With Broadway still closed, Netflix is doing for the theater community what it and other streaming services have done for the film industry: content that cannot be seen where it was originally intended. On Wednesday, the Los Gatos-based company announced that it was streaming a specially-filmed version of “Diana: A Musical,” a new show about the British princess, ahead of her Broadway debut.
“Diana” began previews on March 2, with its opening scheduled for March 31 at the Longacre Theater, only to close due to Covid-19.
It will be recorded next month without an audience on Longacre and will feature the original Broadway castway, including Jeanna de Waal as Diana, Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Erin Davie as Camilla Parker Bowles and Judy Kaye as Queen Elizabeth. A promotional message added to the musical Wednesday morning’s website said it was “Coming to Netflix in early 2021.”
Christopher Ashley, the head of La Jolla Playhouse, where the show originated, is the director of the musical, which features books, music and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, Tony Award 2010 winners for “Memphis.” ” The new show was capitalized on up to $ 17,750,000.
“We speak for the whole company when we say we can no longer be excited to share our show anywhere with theater lovers everywhere,” the lead producers, Beth Williams, Frank Marshall and the Araca Group, said in a joint statement. “While there is no substitute for live theater, we are honored to be a part of the quality story that Netflix provides to its subscribers worldwide.”
The announcement said the musical was still slated to open on Broadway, now on May 25, 2021.
And in a separate statement on Wednesday, Actors ‘Equity Association, the national workers’ union, said it had approved a safety plan allowing actors to rehearse in ‘Diana’, record a cast album and record a performance before recording. With very few exceptions, the union has prevented its members from performing live on stage during the pandemic, claiming that it risks their safety.
The provisions of the plan include initial and recurring tests, an insulation protocol for the actors and stage managers, and changes to the theater’s air-conditioning system to ensure ventilation to the backstage areas of the building.
