The Weird World of Theatre Bootlegs

A video about the type of Broadway crime that isn't the Spider-Man musical.
End music by Zoë Blade and used with permission.
the debater really jumped out in this one lmao
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/ sarahz
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Angie's video: • Social Justice Can Be ...

[@SarahZ]

Captions will be up shortly!

[@whydidthetilda]

Thanks for making your videos accessible! Just some constructive criticism - some of the captions are a bit long, usually between about 30 and 60 characters is the most readable.

[@miniciominiciominicio]

👍🏽 for captions

[@gizmoduck4292]

Aaaand now iiiit's SPRINGtime for Hitler and @SarahZ *bum bu-dum-bum*

[@ThePwnzerWillDie]

Some feed back! as.someone who loves your videos when you have captions would you put [CC] in the title. KZbin is bad at putting a CC symbol when there are actual captions. Thank you so much

[@OjoRojo40]

You should definitely have a look at this. It's broader than theater bootlegs, but it will expand your ideas concerning other forms of copyright "pirating" and digital media. It's a must really kzbin.info/www/bejne/m5jMn4CHd7x8f5Y

[@davidwilliamklak]

Another thing I wish was talked about is the fact that once a show closes, what's the harm in watching the bootleg? You can't take money away from a show that isn't running.

[@becp488]

David Klak True, I don’t think bootlegs damages their profits one iota, I would still see professional productions if I could. Theatre is an experience when you’re there. But for those of us outside of capital cities and can’t afford tickets, travel and accommodation, the only way you’ll see them is in a local production, which usually won’t be available until professional runs are over anyway. As someone who works on local musicals as a lighting designer it really helps to see a copy of the show.

[@micahfoote7270]

I live in the capital city... But it's Nebraska, no one's coming here lmao 😂

[@sansvillz4467]

Maybe it’s the possibility that people expect to see a bootleg after the show closes, which would in turn could discourage people from actually going out to see the show and watch the bootleg instead. I totally see why it should be a thing though, like Newsies gaining popularity after it went on Netflix and etc.

[@nikkospelledlikethat8140]

One of my favorite shows, Anastasia, just closed I think in August and I got to go see it for a second time after several years, for my birthday before it closed. I think bootlegs would definitely be really the only way to keep the whole memory of shows alive after they close, so people can still enjoy them.

[@ZipplyZane]

I don't think that's an issue for both the reason stated above--the experiences are different--and because of the target audience. Broadway shows cost a lot, both in the actual show and the travel involved. Bootlegs are cheap--often even free. So you have a different experience that targets a different market. The umber of richer people who would not go see the actual play when they could and would rather wait for the bootleg and an inferior experience has to be quite small, if not nonexistent. The way they'd have a leg to stand on is if they actually would always do legit filming of the play to release later. Then the bootleg would at least conceivably be taking away from that market.

[@alic2923]

i’m just saying, if starkid can survive by posting their shows online for ten years, broadway sure as hell can.

[@spubz]

Ayee another Starkid fan!! 💕

[@wittyschmitty1192]

Absolutely. How does a small indie a group like Starkid get this but nobody in literally all of Broadway?

[@Petterwass]

Of course they can, but they don't want to be accessible

[@plsarguewithme2665]

God bless team starkid

[@hoaxheaux]

T H I S

[@justinecourtneysgavel89]

"Theatre bootlegs" is a weird way to spell "Slime tutorials"

[@theanalyst4446]

Plus she keeps saying it wrong like what?

[@DanielMazz]

@@theanalyst4446 please help

[@ColbyBarradas]

Haha, I get it!

[@DanielMazz]

@@ColbyBarradas please subscribe to my you tube thx

[@catticus6637]

@@DanielMazz bruh

[@user-lb4bz8tu2k]

And Lin manuel Miranda left Tumblr because people kept tagging him in Hamilton bootleg. I love Lin for all his geniuses in songwriting, but he never realize how privileged he is to be able to live in NYC. Even though he claims "Broadway show was for special occasions as a kid", that's still hundred times better than people in other parts of the US, let alone other countries.

[@auhng]

I know many kids where special occasions were being able to go to a beach/movies or something. Mind you, you don’t even really need to pay for some beaches other than parking sometimes or a entrance fee. I know many people who had to start working at really young ages in their family businesses to help out.

[@nonythepotate3171]

i mean here in nyc yeah you get to see a couple of plays or musicals but like that crap is expensive even with deeals

[@queerlibtardhippie9357]

LOL Broadway tickets are $100 a pop at LEAST

[@TwilightEpiphany]

exactly. i respect him for his contributions to musical theatre but his whole spiel against bootlegs left a bad taste in my mouth. he's part of the reason why bootlegs are still happening- the tickets to hamilton are priced anywhere from $200-$800 and he kept the taped version in the vault for the longest time until disney+ announced they were streaming it (i.e. they probably gave him a lot of money). he's not helping theatre become more accessible. sure, there's ham4ham, but even that's like how mobile game companies use pay-to-play to unlock "full versions" of gaming apps. i can understand why he'll be upset. bootlegs are essentially theft and infringement of copyright. he's literally watching someone film his work illegally and putting it on the web. but theatre is still a privileged art form accessible to only those that can afford it. bootlegs exist to give poor kids a chance to watch a show they might never be able to. sure, they can listen to the soundtrack, but theatre is about experiencing the entirety of the performance. and like, the thing is LMM talks a lot about making theatre cool again with integrating hip hop into musicals, but if he really wanted to open up musical theatre to more people, he really ought to put his money where the mouth is start dropping the ticket prices for starters.

[@diurnarius8722]

@@queerlibtardhippie9357 but if you're out of states you'll have to get a plane ticket to and from New York and a hotel that's even worse if you're pay for someone else too

[@vriskaserket467]

people still go to stadiums to see the Football Men do Football even though they could easily just watch it on tv

[@graaaaaaaaaaaaaaace]

thank you for your words of wisdom, vriska.

[@elizabeth3588]

Most of that idea is true, but doesn’t the NCAA/NFL profit off those games being aired? Sure, the person who films the bootleg pays for their seat in a show, but after that it’s free to everyone who watches. Correct me if I wrong, and I fully support bootlegs!

[@Chopsparillo]

@@elizabeth3588 Well it depends on where it was uploaded, if it was on youtube yes. If not then people are required to pay for the recording although it's usually only like $20

[@nateharris5012]

....*you cant fight the homestuck intensifies*

[@amphitritemists4595]

@@elizabeth3588 I think what theyre trying to say is if the broadway shows paid to have a professional record the shows they would make more money and people would still pay to see the shows performed live just as football fans can watch shows for free on the tv but would still pay good money to watch it in person

[@JC-fk8mp]

One extremely important thing id like to bring up with bootlegs is that they're much more accessible to disabled ppl (myself included: -blind people who wouldn't be able to watch a stage but could watch a magnified/close up screen -people with limited mobility who can't make it to theatres -people with sensory issues who would be able to stand the sound/lights/ect -hard of hearing people (some bootlegs have cations) I could go on!!!

[@likeabunnie]

Thanks for making this point, I was thinking the same thing! :)

[@frickfrackfrog]

community theaters are great at this stuff and can still make a profit out of it!! why can't broadway theaters do the same? one of my local theatre companies put on be more chill and had a night specifically organised for hearing impaired audiences. they had interpreters on either side of the stage and the tickets were free. is it too hard to do something like this on bway?

[@mish469]

if only every theater performance and additionally bootlegs had captions... oh, what a miracle

[@Baka-kun]

I know for me, I have some hard of hearing as I love to read captions/subtitles while watching something. The theater where I watched The Lightning Thief music had a day where these kinds of people can purchase close seats at half priced (so like $30 per ticket) all up close, with live captions and an ASL interpreters. It made the show better for me and my sibling Also made it easily more accessible for handicapped people to enter and exit the theater on this day

[@shlee-shlee]

Not to detract from that but add to it--- people in other countries to the list. I can't afford to travel but also cant convince shows to come here :')

[@qwertyiou]

Someone: how do you watch so many Broadway musicals without going to New York? Me: A laptop, internet connection, and strong disregard for the law.

[@whateveryouhearditwasntme4109]

And a tissue in case of a sad musical

[@DanielMazz]

Please help

[@DanielMazz]

@@whateveryouhearditwasntme4109 please help

[@whateveryouhearditwasntme4109]

Daniel Mazz what do you need?

[@DanielMazz]

@@whateveryouhearditwasntme4109 so only recently heard about these and trying to look for 9 to 5 musical west end 2019 or 2020 can you help me thx

[@mckenziealexa5000]

I understand why people would be against bootlegging, but I’d just like to say the only bootleg I’ve watched is Heathers & after watching it, I had every intent on flying to New York and buying tickets to see it live, only to realize they don’t perform it anymore.

[@mckenziealexa5000]

I wish I had been old enough to see it when it first came out. I would kill to hear Barrett Wilbert Weed’s voice in person, specifically singing Dead Girl Walking!

[@mckenziealexa5000]

Sam Oty yes!! I feel like if they had live-streams that you could pay for, thousands of people would participate. It’s a win for everyone involved. They would be making more money and so many others would have access to the shows. I don’t want to watch a bunch of bootlegs, but I do really want to see more musicals/plays.

[@mckenziealexa5000]

Nyeal Biedenstein I knew it was off broadway, but I didn’t know it was in DC actually.

[@MezzoForte4]

@@SamOty-pb2dp When the outbreak happened in March the MetOpera started streaming an opera daily and I watched it faithfully for a week and I've never seen an opera live/otherwise, and now I want to watch one live. So yeah, streams are so important for exposure!

[@tychoderkommentator2989]

Oh god, I wish so much that the Carrie version I watched was still performing.

[@tsg_frank5829]

So basically, Capitalism. Honestly Broadway just seems to be avoiding making money by not releasing commercial video footage of their musical.

[@TheActor949]

TSG_Frank The reason the shows don’t release their professional filmed of the show is because it crosses soo may unions and there are a lot of hoops to jump threw it’s not easy to just film and post it

[@Nina-wq2eb]

@@TheActor949 Could you explain that a little more? Genuinely interested, always thought the reason they just weren't selling their recordings as dvds was because they were scared it would stop people from going to see the show live (which is ridiculous).

[@TheActor949]

Nina watch this video she explains it better then me trying to type it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jV6vn4mHjduZg9E

[@xXMkThunderXx]

Oh I watched that video too! Pretty good! Basically, a ton of musicals sold film rights so they can't sell the footage without getting in trouble. And if they did sell the video footage they'd have to compensate a ton of people.

[@settheshallow8913]

#Hamilfilm

[@manband20]

But we can all agree Illegal Heathers was the greatest thing ever and Illegal Heather C. needs a back brace because she carried that whole show on her back.

