Broadway theatre

The Golden Theatre, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre and Booth Theatre on West 45th Street in Manhattan's Theater District

Broadway theatre,[nb 1] commonly known as Broadway, refers to the theatrical performances presented in the 41 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.[1] Along with London's West End theatre, Broadway theatre is widely considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world.

The Theater District is a popular tourist attraction in New York City. According to The Broadway League, for the 2016–2017 season (which ended May 21, 2017), total attendance was 13,270,343 and Broadway shows had US$1,449,399,149 in grosses, with attendance down 0.4%, grosses up 5.5%, and playing weeks down 4.1%.[2]

The great majority of Broadway shows are musicals. Historian Martin Shefter argues, "'Broadway musicals,' culminating in the productions of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, became enormously influential forms of American popular culture" and helped make New York City the cultural capital of the nation.[3]

History

Early theatre in New York

Interior of the Park Theatre, built in 1798

New York did not have a significant theatre presence until about 1750, when actor-managers Walter Murray and Thomas Kean established a resident theatre company at the Theatre on Nassau Street, which held about 280 people. They presented Shakespeare plays and ballad operas such as The Beggar's Opera.[4] In 1752, William Hallam sent a company of twelve actors from Britain to the colonies with his brother Lewis as their manager. They established a theatre in Williamsburg, Virginia and opened with The Merchant of Venice and The Anatomist. The company moved to New York in the summer of 1753, performing ballad operas and ballad-farces like Damon and Phillida. The Revolutionary War suspended theatre in New York, but thereafter theatre resumed in 1798, the year the 2,000-seat Park Theatre was built on Chatham Street (now called Park Row).[4] The Bowery Theatre opened in 1826,[5] followed by others. Blackface minstrel shows, a distinctly American form of entertainment, became popular in the 1830s, and especially so with the arrival of the Virginia Minstrels in the 1840s.[6]

By the 1840s, P.T. Barnum was operating an entertainment complex in lower Manhattan. In 1829, at Broadway and Prince Street, Niblo's Garden opened and soon became one of New York's premiere nightspots. The 3,000-seat theatre presented all sorts of musical and non-musical entertainments. In 1844, Palmo's Opera House opened and presented opera for only four seasons before bankruptcy led to its rebranding as a venue for plays under the name Burton's Theatre. The Astor Opera House opened in 1847. A riot broke out in 1849 when the lower-class patrons of the Bowery objected to what they perceived as snobbery by the upper class audiences at Astor Place: "After the Astor Place Riot of 1849, entertainment in New York City was divided along class lines: opera was chiefly for the upper middle and upper classes, minstrel shows and melodramas for the middle class, variety shows in concert saloons for men of the working class and the slumming middle class."[7]

The plays of William Shakespeare were frequently performed on the Broadway stage during the period, most notably by American actor Edwin Booth who was internationally known for his performance as Hamlet. Booth played the role for a famous 100 consecutive performances at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1865 (with the run ending just a few months before Booth's brother John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln), and would later revive the role at his own Booth's Theatre (which was managed for a time by his brother Junius Brutus Booth, Jr.). Other renowned Shakespeareans who appeared in New York in this era were Henry Irving, Tommaso Salvini, Fanny Davenport, and Charles Fechter.

1868 programme for Ixion

Lydia Thompson came to America in 1868 heading a small theatrical troupe, adapting popular English burlesques for middle-class New York audiences. Thompson's troupe called the "British Blondes", was the most popular entertainment in New York during the 1868–1869 theatrical season. "The eccentricities of pantomime and burlesque—with their curious combination of comedy, parody, satire, improvisation, song and dance, variety acts, cross-dressing, extravagant stage effects, risqué jokes and saucy costumes—while familiar enough to British audiences, took New York by storm."[8] The six-month tour ran for almost six extremely profitable years.[9]

Birth of the musical and post-Civil War

Theatre in New York moved from downtown gradually to midtown beginning around 1850, seeking less expensive real estate. In 1870, the heart of Broadway was in Union Square, and by the end of the century, many theatres were near Madison Square. Theatres did not arrive in the Times Square area until the early 1900s, and the Broadway theatres did not consolidate there until a large number of theatres were built around the square in the 1920s and 1930s. Broadway's first "long-run" musical was a 50-performance hit called The Elves in 1857. New York runs continued to lag far behind those in London,[10] but Laura Keene's "musical burletta" The Seven Sisters (1860) shattered previous New York records with a run of 253 performances. It was at a performance by Keene's troupe of Our American Cousin in Washington, D.C. that Abraham Lincoln was shot.

