iBroadway by Jessica Hillman-McCord

Author:Jessica Hillman-McCord
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

Spreading Media and Mediating the Live

The conventions employed in these new live musicals are inspired by live broadcasts of the early years of television and complicated by the differing meanings of the “live ” in theatre , on television , and in social media interactions. The most successful of those early broadcasts were NBC’s Peter Pan (1955) and CBS’s Cinderella (1957). Peter Pan, starring Mary Martin, was a tremendous success in its initial showing, and after audiences sent letters demanding to see it again, NBC videotaped a color performance in 1960, which was broadcast in 1963, 1966, and 1973. Rodgers and Hammerstein ’s Cinderella, starring Julie Andrews on CBS, was similarly later recorded and remade for subsequent airing. The television version of Peter Pan was still a nostalgic favorite in 1989 when its release on home video led to a resurgence of its popularity, culminating in a 2000 Broadway revival followed by a touring production with Cathy Rigby, which was also released on DVD.

The new crop of live musicals grew out of both nostalgia for those old broadcasts and the desire to create something new that would attract contemporary audiences to the television networks at a time when on-demand and binge-watching practices had been displacing more traditional appointment viewing. As a television event, the live musical could attract a real-time audience in similar fashion to a sporting event or live talent show such as American Idol (2002–2016) or X-Factor (2011–2013). 2 Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron’s idea to revive the live musical tradition from the 1950s was sold to NBC, the same network that had aired the classic Peter Pan, in large part to address this need. Their first effort was 2013’s The Sound of Music Live! , with a cast that included country-pop singer Carrie Underwood as a star attraction, along with Broadway veterans Laura Benanti and Christian Borle, as well as newcomers in the roles of the Von Trapp children. The Sound of Music Live! was a ratings success as a television event, attracting 18.62 million viewers and paving the way for annual broadcasts on NBC with Peter Pan Live! , The Wiz Live! , and Hairspray Live! 3

Promotional materials and press reports for the musicals emphasized the novelty of their liveness . The word Live ! in the title of each musical invoked an aura of excitement and authenticity, while producers emphasized the logistical challenges and risks for performers in a live broadcast . In a CNN report before The Sound of Music Live! , anchor Nischelle Turner observed, “I look at it as kind of like a musical version of Sunday Night Football, because it’s three hours of live ”—at this point her cohost Brian Stelter, unable to contain his excitement, chimed in—“where anything can happen!” 4 Turner further added that the presence of children in the production made the enterprise even more unpredictable. Julie Andrews, wishing Carrie Underwood well in the same report, remarked, “A live broadcast , my God, poor lady!” Turner said

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