[@EteamProductions]

Heather C. and that glasses guy in the background that really tried his best

[@alexlikestodraw458]

Are there any whereabouts on Illegal Heather Chandler?

[@graceperez8759]

@@alexlikestodraw458 All I know is she has a tumblr where she answers a few questions about the musical production

[@kirananil1664]

@@alexlikestodraw458 She does, her name's Arissa Gaia Reneé and she has a KZbin channel.

[@13litigator]

manband20 hahahaa yessss

[@__darsoyea5149]

KZbin musical bootlegs are the most chaotic part of the community And I’m in for it. Slime tutorials, this isn’t’s, and “mean girls but it’s 1989 and they’re traffic lights”, the titles itself are art, and they are free for everyone to see and enjoy.

[@Carlosdreamur]

__ Darsoyea my favorite has to be “Minecraft hardcore survival part 10”

[@tychoderkommentator2989]

I love how under every musical bootleg there are at least 3 comments about it being a slime tutorial.

[@tisibiaedeakamatsu]

"ways to be more chill"

[@chillfactory9000]

@@tychoderkommentator2989 "I really like the glitter and purple color you put in this slime!"

[@meiko6120]

Slime tutorial but with bugs

[@itsparker64]

There's this saying about pirating movies that I think applies beautifully. "If you want it to stop, all you have to do is provide a better service than the pirates."

[@sterlingselman6649]

Yeah. And with the way these streaming services are acting, Im back to the p-word.

[@WolfCoder]

Gabe Newell is our lord and savior

[@Lucy-wc5vf]

Seriously, I'm on basically all the streaming services and every movie or show I want to watch are just not on them

[@dragoncatoverload]

I think pirating rates actually went down when Netflixs was affordable and had good variety in their catalog. Now it’s going back up again.

[@enterfromthesky]

Oh boy, this statement applies now more than ever i think

[@luco5769]

The Broadway bootleg community is chaotic good and you can fight me on that.

[@AnxiousGary]

Some of those included comments were pretty lawful-evil if you ask me.

[@luco5769]

@@AnxiousGary I was gonna reply with 'I didn't' but then I realized I literally did. so I don't know where to go from here. Nice name.

[@brooke.t.g.r5646]

Luc O BAHAHAHAHA (ps I’m the 420 like and I’m very proud of that)

[@AnxiousGary]

@@luco5769 Thank you! Also great attention to detail, I would have just immediately responded without thinking, but only after waiting nine months first.

[@magiv4205]

Not fighting you on that, you are absolutely correct.

[@redacted5078]

I OWE my Life to bootlegs. Im spanish and underage and I have no opportunities to leave Spain or Pay to see any show, since besides all the facts she named, english is not my first language. Without bootlegs I wouldnt be part of this community.

[@danielaaragonmiranda4105]

Same, im still underage and i dont think i will be able to even travel in mi own country (México), so bootlegs help a lot. That doesnt mean that i wouldnt wanted to go watch it if i have the chance!!

[@docturbright495]

Same but change spain to philippines 😂

[@analedesma1890]

SAME but i’m panamenian.

[@Lary8011]

Same, but I'm Brazilian

[@celestia6446]

@@docturbright495 hi im filipino too

[@ellikasan]

If Dear Evan Hansen/Hamilton/Hadestown/honestly any show asked me for $30 for a professionally filmed show, I would do it in a heartbeat.

[@novaiscool1]

Heck even if they wanted $60 for a Blueray, I think it would be worth it for some of the highly popular shows like Hamilton, because it's still a tiny fraction of the cost of watching it live.

[@asmrtpop2676]

Thedoctor133 Who tf pays more than twenty bucks for a dvd? Ever?

[@novaiscool1]

@@asmrtpop2676 Given the expense of a Broadway ticket I would be willing to pay $60 for a high quality recording of a show. This is still pricy, but within an achievable range for most people to see. This also would combat the issue of the show losing money as they have to take multiple days to properly film something to the level of "Hamilton".

[@beep3242]

@@asmrtpop2676 A good example of people buying DVDs for extremely expensive amounts is probably old anime. Most physical copies of old anime are really f*cking hard to get your hands on, as disks are often limited and no longer in production. It's not unheard of to pay $20+ for a disk with only two or three episodes of a show on it.

[@Joshisepic2222]

Disney plus

[@clairegolder3683]

I’ve written a paper on this. Statistics and revenue has shown that a show will increase in popularity and ticket sales if they have some kind public release of a video of it or if they have bootlegs.

[@chrissgoalie]

I have serious correlation does not equal causation concern here. Popular shows will automatically have more bootlegs to it, so just quantity of bootlegs is a poor predictor. Even a more sophisticated analysis of when a bootleg initially entered the public conscience and if that had any effect on sales is muddled by the fact that creating a bootleg has implicit costs that means that a bootleger would only create bootlegs of shows that meet that 'cost', While its true that their are many ways that a bootleger could decide that a show meets the initial burden of costs, meeting the burden itself is more likely then not to correlate to having aspects that will make the show popular.

[@clairegolder3683]

Chris Schroth The revenue lists I had used and the example were from a show that was on Broadway and then got a public release via DVD/live performance. The revenue increase was the highest it had been between years, though I can’t remember the exact number. It wasn’t just bootlegs, but a public releasing that significantly increased the shows revenue and attendance. Also, I did this paper in high school, so cut me a bit of slack. I did great research and found conclusive evidence, but that was combined with getting information on different points, so I couldn’t focus on solely that aspect.

[@77Zuriel77]

I think Claire is right, I seem to remember CATS movie (old broadway one) have the same effect of higher sales, which surprised the producers at that time who thought they were more recording for posterity.

[@weirdofromhalo]

It's literally the video game piracy argument. Demos help decent and better games and more access to games lowers piracy.

[@katharineeavan9705]

It makes sense if you think about it. I'm never going to splash £50+ on something I'm not sure I'll like, but if I have access to a bootleg and I like it then I might think the money is worth it. I'm the same with film and music. I'm never going to spend money on something that I might regret buying, but I will spend money on something I've already seen/listened to and want to support it, experience it live, or have a copy I know I'll always have access to

[@bewilderbeastie8899]

Bootlegging is ethical and should be done until Broadway learns to release DVDs of shows

[@Beesbeeswhatsonthemenu]

Bewilderbeastie Seriously! Every musical fan I know (myself included) would buy the DVDs!

[@nicktham123]

One reason why Broadway doesn't do dvds is that when people watch the DVD they might not want to watch the live straged version. However, bootlegs still get people to the theatre because you might have bootlegs that have scenes where the person filming gives you a bad angle or just blackness for 2 minutes. I still support bootlegs

[@bridievinn]

@@nicktham123 this isn't quite accurate because there are good bootlegs out there, and rips of DVD musicals which still produce people to want the real thing as described in the video. I highly doubt anyone thinks watching it is equal to irl

[@WedgeOfSpite]

I think shows worry about the touring company of a show, if there are videos of it people can watch in the comfort of their home. It's a concern that movies in theatres are facing...how to get people to go, and spend time/money/effort to come to see a movie, when there are so many streaming options? And it's all well and good to decry the big blockbusters (which are also risky, but also have the upside of potential high reward), but other than cheap horror films, and a few break-out hits, mid-level films are not doing well. Romcoms are not doing well, comedies are not doing well, again with a few exceptions. And that's not just a measure of quality of the films, because this year the movie Long Shot, Booksmart, and Late Night, all are pretty critically well reviewed films, but failed to connect to audiences in the theatre. And why? because these are the type of films that people mostly wait to watch on streaming. So the argument would be, how many people are going to spend the amount of time/money/effort that it takes to go see a Broadway show when it tours to their city, when they can stay in the comfort of their home and watch a great version of it. Whereas, if the only video version is a crappy bootleg, than they have a better chance of investing the time/money to see the show when it tours in their city/close enough to them to see. Yes, I get that most people will never get close to a show, and them cost/effort is too high for most people. Not disagreeing, I'm just saying I see the argument for tours being negatively affected. ETA: so this is an argument for having bootlegs, but not official DVDs. Bootlegs will not take away from people seeing the tours of the show, the way an official DVD might.

[@loor4753]

I agree!

[@kirstynquinn6602]

Fun fact, Barrett Wilbert Weed( Veronica in Heathers) is super supportive of bootlegs, just put a matte case on your phone

[@jesm5698]

Sorry, but why would you put a matte phone case on it?

[@kellysanto4938]

Kirstyn Quinn no she said she was glad that heathers was bootlegged because of how hard she worked. she doesn't actually support bootlegs

[@kirstynquinn6602]

Kelly Santo She mentioned about Mean Girls recently either in an interview or on Instagram that she didn’t care if someone was recording as long as they did something to keep the light from reflecting in her eyes, which is where my matte phone case reference came from

[@misssupercookie2011]

@@kirstynquinn6602 it was on an instagram story where she literally said she didn't care if people filmed bootlegs of the show. And so the Queen has spoken and we obey the Queen

[@jovanaspasojevic5049]

Barrett is my godess

[@mac9656]

Barrett Wilbert Weed went live with Jessica Wynne from heathers and they were talking about how thankful they were about bootlegs as internationally, people would have never known about heathers if the bootleg was never posted

[@allie4085]

i was in a audition intensive working on i’d rather be me and the guy teaching me told me he personally knows barrett wilbert weed and is friends with her. i almost died bc she is my favorite actor

[@maplehockeylove6339]

Bootleg community - Chaotic Good Trading community - Neutral Evil

[@twinkiesmaster69]

"natural"

[@rccar9568]

@@twinkiesmaster69 no it’s neutral

[@bibliophilecb]

I’d argue they’re more lawful evil?

[@andreali6407]

You know the facts

[@sneakabeer4410]

They're the same? The trading community films the bootlegs, don't they? That's where you're getting all your HD Six, Beetlejuice, Wicked, Mean Girls, etc. videos. All were filmed by the trading community. I'm more than sure that every single full bootleg on youtube was filmed by the trading community. I'm not talking about the shitty phone bootlegs, I'm talking about the ones with beautiful zooms, colors, little to no spotlight washout, and high def quality.

[@KnaveMurdok]

"be gay, do crimes" is just the 2019 way of saying "fight the power", and in my eyes, a little mom and pop shop is not "the power".

[@papersonic9941]

From my point of view the pop shops are evil!

[@ladymaiden2308]

Locally owned, mom and pop stores are just your friends and neighbors trying to make a living. Especially if they are kind-hearted and hardworking, stealing from them just makes you a jerk. You might as well just take money out of their wallet, or food off of their children's plates.

[@allisondoak9425]

The petite bourgeois contribute to and shelter power in society but are not themselves as individuals very powerful at that scale. However, their employees are subject to that power and are (speaking in massive generalisations) worse off as workers than than others who work for the bourgeois proper.

