Digital Cinema Goes Broadway

Broadway Television Network Sets Launch Of BroadwayCinemaô With World Premiere Of ""Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical"" Starring David HasselhoffJoins Forces With Multi-Industry Team Led By Texas Instruments, National Amusements, QuVIS, Cinemark USA, Boei

27-Feb-01

Broadway Television Network (BTN), the premier media company dedicated to the production and worldwide distribution of Broadway musicals captured live-in-performance, continues to blaze new trails with the launch of BroadwayCinemaô day and date with its international pay-per-view telecast of the long-running Broadway hit ""Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical"" starring David Hasselhoff. BTN's early adoption of high definition and DolbyÆ E multichannel sound technology led the company to explore the potential of digital cinema exhibition over one year ago.Working with cinema exhibitors National Amusements, Cinemark USA and Harkins Enterprises, and a technology team led by the DLP Cinemaô technology group at Texas Instruments (TI) and including Boeing Digital Cinema, QuVIS, BARCO Digital Cinemaô, Christie Digital Systems and DolbyÆ Laboratories, BTN's Direct From Broadwayô, one-night-only presentation of ""Jekyll & Hyde"" represents the first non-film program distributed for digital cinema display.On Saturday, March 10, 2001, Broadway and movie lovers in seven cities across the country will have the opportunity to experience state-of-the-art digital cinema technology blended with the world's finest live entertainment content, Broadway musicals captured live-in-performance. Specific venue locations, show times and prices for all exhibitions are listed later in this release.""BTN's outstanding BroadwayCinema team, led by Vice President of Distribution Karen Vock, Vice President of Production Nick Van Hoogstraten and Charlie Pantuso on the engineering and technology side, will now enable consumers to experience the thrill, excitement and wonder of Broadway right in their own home town with a most unique and electrifying in-theatre experience,"" said BTN Founder and CEO Bruce Brandwen. ""While history will note that ëJekyll & Hydeí premiered as the first original high definition, the first Broadway show, and the first non-film to have a commercial digital cinema exhibition, BTN is already planning to distribute three more Broadway shows for digital cinema exhibition,"" he added.""We are most proud to partner with Shari Redstone at National Amusements, Doug Darrow at Texas Instruments, and their respective colleagues who also see the future of digital cinema as an opportunity to present alternative programming,"" said Kay Koplovitz, BTN's Chairman of the Board. ""Once you see the clarity of the picture and hear the lushness of the sound in a stadium seating cinema environment, consumers will have a compelling reason to bring the whole family to their local digital cinema theatre for a truly unique and wonderful experience.""Texas Instruments DLP Cinema technology is considered the industry leader in digital cinema projection applications. TI has been working with the cinema industry for over four years to develop digital projectors for theatrical presentation. Currently TI has over 30 DLP Cinema projectors in a worldwide field demonstration program designed to show the viability and reliability of digital cinema equipment used to show first run movies and additional revenue-generating content such as ëJekyll & Hyde.í ""We are excited to participate in this event since it is the first step in turning traditional movie theatres into digital multi-purpose event centers,"" said Doug Darrow, Business Manager for TI's DLP Cinema Products.BARCO and Christie Digital Systems are outfitting National Amusements' theatres with DLP Cinema technology-enabled projectors specifically for the ""Jekyll & Hyde"" event. As the established worldwide leader in large-screen displays, BARCO has a tradition of excellence in research, design and original technology. They are working actively with the theatre industry to set new standards-based solutions for digital cinema. Christie Digital Systems has more than 70 years expertise in providing film projection technology to the cinema industry and more than 25,000 large screen projection solutions installed worldwide. They were the first DLP Cinema partner to play a leading role in the development of digital cinema projection.QuVIS, Inc., headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, is the leading provider of digital motion imaging technology with playback systems in more than 30 digital cinemas around the world. QuVIS designs and manufactures the QuBitô, the digital cinema server that will provide three essential functions for the ""Jekyll & Hyde"" BroadwayCinema release. First, the high definition images will be converted to QuVIS QPEô format, encoded and reduced to 65GB using QuVIS' Quality Priority Encoding processes. QuBit will then be used to store the file for transport to a facility equipped with Cinema Connexion by Boeing(SM). The digital file will be uplinked, then downlinked and transferred to receiving QuBit units for in-theatre storage and playback of the digital feature for the March 10 exhibition.Boeing, normally associated with aircraft, space, defense and satellite systems, will supply the satellite-based digital distribution