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Old 10-07-2014, 07:13 AM
  #31
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I've become very adept at avoiding him I'd like Lei's scenes too.

ETA:
Quote:
Catching Broadway on Camera
‘Of Mice and Men,’ From Broadway to Movie Screens


Efforts to screen high-definition broadcasts of Broadway shows in movie theaters have been random, halting and frustrating. Yet, in little more than a month, a filmed-live version of the recent Broadway production of “Of Mice and Men” came together and, beginning in November, will be beamed into about 1,400 theaters around the world.

It required an unlikely series of coincidences and a measure of sheer doggedness: a seemingly offhand comment to the lead producer from the play’s star James Franco; a long-shot phone call to an executive with the National Theater of London; a race against a forbidding deadline to secure union agreements; and an extremely rare decision by the creative team to stick around past the end of the run.

Of Mice and Men Chris O’Dowd, left, and James Franco make their Broadway debuts in the revival of the John Steinbeck play, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, at the Longacre Theater.Theater Review: James Franco and Chris O’Dowd in ‘Of Mice and Men’APRIL 16, 2014
“Of Mice and Men” represents the first Broadway offering from the successful National Theater Live series, which, to date, has featured marquee events in British theater. Arriving in the same season as the announcement of a joint venture between Broadway Worldwide, a production company, and a Chinese entertainment and media conglomerate to capture live-in-performance Broadway musicals, it could augur a boost in HD broadcasts of commercial theater.

The National Theater, the Royal Opera, the Bolshoi and, most successfully, the Metropolitan Opera have heavily marketed HD broadcasts, earning money and attracting international audiences along the way. But Broadway offerings have been few, the most notable being “Memphis” and “Jekyll and Hyde,” largely because separate deals need to be cut with various unions and members of the creative team.

“It will be a slower growth than everybody involved wants it to be,” said Julie Borchard-Young, co-president of BY Experience, which distributes National Theater Live and the Met’s Live in HD broadcasts.

When David Binder, the lead producer of “Of Mice and Men,” was putting together its 19-week run, beginning in April, an HD broadcast wasn’t in the offing.

But toward the end of June, after the show’s two Tony nominations and recoupment of its $3.8 million capitalization, Mr. Franco, its creatively restless star, had a seemingly innocuous conversation with Mr. Binder. The ultimate multihyphenate (actor-director-author-poet-artist), Mr. Franco was intrigued by the challenge of translating the production into a different medium, Mr. Binder said: “He came to me and said, ‘How do we do it, David?’ ”

Mr. Binder, at first stumped, then made a call to Tim Levy, who runs the National Theater’s small office in New York, and mentioned his and his star’s interest. David Sabel, the National’s director of broadcast and digital, then pounced.

The National had started National Theater Live in 2009 with a production of “Phèdre,” starring Helen Mirren. Since doing five broadcasts that season, it has ramped up to between eight and 10 and expanded beyond its own fare. First came shows by other theaters in the subsidized arts sector in Britain, like the Donmar Warehouse’s “King Lear”; now, shows in the commercial realm are on the roster, including its first West End production, “The Audience,” filmed last year.

Conquering Broadway was next. There had been previous approaches, but nothing stuck. “Of Mice and Men,” which also starred Chris O’Dowd and Leighton Meester, had the right profile.

“We see a wide appetite for limited-engagement, star-driven shows,” said Mr. Sabel, who said he would like to make Broadway shows a regular part of National Theater Live’s offerings.

Spurred by Mr. Franco and Mr. Binder, the producing and creative teams behind “Of Mice and Men” quickly signed on. It also didn’t hurt that National Theater Live was picking up the entire cost of producing and distributing the broadcast, which topped an estimated $1 million.

Desire then had to confront a compressed timetable; the show’s run was ending on July 27. And Mr. Sabel could not rely on his usual business template. In Britain, National Theater Live deals with three unions. In New York, the number was eight.

Meanwhile, Ms. Borchard-Young, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico when she received the call from Mr. Sabel, spent her days lining up theaters and the marketing plans rather than lazing on the beach. A typical National Theater Live broadcast is beamed out to 200 to 250 locations in the United States and Canada; “Of Mice and Men” will be shown in more than 700.

In New York, the creative team wrestled with adapting the show for the HD broadcast without subverting its tone. There were obvious tweaks to be made: lighting adjustments and subtler makeup for the five all-seeing high-definition cameras.