[@--..__]

Lol both phrases are popular solely because of the vast ways people can interpret them. There is no common message in them. People with different ideologies will interpret then differently.

[@notnotkavi]

@@ladymaiden2308 mom and pop shops don't necessarily pay workers more than corporations, or provide lower prices than corporations. Due to inefficiencies at small scales, they can end up taking a larger cut than bigger businesses.

[@grappyday5438]

So... you can watch Legally Blonde.... *legally?!*

[@mr.eeggbert1340]

Blond

[@asharmstrong248]

Illeaglly Blonde is also fun tho

[@itsclemtime2357]

@@asharmstrong248 I’m...... *~WHEEZING~*

[@eloiseklassen8681]

this video literally just explains why six is doing so well, letting people record megasix was the smartest move to boost the the show that anyone could have ever done whether it was intentional or not

[@oliviasmith9033]

watching a load of megasix videos was honestly one of the main reasons I went to see the show! seeing how good it was made me want to save up the money to see it in person

[@lordoftheducks332]

Didn’t they vocally tell fans to film it? Like, it’s a scripted line?

[@eloiseklassen8681]

@@lordoftheducks332 yeah lol, what I mean by "whether it was intentional or not" was whether they did it because they knew it would be good publicity for the show or whether they did it cause they were like "lol wouldn't it be fun if we let people film it" which resulted in the show's popularity

[@ellianakaplan1819]

@@eloiseklassen8681 Same with School of Rock! they let the audience film the final number and because of it, fans can watch those clips and see how much fun the child actors are having, making them want to experience it in person

[@christyg1398]

​@@lordoftheducks332yes, theyd sing "get your phones out youre gonna wanna film this" in the beginning

[@yourlocaltheatrekid900]

I love how this comment section is filled with Starkid fans

[@vicklepickle301]

We're like "Yeahhh.. abooouut thatttt.."

[@eunac3037]

*a kickline is inevitable*

[@ryleighbark7353]

i just made a comment about starkid lol

[@graceyl.195]

Your profile is my life

[@yourlocaltheatrekid900]

@@graceyl.195 why thank you good human

[@goodjobeli]

I feel like broadway should take a leaf out of Team Starkid's book. If you didn't know, they've been posting original musicals to youtube for 10 years but they're still selling out theatres, people are still seeing their shows live or via digital tickets or even through dvd and digital download sales despite them posting the musicals to youtube. They even sold out a 1,600 seat theatre for their 10 year anniversary concert in less than an hour, with even more profit coming from the upcoming dvd and digital download versions of said concert! Broadway would probably be even more successful if they did the same thing, turning in more profit and bringing in more fans!

[@TheActor949]

skipsbruh The reason the shows don’t release their professional filmed of the show is because it crosses soo may unions and there are a lot of hoops to jump threw it’s not easy to just film and post it

[@ashdon_]

Trueeeeee

[@kandyappleview]

It is expensive and complicated but not impossible. There’s already a good bit of professional recordings already done, but still aren’t accessible. Even if the full library of Great Performances was accessible, that would make for a nice start. Also, whomever’s in charge could absolutely still charge people to view/buy a recorded version or subscribe to a service so they’d still make money. Broadway hd is the closest thing I’ve found but their selection is so small. I’m not sure what they have to do legally & financially to beef up their collection but i hope they’re working on it.

[@ilinzrh]

Yesss and it would benefit international fans tooo

[@TheActor949]

@Angelous Mortis because it’s for the actors, swings, cover... to see before to learn some of the choreography and blocking... and incase they are able to release it it’s recorded. And sometimes they use it to make the trailers of the show.

[@dominiquewong4706]

I want to share a few points on how musical bootlegs have many positive impacts on foreign viewers. I am from Taiwan and watch quite a lot of bootlegs from Chinese websites. And because of the absence of "copyright" in China. So well-edited HD quality videos can be still online. Sometimes the editor team will even add a montage to introduce the actors in the beginning. 1. Subtitle and translation (Chinese actually put credits of the translators on the video to appreciate their work) For non-English speakers, to be able to watch a broadway show with subtitles really make a better experience. 2. Very limited tours outside of non-Englishing countries. 3. Reference notes The Chinese bootlegs usually will add references on the top of the video for context that is not too easy to understand in other cultures. So Chinese actually has a chance to learn more about American culture through these added references. 4. A pleasant way to learn English. 5. Being an escape for freedom Chinese audiences can see political metaphor (ex. Wicked, les mis, Anastasia) through musicals without the government censoring. Be able to discover and discuss freedom of speech and especially on expressing gay and religious thought (basically book of Mormon) which is not legal in China These bootlegs seen from foreigners is definitely helping Boardway since many of the long-lasting musical production are being viewed by foreign visitors. Also, it is a way to bridge the culture gap. It created a drive for people to visit new york and london for the "real show". It creates popularity for shows and the culture of musicals. It is really a pity that Boardway is not doing official recording for all musicals before they end. People outside of America are definitely willing to pay and see it online or even in a local movie theater. The last point I want to make is that. For most non-musical lovers, the only exposer for them to musicals are movie adaptations which are usually not good. These movies give musical a bad rap. Showing the stage on screen is a good way to give non-musical lovers a chance to feel the theater and definitely giving them more imagination and a better impression of musicals.

[@ycp4194]

Hello! I'm from Taiwan myself and I I've never been able to find good quality bootlegs, could you share some of those sites you use?

[@dominiquewong4706]

@@ycp4194 you can fine it on bilibili. Type "Musical_Fans" and you can find many of them

[@sneakabeer4410]

This. I agree with all your points here. People need to understand that bootlegs impact other countries differently. Not all countries have democracies. I do strongly like the political metaphors in some musicals

[@blisterfingers8169]

This is exactly the same as the anime fansub community. Credits, notes and the whole deal. They just want to share their passion not break the law or make money.

[@prageruwu69]

the names of musical bootleg videos on youtube are the funniest shit ever

[@razberrymist9475]

AGREED

[@kirstypollett2544]

tap dancing eggs the musical

[@razberrymist9475]

@@kirstypollett2544 which one is that?

[@kirstypollett2544]

Razberry Mist something rotten

[@razberrymist9475]

@@kirstypollett2544 lol thanks

[@lilkrispi9640]

Idk why everyone is complaining about slime tutorials

[@razberrymist9475]

XD most of the slime I make ends up making my eyes water...

[@DanielMazz]

Please help

[@CorvusCoraxification]

This is probably going to be drowned in the comments river, but as an 18 year old I watched a Next To Normal bootleg with my mum. What followed was the closest thing to a discussion on mental health that we had for about three years (context omitted to avoid a massive trigger warning preface). When art captures a point of society and exposes it to conversation, I would say that -in spite of the legal realities- it's a public wrong to reserve that exposure to those who are able to afford it. If theatre critiquing society is available only to those who have nothing to gain from its critique, it's beyond worthless.

[@Anthropomorphic]

Doesn't that essentially suggest that art and artists have to be subjugated to the public good?

[@bobbieproductions4491]

WOOOOW BUUURN

[@Anthropomorphic]

@@NiaErvin Thanks for the comment! Hmmm... So, I'd say that it's similar in practical terms. I don't keep up with Broadway except peripherally, but I'd imagine that the main motivation here is material: food, rent, and maybe hand sanitizer. The conclusion I inferred from the original comment, at least from what I remember, was that artists were obligated to make their art available to as broad an audience as possible, and especially so if they manage to give form to a socially salient message. That doesn't really seem to be what's going with the Broadway League.

[@RisqueBisquet]

When I saw the title, I was disappointed it wasn't about cheap imitation musicals called "The Book of Jehovah", "Hamillion", and "Les Miserable".

[@sylviebrebach8371]

SAME thats what i expected 0_o

[@charlesherbig4502]

I’d pay up to $5 for a good seat to see “Lease”.

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

@@charlesherbig4502 Aids! Aids! Everybody has Aids!!

[@georgiasadventureoflife7142]

Illegally blonde, I would legit pay money to see the full production

[@becauseimafan]

​@@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770 my god I have re-watched that movie a bunch, but the soundtrack beats it by a _mile!_ 😂

[@neptune7315]

This is why we stan starkid. They release professional recordings of all their musicals.

[@mooonblooom]

for FREE, no less.

[@yodelgoats790]

one word: starkid 💫 🌟 "hamilton move over, your new competitions in town."

[@redacted5078]

TGWDLM really had lots of show stopping numbers

[@stahppls2293]

Hamilton's not as good as the touring production of Mamma Mia!

[@thegamingdoggo9519]

Yes I absolutely love star kid

[@yourlocaltheatrekid900]

stahp pls it’s a musical!

[@ash-tq9xw]

Claps for you jus sayin

[@SchaffrillasProductions]

This is exactly how I've felt about bootlegs for years! I've showed all my friends the Dear Evan Hansen bootleg and it connected with them way more than the soundtrack did on its own. I made my fair share of DEH AMVs in the past that got even more people into the show, which contributed to some people buying merch from the show or even tickets to see it. All of this sparked because I saw a bootleg of an otherwise inaccessible show. And yeah having seen Hamilton and Great Comet live, they are not done justice by bootlegs so seeing them was still worthwhile

[@aaronr.265]

Did you see OG Great Comet or the broadway one? Just curious

[@DwRockett]

Schaffrillas Productions? What is this, a crossover episode?

[@SailorSabol]

I love it when you tubers im subscribed to are in the comments of other videos! You’re twist villains and Frollo videos are amazing btw!!

[@recoverypng]

Throwback to when you made a video entirely about the Hunchback bootleg.

[@isabelpaladines5426]

Schaffrillas Productions 👈😎👈

[@ryleighbark7353]

honestly the argument agienst recording musicals makes no sense, for example take starkid, they put most of their musicals on youtube and they are so successful

[@Manat_]

They have patreon that’s why

[@prageruwu69]

bootleggers are more important to society than landlords

[@fishhusbando3093]

True but the gum stuck to my shoe is more important to society than landlords so that really isn't saying much

[@prageruwu69]

@@fishhusbando3093 TRU

[@CarrotConsumer]

@@fishhusbando3093 What's wrong with landlords?

[@Lolavs]

@@CarrotConsumer Landlords are parasites. They suck up wealth from a community without providing a meaningful product or service to their tenets. At most, a landlord might fill the role of a building manager, but even if they do, they don't get the payment of a building manager, they get the payment of a landlord. Landlords take money from their tenets without providing a equivalent service, ergo they are parasites.

