Due to COVID, most Broadway shows were put on hold. But Diana: The Musical? It hit record. Just like its title character, Diana refused to be silenced. The creators of the musical—Joe DiPietro and David Bryan (the Tony-winning duo behind Memphis)—decided to do something royally bold. With director Christopher Ashley at the helm, they ventured from the stage to the screen. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he also directed the heartfelt film Come From Away. You could say that he has a history of transforming challenges into enthusiastic applause.
“We thought it’d be three weeks…”
Ashley remembers those early pandemic days. “We expected it to take three weeks,” he says. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take three weeks. Broadway’s intermission stretched on for months. But instead of sulking in their stage wings, the Diana team got creative—because if theatre folks know anything, it’s how to pivot with flair.
“Artists are tenacious,” Ashley says, “and they’ll look for the opportunity to tell stories in any way they can.”
So, while Broadway was frozen, Diana started thawing things out… on Zoom.
Zoom and gloom? Not for this crew.
Workshops, reblocking, and re-teaching choreography—all done virtually. Talk about a royal rehearsal regime. And when it was finally time to film, they did it in four days. Yes, four. With no audience, no curtain calls, and just cameras rolling inside the Longacre Theatre, they brought Diana to life in a whole new way. Lights, camera, tiara!
Producer Frank Marshall helped bring Netflix into the palace. His connection to the platform turned a stage tragedy into a streaming triumph. The filmed version dropped its mic (and its pearls) on Netflix, giving fans a front-row seat—without the overpriced interval ice cream.
And Diana isn’t alone. Ashley also filmed Come From Away for Apple TV+, turning the stage’s heartbreak and humanity into a cinematic celebration. Both productions prove that just because the lights went out on Broadway doesn’t mean the spotlight disappeared entirely.
A whole new (stage) world
Since his days directing Jeffrey—a bold and brilliant gay stage hit turned cult film—Ashley’s watched theatre and cinema evolve dramatically (pun very much intended). But the pandemic? That was a plot twist no one saw coming.
“It’s the first time in my life the whole industry went silent,” Ashley says. “Eighteen months of… nothing. Unless you count Zoom readings from the bathroom.”
And yet, the industry adapted. Close-ups replaced front rows. Camera pans replaced balcony views. The magic of theatre found a new lens.
“There’s a real buzz around plays becoming films,” Ashley adds. “It keeps the essence of live theatre but lets us explore it in new, dynamic ways.”
Whether it’s a royal wave or a wide shot, both film and theatre are finding fresh footing—and Diana is leading the charge in heels and sparkle.
Long live the (musical) queen
You can catch Diana: The Musical right now on Netflix. Drama, diamonds, and a dash of defiance? It’s got everything but the paparazzi. There’s a Netflix original musical called Diana that you can watch right now. Visit Netflix’s website at www.netflix.com.
