A filmed version of the Broadway musical hits screens in theaters. The musical won a Tony, and cameras got right up on the actors. Critics say you see more than you could from the front-row seat in the house. Reviewers call it a win on screen, not only copy of the stage show. Industry watchers say this release tries something new for live-capture films. The push is to reach more people and drop them into the show. The pro-shot goes beyond what a regular ticket holder sees from a fixed seat, courting a front-row, camera-close experience.

Audiences who missed the Broadway run now gain a shot to see the musical without a ticket line. The filming calls out small moments that drop out of a back-row view. The cast land tight close-ups, and the players gets room to breathe between verses. Industry voices flag the move as part of a broader bid to keep theater-only work alive on moving pictures for years after the curtain falls.