Where I Watched it: Broadway HD
English Audio Description?: No
So this is not what I thought it would be. It is the musical first Date, but Broadway HD is running a pandemic version shot from the homes of actors as a project worthy of being alongside the rest of their content. I absolutely will not be critiquing what people were trying to do to either raise money during the pandemic, or simply pay rent, at a time when theatres were closed. It’s not a fair comparison.
What I will talk about is how the lack of audio description affects my end grade more than any other element. Pandemic events were often cobbled together over zoom sessions from people’s living rooms. There is nothing in my mind that screams to me that these people all sequestered themselves so they could meet up in one location for this filming. Their sound qualities vary, as they likely were not given equal access to sound technicians, or even equal quality recording equipment. Sometimes, there’s a score, that sounds like a karaoke track, but most of the time it is just a pianist.
Without the audio description, I have no idea how the sausage was made here. Where are the split screens? When there are more than 2 people on screen, how do they incorporate all of them? If you’re selling me the pandemic experience, I need to know how this was assembled, and there is no indicator to any of that, or how they managed to put together some semblance of a set, and costumes. Nothing.
So I go back to the question I ask myself when I go to grade these taped live musicals. Since Broadway isn’t prioritizing audio description, is it worth it? Do you get more out of watching the performance than just listening to the cast album? No. You don’t.
If the one thing that makes this production different and interesting isn’t bothered with, then what is the point? I like Samantha Barks, but she is not the original cast. And considering the technology used to record this is substantially below that of the audio quality on the recording, i can’t think of a single reason why you couldn’t just listen to the cast recording. If Broadway HD is going to give us nothing in terms of accessibility here, it does mean that this will join the handful of titles that are irrelevant.
It’s sad, because this was assembled at a time when people were fighting desperately to keep creating art, and while I can appreciate that Broadway HD has given it a home, it also should realize that this production by nature is going to differ from the original, and we need audio description for those elements to make sense.
I do recommend to lovers of musicals who haven’t heard of this to listen to the cast recording. There are some hilarious and poignant works on there. Safer is definitely a favorite of mine.
Final Grade: Unwatchable