“Slime tutorials” have always been on the hot seat in the musical theatre community. They are essentially videos that present themselves as instructional presentations on how to make slime, but in reality, they are pirated recordings of live theatre performances. These counterfeit “slime tutorials” are illegal, and these shows are not allowed to be filmed or put on the internet.
But the hot question remains: are they ultimately beneficial for the musical theatre community?
Many people argue that when these videos get posted online, the show won’t receive as much financial support. Viewers won’t end up purchasing tickets and seeing these productions in person.
I can’t lie, I’ve seen a couple of “slime tutorials” myself, and I can safely say that they’ve made me want to go see these theatre performances in person more than ever. I don’t have all the money in the world, and theatre tickets aren’t exactly cheap. So if I hadn’t watched these shows for free in the first place, I likely would have never had the desire to see them in person.
One core example of this for me is the musical Death Becomes Her, which is currently running on Broadway. It’s based on the 1992 cult classic film of the same name. The production’s two leading ladies, Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard, who play Madeline Ashton and Helen Sharp respectively, both deliver stunning performances, as well as Christopher Sieberd, who plays Ernest Menville. (The show even features one of Destiny’s children, in the form of Michelle Williams!)
The musical was nominated for ten Tony Awards and took home the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, which was very much deserved. It also has a very impactful message concerning how people view and comment on women’s bodies.
Death Becomes Her is captivatingly hilarious, and I’m dying to see it in person, but unfortunately, the show hasn’t yet made it to the West Coast. As soon as it premieres here, I will be the first person in line to buy tickets! But I wouldn’t be this enthusiastic about this show, and going to see it in person, if I hadn’t watched a “slime tutorial” of the performance.
The production company behind Death Becomes Her, in particular, has been pretty lax concerning clips of their show being posted on social media. Many believe this might be a tactic to further promote the production and get more people excited about it. Another very successful show, Hamilton, used this same tactic when it was first playing in theatres, and that worked out spectacularly for them.
Another reason that “slime tutorials” are not that terrible is that they make musical theatre more accessible for everyone. Some people don’t have theatres near them, or the money to commute somewhere where they are showing musicals, so these videos may be their only opportunity to experience a Broadway show.
Overall, “slime tutorials” are not actually harmful to the theatre community, due to their promotional capabilities and how they make the wonder of live musical theatre more accessible to everyone. Maybe we should just recognize that the show must go on…even if it isn’t always legal.
