Our top 10 most popular videos of 2016
This year our videos have had over 8,300,000 views, below we count down the ten most popular videos on WhatsOnStage in 2016.
1. Stranger Things' Gaten Matarazzo sings "Bring Him Home"
The internet went crazy when a video of Gaten Matarazzo singing Les Mis on karaoke surfaced. The combination of him being part of the year's biggest Netflix show and his genuinely great rendition of "Bring Him Home" made this our most watched video of the year.
2. UK theatre stands with Orlando
The world was left in shock when a gunman entered a nightclub in Orlando and shot dead 49 people. Our second most watched video of the year saw UK productions including Kinky Boots and Les Miserables offering their support.
3. In rehearsals with Rent
Bruce Guthrie's production of Jonathan Larson's masterpiece sold out its run at the St James Theatre before it even opened. We imagine some of those sales came from this video we shot of Shanay Holmes and Lucie Jones rehearsing "Take Me or Leave Me".
4. Lin-Manuel Miranda makes a speech at In The Heights in London
In what was one of our favourite moments of 2016, WhatsOnStage were invited down to the King's Cross Theatre to exclusively cover Miranda's visit to the London production of his musical, In The Heights. There were tears.
5. Benedict Cumberbatch WhatsOnStage Awards acceptance speech
The Hamlet star's acceptance speech will go down in #WOSAwards history for being a tad on the long side – but who are we to cut off Mr Cumberbatch? And it can't have been too long, almost 85,000 of you watched it.
6. Carrie Hope Fletcher performs "Lovely Lonely Man" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
We popped in to the New Wimbledon Theatre to film a video with Fletcher, who played Truly Scrumptious in the UK tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – a performance that has earned her a WhatsOnStage Award nomination.
7. In rehearsals with Side Show
In November we had the absolute privilege of filming with Laura Pitt-Pulford and Louise Dearman during rehearsals for Side Show. Their rendition of "Who Will Love Me As I Am?" still gives us chills.
8. Highlights of the 16th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards
Winners at this year's awards included Nicole Kidman, Benedict Cumberbatch and Judi Dench. There were also live performances from Pixie Lott, Jenna Russell and Matt Henry. What a night, and you can relive it over and over with this highlights video.
9. Live in rehearsals with Murder Ballad
Thanks to the Chewbacca mask lady, 2016 was the year that Facebook Live took off. One of our first broadcasts was live from the rehearsal room with the cast of Murder Ballad. Watch Kerry Ellis and co. in action.
10. In rehearsals with Grease
Nikolai Foster's production of Grease has received plaudits from critics and the public alike. Before it opened we popped into rehearsals to find out how the Pink Ladies and Burger Palace Boys were getting on.