[@mentallyunstable1926]

ok but your pfp, comment, and name is giving me so much serotonin right now

[@hobihope2981]

Aaaaaaand this is why Starkid is bae. They film all their original musicals (the first AVPM was filmed poorly but they’ve gotten MUCH better since then) and post them all on KZbin. They understand that their shows only run a dozen times only in Chicago, even though they have a much larger audience. They’ve even embraced their KZbin platform, using their recent run of Trail to Oregon & Ani where they split the cast in half and had them “competing” against each other for youtube views. (Plus its even better for the actors too because they can play to the cameras, since they know theyre there) Edit: Oh my gosh this comment blew up I thought it would get buried lol I'm so glad other people thought of Starkid while watching this

[@ravenpotter3]

Hobi Hope YAS STARKID IS THE BEST

[@soulrecords857]

Yes Starkid fans unite!!!

[@chuckbatman5]

Oh that's another good point in favor of professional recordings. If the actor knows where the cameras are and how they're being filmed they can play TO the cameras rather than being distracted by them

[@Quirderph]

Granted, Starkid's plays are also essentially made as one-run-then-done affairs, so they have literary nothing to loose by uploading it afterwards.

[@Victoria-fs9jo]

Also, that means fans can support their content. Such as the 10niversary kickstarter campaign and how the reunion concert completely sold out in 2 minutes of pre sale.

[@daehwii]

I’m sooo upset that they don’t just professionally film them then just sell them. I’d buy the shit out of musicals. Hell, I’d buy multiple different runs of the same damn musical if they were to offer that option too.

[@mavs304]

This!! Wicked's OBC is a powerhouse but when I heard Aaron Tveit, Derek Klena and most recently Ryan McCartan all had runs as Fiyero, I never wanted to see multiple runs of a show more than ever. I would buy all of those runs if only there was a professional recording of all of those... If only they did that :(

[@weirdstream9572]

I would be happy to pay for Original cast pro shot of Heather's and Wicked

[@TwilightEpiphany]

that's because they won't make more money that way if people could just by dvds. it's essentially why theatre is dying, because you have a bunch of people (actors, writers, composers) getting upset over everyone having a theatrical experience through dvds. it's kinda like how disney withheld from making home vhs/dvd releases until the 80s or 90s? up until then they would have limited showings of pinocchio or snow white in cinemas and they would earn a shit ton of money from ticket sales alone. they were worried that their work would lose prestige if everyone had a copy of pinocchio at home. and when they finally did sell vhs's it was advertised as the final time consumers could own these disney films before they went into the vault.

[@weirdstream9572]

Theater is much different, People will much more see the show in person than watch it on DVD, the DVD/Pro shot version of the Production will just be a Advertisement, the feel of watching The production in person is really different. They Would even make more money by producing it on DVD while the Production is on going, take Heather's for example, It got a lot of attention because of Bootlegs and Recordings.

[@daehwii]

애거사 aye thanks for the explaination, this makes so much sense. I keep forgetting that theatre has a certain prestige behind it and it’s truly about the experience and on stage presence , despite the commercial success that particular shows may garner. I’m just bitter that I’ll never get the opportunity to watch any run in person lol. But a very large audience never will so I do still think there’s a market for recorded shows? Since loads more people would be able to purchase the dvd than be able to attend a show. And bc the recording will never beat the real experience? Almost like listening to an album vs attending a concert? idk don’t listen to me all I know is I’m hyped to see Hamilton on Disney+ next month 👉🏼👈🏼

[@Courfeyracc]

I work at a theatre and had a director once ask that we don't stop people recording. I didn't really understand his reasoning until a couple of weeks into the run. It was an incredible play but was slipping under the radar. Then the videos started circling and we sold out for the rest of run. He was very clever.

[@user-yh1fq3ut4j]

starkid fans: allow us to introduce our selves

[@graceyl.195]

How we introduce ourselves: CRAAAAAAAAAAPHOLE YEAH THATS ME

[@abi9646]

@@graceyl.195 IM SEVEN AND IM MALE!

[@graceyl.195]

@@abi9646 MOUUUUUTHFACE IS WHAT MY FRIENDS CALL ME

[@abi9646]

@@graceyl.195 I'M LOOKING FOR LOVE ON THE TRAIL

[@wweltz]

It made me so angry when Lin Manuel Miranda complained on Twitter about bootleggers ... your show is amazing representation for people who rarely get it and most of them have no other way to see your show legitimately. Meanwhile Mike Pence gets front row seats.

[@ligavimaa]

Exactly my thought! He even talks about when he was younger he couldn't afford any show but he hates bootlegs? It doesn't make sense

[@iLuvvYuuMjxXxLia]

wow717 exactly. Lower your ticket prices then Lin.

[@RayFlemming7080]

Honestly I’ve never minded it. Can you imagine spending years on a show, intending for it to be seen a certain way, and then some asshole breaks the law (I believe it’s illegal, at least), and records it a shitty version on their phone? I mean whatever, I’ve seen my fair share of bootlegs (only for things I have zero chance of ever seeing live, like Falsettos or Something Rotten), and I’m way too poor to see anything on broadway or whatever, but it’s obnoxious to think that he owes it to you to be okay with someone illegally recording something he’s worked so hard on. He said that they were planning on professionally recording it (I think that’s still the plan? I’m not much of a fan of Hamilton), you can wait a few years to see it as it was intended, or realize that the creator is annoyed with what you’re doing. It’s your choice. Lin-Manuel has been really good with letting people who don’t have the resources to watch his show live by paying still get the experience, especially considering that his fanbase are such assholes. It’s not nearly as simple as just lowering the ticket prices.

[@RayFlemming7080]

To be clear, I’m not against people who make and distribute bootlegs (as long as they make sure to not distract the actors). I’m against assholes who can’t accept the fact that it’s perfectly reasonable for creators and actors to be against bootlegs.

[@bagelangel]

i think lin is allowed to have an opinion, as well as us.

[@TotalElipse]

Approaching Hbomb levels of "Suprise, it was actually about capitalism" as we all should aspire to.

[@NIN0ID]

YES

[@alluneedislessthan3]

It always come back to capitalism in a capitalistic society ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@partylikeits1066]

Now every complaint I make in my real life is like that too. It's not a surprise anymore lol

[@ThatOneGuy7550]

OLD MAN CAPITALISM, IS THAT YOU????

[@vriskaserket467]

whenever i stub my toe i blame it on capitalism now

[@12inchesofworm26]

tf's a "bootleg" you mean slime tutorials?

[@vicklepickle301]

snitches get stitches

[@thistle_flowers5018]

I think a bootleg is like a leg with a boot attached?? I dunno man

[@12inchesofworm26]

@@thistle_flowers5018 isn't that where legs are spose to go it lol? It's like something that's unlicensed That's being given to the public Regardless if the consumer does or doesn't pay for it This could be illegal recordings of shows Fake merchandise ect

[@thistle_flowers5018]

12 inchesofworm I know xhxhdbjdjd-

[@chileanyways-593]

1 2 inchesofworm d-dude we know LMAO sorry to do this but... r/wooosh 😔

[@redxraccoon]

I'm all for Netflix- style Broadway show apps. I live in New Zealand. Travel is hard even when there's no pandemic on. I would love to see Hamilton irl but the Waikato theatre troop is not going to be able to afford the rights to perform it, nor the diversity to properly "get the job done".

[@me_myselfand_i2099]

There is a Netflix style app for broadway called Broadway HD

[@sustillman]

redxraccoon they have made an official recording of Hamilton, which will become publicly available in the next year or so. I think they will start with ticketed showings in movie theaters. Another source for filmed musicals is American Public Television.

[@sustillman]

PBS

[@gracefullynadine864]

LOOK, I JUST WANNA SEE HAMILTON BUT I HAVE NO MONEY. JUST REALEASE IT ON DVD AND I WILL BUY IT FFS.

[@Yumichan62]

Just wait a little longer. I think they said, they release the musical in 2020. At least I heard that they are going to release a dvd.

[@epicremarc]

Lin said that he plans to release the OBC recording at some point

[@wendtchr]

I was willing to pay when it came through my town, but it sold out so fast I didn't get a chance to buy it. I am therefore not someone who would have paid to see it but wouldn't if I watched a bootleg. They are not missing out on my money. I tried to see it, but the limited nature of the medium means I am no longer a member of the "potential customer" population, I never had a chance. So no, i wouldn't feel bad if decided to pirate it.

[@ryanstarlight8018]

Official recording coming in October 2021 :D

[@louischwarz367]

@@ryanstarlight8018 yeah then it comes to the cinemas, but to be honest i live in germany i don't even know if they are going to play it here

[@anowo4595]

Essentially, just follow the golden rule from StarKid Productions

[@yodelgoats790]

Adele Castellaneta follow the gold and rule

[@anowo4595]

@@yodelgoats790 yeah but it's a play on words

[@ieatedsoapnoididnt]

iTS HOW WE CHOOSE TO LIIIVE

[@berkleypearl2363]

Always treat others like sisters and brothers and they’ll do the same for you!

[@rickw9291]

Yeah but Starkid releases their productions professionally after a few months, almost none of the big broadway one will do that

[@bellbanana]

Your point about actors/writers not getting paid a lot is so true. I saw a show by an actress who won a Tony several years ago and she half-jokingly complained about how she was barely getting by on rent. Meanwhile a good chunk of her audience were wealthy folks from the Upper East/West Side.

[@jazzhands8493]

Starkid musicals can be heard laughing in the distance

[@bohemelavie1]

Bootlegs have also made musicals available to an international audience. Hamilton, for example, is coming to Australia in 2021, 6 years after it first came out on Broadway. 6 years is a long time for people to forget and move on but the hype after the announcement was unreal, why? Because theatre fans are familiar with the show. If it weren't for the fact every theatre fan and their cat has seen the Hamilton bootleg in Australia and knows that they enjoy the show I don't think the excitement would have been as huge. It's success would have to rely on people seeing the show in person and becoming fans after the fact but it already has a fan base well before rehearsals have begun. It doesn't need to worry about proving itself live because it's already proven itself with it's bootleg.

[@gabrielhughes3513]

(I'm assuming you're Australian here) another thing you may have noticed about theatre culture in Australia is that past Les Mis, Cats, and Phantom and older shows like that, people don't really know much about contemporary modern shows. While in America, DEH, Hamilton and BMC are considered 'mainstream', and a theatre director would probably cry if you sang them for auditions, in Australia, if you did the same, people probably wouldn't have ever heard them before. Shows so rarely come to Australia that any theatre person over the age of 30 will probably not even have heard of the most popular contemporary shows.

[@bohemelavie1]

@@gabrielhughes3513 apparently KZbin's bringing this video back! It was just in my recommended this morning and now you've commented here. Yes. Very true. The general public really only know of the well known older shows. Those deep in the theater community are familiar with contemporary shows, but mainly due to the internet (whether that be bootlegs, cast recordings, message boards, theatre vloggers etc) accessibility of theatre is definitely an interesting topic.

