theater
Death of a Driver at Urban Stages in New York City on February 28, 2019. (Photo by Ben Hider)
Production Stills
Check out this show at Urban Stages
Most of the show was photographed with my Sony A9 and Sony 70-200mm F2.8 Lens. That camera is perfect for theater production still and any kind of stage performance where you need to shoot silently. The performers aren't disturbed, the audience dont know you're shooting and you can just fire away. I normally dont shoot at 20 frames a second during a show because I would definitely over shoot, and normally the medium speed is totally fine.
I always love photographing production stills for off broadway theater productions and I'm especially happy to help smaller theaters like Urban Stages. I use a remote camera to photograph straight shots of the stage to document the lighting and stage design and then move around the front row to capture the actors in more detail
Production Stills Photographer
Sometimes you have no idea what a photo shoot is going to entail, but this one turned out to be an absolute riot. I loved working with the cast of "Angry Young Man" and the amazing Director Stephen Hamilton. I can't wait to see the actual show and which photo they chose for the promotion.
Actress Tori Murray, Kim Maresca, Peter Land and Rita McKenzie attend the 'Ruthless! The Musical' opening night after party at Hunt & Fish Club on July 13, 2015 in New York City.
Chita Rivera's Debut Performance In Broadway's "The Visit"
Chita Rivera's Debut Performance In Broadway's "The Visit"
Chita Rivera's Debut Performance In Broadway's "The Visit"
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 24: Actress Chita Rivera performs in 'The Visit' at The Lyceum Theater on March 24, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Ben Hider/Getty Images)
Ben Hider - Event Photographer based in New York City and Westchester
Amas Musical Theater at Baruch College
Ben Hider - Event Photographer based in New York City and Westchester
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Although musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the equal importance given to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other elements. Since the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have generally been called, simply, musicals.
Although music has been a part of dramatic presentations since ancient times, modern Western musical theatre emerged during the 19th century, with many structural elements established by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan in Britain and those of Harrigan and Hart in America. These were followed by the numerous Edwardian musical comedies and the musical theatre works of American creators like George M. Cohan. The Princess Theatremusicals and other smart shows like Of Thee I Sing (1931) were artistic steps forward beyond revues and other frothy entertainments of the early 20th century and led to such groundbreaking works as Show Boat (1927) and Oklahoma! (1943). Some of the most famous and iconic musicals through the decades that followed include West Side Story (1957), The Fantasticks (1960), Hair (1967), A Chorus Line (1975), Les Misérables (1985), The Phantom of the Opera (1986), Rent (1996), The Producers (2001) and Wicked (2003).
Musicals are performed around the world. They may be presented in large venues, such as big-budget Broadway or West End productions in New York City or London. Alternatively, musicals may be staged in smaller fringe theatre, Off-Broadway or regional theatre productions, or on tour. Musicals are often presented by amateur and school groups in churches, schools and other performance spaces. In addition to the United States and Britain, there are vibrant musical theatre scenes in continental Europe, Asia, Australasia, Canada and Latin America.