Hi hello, I’m Jess Ryan, founder of Broadway Unlocked. I write about theatre, technology, live broadcast and digital audiences every other Tuesday.

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In my first note about MISCAST, I mentioned Broadway’s “situationship” to livestreaming, screens and the internet in general. I wanted to come back around and spend some time unpacking those thoughts. In case we’re not all hip to the lingo, I’ll use most of Merriam Webster’s definition of a situationship: “...a relationship whose members have not formally defined it or officially committed to it.” Lord, that describes livestreaming theatre to a T.

People have been trying to figure out the stage ⇆ screen relationship forever. At Broadway Unlocked, we’re certainly on that train. We’re closer than ever to a viable path (of which I believe there are many), but I maintain that the recipe for success is truly tied up in understanding why things stand as they do.

As anyone who knows me can tell you - when I get stuck on a problem, I LOVE to look back as a way to move forward. So, I started to do some digging:

THE HISTORY

In 1973, a purportedly great production of Much Ado About Nothing was telecast on CBS while the show was still running on Broadway. The box office tanked, the show closed nine days later and The New York Times headline read: ‘Much Ado’ of TV Dooms Stage Version.” Yikes. Ominous. That failed TV to Stage story has lived rent-free in Broadway’s collective memory for fifty years.

But context matters, right?

The social, technological and financial dynamics of a live broadcast in 1973 (and its impact on the in-person show) were entirely different than streaming the RENT30 concert today.

Where streaming is everywhere, our lives are digital and pro shots like Hamilton and Wicked only increase demand for the in-person theatrical show. I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make when it comes to our “situationship” with the internet is to draw straight lines from 1973 (and sometimes further back) to current times.

So here I am, wondering what other “Ado“s inform how we think about the live stage on screen today. Let me tell you—it’s incredibly difficult to get a clear and full picture of what came before when it applies to this arena. But I’m going to give it the old college try.

Recently, Gordon Cox put out a super comprehensive history of stage shows on screen via his Substack, Jacques. My friend and colleague Luisa Lyons did her graduate research and thesis on cataloging filmed live musicals—the most complete record she knows of— housed at FilmedLiveMusicals.com. Both are very worth checking out. When I did, I learned about the broadcast of Pacific Overtures on Japanese television in 1976. And that the original production of Gospel of Colonus had a PBS Great Performance in 1985, hailed as surviving “the transformation [from stage to screen] with its unique spirit remarkably intact.”

I noticed Gordon didn’t account for the She Loves Me Broadway livestream in 2016 (which I believe was the first Broadway livestream?) but Luisa has that one. Evan Shapiro, one of my favorite media commentators, told me at South by Southwest last year that he livestreamed something for opening night of Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk back in the 90’s, which was not present in either of their analyses. I actually can’t find a record of it anywhere (and that’s my favorite show in the entire world, how did I not know about that?! Evan, tell us more!)

Even more ironic: two shows that I directed, the live broadcast runs of Clyde’s (2021) and Between Riverside and Crazy (2022) at Second Stage are totally unaccounted for in both Jaques and Filmed Live Musicals, most likely because they literally don’t exist anywhere anymore. I find this so astonishing. In-person theatre is ephemeral and yet we still have a historical record of it happening. But a whole swath of streams - Clyde’s, BRAC, JaJa’s, they just seemingly….disappeared.

No wonder we can’t commit to our feelings for livestreams (and any other screen format of theatre, for that matter). This journey through history clarified at least one of the big problems: There’s not a clear quantitative, qualitative or even anecdotal data set to evaluate when trying to make up one’s mind. No Nielson, no League reports, no Netflix catalogue - no ability to watch Saturday night performances live every week, to discover if you like it and, more importantly, if it works commercially.

New section, who dis? (people still say that right? JK).

Anyone who pretends like the challenge of extending great theatre to digital audiences isn’t complicated is full of sh*t you know what. So many people around here have all the answers, but I certainly don’t so I’m ending each Substack with an opportunity for conversation.

I’ll leave this Part One missive with a question for you - Do you think there is a real relationship to be had here for capital B Broadway? I’m curious to hear your honest thoughts.

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PS: I am deeply grateful to both Gordon Cox and Luisa Lyons for their remarkable work on the history of filmed theatre. Please check them out via the links above!

Previously on Broadway Unlocked

Curious how the MISCAST26 digital premiere performed on YouTube this year? Check out my most recent Substack.

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Next up - June 9th, 2026

I typically do this every other week but I was really jazzed about this topic (and I learned so much going down the rabbit hole ) - it’s a three part series and it’s coming out every week for these three weeks. Here’s a preview of next week.

Tune in next week to find out what happened when I went inside and share with someone who would be interested!