Is there a place where you can order tapes (legally) of Broadway performances from years past?
I understand the concept of seeing a show that travels away from Broadway while it’s on tour- these are not, as far as I know, and I don’t think I live close enough to find time or schedule it.
When we see commercials for plays, we see a tape of the performance, so I thought maybe there was some way to buy one of those copies. I have no idea, honestly. 
I’d be fine with just a copy of the script or transcript. I do a google advanced search that doesn’t lead to what I’m looking for. I do an advanced search for “broadway transcripts” that brings up 0 entries. I’m looking for a readable copy of these plays:
Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway (2003)
Flow
The Bombitty of Errors
Da Boyz
Job: The Hip-Hop Musical
Thanks.
And I’ll add a non-sequitur op-within-an-op: see if you can add a hip-hop musical play to that list or a hip-hop musical movie to this one:
8 Mile
Prison Song
Carmen: A Hip-Hopera
!HERO
CB4
Fear of a Black Hat
I already posted this query, so I know the other answers thanks.
And I’ll add a non-sequitur op-within-an-op: see if you can add a hip-hop musical play to that list or a hip-hop musical movie to this one:
8 Mile
Prison Song
Carmen: A Hip-Hopera
!HERO
CB4
Fear of a Black Hat
I already posted this query, so I know the other answers I have excluded from that previous thread thanks.
The Drama Book Shop is the best place in NY, and they do mail order.
For musicals, like JOB and THE BOMBITTY OF ERRORS, you need to look for librettos, the “script” of musicals. See if you can find out who got the music rights for them; check out Samuel French, MTI, and Tams-Witmark.
None of these shows, except for Def Jam, made it to Broadway itself; and if they’re revues they may not have librettos to begin with.
There are a few musicals and plays taped; Drama might have most of them, as well as Footlight.com and the Broadway Video Archive. Things with modern songs are hard to find, though, since the rights are so expensive; and most of the shows you mention were too underfunded/obscure to get even cast recordings, which can cost over $50,000. If you’re in New York and can prove that you have a professional reason to see them, there’s tons of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows at the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center. Good luck!
Thanks for the resources- I was able to find a book about the Def Poetry Broadway show that contains the poetry and more, and I think I found Flow’s script at the Drama Book Shop. The other three, Job and Da Boyz and Bombitty, as well as one called The Seven, I couldn’t find at those sites. Anyone else have any more resources? This is still pretty good.
