Exhibits, Shows and Displays

Are Broadway Shows Sung Live?

I've always wondered if Broadway shows are sung live or not. I always see that the actors have microphones for at least their speaking parts, and I assume since they have orchestras that the music is live, but are all the singing parts usually pre-recorded?

Public Comments

1. I'm fairly sure that they are all sung live, mainly because the actors look so tired afterwards. It can't be that tiring to lip-sync and dance. The challenge of musical theater is SINGING and dancing at the same time. However, I know that in movies based on musicals, most if not all of the music is pre-recorded.
2. nope it is all live!
3. Yes they are. It would be silly (not to mention next to impossible) to have live musicians and taped singers.
4. yup. b-way is always live for the most part. all the actors sing, act and dance live.
5. Live. otherwise it would ruin the experience of seeing the show.
6. yes they are all sung live because the orchestra is live
7. *reads question* *repeatedly slams forehead to desk* *regains composure* They. Sing. Live. The only thing that would be recorded at all is if something needs to sound the same in every performance, other than that they sing. If you thinks its pre-recorded you've never been to an actual musical. At the end of the songs they're breathing really heavily, which is a clear sign they just sang their lungs out.
8. On the CD they are recorded in a studio, but on stage it is live, for example it you listen to the difference in speed that Elphaba in Broadway, Vs. Elphaba in LA sing Defying Gravity (from wicked)
9. 99.9% of the time it's sung live but there is the odd exception. A couple of bits in Phantom of the Opera are click-tracked (ie pre-recorded - the track starts before it needs to and the orchestra hear a click on the beat so that they stay in time with it) - it's Christine's top D's, from memory. If the sound engineer does his job properly you can't tell; unfortunately when I saw it the sound was awful and it was blindly obvious when the click track kicked in.
10. They sing live. With the exception of little bits which make more sense to be pre-recorded, as the person above me stated, eg. parts in Phantom, and also a tiny bit of Wicked near the beginning with the Wizard, I think. The majority of musical performers are incredibly talented and it would be a waste if it was all pre-recorded. The live state really adds to the atmosphere and experience. And, as many people say, many things can happen in live theatre, so it's always different in each performance. Also, I really don't think the musicals would get away with charging so much for tickets if they just mimed. :)
11. Nope, its always live, with the exceptions of some notes in The Phantom Of The Opera.
12. Yes, they are sung live. I have heard- but i am not sure if it is true- that they have people singing back up offstage. i have never been to a BROADWAY show, but i heard this from a music teacher. i don't know for sure about the back ups, but i am sure about them singhng live =]
13. Yes, to this day every Broadway Show in History has been sung live. It is one of the many challenges of musical theatre, however, in musical movies most of the music is pre-recorded for the soundtrack, etc. and then also dubbed over the film. Some shows however, may use a CD in stead of an orchestra.