10 Broadway Musicals You Can Buy on Blu-Ray
Is home media dead in the age of digital streaming? We don't think so. Streaming has certainly made watching video content much more convenient. During the past two years, streaming services have seen a huge spike in traffic with nearly every movie studio launching its own platform. With the incredible ease of use of the various streaming platforms, the idea of buying a physical copy of a movie sounds like a waste of money to many. There is a large group of fans, however, who completely disagree. Filmed Broadway shows are a rarity (we explain why here), and filmed Broadway shows that are released on physical media are even harder to find. That's why we've collected the top 10 Broadway musicals you can still get on Blu-Ray discs. Most, if not all, are also available on DVD. The musical, which was filmed in collaboration between BroadwayHD producers (Bonnie Comley and Stewart Lane) and Liberator Film Services, was filmed live in the West End back in 2019. As part of Liberator's home media releases, 42nd Street was made available on both DVD and Blu-Ray on June 7, 2021, making it the first time the stage musical was available to own. You can get 42nd Street on DVD & Blu-Ray now (or stream it online!) The Spongebob Musical, which closed on Broadway in September 2018 was filmed more than a year after closing. In an unusual move, the entire cast and crew recreated the show for the filmed performances at the Plymouth Theatre in the UK. The show, which originally aired on Nickelodeon in several different versions (Full, edited, and sing-along) was later made available on streaming and DVD. Due to the incredible demand for the show on DVD, Nickelodeon later released Spongebob on Blu-Ray as well. The Blu-Ray is made on-demand. The SpongeBob Musical is now available on DVD & Blu-Ray. This Tony Award-winning musical, which is set to return to New York next month, is also available to purchase on DVD & Blu-Ray. In fact, this will create a very unique situation in which the full Broadway (or, the replica West End production) will be available to purchase on home media while the show is running in New York. You can get Kinky Boots the Musical on DVD & Blu-Ray now through Liberator Studios. Following the huge success of the staged concert of The Phantom of the Opera, Cameron Mackintosh produced this semi-staged concert version of Les Miserables which features an incredible all-star cast: Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Matt Lucas, and John Owen Jones. The Blu-Ray version of the filmed concert includes a mini program in the disc case which is a replica of the program sold at the Gielgud Theatre, where the show played. Stream Les Miserables now or get it on physical media here! Filmed live during the original 2019 run of the show at the Hudson Theatre, this unique Broadway concert features Award-winning musician Byrne (Talking Heads), together with 11 musicians performing songs from Byrne's 2018 album. The streaming rights to the show were bought by HBO for their platform HBO MAX, with the physical media release being handled by Dogwoof Studios. Get American Utopia on DVD and Blu-Ray, or stream it online. Originally streaming live from Studio 54 on Broadway to thousands of viewers all over the world, the Broadway production of Holiday Inn: The Irving Berlin Musical was released on physical media in a unique arrangement with Universal Studios. The 75th-anniversary edition of the original 1942 movie from Universal included a special bonus disc (both as a DVD and Blu-Ray) featuring the entire filmed musical. You can still order Holiday Inn on DVD & Blu-Ray through Universal. Filmed by Steam Motion and Sounds (Waitress on Broadway, Aladdin the Musical, The Phantom of the Opera, and more), this unique "theatrical experience" features a cinematic capture of the recent West End revival of the show. Due to right issues, the DVD & Blu-Ray were not released in the US, but are available to import through the UK (The Blu-Ray edition will work worldwide and is region-free). Get Miss Saigon: the 25th anniversary on DVD & Blu-Ray. The filmed 25th-anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera, which was filmed live in London's Royal Albert Hall, features the ultimate Phantom duo - Ramin Karmiloo and Sierra Boggess. While the performance was not captured utilizing the original sets, everything else pretty much stays true to the classic Phantom material. Don't miss this breathtaking production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic. The Phantom of the Opera, on stage, is available now on DVD & Blu-Ray. The Tony Award-winning musical is one of the first Broadway musicals to be screened in cinemas while still playing on Broadway. Many shows followed the trend later on, with Hamilton, Come From Away, and Kinky Boots all now available to stream while still running. The show was filmed by Broadway Worldwide (Jekyll and Hyde the Musical, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Putting it Together) live on Broadway, and was released on DVD and Blu-Ray by Shout! Factory. Memphis the Musical is available to purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray. Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway was captured live on Broadway by RadicalMedia (Shrek the Musical, Hamilton, Come From Away) just before closing on Broadway. The show was part of Sony Pictures Entertainment's new initiative called The Hot Ticket, created to film live shows and concerts. Unforutnently The Hot Ticket did not last long with Rent being the only Broadway show that was filmed. Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway is now available on DVD & Blu-Ray. Will more Broadway shows come out on physical media? Check out our opinions on the likelihood we will see Hamilton on DVD & Blu-Ray and Come From Away on DVD & Blu-Ray.42nd Street (2019)
The Spongebob Musical (2019)
Kinky Boots the Musical (2019)
Les Miserables: The Staged Concert (2019)
American Utopia (2020)
Holiday Inn: The New Irving Berlin Musical (2017)
Miss Saigon (2016)
The Phantom of the Opera (2011)
Memphis the Musical (2010)
Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway (2008)