Broadway HD: Is it worth it?

We all love Netflix, so what if there was one for Broadway plays and musicals?

Well, now there is: Broadway HD.

Users pay a subscription fee, equal to the price of a Broadway ticket, in order to view musicals and plays.

When I first heard about this, I was super excited because it can save you money in the long run.

I went onto the website and saw that it had a very limited selection of shows, which was very disappointing.

Also, most of the plays were Shakespeare, which is personally not my cup of tea.

I checked the website again a few months later and saw that they added more musicals and some more variety within the play section, but it still was not amazing or anywhere near the caliber of Netflix.

Most of the musicals are already on DVD and have been available for a long time.

The plays are still mostly Shakespeare, but the others are pretty much from BBC and/or very dated.

Subscription cost around $150, so I can't say that it is worth it to pay to watch plays and musicals no one really wants to see.

I hope that in the future, Broadway HD will add more titles to their selection.

I can only give them time since this is a relatively new website.

If you would like to check it out, click here.

Break Legs,
Sydney

Why You Should Watch The Tony Awards

There is only one awards show I will watch from start to finish and then watch over nad over again: The Tony Awards.

It is the best awards show out there and here is why you should be watching it, too.

1) The Hosts Are the Best

From Neil Patrick Harris to Hugh Jackman to Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming to now James Corden, these amazing hosts all brought something different to the show and made sure to entertain audiences between awards and performances.  They pull out all of the stops when it comes to the show's opening number, something every fan looks forward to.

James Corden will host the Tony Awards this year.
Photo Credit: Tony Awards

2) Full-on, Live Theatrical Performances

If you can't get to New York or can't afford a Broadway ticket, have no fear.  The Tony Awards gives performances from the musicals and even some of the plays currently on Broadway.  They are also archived on YouTube, so they can be enjoyed year-round.

The performances are always huge.
Photo Credit: The New York Times

3) The Acceptance Speeches

It is extremely hard to land a role on Broadway, so when you are recognized with a nomination or even bigger, an actual Tony Award, it is very overwhelming.  The actors and actresses get so emotional and are so thankful for the awards that they give the most genuine acceptance speeches I have ever seen.  If you don't believe me, check out Kelli O' Hara's speech when she won a Tony after being nominated six times.

Catch the Tony Awards June 12 at 8 p.m. on CBS.

Break Legs,
Sydney

Why Broadway's 'Fun Home' is Revolutionary

The winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Musical, Fun Home, is more than just a show.

Based on the autobiographical graphic novel of the same name written by Alison Bechdel, Fun Home tells the story of Alison who recounts her life after her father's suicide and when she found out that he was gay, as well as herself.

This show has often been called "the first mainstream musical about a young lesbian."  Audiences are taken through the Bechdel's life, from the time she was 10, to college-aged to an adult.  The character of Alison is played by three different actresses in order to accurately portray each age.

Fun Home tackles the issues of homosexuality, death, family issues and coming-of-age. It is also presented in the round, allowing audiences to sit onstage and be in the middle of the action.

While this show is entertaining, it is also informative.

It allows audiences to see the private struggles of a family dealing with change and loss.

Nowadays, LGBTQ issues are in the forefront, but they are usually stigmatized.  Fun Home lets us into the private thoughts of people struggling with their sexual identity in a time where it was not as accepted as it is today.

This show also showcases talented, young actors, like Sydney Lucas (no longer in the show), who was nominated for a Tony at the age of eleven.

Michael Cerveris, who played Bechdel's father, won a Tony for his performance.

Fun Home presented something completely new and revolutionary on Broadway in 2015.

Even though some of the topics are uncomfortable and upsetting, it is important to show that this is something that many families go through.

Just because it is a musical, Fun Home has changed the Broadway game and is definitely revolutionary.


Break Legs,
Sydney Cheuvront

Why Tours Need to be More Appreciated

I love tours of Broadway shows.  I live in Maryland which is about a three and a half to four-hour drive to New York, plus I go to school in North Carolina.  It is not alway easy to get to New York to see a show plus ticket prices can be outrageous.

That is why I love tours.  They bring the magic of Broadway to the entire country.  But, many people see them as less than the actual show from when it was on Broadway.  I'm here to disprove that.

1) The original writers and directors are in on it

When a show announces that it is going on tour, the director, writer, choreographer, etc. all work on the tour to get the tour actors ready and to make sure it is as close to the original as possible.  While a show may have to be changed a little to make it easily moveable, it is the same quality as a Broadway show.

2) The actors and crew have it harder

Can you imagine having to live out of a suitcase for a year, move around every week and still have to rehearse and perform one to two times a day?  Well, that is what the tour cast and crew have to do.  Tours can last for years, like The Phantom of the Opera tour has.  It is not easy to constantly be flying or driving and then performing.

3) Tours allow people to experience live theater

Like I said before, tours bring Broadway magic to everyone across the country.  For example, I saw A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder on Broadway right after it won the Tony Award for Best Musical.  A year later, I saw it on tour in Durham and loved listening to the audience's reactions and then talking to the people sitting around me about it.  For one, the tour was just like the Broadway show.  Secondly, the audience was delighted to see such a great show, especially since New York is over 10 hours away from here.

While the tour of a show doesn't usually feature the Broadway stars, it doesn't mean that it isn't good.  So, if a show is coming to your town, but a ticket and enjoy a night at the theater.