broadway. No casting has been announced but a search is underway for an actress to play the lead role of Tracey Turnblad.
With production budgets in the stratosphere, television “live” versions of Broadway classics give musical theatre geeks a great chance to see their favourite shows and performers. The TV medium adds another dimension to the theatrical experience and, while it in no way replicates seeing a performance in the theatre, if you can’t see it in the flesh watching it “live” on television is definitely the next best thing.
Originally published in the May / June 2016 edition of Stage Whispers.
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Peter Pinne says of The Sound of Music Live!
“When NBC aired The Sound of Music Live! on Thursday December 5th 2013, it was the first time in over 50 years that a television network had broadcast a live version of a Broadway musical. A cause for celebration and with the telecast pulling in nearly 20 million viewers.
“In the role of Maria, five-time Grammy winner and theatre virgin Carrie Underwood put her stamp on the role forever identified with Julie Andrews in the 1965 film version. She brought warmth and grit to the part and sang the heart out of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s iconic score. Particularly nice was “Something Good” a song interpolated from the movie.
“Opposite her as Capt. Georg von Trapp, Stephen Moyer, better known as vampire Bill Compton in HBOs True Blood, surprised with a pleasant tenor vocal on ‘Edelweiss’. He made the character’s transition from stern and bullying to likeable very believable."
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