Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre[While many Americans use the spelling "theater", the majority of venues, performers, and trade groups for live dramatic presentations use "theatre". The -er spelling is more common, for example, when writing movie theater.] is often considered the highest professional form of
theatre in the
United States. Broadway theatre, or a Broadway show, refers to a performance (usually a
play or
musical) staged in one of the thirty-nine larger professional theatres located in the
New York City borough of
Manhattan, with 500 seats or more, that appeal to the mass audience.
Along with
London's West End theatre, Broadway theatre is often considered of the highest level of
English language theatre. Unlike most developed nations, the US has no nationwide government-subsidized theatre program, and thus the shows that reach Broadway and thrive there have historically been perceived as more populist or crowd-pleasing, less avant-garde or challenging than the plays produced
Off-Broadway or in regional non-profit theatres such as the
Guthrie Theatre and the
American Repertory Theatre. (Whether this remains the case is debatable, as rigorous and harrowing shows such as
The Pillowman and
The Lieutenant Of Inishmore have met great critical success on Broadway, while conversely many regional theatres have tried to keep audiences by producing fluffy or "commercial" shows.)
While the term "Broadway" comes from the street,
Broadway, it is best described as a theatre district as not all Broadway theatres are located on this street. With roots in 1882, and expansions and new construction, by 1900 Broadway was the centerpiece of American musical theater and fast becoming the most important commercially in the world, enticing
European stars such as
Sarah Bernhardt. Some of the important early investors and developers of the Broadway theater district include
Henry Abbey,
A.L. Erlanger,
Marcus Klaw,
Florenz Ziegfeld,
Rudolf Aronson,
David Belasco,
Charles Frohman,
Daniel Frohman,
Oscar Hammerstein, and the
Shubert family. Broadway theatre played an important role in
20th century American cultural history, as it featured the work of some of the most influential American
composers of
classical music, such as
George Gershwin,
Kurt Weill,
Marc Blitzstein and
Leonard Bernstein, as well as many of the famous American
playwrights like
Edward Albee,
George S. Kaufman,
Eugene O'Neill and
Neil Simon. Broadway plays and musicals have their roots in
19th century American dramatic forms such as
vaudeville and
burlesque in interaction with the influences of European
grand opera,
operetta, and
Realist drama. Today, the majority of Broadway theatres are located in the area called
Midtown, in and around
Times Square. Broadway theatres are usually run by a producing organization (e.g.
Nederlander Organization,
The Walt Disney Company,
The Shubert Organization, etc.), or another theatre group (e.g.,
Manhattan Theatre Club,
Lincoln Center Theater, et cetera).
All Broadway shows are professionally produced and adhere to strict contracts for all artists involved (e.g., performers, directors, musicians, playwrights, stage managers, et cetera). Artistic trades unions such as
Actors' Equity, commonly known simply as "Equity," and the
Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers bargain for contracts guaranteeing minimum wages and other rights involved with the rehearsal and production process. On rare occasions, disputes over contracts can result in a group of artists going on
strike. In March 2003, musicians in the orchestra pits of Broadway musicals went on strike because producers wanted to reduce the minimum number of orchestra members required. More than a dozen Broadway musicals went dark for four days after the musicians'
union walked out, and theaters lost millions of dollars in revenue.
Broadway shows may run for a varying number of weeks, depending on ticket sales. Musicals tend to have longer runs than do stage plays. On
January 9,
2006,
The Phantom of the Opera at the
Majestic Theatre became the longest running musical with 7,486 performances when it overtook
Cats[
1].
In addition to long runs in Broadway theatres, producers often copy the production with a new cast and crew for the Broadway national tour, which travels to theatres across the country. Both musicals and stage plays on Broadway and in their respective tours often rely on casting well-known performers in leading roles to draw larger audiences or bring in new audience members to the theatre. Actors from movies and television are frequently cast for the premieres of Broadway shows or are used to replace actors leaving a cast. Many performers, however, are still primarily "stage" actors, who spend more time on the stages of New York and will appear in television and screen roles as a secondary venue. (Stage actors generally once looked down on other venues, notably film and television, and it was common to hear stagecraft referred to as "legitimate theatre" - the implication being that film and television were
not legitimate.)
Broadway shows and artists are honored every June when the Antoinette Perry Awards (
Tony Awards) are given by the
American Theatre Wing. The Tony is Broadway's highest theatre award. The importance of these awards has increased since their annual broadcast on
television began. Celebrities are often chosen to host the show, like
Hugh Jackman and
Rosie O'Donnell, in addition to celebrity presenters. While some critics have felt that the show should focus on celebrating the stage, many others recognize the positive impact that famous faces lend to selling more tickets and bringing more people to the theatre. The performances from Broadway musicals on the telecast have also been cited as vital to the survival of many Broadway shows. Many theatre people, notably critic
Frank Rich, dismiss the Tony awards as little more than a commercial for the limited world of Broadway, which after all can only support a maximum of two dozen shows a season, and constantly call for the awards to embrace
off-Broadway theatre as well.
Seeing a Broadway show is a common
tourist activity in New York and a business that generates billions of dollars annually. The
Tkts booth in Duffy Square, at Broadway and 47th Street, sells same-day tickets for many Broadway and
Off-Broadway shows at half price. This service helps sell empty seats and makes seeing a show in New York more affordable. Many Broadway theatres also offer special student rates, same-day "rush" tickets, or standing-room tickets to help ensure that more people have the opportunity to see Broadway shows.
