On Thursday, June 30, the online streaming service BroadwayHD broadcasted the acclaimed Broadway musical revival "She Loves Me" live from the Studio 54 theater in New York City. This event marked the first time a live Broadway performance was streamed on the internet.

"She Loves Me:is based off of a 19th-century play that yields a famous rom-com plot: Two co-workers who hate each other begin an anonymous correspondence, resulting in a complicated, love-hate, chaos filled show. The story has been remade into one famous movie after another, from the vintage classic "The Shop Around the Corner" to the Judy Garland flick "In the Good Old Summertime" to Nora Ephron’s "You’ve Got Mail." The show is unique in the fact that this small, romantic musical doesn't focus on special effects, big production numbers, or showgirls, but in reality it is the equivalent of watching a classic rom-com movie.

Through BroadwayHD, theaters now have the ability to extend the reach of Broadway fans. BroadwayHD offers viewers an unprecedented access to an exclusive on-demand library of over 150 theater productions (think like the Broadway version of Netflix). Their lifestream of "She Loves Me" allowed for the theatre community to reach out to those who are unable to actually attend the performances. This classic tale being presented online has allowed for the theatre industry to branch into a new territory.

Meanwhile, the musical "Hamilton" has also been creating buzz in the theater world. "Hamilton," created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is a brand new hip-hop musical that is revolutionizing history, music and theater in New York City. The musical currently stands as one of the most popular shows ever produced on Broadway, having sold out tickets until late Fall of 2016.

PBS has recently leapt at the chance to take part in the Broadway phenomenon. This fall a program called "Hamilton’s America" will showcase the making of the hit Broadway musical. The project will feature interviews with scenes from Hamilton, interviews from the different artists involved, and include never-before-seen footage. Through this documentary style presentation of the musical, an even larger audience will be exposed to the Broadway world.

With broadcasts on channels such as "The Man Who Came to Dinner on PBS," "Of Mice and Men" in movie theaters and "Legally Blonde" on MTV, the theater industry has been working towards making theater a relevant part of pop culture for years. Through the recordings of performances such as "She Loves Me" and "Hamilton" the public has demonstrated their interest in theater.

Finally, with the introduction of shows such as Hamilton and the accessibility of shows like the "She Loves Me" livestream, theater is finally becoming part of popular culture again. While pop culture still leans towards music and cinema, theater is proving that it too can be a frontrunner in entertainment.

If all goes well, hopefully more musicals will follow "She Loves Me" and continue to help bring Broadway to the mainstage.