On Broadway

Oct 12, 2019

1h 24m

★ 8.7

Overview

An all-star cast tells the inside story of the Broadway theater, and how it came back from the brink thanks to innovative work, a new attention to inclusion and a sometimes uneasy balance between art and commerce. Legends of the stage and screen—including Helen Mirren, Christine Baranski, August Wilson, James Corden, Alec Baldwin, John Lithgow, Viola Davis, Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen—take us behind the scenes of Broadway's most groundbreaking and beloved shows, from A Chorus Line to Hamilton. Iconic performances by Lin Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, James Earl Jones and Mandy Patinkin lead the way on a hurly burly ride through Times Square, once again the main street of American show business in this documentary directed by Academy-Award nominee Oren Jacoby.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Storyville Films

No Guarantees Productions

On Broadway Trailers

Cast

Self

Alec Baldwin

Self

Christine Baranski

Self

James Corden

Self

Michael Eisner

Self

David Henry Hwang

Self

Nicholas Hytner

Self

Hugh Jackman

Self

John Lithgow

Self

Cameron Mackintosh

Self

Ian McKellen

Self

Helen Mirren

Self

Hal Prince

China's top drama academy stages the American musical "Fame," China's first official collaboration with Broadway, as the graduation showcase for its senior class. During the eight-month rehearsal, five students compete for roles, struggle with pressure from family and authority, and prepare to graduate into China's corrupt entertainment industry.

7.3

One Ticket Please

Mar 13, 2017

A documentary about a 78-year-old Indian woman in New York who is the world's most passionate theatergoer. Nicki Cochrane has been seeing a play every day for more than 25 years, acquiring free tickets using a variety of ingenious means.

6.4

Every Little Step

Sep 6, 2008

Follows the plight of real-life dancers as they struggle through auditions for the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line and also investigates the history of the show and the creative minds behind the original and current incarnations.

0.0

You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story

Jul 23, 1990

Biographical portrait of one of Broadway's most brilliant songwriters. Told through the use of archival material and interviews with the rich and famous that knew him, this portrait concentrates on his career and his public life events.

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6.5

Jane

Jan 2, 1962

Documentary focusing on 25 year-old actress Jane Fonda as she and her director Andreas Voutsinas prepare a stage play called The Fun Couple for Broadway.

8.0

Liza Minnelli, la dernière héritière d'Hollywood

Jul 20, 2025

Singer, dancer, and actress, Liza, daughter of Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland, with whom she had a close relationship, made a name for herself on Broadway and in Hollywood with her unique voice and flamboyant style. A sensitive portrait of the unforgettable Sally Bowles from Cabaret.

0.0

Liza in London

May 17, 1986

Liza Minnelli in concert at the London Palladium.

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0.0

Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre

Jun 26, 1989

A study of the Group Theatre, a company that changed the face of American drama. The Group was founded in 1931 by Cheryl Crawford, Harold Clurman and Lee Strasberg, who were strongly influenced by the naturalistic acting of Konstantin Stanislavski’s Moscow Art Theatre.

7.0

Pedal

Mar 15, 2001

Pedal is a fast-paced documentary film about surviving in the streets of New York City as a bicycle messenger. It features messengers from all walks of life as they battle traffic in a race to make their next delivery on time. Directed by Sutherland and produced by Ana Lombardo, Pedal the documentary lets viewers live the spectacle of the delivery itself. It premiered in 2001 at the South by Southwest film festival, and was later acquired by the Sundance channel, where it aired until 2004.

6.7

Broadway by Light

Jan 1, 1958

An experimental meditation on Times Square's marquees and iconic advertising that captures the concurrently seedy and dazzling aspects of New York's Great White Way.

10.0

The Magic Behind 'd'ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical - The Audio Theater Experience'

Dec 20, 2020

A special behind-the-scenes look at the making of the audiobook edition of "d'ILLUSION: The Houdini Musical" and how it did its part in helping keep theater and the arts alive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

0.0

Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime

Oct 1, 2018

Combining footage unseen since WWI with original scores from the era, this film tells the story of Noble Sissle's incredible journey that spans "The Harlem Hellfighters" of World War I, Broadway Theatre, the Civil Rights movement, and decades of Black cultural development.

9.0

Adam Jacobs - Behind the Curtain

Apr 30, 2021

Adam Jacobs was the original "Aladdin" in Disney's smash Broadway musical, with a list of other hits like Les Miserables and Something Rotten, but this docu-concert – filmed as a special one-night-only performance – explores his emotional personal journey, from growing up as a Filipino American in California to landing the role of a lifetime.

0.0

The Music of Kander & Ebb: Razzle Dazzle

Dec 3, 1997

A profile of composing team John Kander and Fred Ebb, who have written many Broadway musicals. Highlights include interviews with Lauren Bacall, Joel Grey and others, as well as the two men themselves, plus clips of performances of their songs.

6.1

Broadway's Lost Treasures

Aug 10, 2003

The golden age of the annual Tony Awards ceremony lasted from 1967 to 1986 — the period during which Alexander H. Cohen and his wife, Hildy Parks, were the producers of the show. This film offers a compilation of performances from Tony Award broadcasts during those years. They are presented with color-corrected footage and digitally re-mastered sound.

6.4

Hamilton: One Shot to Broadway

May 9, 2017

It’s the hit musical that changed Broadway forever and brought the genius of Lin Manuel Miranda to the attention of legions of fans across the world. A story of how a group of mavericks made an unlikely marriage of hip-hop and history to create the biggest show in America…and are getting ready to conquer the world. Featuring interviews with Miranda, as well as the cast and crew of Hamilton.

6.3

Faye

May 15, 2024

Through honest reflection, complemented by insight from colleagues and friends, Faye Dunaway contextualizes her life and filmography, laying bare her struggles with mental health while confronting the double standards she was subjected to as a woman in Hollywood.

7.8

The Stories of West Side Story

Mar 2, 2022

Rejoice in the astonishing all-new footage of Spielberg at work in documentary filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau’s revealing The Stories of West Side Story. Composed of Opening, Prologue, Sharks & Jets, Dance at the Gym, The Romance, America, Gee, Officer Krupke, Cool, From Quintet to the Rumble, I Feel Pretty, Somewhere, Finale, and Tribute.

0.0

TOVAH

Jan 26, 2026

Through exclusive interviews, rare archival footage, and intimate behind-the-scenes access, TOVAH traces Tovah Feldshuh’s ascent from a daring young actress to a Broadway institution and cultural icon.

7.0

Follies: In Concert

Mar 14, 1986

A backstage documentary film including footage from the legendary 1985 concert performance of Stephen Sondheim's classic musical at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. The plot of the musical centers around a reunion of showgirls who appeared in an annual Follies extravaganza when it was staged between the wars.