Whether you live in New York City or across the world from it and can’t get to the theatre, finding plays and musicals to stream online is a difficult task. Luckily, with streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, BroadwayHD, Disney+, HBO Max, and Apple TV+, there is a wealth of theatrical resources available where you can find live recordings of original productions from Broadway and beyond. Here is a guide to what is currently available, including several film adaptations, for your viewing pleasure.
Productions on Disney+
West Side Story (2021, Film). Starring Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, and Rita Moreno. Available on Disney+.
Ahead of Rachel Zegler’s Broadway debut in Romeo + Juliet this fall, revisit her screen debut in Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. With a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Tony Kushner, West Side Story tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. Find out everything you should know before watching the film adaptation here.
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration (2022, TV Special). Starring H.E.R., Josh Groban, and Joshua Henry. Available on Disney+.
In 2022, ABC aired a special presentation of Beauty and the Beast in honor of the iconic animated film’s 30th anniversary. Directed by Jon M. Chu, who is directing the upcoming Wicked films, the special features H.E.R., who made her producing debut on Broadway this past season with Here Lies Love, Josh Groban, recent star of Sweeney Todd on Broadway, and Joshua Henry, who spoke about the special with Broadway Direct ahead of its airing.
Hamilton (2020, Broadway). Starring the Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton. Available on Disney+.
Featuring the Original Broadway cast and filmed at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, Hamilton is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Check out this comprehensive guide to the film.
The Greatest Showman (2017, Film). Starring Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zendaya. Available on Disney+.
Broadway audiences have seen him recently take the stage as Harold Hill in the 2022 revival of The Music Man, and it just might be time to revisit another of Hugh Jackman’s musical ventures (especially ahead of his Wolverine’s return to the screen in Deadpool & Wolverine). Featuring a soundtrack by Broadway favorites Pasek and Paul, The Greatest Showman took the world by storm with songs like “This is Me” and “Rewrite the Stars.” Inspired by the life of P.T. Barnum, watch this musical with your whole family.
Into the Woods (2014, Film). Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Anna Kendrick. Available on Disney+.
Did you miss the revival that stunned audiences on Broadway last season? Well here’s a version of Into the Woods you can still watch. Based on the much-beloved Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical format that follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel-all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.
Trevor: The Musical (2022, Filmed Live Event). Starring Holden William Hagelberger, Aryan Simhadri, and Sally Wilfert. Available on Disney+.
The Off-Broadway musical Trevor, about a teen on a path of self-discovery, made its small-screen debut on Disney+ this past June. The show is inspired by the 1994 Oscar-winning short film also titled Trevor. The film famously paved the way for the creation of The Trevor Project, a suicide-prevention nonprofit dedicated to young people, specifically LGBTQIA+ and questioning youth. Fourteen-year-old Holden Hagelberger stars as the titular character, under the direction of theater veteran Marc Bruni. Read our conversation with the pair here before streaming the musical.
Newsies (2017, Filmed Live Event). Starring Jeremy Jordan, Kara Lindsay, and Ben Fankhauser. Available on Disney+.
At the turn of the 20th century, Jack Kelly leads a ragged band of teenage “newsies” against two publishing titans intent on raising distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense. Filmed live at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, CA.
Hello, Dolly! (1969, Film). Starring Barbara Streisand, Walter Matthau, and Michael Crawford. Available on Disney+.
The musical film is based on the 1964 Broadway production of the same name and features Barbara Streisand in the title role. Dolly Levi uses her matchmaking skills in New York City to orchestrate the love lives of her friends, all the while trying to get the man she likes to fall for her.
Howard (2020, Documentary). Available on Disney+.
Directed by Don Hahn (Beauty and the Beast), Howard is the untold story of Howard Ashman, the brilliant lyricist behind Disney classics like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and creator of musicals including Little Shop of Horrors. Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, personal films and photographs, as well as interviews with Howard’s friends and family, the film is an intimate look at the Disney Legend’s life, his creative drive, and the process behind the music.
Plays and Musicals on Netflix
La La Land (2016, Film). Starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Available on Netflix.
This modern classic and Oscar-winning film is now back on Netflix. Starring two-time Academy Award winner Emma Stone, who won her first for La La Land and earlier this year won her second for Poor Things, and Ryan Gosling, who has long charmed audiences on screen, especially this past year with his roles in Barbie and The Fall Guy. Watch this musical love letter to Los Angeles with music by Justin Hurwitz and Justin Paul & Benj Pasek (Dear Evan Hansen).
Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and The Pool (2023, Broadway). Starring Mike Birbiglia. Available on Netflix.
