After over two centuries, Alexander Hamilton still sheds a light of hope from beyond the grave during a time of deadly pandemic. The popular musical Hamilton, created by singer-songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda opened on Broadway in 2015. The show follows the life and career of founding father Alexander Hamilton, giving the founding father a makeover driven by rap and hip-hop. Provocatively bringing history to the 21st century, people of color play the characters, who were historically all white, to tell “a story about America then, told by America now.” Since the recent release of a recording of the show on Disney+, many people have questions about the past, present, and future of not only America, but also recorded theater. So what exactly is video recorded theater all about?

Photo courtesy of Hamilton Facebook page

The term “proshot” refers to a professionally recorded version of a stage production, often done with the original cast. These are not to be confused with movie-musicals, film adaptations of a stage production. Proshots exist of a select number of plays and musicals, but they are limited in accessibility and variety. Many shows have professional recordings done for archival purposes, but these are not typically made available to the public. The proshot of Hamilton now on Disney+ was recorded over three days with the original Broadway cast in 2016, but not released to the public until July 2020 (though the original plan was to release in October of 2021).

Why aren't there more proshots available to the public? The biggest reason is because they are extraordinarily pricey, and not every show can afford to produce a proshot after it has paid for all of its other expenses, like renting the theater and paying the actors, musicians, and technicians. Because musical theater is a major business, money is one of the driving factors in decision-making. Hamilton was extremely popular, and continues to bring in record-breaking ticket sales even now. This is why Hamilton was able to afford a proshot, when many other shows cannot. While producers don’t need to worry about the cost of camera crew and equipment, it's also about the legal rights to the show, and actor contracts. Because a proshot can be considered a movie, some shows that have already sold the film rights are legally unable to film a proshot.

Bootlegs, illegal, unprofessional recording of a staged production, have become increasingly popular during the current pandemic due to limited access to live theater. Many people, especially theatre professionals, fight against bootlegs because actors, writers, producers, directors, and crew members don't get money or credit for the recording. The actual filming of a bootleg can be incredibly distracting for the actors and other audience members. Imagine how infuriating and annoying it would be if a person in a movie theater had their phone out the entire time, but the movie tickets cost hundreds of dollars and the movie is only shown a select amount of times.

A surprising number, especially young people in the theater community, enjoy watching bootlegs because they are cheap and relatively easy to access with a YouTube account and the ability to utilize search keywords. The online theater community often uses the label “slime tutorial” as a sort of “code name” for these illegal recordings, and, unlike illegally uploaded movies, there is no exact video or sound file that can be automatically scanned for, so these videos often have a harder time being detected and subsequently taken down by YouTube. Viewing live theater can often be very expensive, which, among other reasons, is why bootlegs are so appealing to so many people. According to broadway.org, the average ticket cost for a broadway show is anywhere from $20-$175, and in comparison with the $0 price to watch a bootleg, that’s quite expensive, not counting the travel costs to get to New York if you don’t already live there, and there is not a professional touring cast coming to your area.

So recorded theater is available, but is it really the same experience? Most theater fanatics would probably argue “no”. Proshots are often filmed like movies, with close up shots and different angles, enhanced sound quality, and sometimes even added special effects. On the flip side, bootlegs are usually taken from the same angle and are typically poor quality. However, many argue that recorded theater, whether bootleg or proshot, simply doesn’t capture the experience of live theater. Watching a film is the same every time, but the exciting thing about live theater is that the experience changes each time. Live theatre isn't always about the show itself; it's about getting dressed up to spend the night enjoying something you love, and hearing the cheering crowd around you. Live theater is about sitting in that classic red velvet seat reading your playbill before the show, and getting it signed by the cast after. It's not always about the entertainment, but about the experience. That feeling just isn't there when you’re watching at home in your pajamas.

For some, the ability to watch the show from home may make them less likely to go to the theater, but for others it will make them excited to go back to the theater. It all depends on your interpretation of live theater: are you there for the story, or the experience? Many people aren't as excited by the idea of live theater because they focus more on the story and music. Many people within the theater community watch pro-shots in anticipation of going back to the theater and getting the coveted experience.

The release of Hamilton on Disney+ is definitely bringing more attention to the complicated world of recorded theater. Proshots, while professionally done and legal, are limited in variety and often locked behind a paywall. And, although they may be illegal and poor quality, bootlegs are free and readily available, making them an enticing slice of forbidden fruit. Proshots may not be the same as going to the theater, but they provide a nice alternative in times like these, when live theater is simply unavailable.

By Jenna Mollenhauer

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue I

October 2nd , 2020

Hamilton Legacy Lives On Over Two Centuries Later