The Black Crook (1866), considered by some historians to be the first musical.[11] Poster for the 1873 revival by The Kiralfy Brothers.

The first theatre piece that conforms to the modern conception of a musical, adding dance and original music that helped to tell the story, is considered to be The Black Crook, which premiered in New York on September 12, 1866. The production was a staggering five-and-a-half hours long, but despite its length, it ran for a record-breaking 474 performances. The same year, The Black Domino/Between You, Me and the Post was the first show to call itself a "musical comedy".[11]

Tony Pastor opened the first vaudeville theatre one block east of Union Square in 1881, where Lillian Russell performed. Comedians Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart produced and starred in musicals on Broadway between 1878 (The Mulligan Guard Picnic) and 1890, with book and lyrics by Harrigan and music by his father-in-law David Braham. These musical comedies featured characters and situations taken from the everyday life of New York's lower classes and represented a significant step forward from vaudeville and burlesque, towards a more literate form. They starred high quality singers (Lillian Russell, Vivienne Segal, and Fay Templeton), instead of the women of questionable repute who had starred in earlier musical forms.

As transportation improved, poverty in New York diminished, and street lighting made for safer travel at night, the number of potential patrons for the growing number of theatres increased enormously. Plays could run longer and still draw in the audiences, leading to better profits and improved production values. As in England, during the latter half of the century, the theatre began to be cleaned up, with less prostitution hindering the attendance of the theatre by women. Gilbert and Sullivan's family-friendly comic opera hits, beginning with H.M.S. Pinafore in 1878, were imported to New York (by the authors and also in numerous unlicensed productions). They were imitated in New York by American productions such as Reginald Dekoven's Robin Hood (1891) and John Philip Sousa's El Capitan (1896), along with operas, ballets and other British and European hits.

1890s and early 1900s

Sheet music to "Give My Regards"

Charles Hoyt's A Trip to Chinatown (1891) became Broadway's long-run champion, holding the stage for 657 performances. This would not be surpassed until Irene in 1919. In 1896, theatre owners Marc Klaw and A. L. Erlanger formed the Theatrical Syndicate, which controlled almost every legitimate theatre in the US. for the next sixteen years.[12] However, smaller vaudeville and variety houses proliferated, and Off-Broadway was well established by the end of the 19th century.

A Trip to Coontown (1898) was the first musical comedy entirely produced and performed by African Americans in a Broadway theatre (largely inspired by the routines of the minstrel shows), followed by the ragtime-tinged Clorindy: The Origin of the Cakewalk (1898), and the highly successful In Dahomey (1902). Hundreds of musical comedies were staged on Broadway in the 1890s and early 1900s made up of songs written in New York's Tin Pan Alley involving composers such as Gus Edwards, John Walter Bratton, and George M. Cohan (Little Johnny Jones (1904), 45 Minutes From Broadway (1906), and George Washington Jr. (1906)). Still, New York runs continued to be relatively short, with a few exceptions, compared with London runs, until World War I.[10] A few very successful British musicals continued to achieve great success in New York, including Florodora in 1900–01.