After a critically-acclaimed run on Broadway, Mike Birbigilia’s The Old Man and the Pool is coming to Netflix. In The Old Man and the Pool, Birbiglia hilariously explores mortality, medical tests, nature’s pillows, and an over-chlorinated YMCA pool. His previous Broadway venture, The New One, was also captured for Netflix and released in 2019.
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (2022, Film). Starring Alisha Weir, Emma Thompson, and Lashana Lynch. Available on Netflix.
Based on the Tony Award-winning stage musical, Matilda the Musical premiered on Netflix in December 2022, bringing to the screen the songs of Tim Minchin like “Naughty,” “When I Grow Up,” and the TikTok favorite “Revolting Children.” Featuring a film debut from Alisha Weir, starring in the title role, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical is sure to be a classic.
13: The Musical (2022, Film). Starring Eli Golden, Gabriella Uhl, and Debra Messing. Available on Netflix.
Adapted from the Jason Robert Brown musical of the same name, 13: The Musical is the coming-of-age story that centers around a 12-year-old named Evan, whose parents split right as he is about to become a bar mitzvah. He moves from New York City to Indiana with his mom and has to make new friends in the hope they will attend his service and party.
tick, tick…BOOM! (2021, Film). Starring Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, and Vanessa Hudgens. Available on Netflix.
Based on the stage show and story of Jonathan Larson, the creator of RENT, tick, tick…BOOM! is about a promising theater composer on the brink of turning 30, showing him navigating love, friendship, and the pressure to create something great before time runs out. Featuring a transcendent performance by Academy Award nominee Andrew Garfield in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut, tick, tick…BOOM! is a must-see for any lover of theater. Find out even more about the musical and its origins here.
Diana The Musical (2021, Broadway). Starring Jeanna de Waal, Roe Hartrampf, Erin Davie, and Judy Kaye. Available on Netflix.
The dazzling and devastating life of Princess Diana takes center stage in this original musical. In a daring and exciting move, Diana The Musical was filmed and released in advance of its official November 2021 Broadway opening. Written by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan (Tony Award-winning Best Musical Memphis), directed by Tony winner Christopher Ashley (Come From Away) with choreography by Tony nominee Kelly Devine (Rock of Ages) and music supervision and arrangements by Ian Eisendrath (Come From Away), this sensational production brings the legend of Princess Di, played by Jeanna de Waal, to thrilling new life on the stage and now to Netflix.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020, Film). Starring Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, and Glynn Turman. Available on Netflix.
Tensions and temperatures rise at a Chicago music studio in 1927 when fiery, fearless blues singer Ma Rainey joins her band for a recording session. The incredible cast features an unrecognizable Viola Davis and a heart-wrenching final performance from the late Chadwick Boseman.
Oh, Hello on Broadway (2017, Broadway). Starring Nick Kroll and John Mulaney. Available on Netflix.
Stand-up comedians John Mulaney and Nick Kroll star as “two delusional geriatrics” in Oh, Hello on Broadway, a recording of their hit limited-run Broadway engagement. This recording has it all: irreverent humor, too much tuna, and a special surprise comedy guest.
Springsteen on Broadway (2018, Broadway). Starring Bruce Springsteen. Available on Netflix.
If you couldn’t get to New York City to see Bruce Springsteen for the Summer 2021 return engagement of his Broadway residency, have no fear: Netflix has you covered. You can watch a recording of the rock star’s intimate one-man show, where he plays acoustic versions of some of his greatest hits and shares personal life stories, on the streaming service anytime, and all from the comfort of your own home.
American Son (2019, Film). Starring Kerry Washington, Steven Pasquale, and Jeremy Jordan. Available on Netflix.
The 2018 Broadway play, American Son comes to Netflix in a stage-to-screen adaptation of the original play. The film team features the same writer, director, and reprise performances by the original cast. Staged more like a play than a movie, this performance captures the same compelling energy from the Broadway version.
Plays and Musicals on Amazon Prime
Mean Girls (2024, Film). Starring Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, and Auli’i Cravalho. Available on Amazon Prime.
Based on the 2018 Broadway musical adaptation, Mean Girls jumped to the big screen earlier this year, with rising star Reneé Rapp reprising her stage performance as Regina George for the film. Now the musical remake of the iconic 2004 film, which features earworms like “Apex Predator,” “I’d Rather Be Me,” and “World Burn,” is available to stream from the comfort of your own home.
Funny Girl (1968, Film). Starring Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, and Kay Medford. Available on Amazon Prime.
With the recent release of Barbra Streisand’s long-awaited memoir, now is the perfect time to revisit this classic or experience it for the first time. Streisand’s debut film won her the Academy Award for her performance as singer-comedienne, Fanny Brice. Featuring songs you know and love like “People,” “I’m the Greatest Star,” and, of course, “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” if you’ve yet to watch Funny Girl, it’s time to change that.
