Best Filmed Live Musicals of 2022 Ranked: Year in Review

With 2022 being the first year since the pandemic lockdown that saw theaters back at full capacity, the pro-shot boom that we experienced in 2020 and 2021 definitely slowed down quite a bit. It was also, however, the first year that producers started taking live captures more seriously and filmed their own shows instead of handing the rights to third party production companies, such as BroadwayHD. This is an existing new chapter for theater pro-shots, with plans underway for the release of at least nine Broadway and West End musicals in 2023 which is building up to be one of the best years for filmed theatre.

Read on for the best filmed musicals of 2022, ranked! (And for more, explore our complete database of filmed musicals and plays)

5. Little Women

Opening our Best of 2022 list is the Park Theater's filmed production of Broadway's Little Women the Musical - which is still one of our favorite captures of the year. The recording went a bit unnoticed when it was released earlier this year but we feel it must get all the attention it deserves!

This terrific production of the little-known 2005 Broadway musical (that starred Sutton Foster) features simple yet powerful orchestrations of the fantastic Jason Howland score (We're constantly rewatching "Astonishing", "Better", and "The Fire Within Me".)

The small-scale production stays true to the original Broadway mounting and we find it just as charming. While the musical didn't last long on Broadway (in fact, it only ran for six months), it's a beautiful piece that definitely deserves another chance at life.

Watch out for Lydia White as Jo in her star-making performance. 

You can stream Little Women the Musical through our show page.

4. Mr. Saturday Night

Back on Broadway this season was Billy Crystal, that made his second appearance on the Great White Way following his ultra-successful one-man show 700 Sundays (which was filmed by HBO and can also be streamed).

BroadwayHD's own production house filmed the musical at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre at the end of August and managed to release the show just 90 days later on December 1st - which we all agree is an achievement of its own. Getting the show captured and available online while it's still in people's minds is important, and BroadwayHD definitely scored big time with this one.

The capture is high quality as most BroadwayHD captures are - it's a very well-filmed piece that benefited from a great cast that really shines on camera. The Jason Robert Brown score is fun, catchy, and fits the story of the 1992 film like a glove. Shoshana Bean's two solos are definitely the highlight for theater lovers - and made our rewind button work a little harder.

We're super happy this musical was captured - first, it's the only Broadway musical (that was actually filmed ON Broadway) to be released this year, and second - Billy Crystal's presence definitely introduced streaming theater to a brand new audience, which could in return fuel future filmings.

Broadway's Mr. Saturday Night is now streaming globally!

3. Trevor the Musical

Disney's return to filming (or should we say, acquiring and distributing) theater is also an important milestone we've had this year. After the huge success of Hamilton in 2020, which showed Disney theater recordings can be profitable, we were hoping the streamer would open its doors (and pockets) to more theatre-related content, and in 2022 we hopefully saw the beginning of such a strategy. 

Yes, we are still waiting for the much-delayed release of the London production of Disney's Aladdin, which was filmed way back in 2019 by Steam Motion & Sound for Disney, but until that finally gets released we have little gems like Trevor the Musical to enjoy.

The short-lived off-Broadway musical, which played the cursed Stage 42 theater (few shows managed to last in that beautiful venue), didn't manage to have a proper run due to the industry shutdowns in 2020 and 2021. Thankfully, right before closing, Disney filmed the musical and captured it forever.

The filming is top-notch, as with all Steam Motion & Sound captures, and the way the film managed to make the tiny Stage 42 stage look on camera is some masterful work.

The musical in itself is cute, fun, and super important. The songs are catchy, and the Diana Ross songs featured really make it a fun evening for the whole family. 

Trevor the Musical is now streaming wherever Disney Plus is available!

2. Anything Goes

While originally released in the UK for the 2021 holiday season, the incredible capture of Anything Goes officially made it to the U.S. in 2022, so we took the liberty of including it in our 2022 review. In fact, we might find another excuse to include it in our 2023 review as well, as this beautifully done capture from Liberator Film Studios is outstanding.

In a move we never imagined possible, producers of Anything Goes replaced announced star Megan Mullally with the Tony-winning Broadway superstar Sutton Foster, who reprised her role from the 2011 Broadway revival. 

The production, filmed in London's Barbican Centre in 2021, is an exact replica of the last Broadway revival that played at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. In fact, director-choreographer Kathleen Marshall returned to the same role and re-orchestrated this staging together with her original star.

The infectious energy of the musical is captured beautifully in this pro-shot, with a terrific supporting cast that features Robert Lindsay and Felicity Kendal. The classic story is brought to life with well-built sets that were originally designed for the Broadway revival and look great on camera.

The cherry on top is that this is the first time we have an Anything Goes production professionally filmed, which is a gift that we'll now have forever.

Sutton Foster in Anything Goes will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray in March and is also available to stream online in select territories!

1. Heathers the Musical

Yes, we said it. There is really no doubt the best live capture of the year goes to Heathers the Musical - which was professionally shot in May and released shortly after through Roku in the United States.

The musical has had much success in the West End ever since it opened there in revised form in 2018, and was captured while still going strong at London's Other Palace Theatre.

Those who have seen the show live at the Other Palace know how small the stage really is - and how the stadium-style shape of the theater could make filming a show there a complete nightmare.

The team at Steam Motion & Sound managed to create such a terrific capture that both showcases the fun musical while also completely transporting viewers to the 300-seat theater where excited fans are about to watch another performance of Heathers.

The icing on the cake is the fantastic cast that is headlined by Alisa Davidson as Veronica Sawyer and Maddison Firth as Heather Chandler, which (and we don't want to start any fights now) could easily be called the best in each of those roles.

Don't miss Heathers while it's still available to stream for free.

Heathers the Musical is now streaming for free in the United States! Future international releases are expected in 2023.

It was a good year for filmed theater, we feel! Check out what's coming ahead in 2023 in our "Coming Soon" section of the site.