Proshots-Good or Bad?

March 12^th 2020. The day Broadway shut down. Props put away, costumes hung into closets, and doors closed. Actors out of jobs, crew with nothing to do, eager theatergoers disappointed. However, how have these people been biding their time during this merciless pandemic? While some actors have been teaching or coping with online rehearsals, how are regular audience members dealing with the curtains being closed? Well, all the answers will be given to you in this article, so do not throw away your shot to read on! (Catch the subtle Hamilton reference?)

Firstly, I’m sure if you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve noticed the increasing amount of movie adaptions and/or Proshots (musicals filmed on stage and released on streaming platforms) being launched all around. Some of the most recent ones are Diana the Musical (Netflix), In The Heights (Recently on HBO Max-but taken off the platform), Dear Evan Hansen (In cinemas only), and more that are to be released in the future.

However, what do theatre fans think of this new phenomenon that allows us to watch our favorite musicals right from our couch? There is ongoing controversy between recurring audience members, some saying filmed musicals will make in-person theatre go out of style, while others say filmed musicals will make theatre more accessible for others. Nonetheless, what do actors themselves think of this?

Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen), said that he does watch bootlegs on YouTube, and once Karen Olivo (West Side Story, 2009) even asked for a Moulin Rouge bootleg on her Instagram story once, saying she wouldn’t rat anyone out! In summary, most actors enjoy Proshots and being able to share the gift of theatre with others around the world.

To conclude, the ongoing debate on Proshots between millions of musical theatre fans around will continue for years on end as the amount of Proshots increases and the controversy grows.

 

 Thanks for reading! What are your thoughts on Proshots? Comment below! 

-The Dialogue Diaries