1900–1925

Victor Herbert

In the early years of the 20th century, translations of popular late-19th century continental operettas were joined by the "Princess Theatre" shows of the 1910s by writers such as P. G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, and Harry B. Smith. Victor Herbert, whose work included some intimate musical plays with modern settings as well as his string of famous operettas (The Fortune Teller (1898), Babes in Toyland (1903), Mlle. Modiste (1905), The Red Mill (1906), and Naughty Marietta (1910)).[13]

Beginning with The Red Mill, Broadway shows installed electric signs outside the theatres. Since colored bulbs burned out too quickly, white lights were used, and Broadway was nicknamed "The Great White Way". In August 1919, the Actors' Equity Association demanded a standard contract for all professional productions. After a strike shut down all the theatres, the producers were forced to agree. By the 1920s, the Shubert Brothers had risen to take over the majority of the theatres from the Erlanger syndicate.[14]

During this time, the play Lightnin', by Winchell Smith and Frank Bacon, became the first Broadway show to reach 700 performances. From then, it would go on to become the first show to reach 1,000 performances. Lightnin' was the longest-running Broadway show until being overtaken in performance totals by Abie's Irish Rose in 1925.

Competing with motion pictures

Broadway north from 38th St., New York City, showing the Casino and Knickerbocker Theatres ("Listen, Lester", visible at lower right, played the Knickerbocker from December 23, 1918, to August 16, 1919), a sign pointing to Maxine Elliott's Theatre, which is out of view on 39th Street, and a sign advertising the Winter Garden Theatre, which is out of view at 50th Street. All but the Winter Garden are demolished. The old Metropolitan Opera House and the old Times Tower are visible on the left.

The motion picture mounted a challenge to the stage. At first, films were silent and presented only limited competition. By the end of the 1920s, films like The Jazz Singer were presented with synchronized sound, and critics wondered if the cinema would replace live theatre altogether. While live vaudeville could not compete with these inexpensive films that featured vaudeville stars and major comedians of the day, other theatre survived. The musicals of the Roaring Twenties, borrowing from vaudeville, music hall and other light entertainments, tended to ignore plot in favor of emphasizing star actors and actresses, big dance routines, and popular songs. Florenz Ziegfeld produced annual spectacular song-and-dance revues on Broadway featuring extravagant sets and elaborate costumes, but there was little to tie the various numbers together. Typical of the 1920s were lighthearted productions such as Sally; Lady Be Good; Sunny; No, No, Nanette; Harlem; Oh, Kay!; and Funny Face. Their books may have been forgettable, but they produced enduring standards from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Vincent Youmans, and Rodgers and Hart, among others, and Noël Coward, Sigmund Romberg, and Rudolf Friml continued in the vein of Victor Herbert. Clearly, the live theatre survived the invention of cinema.

Between the wars

Leaving these comparatively frivolous entertainments behind, and taking the drama a giant step forward, Show Boat, premiered on December 27, 1927, at the Ziegfeld Theatre, representing a complete integration of book and score, with dramatic themes, as told through the music, dialogue, setting and movement, woven together more seamlessly than in previous musicals. It ran for 572 performances.

The 1920s also spawned a new age of American playwright with the emergence of Eugene O'Neill, whose plays Beyond the Horizon, Anna Christie, The Hairy Ape, Strange Interlude and Mourning Becomes Electra proved that there was an audience for serious drama on Broadway, and O'Neill's success paved the way for major dramatists like Elmer Rice, Maxwell Anderson, Robert E. Sherwood, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller, as well as writers of comedy like George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Classical revivals also proved popular with Broadway theatre-goers, notably John Barrymore in Hamlet and Richard III, John Gielgud in Hamlet, The Importance of Being Earnest and Much Ado About Nothing, Walter Hampden and Jose Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac, Paul Robeson and Ferrer in Othello, Maurice Evans in Richard II and the plays of George Bernard Shaw, and Katharine Cornell in such plays as Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, and Candida.