[@seesawseesaw]

I’m Australian too, and even then I’m all the way in Western Australia and as far as I’ve heard we aren’t getting anything over here, so I wouldn’t even be able to watch it now that it’s finally coming

[@gabrielhughes3513]

@@seesawseesaw I'm not as far as W.A, but five hours is still a long way to go, especially for someone who's parents would rather they didn't so theatre.

[@Socialmania1704]

This! I literally live in Dubai , 3/4 of the musicals are never going to come here (unless its a heavily censored version held by schools or theatre groups). Recordings and bootlegs are the only way I can see musicals.

[@redacted5078]

When I say Be Gay Do Crimes I like to think I mean like faking my own death and stuff like that when its actually returning a book to the library two days later

[@thefreelancequeen]

[REDACTED] when said library doesn’t have fees

[@a-bird-lover]

I think immediately of me and the homies committing arson when in fact the most illegal thing I've ever done was accidentally pirate the corpse bride

[@user-tf9rd8qi7u]

faking your own death is illegal? there go my plans...

[@ENNEARTS]

The most illegal thing I ever did is take from my dad's beer stash (with his knowledge and permission of course!!)

[@witchby7420]

@@ENNEARTS the most illegal thing i ever done was getting drunk without my parents knowledge and watching bootlegs of popular musicals 😂

[@meggistanley8610]

All I want is a professional recording of Hadestown with the OBC. That’s all I want. Please Broadway gods make this happen.

[@FritzMonorail]

@@swirlingsun WAIT REALLY. ARE YOU SERIOUS OH MY GOD

[@swirlingsun]

@@FritzMonorail I mean idk if it's up rn but yeah

[@spicycherrymilk9058]

@@swirlingsun WAIT WHAT

[@andrews1001]

The people who defend suppressing bootlegs see themselves as nobly defending copyright but what they really do is suppress theatrical history. When a show closes it's lost and no one will ever get to see it, or at least not with that cast. It's interesting that whenever a big name performer dies someone shows a (probably bootlegged) clip of them in their heyday. It used to be the same with movies. Once a film had ended it's run, that was that unless it was re-released. Eventually bright entrepreneurs realised they could sometimes make more money than from the original release selling videos, and the rest is history. I can sit home and (legally) watch watch every film from the early silents to recent releases. The excuse given by theatre people is always "oh it's a legal thing. We don't have the rights to do this". I find this the most ridiculous of all their arguments. It's not just Legally Blonde but many Sondheim musicals are legally out there for purchase. It's all just a matter of will. If the contracts with the actors included a recording they would agree to them. Can you imagine an actor telling a producer, "ohhhh I'll be happy to be in your movie, but not if you release a dvd later". The National theatre in London got the ball rolling with recordings of live theatre, but those are usually locked up and only recently have they made a few productions available. I agree so much with your position that the theatre companies have created the need for bootlegs and they have the solution. People bootlegging should be commended for preserving our theatrical history.

[@andrewbraddock5101]

For one thing, you have to pay the writer of the show just to put it on. But not just to put it on but per night you put it on. For popular shows like phantom of the opera, come from away, cats, it could literally cost thousands of dollars per night. For smaller shows its mot as big of a deal as it could be about 20p per night. But its not just actors and producers that get paid. Theres hundreds of crew members involved in the production process that also like getting paid. Myself included.

[@andrews1001]

@@andrewbraddock5101 I've heard so many reasons why this isn't possible and all I can say is just look at the many examples of where it's been done. Many Sondheim shows have been filmed and they aren't small. Into the Woods, Company Sweeny Todd etc. Check out www.filmedlivemusicals.com

[@sunken.cities]

Legally uploading musicals like Heathers, Les Mis, etc, does WAY more good than it does harm. Starkid legally puts their musicals on KZbin and will be performing in a pretty large theater soon. Ticket sales IMMEDIATELY sold out. If people can purchase tickets, they absolutely would. SK also sells their musicals in DVD form and digital ticket form. I believe all three (KZbin showing, DVD, and digital ticket) are all different shows. Plus, their tickets are fairly cheap, ranging from $30-90 (don't quote me on that - I know its somewhere around that). Starkid has multiple musicals I would LOVE to see in person. YT can only capture so much. If a person really likes a musical, they will go see it if they can pay for it. Its more special in person than it is on a screen.

[@whateveryouhearditwasntme4109]

Starkid does need Kick Starter campaigns to get enough money to produce the musicals though, but I agree

[@DanielMazz]

Please help

[@sunken.cities]

@@DanielMazz you good ???

[@DanielMazz]

pluto I'm new to this but plz help me get 9 to 5 musical bootleg 2019 west end uk thx appreciate it

[@maybemckenna]

90% of people who watch bootlegs do so because said people cant afford to fly to nyc and see a broadway show (ex hadestown, beetlejuice, hamilton, book of mormon) or because the show is closed off broadway, but people want to still watch the broadway version (ex. falsettos, in the heights, heathers)

[@Cake-um7je]

On a related note, seeing the musical in English. In Europe a bunch of musicals get translated and I kinda RLLY hate it.

[@jocelinweiss6109]

my acting coach was in the original Broadway cast of Assassins--I was working on the Squeaky Fromme monologue with her and told her I'd watched the bootleg online and apologized for disrespecting Actor's Equity and she literally said "Are you kidding? I don't give a shit"

[@lillianward2810]

This is an even more interesting question now since all the theatres are dark and will be for the foreseeable future. Is it victimless since no shows are being staged now anyway?

[@speckofdignity2487]

I have a “friend” who will scream at people if they watch the bootleg, and I always want to reply “not everyone has extremely rich parents who buy them tickets for musicals to try to buy back their love” but I feel like that’s a bit too cruel. On another note, I’m seeing Dear Evan Hansen on tour, and watching the bootleg is what really got me into it, since you can’t get the whole message from the album that easily. So I definitely agree with your points

[@wooyeah1738]

You should definitely say that. Bootlegs are absolutely chill, especially in dark quarantined times like now.

[@chloebutler8438]

pandemonium present fair, but “at least my parents love me” is a bit excessive, especially to say to your friend

[@wooyeah1738]

Chloe Butler To be honest, I’m a bit of a dick friend, so I’d probably say that. But depending on how bad they’re being about the bootleg and how close you are, you probably should or shouldn’t say it.

[@theoneandonly9641]

Shout out to Starkid for professionally uploading all of their musicals since 2009

[@thegamingdoggo9519]

That's why I love them

[@thevikingbear2343]

We need a 2020 update on this video after the success of Hamilton on Disney+ has open the doors wide on high quality recordings of shows being content for streaming.

[@RyanAlexanC]

Personally, I’ve never liked musicals. Didn’t go to see them as a kid and my only experience of a “musical” was the high school musical films. Recently I came across a beetlejuice bootleg, and absolutely loved it. I then went on a hunt to find a Matilda bootleg, and a six bootleg, and fell down a rabbit hole of bootlegs, and now love musicals and am going to London after covid to watch my football team play in a final at Wembley, and I’m now definitely going to try and go to a west end show while I’m there. So in my opinion, bootlegs open musicals up to a wider audience and introduce people who may not have otherwise ever gone to watch a musical (like me) to them.

[@Biamazing]

I've only ever watched bootlegs since I live in the Southeast Asia. I don't have a lot of money to afford the Broadway tickets let alone the travel expenses.. it's all I had access to. But for the first time ever last year, I was able to watch Waitress live, made by a local theater company in our country. The experience I had being there. Actually sitting there and seeing things with my own eyes, it's all too different. No amount of bootlegs can compare to the raw experience of seeing the real thing live. I will keep watching bootlegs because that's all I have access to right now, but if I ever had a chance to watch a show live, I would do everything to do so. If it weren't for the bootlegs, I wouldn't be interested to these shows in the first place and tbh I WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED with just watching my favorite shows through a shaky camera from a bootleg.

[@kanda_franca]

Bianca Ramos southeast asian here too! 2 years ago my friend about some local theatre companies (i think they are), and i was shook. like- it exists??? i had this hope blossom in me, i might be able to watch a musical/play! but then the tickets went on sale for hairspray and the prices were- yikes. i couldn’t afford that and it conflicted with my schedule. in november last yr, i joined as a volunteer and i had so much fun! i felt like i was finally a valid theatre fan. the reason i didn’t feel like i was valid was bc i watched bootlegs and that whole thing around it made me scared to involve myself in the community. if someone would find out they might say that i was a fake fan or i was just freeloading off of ppl who paid tickets

[@vicktoria4864]

same!! im southeast asian and i have no access to broadways at all. these bootlegs made me glad that im able to watch them. but sometimes i feel bad for watching them tho ;(

[@DanielMazz]

@@kanda_franca please help

[@DanielMazz]

@@vicktoria4864 please help

[@blindbi]

hi!! im southeast asian too uwu im from singapore :DD but yea there are quite little local companies that perform a broadway musical... most of the shows performed are local shows, however i had the luck of watching a touring company of matilda, but it was definitely a one time thing, the prices were crazy. but heres luck to find some bootlegs and more local companies !!

[@dan62611]

2:26 I like how your "Sexy Alexander Hamilton costume" is just an Alexander Hamilton costume that you're wearing

[@jasmijnisme]

Let's be real, the "sexy" is superfluous when this person is involved. (Am I talking about Sarah or Hamilton? You decide.)

[@TrinityTriptych]

@@jasmijnismeboth. you're talking about both.

[@kaziislam2785]

Daniel Hernandez I cant tell if your profile pic is Tintin, Lucas from Earthbound, or Lemillion from My Hero Academia

[@mistorWhiskers]

@@kaziislam2785 it's obviously Tintin in a mash up cosplay

[@alexsmith2910]

She is self aware... and beautiful.

[@elblack4980]

Me watches Six bootleg 2minutes later :I need to see this live or else I will never fell this happy from a lighting production since beetlejuice is closed

[@emmah8234]

personally, I feel that the most compelling argument against bootlegs is consent to being filmed. Its a very different thing to do a performance in a room with a limited number of people, in which once its done, the performance no longer exists in a tangible form, compared to agreeing to do a filmed performance which everyone can watch and rewatch and analyse etc.

[@sophiaswan385]

the argument that putting bootlegs online destroys ticket sales is completely pointless as of now. Be More Chill literally made it to Broadway because of its internet fan base. i became familiar with it a couple years ago when it was first starting to blow up, and all that was available at the time was the cast album & part of a bootleg from it’s original new jersey run. that bootleg was a HUGE reason as to why people became so obsessed with it! it was the only visual people had since it had closed in 2014. seriously, i’ve only ever seen people watch bootlegs and want to watch the show live a million times more

[@dinhvo276]

yeah like seriously i watched the be more chill tag on tumblr have like 10 posts to hundreds and thousands in a couple of weeks, it was incredible!

