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Streaming Theatre
Most Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre shows are professionally recorded at least once with the original cast. A select number of these recordings are permanently retained by the New York Public Library's Theatre on Film and Tape Collection, available for researchers to view in person. For the most part, theatre shows that play outside of New York City and London are recorded if the individual theatres can afford it and if Actors Equity contracts allow recordings.
However, some theatre companies make it a priority for folks to access the art they produce. Below is a list of ways to watch and stream theatre for free:
- Great Performances by PBSPBS presents a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries. Available to stream for free without an account. Titles change often.
- UK's National Theatre YoutubeThe National Theatre occasionally streams full-length productions through YouTube. Their page includes behind the scenes videos and interviews as well. Learn more here: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/
- All ArtsALL ARTS is the premier destination for inspiration, creativity and art of all forms. This New York Emmy-winning arts and culture hub is created by The WNET Group, the community-supported home of New York’s PBS stations.
Podcasts and Videos
Podcasts About Theatre
Podcasts Producing Theatre
Performing Arts Videos
Broadway: The American MusicalCall Number: DVD ML1711.8.N3 B762 2004 AVISBN: 1415702365Publication Date: 2004This documentary series details the razzle-dazzle history of a unique American art form. Each episode chronicles a different era and features the Broadway shows and songs that defined the period. The series draws on feature films, rare television moments, archival news footage, original cast recordings, still photos, diaries, journals, first person accounts, and on-camera interviews with many of the principals involved in creating the American musical.
CatsCall Number: DVD PN1995.M86 C387 1999 AVISBN: 0783249667Publication Date: 2000The Jellicle Cats gather in their junkyard, preparing for the Jellicle Ball, for this is the night when patriarch Old Deuteronomy will choose a cat to be reborn into a new life on the Heavyside Layer. Movie version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic musical.
The Gospel at ColonusCall Number: DVD PA4413 .O5 G67 1985 AVISBN: 9781422919484Publication Date: 2008The filmed 1985 Philadelphia performance. Told from the perspective of a Black Pentecostal preacher and his congregation, this play dramatizes legendary Greek character Oedipus' last days on Earth. Having blinded himself out of guilt, Oedipus makes a solace-seeking pilgrimage to Colonus, the place where he believes he is meant to die. Primarily through song, the preacher and his congregation translate this story of redemption into a Christian parable.
In Search of ShakespeareCall Number: DVD PR2894 .I49 2003 AVISBN: 9780780647121Publication Date: 2003An intimate look at William Shakespeare and his world.
RentCall Number: DVD PN1995.9.T48 .R468 2009 AVISBN: 9781435957671Publication Date: 2008This film captures the last Broadway performance of the long running rock musical RENT. Loosely based on Puccini's opera "La Bohème," it tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.
Available through Academic Video Online, Royal Shakespeare Company filmed plays:
- All's Well That Ends Well (2023)
- The Comedy of Errors (2022)
- The Winter's Tale (2022)
- Henry VI Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (2022)
- Richard III (2022)
- Measure for Measure (2020)
There are plenty more filmed theatrical productions available on Academic Video Online such as Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus (2023), Lloyd Suh's Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery (2022), Dipika Guha's Passing (2022), and The Sorcerer's Apprentice (the musical) (2022). If you need assistance in searching through this database or others, please contact the library.
FIlmakers Library Online hosts The Legacy Project: Dramatists Talk About Their Works (2013), featuring:
- Charles Fuller in Conversation with Lynn Nottage
- John Guare in Conversation with Theresa Rebeck
- Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
- Tina Howe in Conversation with Sarah Ruhl
- Terrence McNally in Conversation with Annie Baker
- Mary Rodgers in Conversation with Marsha Norman
And more! Contact the library if you need help locating a specific video.
Available through the PBS Video Collection: The Express Way With Dulé Hill, created in 2024.
- Episode 1: California "California - where people come to make their dreams come true. Dulé Hill connects with three brave artists: a deaf dancer, a gay mariachi, and a senior citizen cabaret troupe. They are each using their art to reclaim their narratives and change the perceptions of their communities."
- Episode 2: Appalachia "The Appalachian region has some of the highest poverty and addiction rates in the nation. Dulé Hill visits the region to connect with artists who are improving life for themselves and their communities through music. He meets a master luthier rehabilitating opioid addicts, a black folk musician, and the creator of “Latin-grass,” a fusion of Latin-American folk and bluegrass music"
- Episode 3: Texas "In Texas, Dulé Hill connects with an Aztec dancer, blind painter and Latino theater director, each breaking down cultural barriers and becoming leaders for the next generation. Through their stories, Dulé discovers the sacrifice and strength it takes to become a guiding light for one’s community."
- Episode 4: Chicago "Chicago is a city known for its rich history and culture. But for some, it’s been marred by crime and violence. In this episode, Dulé Hill meets the city’s talented artists to explore why art and activism are often synonymous in the Midwest."