As World War II approached, a dozen Broadway dramas addressed the rise of Nazism in Europe and the issue of American non-intervention. The most successful was Lillian Hellman's Watch on the Rhine, which opened in April 1941.[15]

1950–1970

After the lean years of the Great Depression, Broadway theatre had entered a golden age with the blockbuster hit Oklahoma!, in 1943, which ran for 2,212 performances. According to John Kenrick writing of Broadway musicals, "Every season saw new stage musicals send songs to the top of the charts. Public demand, a booming economy and abundant creative talent kept Broadway hopping. To this day, the shows of the 1950s form the core of the musical theatre repertory."[16] Kenrick notes that "the late 1960s marked a time of cultural upheaval. The changes would prove painful for many—including those behind the scenes, as well as those in the audience."[17] Of the 1970s, Kenrick writes: "Just when it seemed that traditional book musicals were back in style, the decade ended with critics and audiences giving mixed signals."[18]

Ken Bloom observed that "The 1960s and 1970s saw a worsening of the area [Times Square] and a drop in the number of legitimate shows produced on Broadway."[19] By way of comparison, in the 1950 to 1951 season (May to May) 94 productions opened on Broadway; in the 1969 to 1970 season (June to May) there were 59 productions (fifteen were revivals).[20][21] In the twenties, there were 70–80 theaters but by 1969 there were 36 left.[22]

1980s

In the spring of 1982, Joe Papp, the theatrical producer and director who established The Public Theater, led the "Save the Theatres" campaign.[23] It was a not-for-profit group supported by the Actors Equity union, to save the theater buildings in the neighborhood from demolition by monied Manhattan development interests.[24][25][26][27] Papp provided resources, recruited a publicist and celebrated actors, and provided audio, lighting, and technical crews for the effort.[25]

At Papp's behest, in July 1982, a bill was introduced in the 97th Congress, entitled "H.R.6885, A bill to designate the Broadway/Times Square Theatre District in the City of New York as a national historic site".[28] The legislation would have provided certain US government resources and assistance to help the city preserve the district.[28] Faced with strong opposition and lobbying by Mayor Ed Koch's Administration and corporate Manhattan development interests, the bill was not passed. The Save the Theatres campaign then turned their efforts to supporting establishment of the Theater District as a registered historic district.[29][30] In December 1983, Save the Theatres prepared "The Broadway Theater District, a Preservation Development and Management Plan", and demanded that each theater in the district receive landmark designation.[30] Mayor Ed Koch ultimately reacted by creating a Theater Advisory Council, which included Papp.[25]

Description

Schedule

Although there are some exceptions, generally shows with open-ended runs have evening performances Tuesday through Saturday with a 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. "curtain". The afternoon "matinée" performances are at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and at 3:00 p.m. on Sundays. This makes for an eight-performance week. On this schedule, most shows do not play on Monday and the shows and theatres are said to be "dark" on that day.[31][32] The actors and the crew in these shows tend to regard Sunday evening through Tuesday evening as their weekend. The Tony award presentation ceremony is usually held on a Sunday evening in June to fit this schedule.

In recent years, some shows have moved their Tuesday show time an hour earlier to 7:00 p.m.[31] The rationale for the move was that since fewer tourists take in shows midweek then the Tuesday attendance, in particular, depends on the local audience. The earlier curtain makes it possible for suburban patrons to get home by a reasonable hour after the show. Some shows, especially those produced by Disney, change their performance schedules fairly frequently depending on the season. This is done in order to maximize access to their target audience.

Producers and theatre owners

Most Broadway producers and theatre owners are members of The Broadway League (formerly "The League of American Theatres and Producers"), a trade organization that promotes Broadway theatre as a whole, negotiates contracts with the various theatrical unions and agreements with the guilds, and co-administers the Tony Awards with the American Theatre Wing, a service organization. While the League and the theatrical unions are sometimes at loggerheads during those periods when new contracts are being negotiated, they also cooperate on many projects and events designed to promote professional theatre in New York.

The three non-profit theatre companies with Broadway theatres (Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Roundabout Theatre Company) belong to the League of Resident Theatres and have contracts with the theatrical unions which are negotiated separately from the other Broadway theatre and producers. (Disney also negotiates apart from the League, as did Livent before it closed down its operations.) However, generally, shows that play in any of the Broadway houses are eligible for Tony Awards (see below).

The majority of Broadway theatres are owned or managed by three organizations: the Shubert Organization, a for-profit arm of the non-profit Shubert Foundation, which owns seventeen theatres; the Nederlander Organization, which controls nine theatres; and Jujamcyn, which owns five Broadway houses.

