Alden Ehrenreich Has the Correct Take on Broadway Accessibility

I attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (nbd) from October, 2007 to February, 2009. Between the school and my dorm room was Lincoln Center. The famed Center for the Performing Arts felt larger than life, and not only did I get to walk past it almost every day, but I had access to it, as well. The Center’s Performing Arts Library became a huge source of entertainment for me, a broke acting student. It ended up being a resource I used the most.

Every Friday, I would stop in the library and take out ten CDs (that was the limit), take them back to my room, burn them onto my computer, and bring them back on Monday. It was incredible, super easy, and felt like Lincoln Center giving back. Still, there was one aspect of the Center that I never got to take advantage of because it was, frankly, too difficult: watching any of the library of taped Broadway shows that the Center has in its possession.

The New York Public Library began recording shows for prosperity in the 70s, and the library sits in Lincoln Center. When I graduated from school, I ended up becoming a theater bartender, and anytime I would work a show that had cameras set up (for one night only), I would happily explain to patrons that it was being recorded for the Lincoln Center Library, even if it was something I never got to take advantage of.

To watch the shows, you have to call or email ahead of time to make an appointment. Walk-ins are possible, but it is very difficult. When I went to school, there was often a waiting list. It sucks. For something that could inspire thousands, it’s relegated to those who can afford to take the time to make a reservation and be in that one room for however long it takes, assuming someone hasn’t already beaten you to it. It’s not the most difficult thing in the world, but it should be easier, and, according to Playbill, recent Tony winner Alden Ehrenreich agrees.

The actor said the following while standing in the winners’ room after the Tonys on Sunday: “I think that theatre is the art form that we need, in many ways, as a country. I think theatre is a place where we go and tell stories that have a humane core. I have a strong belief that the Lincoln Center Theater Archive should be made public. It is in one library with one set of headphones, and it is a shame that people around this country cannot witness it. I really think that the future is going to be in being able to film these shows, and for audiences all around the world to be able to get to experience them. It’s not as powerful an experience as the real thing, but to experience a version of it that is recorded is still very legitimate. Somebody’s going to see that play in Nebraska and say, ‘Oh, I want to go and be a theatre actor.’”

Ehrenreich then went on to argue for the archive to be converted into a streaming service, which could potentially help offset the price of tickets, which are astronomical. And, to be clear, he is absolutely correct. Unfortunately, there are too many older theatergoers who get off on the exclusivity. They want it to feel like they’re doing something few others get to do, and it sucks. As he points out, even if the experience won’t be exactly the same, giving people that taste could be a huge difference maker.