2018·Documentary·1h 27m
7.1
★
When he started as a comedy writer for the Late Show with David Letterman, Steve Young had few interests and not many friends outside of his day job. But while gathering material for a segment on the show, Steve stumbled onto a few vintage record albums that would change his life forever.
Directed by Dava Whisenant
composer
theater director
industry
corporate world
music fan
obsessed fan
songwriter
aging actor
record collector
manufacturer
musical theater
stage production
unsung hero
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Steve Young
Self
Martin Short
Self
Florence Henderson
Self
David Letterman
Self
Chita Rivera
Self
Sheldon Harnick
Self
Susan Stroman
Self
Jello Biafra
Self
Don Bolles
Self
Melody Rogers
Self
Crew
Dava Whisenant
Director
Dava Whisenant
Writer
Dava Whisenant
Editor
Jason Blum
Executive Producer
Daniel J. Chalfen
Executive Producer
Dan Cogan
Executive Producer
Jeremy Gold
Executive Producer
David Letterman
Executive Producer
Susan Littenberg
Producer
Jenny Raskin
Executive Producer
Amanda Spain
Producer
Dava Whisenant
Producer
Popular Reviews
13 reviews
SofiaPRO
corporate musicals are actually the most american thing ever i think
corporate musicals are actually the most american thing ever i think
Jacob Dickens
8.9★ · 12/30/21
Much like the documentary Obit, Bathtubs Over Broadway is a documentary about an incredibly niche topic that I nevertheless kept thinking about from time to time years after watching it. While Obit was a robust dedication to the art of obituary writing, Bathtubs Over Broadway is an ode to a lost form of musical theatre and a tale about the joys of collecting and getting involved in a subculture that has its own big names and hallmarks. Steve Young is the perfect person to guide us through this journey both as the world's foremost expert on industrial musicals and a man you wouldn't suspect to be so openly passionate about a seemingly ridiculous artform. His appreciation and respect for names that had lied dormant for decades is the real heart of this doc; each time he visits a composer or actress who was involved in a favorite show of his you feel his elation at being near someone who doesn't even know how important their work was to him. It's a brisk runtime that takes you through the major points of the history of industrial musicals but more than anything it's a love letter to the people who worked so hard year after year to create the best spectacles of musical theatre that no one was allowed to see.
Much like the documentary Obit, Bathtubs Over Broadway is a documentary about an incredibly niche topic that I nevertheless kept thinking about from time to time years after watching it. While Obit was a robust dedication to the art of obituary writing, Bathtubs Over Broadway is an ode to a lost form of musical theatre and a tale about the joys of collecting and getting involved in a subculture that has its own big names and hallmarks. Steve Young is the perfect person to guide us through this journey both as the world's foremost expert on industrial musicals and a man you wouldn't suspect to be so openly passionate about a seemingly ridiculous artform. His appreciation and respect for names that had lied dormant for decades is the real heart of this doc; each time he visits a composer or actress who was involved in a favorite show of his you feel his elation at being near someone who doesn't even know how important their work was to him. It's a brisk runtime that takes you through the major points of the history of industrial musicals but more than anything it's a love letter to the people who worked so hard year after year to create the best spectacles of musical theatre that no one was allowed to see.
Grant
7.0★ · 05/22/19
Industrial musical are weird
Industrial musical are weird
Greg Mako
7.0★ · 05/14/19
Well this is adorable
Well this is adorable
v
4.0★ · 04/18/26