Top 10 Broadway Musicals to Stream in 2022
It takes just a couple of days to film a Broadway musical. In most cases, two performances are shot in front of a live audience with the addition of a day of picking up close-ups in an empty theater. But don't let that deceive you - a digital capture is months in the making, with complex agreements with various unions, a filming crew that appoints a new director for the screen, and even new lighting design to adapt to the new medium. We didn't even mention the millions it takes to make it happen - stage producers sometimes have to invest in the filming just as much money as they did in the stage production (Hamilton reportedly cost producers $10 million, while other shows were much cheaper, such as Memphis with a budget of $2 million). Due to all of this, Broadway producers have always been wary about attempts to film their shows. While there are hundreds of Broadway and West End shows that were publicly released, there are thousands of shows that go unfilmed every year. The fear, of course, is that any broadcast of the performance will disincentivize audiences from seeing the show on the big stage. Even when a show closes on Broadway or in the West End, touring producers will sometimes object to deals that allow a show to be shot and broadcast while it’s still on the road, and shows can tour for years. Two pandemic years later, the Broadway streaming landscape looks completely different. The release of the filmed performance of Broadway's biggest hit - Hamilton - on Disney+ opened the floodgates with many producers now finally adapting to the times and realizing the great potential in using pro-shots as marketing tools. In a recent interview for The Hollywood Reporter, Bonnie Comley, co-founder of BroadwayHD said that "the best commercial is a well-done digital capture" - and according to data collected from recently released pro-shots, she's completely right. Hamilton keeps selling out both on Broadway and in the West End while the show can easily be watched by anyone logging in to their Disney+ account. Here's our list of 10 Broadway musicals to stream in 2022, including major contemporary hits and new unknown gems. While some of these shows were filmed in the West End, most are an exact replica of their respective Broadway productions (this is a known practice in the pro-shot world to save costs, as union fees in the UK are much more manageable for producers). We did assume you all watched Hamilton on Disney+ already, so get ready to binge-watch these other incredible musicals: Reprising her Tony-Award winning role, Sutton Foster returns to Anything Goes in this West End revival of the show. This is our top pick - mostly because it's a dream come true having Kathleen Marshall's Anything Goes preserved for posterity. When this show closed back in 2012 on Broadway, we really never thought we'd ever get a pro-shot of this fantastic revival. Well, dreams do come true! You can stream Anything Goes for free now! We are so happy to welcome back to Broadway Marianne Elliott's gender-swapped version of Company. If you can't get to Broadway's Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre though, check out the definite (in our opinion) fully staged version of the show from 2007. This was the last revival we've seen of the show on Broadway, starring the impeccable Raúl Esparza. You can stream the 2007 revival of Company online now. With the recent rumors that the upcoming Broadway revival of Into the Woods will be filmed for release, we just wanted to make sure everyone has already watched the classic 1991 PBS broadcast of the great original. The filming quite possibly led the way for the capture of many other Broadway shows in the nineties and gives a rare glimpse into Broadway of that era. Stream the original Broadway production of Into the Woods online, or get it on DVD/Blu-Ray. Coming back to New York City in just a couple of months is the smash-hit Tony Award Winning Kinky Boots! The show will open off-Broadway in an intimate setting, but if you feel like you'd like to experience the original production, check out the filmed West End production from BroadwayHD. It's a perfectly filmed extravaganza that will make you dance in your living room and probably run to buy tickets to the live show in the city. You can stream the West End production of Kinky Boots online now. Little Women made our top 10 list because we feel it went a little under the radar with its release on BroadwayHD. This terrific production of the 2005 Broadway musical features breathtaking renditions of the fantastic Jason Howland score. The show was filmed last year but stays true to the original Broadway production. Watch out for Lydia White as Jo in her star-making performance. You can stream Little Women the Musical through our show page. We couldn't leave out She Loves Me out of our 2022 list - it's a pro-shot we feel should be mandatory to watch every year. A perfect example of how a perfect cast (and a great production team) can take a little-known gem of a musical to greater heights. BroadwayHD filmed this show early in 2016 as their first entry to streaming Broadway shows, and we've been hooked since. Check out the Broadway capture of She Loves Me which is now streaming online. Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed revival of Miss Saigon, which played Broadway in 2016 for a limited time, is captured beautifully in this Universal Studios release. The show was filmed over its 25th-anniversary performance (including some shots taken on closing night months later), and is the definitive version of Miss Saigon you'll ever want to watch. What we really appreciate about this release is the fact that you can also own the show on DVD/Blu-Ray, unlike most pro-shots nowadays. You can buy Miss Saigon on DVD/Blu-Ray or stream it online now. It is a little-known fact that the last Broadway revival of Gypsy, starring Patti LuPone, was scheduled to be filmed for PBS. When plans fell through we were all devastated, but years later we got this beautiful capture of the West End revival of Gypsy starring Imelda Staunton. The musical was captured in full at the Savoy Theatre in London and remains one of the classic musicals our readers stream the most. Stream Gypsy: Live from the Savoy Theatre now, or get it on DVD/Blu-Ray. The second Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate opened on Broadway in 1999 at the Martin Beck Theatre. While the Broadway revival went uncaptured, the West End transfer of the same production was filmed in 2003 with the fantastic Rachel York and Brent Barrett. Make sure you don't miss this one - the capture is high quality and shouldn't be missed. You can stream Kiss Me, Kate now online. It's been a tough couple of years, that's no secret. What really got us through this period are shows like 42nd Street - big, happy extravaganzas that just make you smile and dance in joy. This huge (and we mean HUGE) revival of the classic musical is captured beautifully and features classic songs you won't help but sing along to - We’re In The Money, Lullaby of Broadway, and Shuffle Off To Buffalo. Anything Goes (2022)
Company (2007)
Into the Woods (1991)
Kinky Boots (2019)
Little Women (2021)
She Loves Me (2016)
Miss Saigon (2016)
Gypsy (2015)
Kiss Me, Kate (2003)
42nd Street (2019)