More knottily, there was much discussion on how best to capture what was transpiring onstage. “The action isn’t always in the obvious spot,” Mr. Binder said. “It might be upstage with the character who’s sitting up there, who’s listening and reacting.”

On Friday, July 25, National Theater Live filmed a rehearsal, and the next morning, Mr. Franco; the director, Anna D. Shapiro; the National Theater Live team; and others joined Mr. Binder to watch the footage and suggest changes. Then, on July 29, two days after the show closed, the cast returned and, in front of invited audiences, performed two more times.

The compressed timetable did result in one casualty. National Theater Live typically lives up to its name and broadcasts live, at least on first showing. “Of Mice and Men” will have its first broadcast on Nov. 6. (Screening tickets will range from $18 to $20, typical for such broadcasts.)

“All of us felt we should not do it truly live because, at the end of July, it would be crickets,” with Hollywood blockbusters crowding movie theaters and much of National Theater Live’s target audience on vacation, Ms. Borchard-Young said.

Tapping into National Theater Live’s brand and relationships with exhibitors helps “Of Mice and Men” overcome one of the biggest challenges Broadway producers face: the lack of a marketing infrastructure.

“We think it’s absolutely vital to create a brand and to have a regular series of shows that people can expect,” said Ed Greenberg, co-founder and chairman of Broadway Near You, which has first crack at shows produced by Jeffrey Richards Associates and Lincoln Center Theater. “The Met Opera does a lot better than any of the theatrical shows that have been done in the U.S.”

Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story
Mr. Greenberg added that while cobbling together deals had become easier, “it’s still not a day at the beach.” A near miss involving “The Glass Menagerie,” the critically ballyhooed show from last season starring Cherry Jones and Zachary Quinto, still pains him. Broadway Near You had a commitment from the Tennessee Williams estate, the producers and three of the four actors.

“One actor vetoed it, and so it didn’t get done,” said Mr. Greenberg, who declined to identify the culprit.

Profit — or the lack of it — remains a bedeviling issue for those looking to film Broadway shows. The nonprofit National Theater hasn’t lost money on any of its HD broadcasts for the last two years, Mr. Sabel said. But its productions cost significantly less than those on Broadway, about 250,000 British pounds (roughly $400,000), while Broadway shows, particularly musicals, can carry a price tag more than six times as high.

“Memphis” has had two runs and has brought in about $2 million, slightly less than the $2.5 million it cost to produce. Bruce Brandwen of Broadway Worldwide said he hoped to recoup when “Memphis” was shown in China.

Even movie stars — like Orlando Bloom, who starred in the “Romeo and Juliet” released by Broadway HD on Valentine’s Day — are no guarantee of box office success. Mr. Franco and the team behind the “Of Mice and Men” broadcast, hope that at least in this case, Steinbeck will resonate more than Shakespeare.
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Last edited by tranquility; 10-07-2014 at 11:33 AM
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Old 10-08-2014, 02:46 AM
  #32
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That was a really interesting read. James knows how to get stuff done
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Old 10-09-2014, 05:14 AM
  #33
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He really does NY Times seems to love the play going by the number of articles they've done.
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Old 10-09-2014, 11:21 AM
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Here's the trailer... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOqlV_4CJrA
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Old 10-09-2014, 12:07 PM
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So many amazing things happening!
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Old 10-09-2014, 09:52 PM
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Yay!
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Old 10-10-2014, 11:42 AM
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It looks so good!

I'll add the trailer to the OP soon.
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Old 10-11-2014, 05:38 AM
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Thank you
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Old 10-11-2014, 11:01 AM
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It makes me really want a premiere or event of some kind.
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Old 10-12-2014, 01:00 AM
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I really wish they would
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Old 10-12-2014, 12:31 PM
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I'm happy she mentioned the filming of the play at MVFF.
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Old 10-22-2014, 01:56 AM
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She's still so excited whenever it gets brought up
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Old 10-22-2014, 03:11 AM
  #43
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It's absolutely adorable!

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Best acting experience and life experience ever #AskLeighton
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Old 10-23-2014, 10:09 AM
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I really want her to do more theatre soon
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Old 10-24-2014, 12:48 AM
  #45
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I think OMAM was a great opportunity for her and I am sure she will get more chances in theatre

I am so happy they filmed it
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