Tonight “Grease: Live” will be airing on FOX. This is the fourth live musical produced but this time a new network has taken the reigns from NBC. This new phenomenon is a live musical production that the audience watches from their very own televisions without having to pay a lot of money for Broadway theater. Kail the director “likes the idea of mixing it up between stage and screen. ‘I deeply believe that theater should be for everyone,’ he told The New York Times.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdS_yNe02vg
An article on CNN that talks about the show made me think about how media today is focused on broadcasting to a wide audience. It used to be that only people who could afford theater tickets would have the chance to view musicals and plays. Now a whole new channel has been created to bring the “live” musical experience to everyones’ homes. In this way the new experience is very positive. On the other hand are there any negative effects to creating this new media event?
These new live theater productions have created a massive spectacle. The directors have hired big name actors and actresses and they only put on one live show so the event has become a big ordeal. Has all of this extra attention detracted from the art of theater? Can watching a musical on tv even count as live even if it is being watched in real time without any editing? These are some questions I have considered and wonder what you guys think.
I wonder what it is about live events that make them somehow more exciting? Is it that you know you’re watching it along with millions of other people even though they can’t see you?
I guess in some ways, we’re waiting for the actors to make a mistake. I think the most extreme example of this was when Nik Wallenda crossed the grand canyon on live TV a while back, which I felt had the implication that, “Hey, you might get to see a guy die on live television!” Spectacle!