[@whothefuckatemyhalfofthecr7095]

i started listening to hamilton in 2015 and was absolutely obsessed with the soundtrack. i memorized it and loved it for years. i watched a shitty bootleg and i freaked out. last august, for my birthday and upcoming christmas, my present was to see it live. i broke down and the show was so much more than i could have ever imagined. like you said, the bootleg only got me more excited to see the show for myself. i can’t afford to see musicals often, so bootlegs also can help my dumbass understand the story a lot better, making me even more attached to the story. anyways i like bootlegs. honestly i do think that broadway musicals should be professionally filmed, most of my favourite musicals are that kind, the guy who didn’t like musicals especially. this comment was a mess, but yeah i’m pro filming shows

[@whothefuckatemyhalfofthecr7095]

also i can testify as a teenage girl that the musicals i’m most familiar with are hamilton, be more chill, heathers, dear evan hansen (i have the book too lol), all of starkid, book of mormon, 21 chump street, legally blonde, etc etc

[@syystomu]

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals is excellent! I've been watching Starkid nearly since the beginning and I think TGWDLM is my favourite show of theirs so far.

[@authoralysmarchand4737]

The Hamilton soundtrack was audio-recorded while the cast performed it live on stage. Empty theater, of course. The performance was also video-recorded at the same time. You can find the official "Burn" part of it online.

[@isabelpaladines5426]

let me die 👈😎👈

[@whothefuckatemyhalfofthecr7095]

kissmygritz idk what you mean sorry (thanks anyways)

[@addison-2557]

I admire people that willingly record a two hour long musical just so others can watch it as well

[@gretablackwell495]

Another point on accessibility: Broadway musicals, in person, aren’t at all easily accessed by people with physical or mental health problems or disabilities. I have APD (auditory processing disorder- for anyone who hasn’t heard of it, I find it more difficult to understand sounds and words being spoken aloud. Sort of like dyslexia for your ears) and I had the lucky chance to see Wicked in person!! I’m still very grateful for that, especially considering I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity. However, it was only barely comprehensible to me. While I was able to pick up on enough words to understand the plot and get invested in it, I was straining to listen the whole time. Some parts were so indistinct to me that I felt almost as if I was having a stroke. This is where bootlegs are valuable- when I got home, I was able to replay the parts I missed until they made sense to me! This is another reason why “but they won’t get the ~full experience~” argument is dumb. Not everyone can get the full experience even if they can see a show in person. Also btw thanks for including captions it helps a lot

[@susanalopez5052]

I am very VERY, pro bootleg, it really is what first got me into musicals, but there is this very weird and problematic habit of the trading community to sell them, THAT is actually illegal, that is actual piracy, and I hate how the masters use lowkey blackmail to keep everyone in check “okay pals my bootleg got leaked either the person sharing it for free deletes it or I’m not filming and selling any other show again”

[@fishhusbando3093]

I don't think that's really all that problematic, it's not like they only ever sell them, they keep them NFT for a short period of time to protect themselves from being caught, and sell them to the people who are devoted enough to want them early. It's not really blackmail, they're just looking after their own privacy. And most of the time, the money they make goes back into Broadway as they see multiple shows a month just to film them for us to enjoy.

[@susanalopez5052]

BaconLondoner I mean I’m sorry but I just can’t buy into the “I use it to be able to record them” shtick, like do they really expect me to believe that a person that can afford to watch several hot ticked broadway shows several times is in need of more money, the money also really only benefits the person selling the bootlegs, I agree with nft’s but when they use them to hold the bootleg ransom in order to earn a profit is yikes. Idk either be the Robin Hood pf broadway or don’t steal content

[@fishhusbando3093]

@@susanalopez5052 The reason they can afford to see so many shows is because they sell bootlegs lmao. It's not like they're expensive, most masters sell them for around $20. They rely on lots of people buying them to be able to see as many shows as they do. And I don't know of any masters that "hold the bootleg ransom" for more than a few months, the profit is just to keep them safe. And honestly, why shouldn't they be paid for their work? They go into a broadway theatre and risk being caught so that we can enjoy shows, I think they deserve to be paid for that labour

[@susanalopez5052]

BaconLondoner I’m sorry I completely disagree, If the only reason they are allowed to see super expensive shows is because they are selling illegal content then they shouldn’t be seeing that many shows. I just think it’s naive to believe that they don’t earn that much when 5 people buying a bootleg already means 100 dollars into their bag. Like we literally have no guarantee but their word that they use all the money to watch more shows. And how does the money and the time limit even help them?? Are we expected to believe that the theatre staff will look at a boot, then look at the ticket records from months ago then calculate the angle of where the boot was filmed to actually track the seat were the master was seating?. Again either be the Robin Hood of broadway or don’t that’s just how I see it. I’m not against trading or waiting a little while to upload, but selling them becomes piracy and that’s where I cross the line

[@brxzbze]

@@susanalopez5052 Yeah, exactly. If they really cared about safety I don't mind there being, like, a 1 year limit for newer shows (or cast changes), but after that there is literally no reason why recordings should be released without restriction. Then the bootlegger won't get in trouble and everyone can access the recordings. If I'm being honest the whole concept of trading is unnecessary -- if people really wanted to make theatre more accessible they wouldn't gatekeep stuff, even if it's a minor form of gatekeeping -- but selling them is really not okay. Especially if they're older recordings -- I've seen NFT's of 90s recordings and honestly I have no idea why those would be NFT nor why they are even listed (why tell other people you have something if you're never going to show it to anyone?) I haven't seen any other form of piracy be this elitist about things

[@rachelm9046]

Super interesting. I also watched the Legally Blonde official recording, and I totally agree with you that if all musicals were posted that way there would be significantly fewer bootlegs

[@recoverypng]

Not to be a downer, but there is are at least 37 Legally Blonde bootlegs.

[@bonsaigecko9153]

If you wanna see cool musicals that are posted by the creators then you should watch team starkid! Their an independent theatre company and they post amazing musicals

[@StarlightPrism]

@@recoverypng But I bet far fewer people watch those bootlegs than bootlegs of shows of similar popularity. I doubt many people choose the crappy bootleg over the official, high quality recording.

[@goodjobeli]

@@bonsaigecko9153 Yes! Plus they still make a lot of money (their latest kickstarter made over $500k and their first reunion show IN A THEATRE WITH OVER 1,000 SEATS was sold out within an hour)

[@leednata120]

@@StarlightPrism The many Legally Blonde recordings exist because people want to see specific casts. I don't think professional filming will decrease bootlegging. It will just decrease bootleg consumption for most people.

[@colefreer]

blue, red, green, and yellow slime tutorial is one of the best “slime tutorials” on youtube

[@RealityCheckNews]

Soo ... does anybody else remember when "Seinfeld" was gonna do an episode about broadway bootlegs, but then lawyer preasure changed it to be about cinema bootlegs instead. The episode is really weird if you don't know what it's actually supposed to be about.

[@mr.indecisive]

what's a cinema bootleg even?

[@Agforever12]

Cal filming a movie at the movie theater

[@puffkin90]

How is the episode really weird?

[@RealityCheckNews]

@@puffkin90 "Jerry and Kramer exit the theater and see Brody. Brody: So where's the tape? Jerry: No, I didn't shoot this one. I'm just scouting the location. Brody: I need the tape. Jerry: You'll get your tape. But here's what I'm gonna need. I'm gonna need three cameras, two on the floor, one in the balcony. And I want headsets for the guys runnin' 'em. I wanna be able to talk to 'em. Brody: Are you out of your mind? Jerry: Kramer... Kramer: I know, Jerry. It's okay. (Jerry steps aside) Yeah, look, Brody. Uh, Jerry wants to do the bootleg. He's dyin' to do it. But if you don't make him happy, the work suffers. And then, nobody's happy. Brody: Just shoot the damn thing so I can get it out on the street!" - From the episode 'The Little Kicks' at seinfeldscrips

[@luiysia]

LOL that makes so much more sense. i never knew that

[@SnrKagemusha]

27 minutes of this Kim Possible cosplayer talking about musical bootlegging. Content I didn't know I needed, but am a better person for having gotten

[@soaribb32]

Not Kim Possible lol

[@depressedtheatrekid1709]

@@soaribb32 she does look like it tho :/

[@justas423]

Ironic how bootlegs were made to make an elitist interest accessible were later made elitist by bootleg traders.

[@mollymcdade4031]

The trading community is incredibly elitist. There have to be rules, of course, because some people really do take advantage. But like I’ve seen people legitimately sharing other people’s emails and social media details because they’ve posted a link publicly or are considered a ‘bad trader’ (which means it’s okay to dox them???)

[@fishhusbando3093]

This is old but I completely disagree. I got into trading a couple months ago and people have been nothing but friendly and welcoming. Most traders will be happy to gift you things from their collection to help you start out, and there isn't really a concept of rare boots and common boots, since once a boot comes off of NFT it is pretty much readily available to anyone. I started out less than 3 months ago with nothing, and now I can pick pretty much any boot I want to trade for. It takes a little time but it's worth it to protect the people who film bootlegs and ensure more are filmed in the future

[@fishhusbando3093]

@@mollymcdade4031 I haven't encountered this but I definitely disagree with that, as would most traders I hope. I can definitely see this happening with big leakers who post NFT stuff publically but only to ensure people don't trade with them again, not to harm them in any way.

[@sneakabeer4410]

It does sound ironic, indeed, but I have spoken to many traders, and all were more than happy to share if I wanted to watch something. Unless the person you emailed was an ass, they're more than happy to help a fellow theatre fan out. The rules and system were just made to prevent the tapers and videos

[@Forestfreud]

list of new oppressed groups: - people with harry potter tattoos - rick and morty fans - theater kids who hate hamilton

[@whosnail827]

im two of these lol

[@cityfey]

two of those SHOULD be oppressed, theater kids who hate hamilton are correct

[@humma0]

@@cityfey bruh

[@cityfey]

@@humma0 what im right

[@humma0]

@@cityfey but why?

[@MrSmithers]

Bro disney plus killed Hamilton Bootlegs.

[@leilas5419]

disney+ isnt available everywhere...like where i am :')

[@LittleSirBoy]

Nope. You gotta put up musical recordings were they are accessible. We had to download a pirated version of the professional recording disney+ doesnt ☆Exist☆ where i live. Idk where we downloaded it since it was my uncle and older sister who did but basically,if disney dont want the south asian money,it dont get it.

[@MrSmithers]

@@leilas5419 that's devastating.

[@MrSmithers]

@@LittleSirBoy that's undevastating I am always rejoiced when I hear of Disney losing money.

