Sure, nothing will equal being in the theater. And some folks are more able than others to transpose the filmed experience back into a theatrical experience (which is an act of active translation). But if you can't be there to watch it live, these videos are a great way to experience the show. I've never seen it live, only through the NT broadcast, and so this was an incredible way to see a show that not only made me engage with "Amadeus" in a way I hadn't before, but also pushed me to start investigating seeing operas at the Met.
As we enter the next phase of human society, travel will likely be greatly curtailed. Blame it on Covid, blame it on climate change, blame it on economic collapse or some other horror yet to arrive, but it's hard for me to imagine a future in which any but the most priviliged are able to easily travel to other cities or countries to see theater. Capturing these works on film is one way to preserve them, and also to bring shows that are unable to tour (or wouldn't tour with such high caliber performers) to people who are confined to where they live. |