Personnel

Both musicals and stage plays on Broadway 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 revivals of Broadway shows or are used to replace actors leaving a cast. There are still, however, performers who are primarily stage actors, spending most of their time "on the boards", and appearing in television and in screen roles only secondarily. As Patrick Healy of The New York Times noted:

Broadway once had many homegrown stars who committed to working on a show for a year, as Nathan Lane has for The Addams Family. In 2010, some theater heavyweights like Mr. Lane were not even nominated; instead, several Tony Awards were given for productions that were always intended to be short-timers on Broadway, given that many of their film-star performers had to move on to other commitments.[33]

According to Mark Shenton, "One of the biggest changes to the commercial theatrical landscape—on both sides of the Atlantic—over the past decade or so is that sightings of big star names turning out to do plays has gone up; but the runs they are prepared to commit to has gone down. Time was that a producer would require a minimum commitment from his star of six months, and perhaps a year; now, the 14-week run is the norm."[34]

The minimum size of the Broadway orchestra is governed by an agreement with the musicians union (Local 802, American Federation of Musicians) and The Broadway League. For example, the agreement specifies the minimum size of the orchestra at the Minskoff Theatre to be 18, at the Music Box Theatre to be 9.[35]

Runs

Most Broadway shows are commercial productions intended to make a profit for the producers and investors ("backers" or "angels"), and therefore have open-ended runs (duration that the production plays), meaning that the length of their presentation is not set beforehand, but depends on critical response, word of mouth, and the effectiveness of the show's advertising, all of which determine ticket sales. Investing in a commercial production carries a varied degree of financial risk. Shows do not necessarily have to make a profit immediately. If they are making their "nut" (weekly operating expenses), or are losing money at a rate which the producers consider acceptable, they may continue to run in the expectation that, eventually, they will pay back their initial costs and become profitable. In some borderline situations, producers may ask that royalties be temporarily reduced or waived, or even that performers—with the permission of their unions—take reduced salaries, in order to prevent a show from closing. Theatre owners, who are not generally profit participants in most productions, may waive or reduce rents, or even lend a show money in order to keep it running.

Some Broadway shows are produced by non-commercial organizations as part of a regular subscription season—Lincoln Center Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, and Manhattan Theatre Club are the three non-profit theatre companies that currently have permanent Broadway venues. Some other productions are produced on Broadway with "limited engagement runs" for a number of reasons, including financial issues, prior engagements of the performers or temporary availability of a theatre between the end of one production and the beginning of another. However, some shows with planned limited engagement runs may, after critical acclaim or box office success, extend their engagements or convert to open-ended runs. This was the case with 2007's August: Osage County, 2009's God of Carnage, and 2012's Newsies.

Historically, musicals on Broadway tend to have longer runs than "straight" (i.e. non-musical) plays. On January 9, 2006, The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre became the longest running Broadway musical, with 7,486 performances, overtaking Cats.[36]

Audience

Attending a Broadway show is a common tourist activity in New York. The TKTS booths sell same-day tickets (and in certain cases next-day matinee tickets) for many Broadway and Off-Broadway shows at a discount of 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50%.[37] The TKTS booths are located in Duffy Square, in Times Square, in Lower Manhattan, and in Brooklyn. This service run by Theatre Development Fund makes seeing a show in New York more affordable. Many Broadway theatres also offer special student rates, same-day "rush" or "lottery" tickets, or standing-room tickets to help ensure that their theatres are as full, and their "grosses" as high as possible.[38] According to The Broadway League, total Broadway attendance was 13.27 million in 2016–2017 compared to 13.32 million in 2015–2016.[2] The Broadway League also reports that approximately 66% of all Broadway tickets were purchased by tourists in the 2012–2013 season, an increase of three percent from the 2011–2012 season.[39] By way of comparison, London's West End theatre reported total attendance of 14.3 million for major commercial and grant-aided theatres in central London for 2009.[40]

Off-Broadway and US tours

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 and in the Theater District, which criteria define Broadway theatre. Off Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows often provide a more experimental, challenging and intimate performance than is possible in the larger Broadway theatres. Some Broadway shows, however, such as the musicals Hair, Little Shop of Horrors, Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights, Fun Home, and Hamilton, began their runs Off-Broadway and later transferred to Broadway, seeking to replicate their intimate experience in a larger theatre.