[@LittleSirBoy]

@@MrSmithers as you should be

[@itzdumb]

The Broadway industry reminds me of the music industry pre-streaming era. Instead of capitalizing of the huge market of people who would rather buy singles or stream music, the music industry tried extremely hard to STOP the demand by issuing cease and desists and lawsuits. Honestly, Broadway should learn from the music record industry and just capitalize and democratize access to their shows. Great video!

[@leehttucec-9985]

Ah yes, the glorious days of limewire piracy (and the chance of getting lawsuited by RIAA that came with it)

[@_helvetixa]

Legit, I've had to survive on listening to soundtracks and reading the plot summary on wikipedia articles... I was so happy when I found bootlegs, cause musicals are also about the choreography. The names of these videos are hilarious as heck though XD

[@jjjintellectual]

Lol same. I was so confused trying to read the Heathers wiki at first😂😂

[@nameless568]

How do I find them lol

[@_helvetixa]

Nameless they might be hard to find cause the videos aren’t directly named “so and so musical” it’s usually stuff like “mean girls but it’s 1989” or “slime tutorial [insert some other name]” there’s A LoT that are disguised as slime tutorials lol. Here’s a playlist of some bootlegs: m.kzbin.info/aero/PLqaWdnCe3FecWs9VN4B6GnMKYLuFkNmj0 Some are deleted already, but they still have a lot. You can also just search on google or something for bootlegs

[@MissMusicLover131]

As much as I love the hamilton soundtrack there's no way you could catch the vibe of the choreography and Lauren's letter, and especially Elizas exclamation both at the end of the stay alive reprise and at the end of the show itself

[@_helvetixa]

cas4pip and that’s why people are still gonna watch the show, even if there’s bootlegs or real recordings. The camera often cuts out stuff happening on stage that aren’t important, but are still funny, since they’re focusing on the main people talking or singing. That way, people can watch the musical wherever they are, but it doesn’t stop people from going to the shows. I would watch any musical I love online and also go to the actual thing if I had the chance since the experience is different. Having actual bootlegs or actual recordings isn’t gonna take away from the actual production’s audience, in my opinion.

[@speedmifune7376]

I probably wouldn’t have even really gotten into theatre if not for an Avenue Q bootleg I found back in 2010. That launched my musical theatre obsession. I think bootlegs are also super great if you are interested in/obsessed with a show that’s closed. A lot of my favorite musicals aren’t running anymore and a few of them either don’t tour anymore, or never did. I wouldn’t have been able to see any of them without bootlegs.

[@bellbanana]

Same! My favorite musical is Next To Normal and I literally discovered it ten years too late. I also really like Spring Awakening, which is even older. It’s amazing to me that there are bootlegs available for shows that old and I’m truly grateful to the people that recorded and uploaded them.

[@Urmom-dm2kf]

I had to miss Waitress because of Coronavirus. They weren’t coming back near my town (that I know of) so I’ve been mourning and watching Waitress bootlegs...

[@octoberfridaythe13th44]

Theater Geek That’s From Japan I ended up having to miss Beetlejuice. I was supposed to go see it this Saturday

[@Urmom-dm2kf]

OctoberFriday the13th I was supposed to go see waitress a few weeks ago with a few of my friends. It was canceled

[@melisslaying7178]

@@Urmom-dm2kf i love your pfp and username!

[@Urmom-dm2kf]

Melesse S thank you! Love your pfp

[@melisslaying7178]

@@Urmom-dm2kf thanks and np!

[@fruitygarlic3601]

Thank you, Sarah, for this informative and family friendly "slime tutorial".

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

"The Ham Sandwich demands quill and parchment. Help, I'm scared."

[@brittanyolenick2252]

"Woman is angry after husband decorates while she is on 6 month vacation"

[@shinygastly2242]

“Learning languages with a green and blonde girl” -W1ck3d” “A. Ham sandwich” - H4m1lt0n Edit: both of heathers are dead, so here’s more Misadventures of a green girl , Reverse Racism the musical (13G4llY B10Nd3) And yt doesn’t care about lesmisérables Two Bmc, ones 30 mins another is 1:50, idk the average time of the musical so i’m not sure if they are one after the otget

[@Petterwass]

Bootleg titles are great. Singing Rude Females is a Mean Girls bootleg, for example

[@shinygastly2242]

Petterwass that’s priceless 🤣

[@leahflaherty9756]

I found a mean girls bootleg called heathers but pink x

[@sarahgarcia6275]

There's a Mean Girls bootleg called "In Wednesdays we don't film bootlegs cuz they're illegal"

[@thisisrnation]

My personal favorite: "Jared Kleinman learns the perils of smoking drugs"

[@melodytheatre2887]

This is why I love Starkid. They ask not to upload any footage or the digital ticket, but that’s only because they themselves always upload a full-quality recording of the show immediately after its run is over.

[@elizahamilton9590]

*when your favorite musical is releasing a legal slime tutorial in a few weeks*

[@haileygiabiconi8830]

Which one?

[@emmathestonedspider8676]

When I say Be Gay Do Crime, I'm mostly talking about smoking weed, stealing from WalMart and eating Jeff Bezos whole, victimless crimes.

[@emmathestonedspider8676]

Ava Levesque thank you for the info

[@kennybrightwell1877]

Hey, I’m pretty sure if you are Bezos whole, you’re belly would be a victim. I’m not sure there is a belly in all the twinkling darkness that could digest the synthetic generic-brand not-meat being that is Bezos.

[@qwertyTRiG]

@@ava_marie_v It is 100% illegal for a corporation to take wages from their workers. If they think the workers have done something wrong, they can sue, not garnish wages.

[@tregenzat1178]

@@qwertyTRiG You're working minimum wage in a multi-million dollar company with a team of lawyers for each kind of lawsuit. How do you even stand a chance

[@damonwallace2914]

Im pretty sure eating Jeff Bezos whole is a crime with a substantially negative number of victims

[@kipster951]

For me, bootlegs is how I can experience ANY Broadway show. I live in the Netherlands and jetting to and from NYC to see a show is, well, impossible. if I am Lucky 10 years after a show comes to Broadway, a show has an European tour. If we are unlucky, we get a Dutch version of the show, which.....yeah no thanks! And because of the lack of access for me, bootlegs are the way to go and I refuse to feel bad about watching them🤷‍♀️

[@iheartjackieyes]

if it makes you feel better, america probably will never get tanz der vampire

[@ham5097]

Same!

[@escapee8598]

same. only I'm from Ukraine, and we neither get tours 10 years after, nor Ukrainian versions of the shows.

[@Letitsia]

Yup! I'm brazilian and fell in love with musicals after seeing the brazilian adaptation of Spring Awakening (I do genuinely love some of our adaptations, they do a great job at translating the script). I'm really thankful that bootlegs allow me to watch shows that I would never in a million years be able to watch live, however I'd jump at the chance to buy an official professional recording of those shows in a heartbeat.

[@kipster951]

@@Letitsia yes! Absolutely! If every show had an official recording (just like cast recordings) O would jump on the chance of buying them

[@redpandadotjpeg2640]

Sarah: Legally blonde is one of the only professionally filmed musicals that you can easily access online. Me: **sitting in the corner watching Starkid musicals** HAH HAHAHA

[@KoalaLauren7]

Once a show closes on Broadway, the professionally filmed version should be released either on BroadwayHD or even sold for cheap. They can’t lose money on a show that is no longer making money, so why not make money off of them??? Literally it’s a win win????

[@WilliamBlakeHall]

Because she's wrong. Very few shows are pro shot. It costs on average 10 million dollars to pro shot a show. Producers don't want to take the financial risk. Most shows are not as successful as a Hamilton.

[@KoalaLauren7]

​@@WilliamBlakeHall Many shows on and off Broadway are filmed and then stored in the New York Public Library and can only be seen for research and if you're in NYC already. They might not be as high quality as Hamilton or Newsies, but they are much better than that of someone sneaking a camera in a theater. Especially for the shows that have permenantly closed, it would be wise of the producers to at least consider releasing those films for some financial gain. The interest of the "dead" shows may even be enough to revive a few of them.

[@daveypeppers746]

This is such a completely niche topic for a video that I couldn't imagine someone making it. But as someone who falls square into the very specific niche, thank you.

[@stephpiano2908]

Same! I screamed when I got the notification tbh.

[@houston-coley]

OH HEY DAVEY

[@daveypeppers746]

Hi Houston!! Great minds stan alike

[@ComicDrake]

As someone who loves musicals, but can't afford to see them, I'm generally out of the loop when it comes to productions. That being said, BE MORE CHILL HAS A MUSICAL?! I LOVED THAT BOOK AS A KID! To the bootleg!

[@zorosboobies5346]

*Comic Drake* jesus, you _are_ out of the loop

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

It was a BOOK?!

[@notjamin]

it does and most fans of the musical agree that the musical is better than the book, but I can't confirm nor deny that since I haven't read it

[@goodjobeli]

yeah as someone who watched the musical first, the book is....very weird.

[@notjamin]

@@goodjobeli yeah that's what I've heard but I haven't had a chance to read it

[@iloveyourunclebob]

I mean, I watched the Phantom of the Opera musical movie quite a few times before ever seeing the musical live. It's basically bootleg quality of a movie musical. It made seeing it live so much better

[@Roadent1241]

Me too. At least that was released as a specially done twenty-fifth anniversary DVD. That's the only way I've seen it 'live'. Sorry, my keyboard won't switch to the numbers tab right now. Now I want Lion King's anniversary DVD, surely they've had twenty five years by now? Along with random ones like the American version of Wonderland, because the one that came on tour here in the U.K was SO different for whatever reason and I couldn't match up the script and lyrics I had in my head to whatever they were saying, I could not hear their words at all despite it being my accents, And Little Shop Of Horrors, Oliver, Wicked etc...

[@MRAakaCR]

A middle-class New-Yorker: I just can't afford to get a ticket to Hamilton. I'd be perfectly happy to pay a reasonable amount for a pro-shot! Me, a person living in a minor city in FCCING RUSSIA while the last musical officially shown in Moscow was damn Cats sometime in early 00s: *whimpers in Beetlejuice*

[@bi_cycle]

"Only audio" *BE MORE CHILL FLASHBACKS*

[@MittensZora]

Yes

[@sheren_b]

It's always fascinating that the theatre community has this message of inclusivity and accessibility yet curse and demean the one thing that makes it more inclusive and accessible to ppl outside the ruling class (obvs goes into the points that lindsay ellis has made in her video about rent). like broadway shows and esp off-broadway ones should push for more professionally filmed versions to help gain popularity to push ppl to actually see the thing and if anything making the professionally filmed ones in limited release (like a streaming cycle) would be able to maintain the scarcity that they depend on for value. Makes me also really frustrated when i think about how there is a professionally filmed version of Hamilton with the OG broadway cast that theyre just sitting on atm waiting for the "right time"

[@aarongassen2119]

I think a great example of just getting rid of bootlegs is Starkid. They do full runs of the show and post filmed versions afterward. People who cant go see it in person don't try to look for bootlegs simply because they know in 6 months it'll be on youtube anyway and the people who would film the bootlegs see no value in it because they would become worthless in 6 months.