Carousel (2013, Concert). Starring Kelli O’Hara, Nathan Gunn, and Jessie Mueller. Available on Amazon Prime.
Julie Jordan falls in love with a charming, carefree carousel barker with a short temper. After she becomes pregnant, he resorts to extreme circumstances to get extra money to provide for his family. Staring Broadway favorites Kelli O’Hara and Jessie Mueller, along with Metropolitan Opera staple Nathan Gunn, this live-from–Lincoln Center concert recording is a great way to get your Rodgers and Hammerstein fix.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (2021, Film). Starring Max Harwood, Sarah Lancashire, and Lauren Patel. Available on Amazon Prime.
Based on a true story and adapted from the West End musical hit, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie tells the story of 16-year-old Jamie who, despite obstacles, has the courage to fabulously follow his unconventional dream in this inspiring true story turned musical sensation.
Plays and Musicals on Max
Alex Edelman: Just for Us (2024, Stage). Starring Alex Edelman. Available to stream on Max.
Alex Edelman is receiving a special Tony Award this year for his acclaimed Broadway run of his solo show Just for Us and now you’re able to watch the show from home! In Just for Us, standup comic Edelman details his covert attendance to a meeting of White Nationalists in the wake of a string of anti-Semitic threats pointed in his direction online What happens next forms the backbone of the shockingly relevant, utterly hilarious, and only moderately perspirant stories that comprise Just for Us.
Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known (2022, Documentary). Starring Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and John Gallagher Jr. Available to stream on Max.
Reeling over the Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along with Jonathan Groff, or yearning for more Lea Michele content after her acclaimed return to Broadway in Funny Girl recently concluded? Give this documentary a watch! 15 years after the smash, Tony-winning Broadway run of Spring Awakening, the original cast and creative team reunite for a spectacular, one-night-only reunion concert to benefit The Actors Fund. Chronicling their whirlwind journey back to the stage, the documentary follows the players as they reconnect and rediscover the beauty and timelessness of the hit musical, sharing the show’s underdog origins, its path to Tony glory, the universal themes of teenage repression and angst, and the unconventional love story of breakout stars Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele.
David Byrne’s American Utopia (2020, Broadway). Starring David Byrne. Available on Max.
In American Utopia, Talking Heads superstar David Byrne is joined by 11 diverse musicians from around the globe in a “knockout theatrical concert, honoring the pleasures of music, dance and song as collective celebration” (The Hollywood Reporter). Experience the filmed version of the acclaimed Broadway show, directed by Oscar winner Spike Lee.
Angels in America (2003, HBO Miniseries). Starring Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and Mary-Louise Parker. Available on Max.
Originally seen in the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play told in two parts, Mike Nichols’ take on the masterpiece Angels in America is a must-see for all theatre lovers. Playwright Tony Kushner adapted his political epic about the AIDS crisis during the mid-1980s and centers the story around a group of disparate but connected individuals. Watch now to see why Angels in America broke the record for the most Emmys awarded to a miniseries in a single year by winning 11 awards.
Grease (1978, Film). Starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, and Stockard Channing. Available on Max.
In August 2022, Olivia Newton-Jones sadly passed away at age 73. What better way to honor her legacy by revisting her most iconic film performance. One of the most beloved movie musicals, Grease features beloved tunes like “Summer Loving,” “Greased Lightning,” and “You’re the One That I Want.”
Musicals on Apple TV+
Come From Away (2021, Broadway). Starring Petrina Bromley, Jenn Colella, and De’Lon Grant. Available on Apple TV+.
While it played its final performance in October 2022, Come From Away lives on! Filmed live on Broadway, the Tony Award-winning musical tells the remarkable true story of 38 flights grounded in a small Canadian town on September 11, 2001. As the locals host these “come from aways,” they come together and find hope. Featuring much of the original Broadway cast, including Jenn Colella reprising her Tony Award-nominated performance, Come From Away makes for a great first Broadway entry into Apple TV+’s catalog.
Schmigadoon! (2021, TV Show). Starring Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, and Kristin Chenoweth. Available on Apple TV+.
In this parody of 1940s musicals, backpacking couple Melissa and Josh get trapped in Schmigadoon, a magical town filled with singing and dancing townspeople, and learn they can’t leave without finding true love—which they thought they already had. Boasting a myriad of Broadway stars that include Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana DeBose, Alan Cumming, Ann Harada, and Aaron Tveit, just to name a few, it’s the perfect watch for all musical theatre lovers. The second season, titled Schmicago, was released in 2023.
Productions on Hulu
Theater Camp (2023, Film). Starring Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, and Noah Galvin. Available on Hulu.