Some theatregoers prefer the more experimental, challenging, and intimate performances possible in smaller theatres, which are referred to as
Off-Broadway and
Off-Off-Broadway (though some may be physically located on or near Broadway). The classification of theatres is governed by language in
Actors' Equity Association contracts. To be eligible for a Tony, a production must be in a house with 500 seats or more, which pretty much defines the Broadway Theatre. Some theatres (by adding or subtracting seats) can convert from Off-Broadway to Broadway and vice versa.
Total Broadway attendance in 2005 was just under 12 million. [
2]. This was approximately the same as London's West End theatre. [
3]
* If no show is currently running, the play listed is the next show planned (marked with a *).
* If the next show planned is not announced, the play listed is the last one that closed (marked with a #).
| Theatre | Show | Address | Opened | | Ambassador Theatre ¦¦ Chicago | 219 West 49th Street | November 14, 1996 |
| American Airlines Theatre ¦¦ Heartbreak House* | 227 West 42nd Street | September, 2006 |
| Brooks Atkinson Theatre ¦¦ The Times They Are A-Changin' | 256 West 47th Street | November, 2006 |
| Ethel Barrymore Theatre ¦¦ Company* | 243 West 47th Street | October 2006 * |
| Belasco Theatre ¦¦ Awake and Sing!# | 111 West 44th Street | April 17, 2006 |
| Vivian Beaumont Theatre (at Lincoln Center)¦¦ The Coast of Utopia* | 150 West 65th Street | October, 2006 |
| Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (formerly the Royale Theatre) ¦¦ Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me* | 242 West 45th Street | August, 2006 |
| Biltmore Theater ¦¦ Losing Louie* | 261 West 47th Street | October 12, 2006 |
| Booth Theatre ¦¦ Faith Healer | 222 West 45th Street | May 4, 2006 |
| Broadhurst Theatre ¦¦ The History Boys | 235 West 44th Street | April 23, 2006 |
| Broadway Theatre ¦¦ The Color Purple | 1681 Broadway | December 1, 2005 |
| Cadillac Winter Garden Theatre ¦¦ Mamma Mia! | 1634 Broadway | October 18, 2001 |
| Circle in the Square Theatre ¦¦ The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | 1633 Broadway | May 2, 2005 |
| Cort Theatre ¦¦ Barefoot in the Park# | 138 West 48th Street | February 16, 2006 |
| Gershwin Theatre ¦¦ Wicked | 222 West 51st Street | October 30, 2003 |
| John Golden Theatre ¦¦ Avenue Q | 252 West 45th Street | July 31, 2003 |
| Helen Hayes Theatre ¦¦ Bridge & Tunnel | 240 West 44th Street | January 26, 2006 |
| Hilton Theatre ¦¦ Hot Feet# | 213 West 42nd Street | April 30, 2006 |
| Al Hirschfeld Theatre (formerly the Martin Beck Theatre) ¦¦ The Wedding Singer | 302 West 45th Street | April 27, 2006 |
| Imperial Theatre ¦¦ Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | 249 West 45th Street | March 3, 2005 |
| Walter Kerr Theatre ¦¦ Grey Gardens* | 218 West 48th Street | October, 2006 |
| Longacre Theatre ¦¦ Well# | 220 West 48th Street | March 30, 2006 |
| Lunt-Fontanne Theatre ¦¦ Beauty and the Beast | 205 West 46th Street | April 18, 1994 |
| Lyceum Theatre ¦¦ The Lieutenant of Inishmore | 149 West 45th Street | May 3, 2006 |
| Majestic Theatre ¦¦ The Phantom of the Opera | 247 West 44th Street | January 26, 1988 |
| Marquis Theatre ¦¦ The Drowsy Chaperone | 1535 Broadway | May 1, 2006 |
| Minskoff Theatre ¦¦ The Lion King | 1515 Broadway | June 13, 2006 |
| Music Box Theatre ¦¦ The Vertical Hour* | 239 West 45th Street | November 30, 2006 |
| Nederlander Theatre ¦¦ Rent | 208 West 41st Street | April 29, 1996 |
| New Amsterdam Theatre ¦¦ Mary Poppins* | 214 West 42nd Street | October 2006* |
| Eugene O'Neill Theatre | Sweeney Todd | 230 West 49th Street | November 3, 2005 |
| Palace Theatre ¦¦ Legally Blonde* | 1564 Broadway | April, 2007 * |
| Richard Rodgers Theatre ¦¦ Tarzan | 226 West 46th Street | May 10, 2006 |
| Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (formerly the Plymouth Theatre) ¦¦ A Chorus Line* | 236 West 45th Street | October 5, 2006 * |
| Sam S. Shubert Theatre ¦¦ Spamalot | 225 West 44th Street | March 17, 2005 |
| Neil Simon Theatre ¦¦ Hairspray | 250 West 52nd Street | August 15, 2002 |
| St. James Theatre ¦¦ The Producers | 246 West 44th Street | April 19, 2001 |
| Studio 54 ¦¦ The Threepenny Opera# | 254 West 54th Street | April 20, 2006 |
| August Wilson Theatre (formerly the Virginia Theatre) | Jersey Boys | 245 West 52nd Street | November 6, 2005 |
*
American Theatre Wing*
The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc.*
Theatre Communications Group*
Actors' Equity Association*
The Dramatists Guild of America*
Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers*
American Federation of Musicians*
Costume Designers Guild*
Broadway Theatre Archive*
United Stages / See More Shows
