BWW Blog: Don't Give Up on Theater
Until the theaters reopen, here are some shows that you can stream online.
By: Student Blogger: Maya Mehrara Nov. 09, 2020
These days, I miss theater more than ever. Without being able to see shows or perform in them due to the global pandemic, my life is a tad grey. I have heard so many of my friends and former castmates talk about changing their majors to something more practical because they "aren't sure that theatre will survive." I've already had several friends change their majors to literature, history, or education. All of these subjects of study are wonderful, don't get me wrong, but it's heartbreaking to think that so many of those close to me are giving up on their dreams of pursuing a career in the theatre because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
I implore any of you thinking of changing your major to not give up on theatre. We as people need the arts to survive. Theatre enlightens, inspires, and heals all of us. Personally, I can confidently say that theatre has done all of this for me for the past 20 years. I truly believe that as artists, we will overcome the obstacles that currently stand in our way. Theatre will come back someday soon, but in the meantime, we must make do with the current situation and fuel our need for drama in different ways. Theater as a performance art has continued to grow and change for over 2,500 years and has overcome similar obstacles in the past. I am confident that theatre will survive this.
Theater first emerged in ancient Greece in the 6th century B.C. What we know as modern day western theatre first began to develop in Rome in the 4th century B.C. Theatre and performance art continued to bloom and grow in popularity during the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Restoration periods. Different forms of theatre (including musical theatre) developed in different parts of the globe throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Theatre has overcome many obstacles in the past, including when it was made illegal in the 17th century. During the English Civil War, when Parliament banned theatre performances on September 6, 1642. During a time in which Elizabethan theatre had previously been thriving, theatres were subsequently closed for nearly 20 years until the monarchy was restored to power and the Puritans no longer had any control in 1660. Thereafter, theater was legal oncemore and the arts were restored to English society, where it has continued to flourish to this day.
As an art form that has lived on for centuries and diversified in cultures all over the world, theater can survive this pandemic. Although Broadway will not reopen until May 30, 2021 or later, we can watch films of theater online as well as perform zoom musicals. I for one have kept singing, dancing, and acting as much as I can, so that I am ready to leap on stage when theater comes back.
Until the theaters reopen, here are some shows that you can stream online:
Guys and Dolls (HBO Max)
High Society (HBO Max)
On the Town (HBO Max)
West Side Story (Netflix)
Jersey Boys (Netflix)
Fiddler on the Roof (Netflix)
Les Miserables (Netflix)
The Producers (Netflix)
Mary Poppins Returns (Netflix)
Sweeney Todd (Hulu)
Black is King (Disney+)
Hamilton (Disney+)
Once Upon a Mattress (Disney+)
High School Musical 1, 2, and 3 (Disney+)
The Sound of Music (Disney+)
Newsies (Disney+)
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Disney+)
Annie (Disney+)
Into the Woods (Disney+)
Frozen (Disney+)
The Lion King (Disney+)
Aladdin (Disney+)
Mary Poppins (Disney+)
Hercules (Disney+)
Sister Act (Disney+)
Cinderella (Disney+)
Snow White (Disney+)
Sleeping Beauty (Disney+)
The Little Mermaid (Disney+)
Beauty and the Beast (Disney+)
Mulan (Disney+)
Pocahontas (Disney+)
The Princess and the Frog (Disney+)
Sources:
Videos