In the midst of Ben Platt: Live at the Palace, make sure to give this soon-to-be classic a watch. A hit amongst theater fans last summer, Theater Camp features a screenplay by Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, and Ben Platt, with Galvin, Gordon, and Platt also starring in the film. The comedy features Platt and Gordon “as Amos and Rebecca-Diane – lifelong best friends and drama instructors at a rundown camp in upstate New York. When clueless tech-bro Troy (Jimmy Tatro) arrives to run the property (into the ground), Amos, Rebecca-Diane and production manager Glenn (Noah Galvin) band together with the staff and students, staging a masterpiece to keep their beloved summer camp afloat.” With many stage references and moments that’ll make your inner-theater kid nostalgic, Theater Camp is a must-watch.
Fosse/Verdon (2019, TV Miniseries). Starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams. Available on Hulu.
The FX miniseries Fosse/Verdon focuses on the relationship of theater legends Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. Directed by Hamilton and Sweeney Todd director Thomas Kail, Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell stars as Fosse alongside Michelle Williams, who received an Emmy Award for her performance as the iconic Verdon.
Productions on BroadwayHD
Launched in 2015 with 100 titles available, BroadwayHD is an on-demand digital streaming service that has grown to include more than 200 titles of filmed Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals, plays, and concert events. Listed below are some of the notable additions to BroadwayHD’s catalog.
Miss Saigon (2016, London). Starring Eva Noblezada, Jon Jon Briones. Available on BroadwayHD.
Eva Noblezada is a two-time Tony nominee who is currently making her return to Broadway in The Great Gatsby. Take a look back at the show that kicked off her professional theater career, her star turn in Miss Saigon, first starring in the London production before bringing the revival to Broadway in 2017. The spectacular, sell-out 25th Anniversary Gala Performance of this acclaimed new production of the global stage sensation was described as “the most thrilling, soaring and emotionally stirring musical with magnificent performances” by the Daily Telegraph and “the greatest musical of all time” by the Daily Mail.This epic musical love story tells the tragic tale of young bar girl Kim, orphaned by war, who falls in love with an American GI called Chris – but their lives are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. From the creators of Les Miserables, Miss Saigon is truly an international sensation.
Mr. Saturday Night (2022, Broadway). Starring Billy Crystal, Shoshana Bean, and Randy Graff. Available on BroadwayHD.
If you missed Billy Crystal’s return to Broadway in 2022, you’re in luck! Filmed for BroadwayHD, Mr. Saturday Night opened in April 2022 and went on to receive five Tony Award nominations including Best Musical, and nominations for Crystal and Broadway favorite Shoshana Bean. Based on the film of the same name, also starring Crystal, Mr. Saturday Night tells the story of Buddy Young, Jr., an outrageous and outspoken comedian who has one last shot at reclaiming the spotlight — and fixing his fractured family — one hilarious step at a time.
She Loves Me (2016, Broadway). Starring Zachary Levi, Laura Benanti, and Jane Krakowski. Available on BroadwayHD.
Holding the distinction of being the first Broadway musical to be live-streamed, She Loves Me follows Amalia and Georg, two parfumerie clerks who aren’t quite the best of friends. Constantly bumping heads while on the job, the sparring coworkers can’t seem to find common ground. But little do they know the anonymous pen pals they have both been falling for happen to be each other! Will love continue to blossom once their identities are finally revealed?
Cats (1998, London). Starring Elaine Paige, Ken Page, John Mills, John Partridge, Jacob Brent, Michael Gruber. Available on BroadwayHD.
One of the longest-running hits in the history of Broadway and the West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats has been specially restaged for this video presentation, which captures all the music and movement of the original stage production with an uncommon intimacy and depth.
Kinky Boots (2018, West End). Starring Killian Donnelly, Matt Henry. Available on BroadwayHD.
Charlie is a factory owner struggling to save his family business. Lola is a fabulous entertainer with a wildly exciting idea. With a little compassion and a lot of understanding, this unexpected pair learns to embrace their differences and creates a line of sturdy stilettos unlike any the world has ever seen! But in the end, their most sensational achievement is their friendship.
Shrek the Musical (2013, Broadway). Starring Brian d’Arcy James, Sutton Foster, and Christopher Sieber. Available on BroadwayHD.
Everyone’s favorite ogre is given the musical treatment in this kid-friendly tale of how a crotchety monster with a heart of gold finds his true love and saves his kingdom from the evil Lord Farquaad. With a score by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, Shrek the Musical is fairy-tale-inspired fun. Plus, stars Brian d’Arcy James and Sutton Foster will soon return to Broadway in Days of Wine and Roses and Sweeney Todd, respectively, so this is a perfect time to revisit their earlier performances.