Bootleg

A key source of frustration for many theater fans is not being able to see a live show they are interested in because of various physical or financial limitations. 
Many professional theater shows are not filmed and made available to the public, or if they are, they are only available through paid subscription services or special screening events at movie theaters. And often, these recordings are only made public several months after the show has opened.
So, many fans turn to bootlegs – illegally recorded videos or audio of shows taken by an audience member.
==Background==
==Bootleg Sharing==
===Pre-Internet===
===On the Internet===
Bootlegs on the internet are usually hosted where TPTB cannot easily find them, like on private Google Drives or unlisted YouTube videos. 
==Opinions==
===Against Bootlegging===
Most theater creators (writers, actors, producers, set designers, etc) do not like bootlegs. There are many reasons for this: from a legal standpoint, it's because everything on the stage and coming from the stage is copyrighted material. Doing the recording can also be very distracting to actors on stage as well as audience members around the bootlegger. Some also argue that bootlegs, like illegal copies of any other medium, means less tickets sold and therefore less money going to the creators of the show. Creators are also often protective of the way in which their work is seen (e.g. live and professional); there is also the argument that being live-in-person is the thing that makes theater what it is (which cannot be replicated by watching a recording). The last two arguments can be seen in this Tumblr post made by composer Lin-Manuel Miranda:
===For Bootlegging===
A big argument for fans who enjoy bootlegs is that theater tickets are expensive and tied to one geographical area, and bootlegs make theater accessible to fans who cannot afford tickets or travelling. Some fans believe that discouraging recording theater is classicist or elitist.
zoeamira1:
tesswalsh:
Some fans argue that bootlegs, rather than hurting ticket sales, actually serve to get more fans interested in shows and give them an incentive to see the show live:
best12bars
Discussion over bootlegs and how they can be a good keepsake for actors was inspired in this TikTok by Carrie Hope Fletcher. She was originally against bootlegs, but realised that she is benefiting from the performances being filmed. She talks in the TikTok about this being a response to the inaccessibility of musical theatre and live performances.
==External Sources==
===Further Reading:===
*Bootlegs: Inclusive or Destructive?, blog post by Mary-Margaret Annab, September 1, 2015Archived.
*To Bootleg or Not To Bootleg Theatre, blog post by Rona, June 17, 2015Archived.
*Stop Shaming Broadway Fans Who Watch Bootlegs, article by Victoria Mione, January 16, 2018Archived.
*Within the past few days there had been a lot of discourse in the Dear Evan Hansen fandom on bootlegs, and I just wanna throw my two cents in., Tumblr post by deakyfreakydeaky, January 14, 2018 ("Actors are allowed to hate bootlegs, and wish they didn’t exist. but actors shouldn’t make fans feel guilty for watching a show they love, a show that changed their life for the better.")Archived.
*Bootlegs, Tumblr post by musicaltheatrethoughts, January 15, 2018 ("One idea may be to weigh up the pros and cons of bootlegs, and suggest solutions as to how to overcome these issues.")Archived.
*Broadway Elitism: A Hot Take, Tumblr post by angel-of-stagelights, March 7, 2019 ("Let’s get one thing straight: I am against Broadway elitism. However, I am also against the incorrect definition of Broadway elitism that’s been going around lately.")Archived.
*bootleg rant, Tumblr post by miracle-of-the-sea, November 14, 2017 ("Anyway, the point is that bootlegs are the only way most of can see musicals, it sucks, but it’s the truth, and I’m sorry to Lin-Manuel Miranda and all the creators of musicals if you think us watching these are disrespectful to you as an art, but my respect for all these musicians is infinite and I thank you all for the things you’ve created and the people who helped create them.")Archived.
*The Weird World of Broadway Bootlegs by Sarah Z
*BUT IT DOESN’T FEEL ILLEGAL: THE NORMALIZATION OF BROADWAY BOOTLEGS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
==References==
Category:Discussion
Category:Theater