When One Stage Door Closes, Another Distribution Window Open

I just watched a television show based on a Broadway musical. And I think it’s one of the most exciting things I’ve stumbled across in a long time, and not just because I thought the show was pretty darn good.Thursday night CMT premiered it’s new original series SUN RECORDS. Now, being more of a rock ’n roller than a cabaret fanatic, I have been waiting for this series to debut since I started seeing promos during episodes of NASHVILLE. As I settled into the sofa to watch a series about Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, I got a surprise in the opening credits.That's where I read that the television series SUN RECORDS is based on the Broadway musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET.Why is this so exciting? First off, Million Dollar Quartet opened to decidedly mixed reviews. While nominated for three Tony Awards - Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Featured Actor, only performer Levi Kreis came home a winner. The show did not recoup, like most Broadway shows.There was life after Broadway for Million Dollar Quartet. The show transferred to New World Stages for an Off-Broadway run. It also was presented in the West End of London and on a U.S. National Tour. But I think it’s safe to say that investors have never been made whole.That’s what so exciting about seeing a television series based on this play premiere. Simply put, we are seeing the birth of a new revenue stream for stage plays. The explosion of distribution outlets for television programming means there are a lot more people looking for content for television. If the idea of adapting stage plays into television series gains legs, it could be a game changer.While producers often talk up the possibility of a film adaptation, until now there has never been a realistic expectation that television could put any money in the pockets of Broadway investors. But a show like SUN RECORDS changes that, and may make it a little easier to get investors to put money in Broadway shows.For the record, CMT’s SUN RECORDS is not a one-off phenomenon. It’s at least a two-off phenomenon, because CBS has recently started broadcasting the show SUPERIOR DONUTS starring Judd Hirsch. That show is based on the Broadway show of the same name by Tracy Letts. While the prospect of turning Broadway musicals into television shows is exciting, the prospect of turning Broadway straight plays into television series is nothing short of revolutionary.Over the past 20 years, we have seen the number of commercial productions of straight plays shrink to a painfully small number. Most commercial productions of straight plays are now either star-driven limited runs or transfers of shows first presented in the West End. Outside of these two exceptions, Broadway productions of original straight plays are now almost solely within the purview of not-for-profit theaters.If the idea of turning Broadway shows into television series bears fruit, it might create new opportunities for original straight plays. It’s conceivable that television networks or over-the-top services could not only present a realistic possibility of downstream revenue for Broadway shows, but actually become development partners and sources of financing for shows deemed to have the potential for being successfully adapted for television. The marketing prospect of opening a show on Broadway while simultaneously launching a television series based on that Broadway show may be an entirely new way to get reach new audiences for Broadway shows; and it could make the idea of touring a Broadway straight play feasible.This whole development has me as excited as a 16 year old girl watching Elvis shake his pelvis for the first time.