Hamilton on Disney+ causes theater sites offering other filmed Broadway musicals to see a huge uptick in traffic as pandemic keeps theaters closed
As the Broadway sensation known as Hamilton arrived on streaming platform Disney+ earlier this month, the enthusiasm was palpable, and it seems the need for more theater on demand is running high.
After the July 3rd release of the Tony Award-winning musical on demand, TMZ reports that there has been a major renewed interest in the availability of other Broadway shows filmed for streaming, from Wicked to Newsies.
A spokesperson for Filmed on Stage, the largest online database for filmed Broadway musicals and plays, told the site that they saw a jump of almost 250 percent in traffic in the 2 weeks leading up to the Disney+ premiere of Hamilton, with a peak of just under +400 percent last Friday.
Theater crazed: After the July 3rd release of Hamilton on Disney+, there has been a major renewed interest in the availability of other Broadway shows filmed for streaming
The website’s filmed Broadway Musicals section has been the focal point of this increased interest and traffic, with the site saying it’s received hundreds upon hundreds of email requests asking if various Broadway musicals are available to stream.
And while requests often come in from users hoping to watch shows like Rent or Kinky Boots from the privacy of their own home, this summer many, many more messages are coming in than normal.
‘While we are used to receiving such emails, I can safely say we received an unusual amount in the past week with visitors mostly asking for other hit Broadway musicals,’ a Filmed on Stage rep told TMZ. ‘Wicked leading the list.’
The one and only: A spokesperson for Filmed on Stage, the largest online database for filmed Broadway musicals and plays, said they saw a jump of almost 250 percent in traffic in the 2 weeks leading up to the Disney+ premiere of Hamilton
Thespie, another theatrical streaming platform, reported an 86 percent spike in total traffic as compared to last week, but that is far from the most impressive number they shared.
Apparently, page views of all the Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda-related resources on Thespie have seen an increase of a staggering 277 percent since July 3rd.
Additionally, Thespie – whose tagline is ‘Experience Theater. Anywhere.’ – saw a rise of 62 percent in traffic related to non-Hamilton titles.
Wanting more: The website’s filmed Broadway musicals section has been the focal point of this increased interest and traffic, with the site saying it’s received hundreds upon hundreds of email requests asking if various Broadway musicals are available to stream
The uptick in interest can be easily explained, what with the coronavirus pandemic shuttering Broadway theaters – not to mention theatrical and live music venues throughout the country – in March and keeping them closed through to the end of the year.
Hamilton, the brainchild of Tony winner and Oscar nominee Miranda, was fast-tracked by Disney to premiere on their on demand platform on July 3rd, just ahead of Independence Day.
The filmed version of the staged musical was initially set to debut in the United States and Canada on October 15th.
The 11-time-Tony Award, Grammy Award, Olivier Award, and Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical, which tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, was filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in New York City in June 2016.
In the room where it happened: Hamilton, the brainchild of Lin-Manuel Miranda, was fast-tracked by Disney to premiere on July 3rd, just ahead of Independence Day
Lauded: The 11-time-Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical, which tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, was filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in New York City in June 2016