Angelina DeFilippis 1

Merrill Horton

ENG 102

September 16, 2020

A Moment On Stage, Or a Memory for Later

Experiencing a moment in real time is what theatre is all about. But not everyone is able

to live in the magic of theatre in real time. To solve this dilemma, many theatre goers have

resorted to filming the productions illegally; otherwise known as “ bootlegs.” In this time of

media and technology, it’s not uncommon to find many theatre-going patrons with their phones

or cameras out during a performance. The Broadway community has been divided on bootlegs

for years, but despite the bad reputation they’ve revived, these recordings have their benefits.

Bootlegs provide an inexpensive outlet to educate and entertain thespians all over the world.

Broadway is not readily available to the public. The Theatre District of New York is

Broadway’s home. If you’re not there, chances are you’re not going to be seeing a Broadway

show. On top of that, these shows aren’t cheap. Tickets can range anywhere from hundreds of

dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on the show. If you’re not an elitist thespian snob, this

just isn’t a financially sound option for seeing live theatre. You could go see the touring

company production if it comes to your city. Or maybe there’s a community theatre in town

doing the production. Heck, you could even go pretend to enjoy your local high school’s Jr.

performance of the same show! But let’s be real, as awesome and fulfilling as that is, one can

only dream of seeing a show in the Big Apple. This inevitably makes Broadway an exclusive

commodity. However, bootlegs are changing the game. Bootlegs can be experienced from the

comfort of one's own home. As long as you have an internet connection and the link to the show,

you’ve got a front row seat to a Broadway show. With a bootleg in hand, there’s no need to
Angelina DeFilippis 2

Merrill Horton

ENG 102

September 16, 2020

travel or spend money to see your favorite show! However, while there seems to be nothing

wrong with this setup, many stars in the Broadway community are left with ruffled feathers.

Many artists feel like bootlegs are taking money out of their own pockets, but that

couldn’t be farther from the truth. Between the sky high ticket pricings and the second-sale

scalper websites, Broadway isn’t financially hurting. Some actors and performers feel that the

phones and flashes are too distracting to them on stage. Others feel that the audience or

disconnected from the story altogether. In their eyes this defeats the whole purpose of a live

performance. The biggest advocate for this is the one and only diva, Patti LuPone. This is what

she had to say:

‘She was sitting in the light, so everyone could see her texting — I was shocked she

didn't leave at intermission, because clearly, she was not enjoying herself,’ she

says. ‘The interesting thing that happened was that she actually watched the play. It's

ridiculous. It's so out of control now and so debilitating to actors and audiences alike. …

It's not my job to police them onstage, and it's left to the actors to be the

policemen. I'm put in a position I'm not hired for: Patti LuPone, cellphone bounty

hunter! (Laughs.) I get a hundred bucks every time I get a cellphone!’ (Lee, p4)

While Ms. LuPone raises many excellent points and isn’t wrong, someone who is recording the

show though, is not focused on the performance itself anyway. Given, she referred to someone

texting, and not recording; however, it’s all in the same realm. It’s a phone dividing an

audience’s connection to a performance. In reality, the recording patron is focused on not getting

caught and making sure the recording is decent enough to upload. And Patti is right. It isn’t her
Angelina DeFilippis 3

Merrill Horton

ENG 102

September 16, 2020

job to stop the performance. So why even worry? Why does she care? She still gets paid the

same at the end of the day. As an actor myself, I’ll just never understand why performers get so

flustered by a little phone. If you’re truly a professional, no distraction (candy wrappers, crying

babies, cell phones, etc..) should impair you from doing your job as a paid performer. And it’s a

very closed minded view to have on bootlegs as a whole. According to Aly Markov, “some

people will never be able to afford to see their favorite show on Broadway, or any theatre show.”

(p.5) Theatre seems to always be a dwindling minority of an art. If anything, bootlegs are helping

promote live theatre and boosting ticket sales! It doesn’t make sense to completely blacklist

something that has been so beneficial and important to the thespians of the world.

Making this beloved art form so accessible to everyone is vital. The average family

doesn’t have the kind of time or money to splurge on a Broadway musical. And for most young

thespians, seeing your first Broadway show is a sacred thing. It’s an emotional moment in time

that one can’t even describe. Simply, you’d have to see it to believe it. It only takes seeing one

show to change someone’s life for good. Especially now in times of COVID and the Broadway

Shutdown, theatre is needed in any capacity, more than ever! Now, people don’t know when

they’ll be able to see a show on Broadway! In addition, there is a long-term gratification in

getting to indulge in something that you grow a strong love for. There’s only so much knowledge

to gain from reading about a production online or listening to its cast recording. Seeing a show in

its full form is something so magical and whimsical. Bootlegs help bridge that gap between

wonder and reality.

Angelina DeFilippis 4

Merrill Horton

ENG 102

September 16, 2020

Bootlegs open up a new spectrum of live Broadway theatre to people who normally get to

experience it first hand. It is making theatre more accessible. Many artists believe that bootlegs

are disrespectful and should stop all together, due to theatre’s live and in the moment nature.

Bootlegs of Broadway shows actually create a multitude of benefits for people who don’t have

access to their favorite productions. In this day and age, Broadway bootlegs act as a cheap and

educational resource for theatre lovers of all ages. Without these bootlegs, many might lack their

knowledge of a said production or their love for theatre.

Angelina DeFilippis 5

Merrill Horton

ENG 102

September 16, 2020

Works Cited

Lee, Ashley. “Broadway Star Patti LuPone Seizes Phone From Texting Audience Member,

Threatens to Quit Theater.” The Hollywood Reporter, 9 July 2015.

Markov, Aly. “Bootlegs: Will They Destroy or Save Theatre? OnStage Blog, The Acting Life,

10 December 2017.