They say we never forget our firsts, and I’ll never forget the time my dad took me to see my first musical, Beauty and the Beast. I was a little kid when I first marveled at the gorgeous interior of the Hollywood Pantages Theater, sipping on what I thought was the best Shirley Temple from the concessions. I remember getting chills when the lights gradually dimmed and the orchestra started to play. I remember being mesmerized by the performers, their voices, their costumes, and the choreography. I remember my jaw dropping when the Beast magically transformed into the prince right in front of my eyes. I’m grateful to say this was one of a number of musicals I’ve been fortunate enough to see live.
This summer felt like the summer of musicals for me. Not only did I return to the Pantages Theater with my dad to see the spellbinding Phantom of the Opera, but I also saw the Tony Award-winning musicals, Hadestown and Six…from the comfort of the nearest AMC theater!
Professionally shot recordings of musicals, called proshots for short, have been an alternative way to watch musicals. They’re a more affordable way of watching musicals as movie tickets aren’t priced as high as live theater tickets. Not to mention, I didn’t have to fight traffic to reach the nearest AMC. They’ve also been successful in both streaming and the box office. For instance, the proshot of Hamilton was released on Disney+ in 2020 and made a theatrical release in 2025 that grossed over $20 million. This summer saw Hadestown grossing $20.7 million and Six grossing over $13.5 million. It’s impressive given how proshots are usually only in theaters for a short, limited time! Their success begs the question: Why aren’t there more proshots being made?
According to an article on Playbill by Diep Tran, it seems the response to that question is money and logistics. For example, Hadestown producer Mara Isaacs commented that filming a West End production was less expensive and less logistically difficult than filming in the US. For starters, the five leading original cast members were in the West End for a special limited run and agreed to be filmed. This also meant having another contract for the performers regarding the rights to their live performance. Another question I had was why both Hadestown and Six filmed West End productions rather than Broadway productions, and Tran’s article also has an answer to this: Isaacs noted that compensation is also structured differently in the UK compared to the US due to many reasons, with one example being that more people in the UK have healthcare benefits more widely available to them.
Despite the financial and logistical challenges, some question if more proshots could benefit Broadway shows, and Tran’s article explored this idea. Running live shows are highly expensive and many have closed for financial reasons. Hadestown exemplified that theatrical releases of proshots can be profitable, but as Tran notes, it was already a very popular show since its Broadway debut in 2019. Releasing proshots is a promising pathway, but not a certain one for every musical. That being said, if more proshots could lead to making more profit, does this pose any competition to live theater? I argue it doesn’t. I see proshots as offering us different perspectives that would be hard to see live; they’re simply a different type of show.
For example, I saw the Six proshot despite already seeing it live before because I love the show so much and wanted to see how the queens’ performances were filmed. When it came to Hadestown, a show I’ve yet to see live, I was deeply impressed by how it was shot and the camera angles the proshot provided. The most memorable scene for me was when a camera facing upwards was being lowered in an elevator in the center of the stage, and we could see a circle of the actors all staring down at the camera as it descended. It was a cool way to immerse us in the movies!
Proshots definitely don’t take away from live theater and they’ve deepened my appreciation for live performances. There’s something special about the feeling of being in a theater with great acoustics and a live orchestra. There’s a certain magic that comes with seeing actors perform in the moment. Just like how I’ll never forget the Beast’s transformation in Beauty and the Beast, I’ll never forget seeing a chandelier move on its own like it did in Phantom of the Opera. I wish everyone could see these shows and experience the magic I’ve felt. While proshots may not match the atmosphere of live theater, they’re a way to do just that: bring the musicals to current fans and introduce them to new fans. People whose curiosity has been piqued and fans dying to see their favorite show can file into their seats as the lights and the curtain raises, but this time, instead of a Shirley Temple, it’s with a bucket of popcorn and a large ICEE.