of ""Jekyll & Hyde"" through its new, Boeing Digital Cinema organization. Boeing Digital Cinema is in the product execution phase of a high security satellite-based communication system specifically designed to provide digital distribution of feature motion pictures and alternate content to the rapidly growing universe of digitally-equipped theatres.Dolby Laboratories participated on both the production and exhibition side of the event. ""Jekyll & Hyde"" was recorded live-in-performance and mastered using professional Dolby E technology to carry 5.1 surround sound. For the exhibition, Dolby will provide 5.1 multichannel digital audio in the digital cinemas.National Amusements, Inc., a closely held corporation that operates more than 1,350 motion picture screens in the U.S., the U.K. and Latin America, is an equal partner in the online ticketing service, MovieTickets.com and the parent company of Viacom. They will be featuring this unique event in four of their Showcase and Multiplex Cinemas in metro Boston, greater New York/New Jersey, Cincinnati and northern Virginia/ Washington, DC. ""We are pleased to be offering alternative programming in our theatres,"" noted Shari E. Redstone, President of National Amusements. ""This presentation of ëJekyll & Hyde,í a high definition recording of the live Broadway production, is an exciting milestone for our company, and it provides our patrons an affordable opportunity to view a Broadway hit with the convenience that only their local cinema offers.""Cinemark USA, a 2,900 cinema chain based in Plano, Texas was an early adopter of digital cinema and has fixed installations in its hometown as well as a Cleveland suburb. Harkins Theatres, based in Scottsdale, AZ is the nation's oldest independent theatre chain with 200 screens and features the DLP Cinema projector in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria. Both chains have installations and equipment provided by TechnicolorÆ.Broadway Television Network created 35mm trailers to promote the BroadwayCinema exhibitions, working with Tape House NY to make the digital high definition tape-to-film transfers and then Technicolor for the nearly 750 prints required. BTN brought unique partnerships to the marketing campaign with performing arts organizations such as Dallas Summer Musicals promoting the Plano exhibitions to their live theatre supporters and SFX's Fifth Third Bank Broadway Series supporting the Cincinnati exhibitions.""Dallas Summer Musicals (DSM) prides itself in bringing the best in Broadway entertainment to our patrons and we are delighted to play a role in bringing the BroadwayCinema experience to life with ëJekyll & Hyde,í which began its original national tour in Dallas. BTN has captured the production in spectacular fashion and Broadway theatre lovers are in for a very special treat,"" said Michael Jenkins, DSM's President and Managing Director.""Jekyll & Hyde"" was recorded live by Broadway Television Network's BTN Entertainment unit at Broadway's Plymouth Theatre, using 10 high definition cameras and over 70 microphones. Directed by three-time EmmyÆ winner Don Roy King, the production had the participation of the Broadway creative team and BTN's creative director for stage, four-time Tony AwardÆ winner Jerry Zaks. The digital cinema exhibitions of Jekyll & Hyde on Saturday, March 10 coincide, day and date, with the domestic and foreign pay-per-view premiere of the production, for which BTN licensed DIRECTVÆ, DISH Networkô, iN DEMAND, TVN, Cablevision, DIRECTV Latin America, Bell ExpressVu and Viewer's Choice. The show will be aired in high definition via DIRECTV, DISH Network, Bell ExpressVu and Viewer's Choice.BroadwayCinema VenuesCinemark at Legacy (Dallas Metro Area), 7201 Central Expressway, Plano, Texas, 7 and 10pm, $19.95. Order tickets on www.movie.com and www.fandango.com or visit the Cinemark at Legacy box office.Cinemark at Valley View (Cleveland Metro Area), 6001 Canal Road, Valley View, Ohio, 7pm only, $19.95. Order tickets on www.movie.com or visit the Cinemark at Valley View box office.Harkins Arrowhead Fountains 18 (Phoenix Metro Area), 16046 N Arrowhead Fountain Center Drive, Peoria, Arizona, 2 and 8pm, $20. Order tickets through 222 HARK or www.harkinstheatres.com, or visit the Arrowhead 18 box office.Showcase Cinemas Randolph (Boston Metro Area), Route 139, 73 Mazzeo Drive, Randolph, Massachusetts, 7 and 10pm $19.95. Order tickets through KWIK TIX at 781 963 5600 or www.showcasecinemas.com, or visit the box office or customer service counter at area theatres.Showcase Cinemas Springdale (Cincinnati Metro Area), 12064 Springfield Place, Springdale, Ohio, 7 and 10pm, $19.95. Order tickets through KWIK TIX at 513 671 6884 or www.showcasecinemas.com, or visit the box office or customer service counter at area theatres.Edgewater Multiplex Cinemas (NY/NJ Metro Area) 339 River Road, Edgewater, New Jersey, 7 and 10pm, $19.95. Order tickets through KWIK TIX at 201 840 0699 or www.multiplexcinemas.com, or visit the box office or customer service counter at area theatres.Lee Highway Multiplex Cinemas (Northern VA/DC Metro Area), 8223 Lee Highway, Merrifield, Virginia, 7 and 10pm, $19.95. Order tickets through KWIK TIX at 703 502 4060 or www.multiplexcinemas.com, or visit the box office or customer service counter at area theatres.

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