[@sneakabeer4410]

I applaud this video! Great content! But as part of the trading community, I'd like to explain a few things: *There's a Q&A at the end if you have any questions.* *History and Tapers* Bootlegs have been around for a very very long time. I'm not talking about the '70s or '80s or any of that. There are actually bootlegs that date back to the early 19th century. (the earliest recording I know of was from 1906 or something like that. It consisted of a few black and white clips with no sound) I'd say bootlegs started becoming progressively more and more popular in the '70s. You can find footage such as house-cams/directors-tapes circulating on the internet (they're a bit rarer as releasing on of these can cost someone their job and not that many people like them since there aren't any zooms) But I think the 2000s is when the community really shot up. We began having prominent tapers. Here are some of the most popular tapers who have filmed Broadway shows (I'll remove names if I have to): • Sunset (No longer active) • SJ (No longer active) • NYC (No longer active) • HBC (No longer active?) • Juniper (Active) • SCJ (Active) There are definitely more, but these few are the most notable (in my opinion). As you can see, most of them are no longer active aside from Juniper and SCJ. I believe Juniper hasn't filmed anything for a while due to stress but plans to when theaters reopen. So our main taper is SCJ, whose most recent video was filmed some time in March, 2020. *The Old Days of DVDs* Releasing in MP4/MTS/High Definition formats only became a "thing" in recent years (2018?). Previously we had DVDs (we still do, but they aren't mailed physically anymore). After filming, a taper would burn their recording into a DVD and mail it out to consumers, and the consumers were not allowed to copy the DVDs until after the "Not For Trade" date (9 months to 2 years. Usually about 1 year). After the date, one could copy the DVD and mail it to others. This is now known as "snail mail" due to the lengthy process. Some tapers are still releasing their videos in DVD format today to prevent leaks before the NFT date has passed. Old DVDs which used to be distributed physically are now distributed online as ripped files known as VOBs. *The Bootleg Community* The bootleg community has been around just as long as bootlegs have. The small community is now larger and more accessible due to the internet and hosting services. Despite non-traders misconceptions and hate, this community is actually friendlier then often portrayed. Most traders are very polite, sweet, generous, and friendly. The community is actually somewhat split as some have differing views. Here are some different types of traders that I've encountered: • Traders who refuse to sell and only trade bootlegs as a hobby to spread their passion. • Traders who sell and trade bootlegs like trading cards. • Traders who gift on a regular basis to non-traders and participate in the community as an archive to preserve theatrical history. (this type of trader is quite rare) • Traders who collect videos of specific shows and performers because they're obsessed. SOME ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FORCE THEIR OBSESSION UPON ANY POOR UNFORTUNATE SOUL WHO PASSES THEM. (Me with Wicked.) I've never really seen a trader treat their bootlegs as currency other than several tapers who need to sell them to make up for ticket/equipment cost. As a trader, I can confirm that I am VERY happy to help people start on their way of collecting, or even just provide a copy of a show that a non-trader would like to watch. I have seen traders gift to people who would like to re-watch a show that they were at, and I, myself, have gifted to people such as parents wanting to watch shows with their kids to bond over a common interest during the pandemic or even couples wanting to gift their SO a video of their favorite show for their birthday. We are not completely immoral and entitled. We are happy to share the art of theatre and preserve the history. You just need to be polite. Many traders deny gifts because the requester was rude and demanding and violated the trader's policy. I've heard horror stories of people going as far as sending death threats because the trader wouldn't give them the "Beetlejuice OBC Slime" and the 10 other boots they were requesting. I have personally never denied gifts to those who have been polite to me. I have gone as far as gifting 10 bootlegs (usually my favorites) on a regular basis. (not as much anymore due to time, but I still gift when asked to) *"KZbin Slimes"* Why are traders so against KZbin slime tutorials? Simple. Because the taper said that they didn't want it there. If the taper is fine with having clips of their video posted on social media after the NFT date, then go ahead. I don't mind. But if the taper says no, then they mean no. No, it's not because they're making it an elitist thing. It's so they don't get caught. When you're filming videos that could almost pass for pro-shots, people are gonna search for you. But I've never seen any of the big few tapers allow KZbin clips. SCJ allows Tumblr GIFs after NFT, but that's all I've seen. If you want to watch these videos, just contact a trader and they'll share their copy with you, FOR FREE. BUT PLEASE BE POLITE WHEN DOING SO. *KZbin Rips in Trading* The MP4 video format has had a rather bad reputation in the past as it usually indicated that a video was downloaded from KZbin. Usually, these "rips" were around 500MB-3GB per full show depending on quality. The issues with these "rips" is that their quality is MUCH worse than the original files. They're usually around 360-480p when original formats should be 1080p or even 4K. They also traders skeptical of trading with someone in fear of receiving unoriginal KZbin rips. Yes, we care for quality and we can offer you so much more than what's on KZbin. *Masters (Tapers)* These kind, wonderful, generous, brave, _sexy_ people film shows for *us* so that we may experience watching our favorite shows from the comfort of our home, especially when we can't afford to go to the theatre when it is closed or too expensive. I couldn't fly to NYC to watch Wicked with Jackie Burns now. Firstly, there's a global pandemic going on. Secondly, Jackie is no longer in the show. But now I can watch a bootleg thanks to Sunset! Sadly, MOST MASTERS HAVE QUIT FILMING DUE TO KZbin LEAKS BEFORE THE NFT DATE AND AFTER. SCJ's videos have been leaked so many times, particularly her Beetlejuice videos that were on KZbin last year March-June. The NFT dates were in September. However, she has forgiven some of us to the point where she hasn't left yet. Appreciate her! But that doesn't make leaking okay. Please stop. And yes, in case you were wondering, she is the person who films most to all of the good Broadway videos in HD these days. *Q&A with an Active Trader - If you have questions, please do ask! I'm more than happy to answer!* *Q:* What is your moral stance of filming bootlegs in theaters? *A:* Yes, it's disrespectful and distracting, but video masters do their very best to cover up their equipment so that the performers on stage won't be distracted. They choose black equipment, tape electrical tape over shiny parts, and hide their cameras. It doesn't make it okay, but their intentions are not selfish and I can respect that they're just trying to help. If it weren't illegal or distracting, it would be admirable. *Q:* Why aren't you making bootlegs more accessible for us? You said you'd share, but we don't even know how to contact you. *A:* Reddit, sites. You can find these by simply browsing the internet. Then politely email and ask those who are open to gifting. We are more than happy to help. The MusicalBootlegs subreddit is not private. Other traders, if you have things you'd like to change in this passage, tell me and I'll edit them out.

[@brxzbze]

You see, I have issues with this whole thing, because what's the point in trading in the first place? I understand not releasing a video for a period of time for the master's safety, but once that is past there is literally no reason why a video should be withheld in any way (apart from the usual ethical arguments against bootlegs, which is a separate issue since in this case we're going with the view that bootlegs are okay). Like, all you have to do is just wait a few months then release the video normally, not as a trading thing or as an NFT (and obviously you can tell people you have it but just say you can't show it or send it to anyone until that period of time has passed). If the 'traders' actually cared about theatre history or making things accessible they would properly release them. Again, I'm mostly talking about older bootlegs here, since I understand to an extent not releasing a current video for a while so they don't get caught. eg. in the case of SCJ, she should have just withheld the video from any form of release for a while (apart from maybe gifs if she really wanted to show people stuff) and released it in September. Especially when it comes to audios. That stuff shouldn't even be considered up for 'trading'. You barely have to put effort into recording one at all (believe me, I speak from experience here). To an extent I guess you could say something about not getting compensation, but this whole thing is illegal anyway. Regarding the 'death threats' stuff it obviously goes without saying that nobody should harass people over _anything_ online, especially such trivial things like a Beetlejuice bootleg. That however is not an issue with people who are 'against trading' but rather with certain individuals. If anything, I think getting rid of trading culture would stop people from doing that. TLDR there can be a rule within the bootleg community that people don't share a video for a certain period of time after a performance has been recorded, but after that there is no reason why a video should not be shared with the public or for trading to exist.

[@trytojustify]

she held that mug up für almost 15min, thats some nice bicep training

[@DemonMage]

Missed all the cuts in there?

[@Mooseplatoon]

@@DemonMage In other words, she held the cup for longer than 15 minutes. Out of curiousity, did you try to word that in the douchiest way you could, or does being needlessly condescending come naturally to you?

[@BigBugBiggieBug]

@@Mooseplatoon calm down my guy you aren't a moral crusader

[@tapiocapearl0304]

I LITERALLY see you everywhere. High five for having the same interests!!

[@vanilloia7479]

It's a Weightless Mug. They had them at Fantasy Costco (Where all your dreams come true~~~Got a Deal for You!) last week for 15gp

[@MC-up9nx]

Spending a months salary on a pair of shoes, real or fake is a crime

[@ImperiaGin]

It's a crime yeah but also it's kind of a humanitarian disaster. Since a lot of the times those who are making the fake shoes are the poor and those who don't have a lot. Working in sweat shops and what not.

[@escapee8598]

well, some people's wages are the same as the price of the pair of shoes.

[@bewilderbeastie8899]

Is it worse to buy one long-lasting expensive pair of shoes (made of leather) or to buy multiple, short-lived pairs of shoes (made of fake leather, which is plastic)?

[@MC-up9nx]

@@escapee8598 that's also a crime

[@MC-up9nx]

@@bewilderbeastie8899 I don't think ridiculously expensive shoes are built for durability.

[@idontknowdude3021]

I wish they would release the professionally filmed versions online for a reasonable price, I would definitely buy them... And I don't live in a place where they tour, plus if I could travel I wouldn't have 500$ left to go to a show, it's way too expensive So, like, if they won't do that at least let us get the bootlegs. It's the ONLY way we get to see it. Don't want bootlegs? Give us a dvd. Simple

[@leafash8969]

This will probably get lost in the sea of comments, but I watched the recording of the SpongeBob musical numerous times before my parents surprised me with tickets to go physically see the Westend show back in February. It was the first musical if ever seen live (outside of my school's) and the experience of seeing people perform a musical live on stage is astounding. I was close enough to the stage to feel the vibration of their voices as they sang, and it absolutely blew me away. Also, when Patrick's actor was singing one of his songs, he looked directly at my friend and I (who loved the show and were lowkey jamming out) for a few moments as he sang. Words can't explain how magical the experience of watching a musical live on stage is, and people watching bootlegs or professional recordings of shows are still going to see the show just as much as before, if not more.