After, or even during, successful runs in Broadway theatres, producers often remount their productions with new casts and crew for the Broadway national tour, which travels to theatres in major cities across the country. Sometimes when a show closes on Broadway, the entire production, with most if not all of the original cast intact, is relaunched as a touring company, hence the name "Broadway national tour". Some shows may even have several touring companies out at a time, whether the show is still running in New York or not, with many companies "sitting down" in other major cities for their own extended runs. Smaller cities may attract national touring companies, but for shorter periods of time. Or they may even be serviced by "bus and truck" tours. These are scaled-down versions of the larger, national touring productions, historically acquiring their name because the casts generally traveled by bus instead of by air, while the sets and equipment traveled by truck. Tours of this type, which frequently feature a reduced physical production to accommodate smaller venues and tighter schedules, often run for weeks rather than months. Some will even play "split weeks", which are half a week in one town and the second half in another. On occasion, they will also play "one-nighters". The production values, while generally still good, are usually less lavish than the typical Broadway national tour or national touring production and the actors, while still members of the actor's union, are compensated under a different, less lucrative, union contract. The Touring Broadway Awards, presented by The Broadway League, honor excellence in touring Broadway.

Awards

Broadway productions and artists are honored by the annual Antoinette Perry Awards (commonly called the "Tony Awards", or "Tony") which are given by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League, and which were first presented in 1947.[41] The Tony is Broadway's most prestigious award, comparable to the Academy Awards for Hollywood film productions. Their importance has increased since 1967 when the awards presentation show began to be broadcast on national television. In a strategy to improve the television ratings, celebrities are often chosen to host the show, some with scant connection to the theatre.[42] The most recent Tony Awards ceremony was held on June 11, 2017. Other awards given to Broadway productions include the Drama Desk Award, presented since 1955, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, first given in 1936, and the Outer Critics Circle Award, initially presented in 1950.

Broadway theatres and current productions

Theatre Address Capacity Owner/Operator Current production Type Opened Closing
Al Hirschfeld Theatre W. 45th St. (No. 302) 1424 Jujamcyn Theaters Kinky Boots Musical April 4, 2013 Open-ended
Ambassador Theatre W. 49th St. (No. 219) 1125 Shubert Organization Chicago Musical November 14, 1996 Open-ended
American Airlines Theatre W. 42nd St. (No. 229) 740 Roundabout Theatre Company Marvin's Room[44] Play June 29, 2017 August 27, 2017
August Wilson Theatre W. 52nd St. (No. 245) 1228 Jujamcyn Theaters Groundhog Day[45] Musical April 17, 2017 Open-ended
Belasco Theatre W. 44th St. (No. 111) 1018 Shubert Organization The Terms of My Surrender[46] Play August 10, 2017 October 22, 2017
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre W. 45th St. (No. 242) 1078 Shubert Organization Bandstand[47] Musical April 26, 2017 September 17, 2017
Booth Theatre W. 45th St. (No. 222) 766 Shubert Organization Meteor Shower[48] Play November 29, 2017* January 21, 2018
Broadhurst Theatre W. 44th St. (No. 235) 1186 Shubert Organization Anastasia[49] Musical April 24, 2017 Open-ended
Broadway Theatre W. 53rd St & Broadway (No. 1681) 1761 Shubert Organization Miss Saigon[50] Musical March 23, 2017 January 14, 2018
Brooks Atkinson Theatre W. 47th St. (No. 256) 1094 Nederlander Organization Waitress Musical April 24, 2016 Open-ended
Circle in the Square Theatre W. 50th St. (No. 235) 840 Independent Once on This Island[51] Musical December 3, 2017* Open-ended
Cort Theatre W. 48th St. (No. 138) 1084 Shubert Organization M. Butterfly[52] Play October 26, 2017* February 25, 2018
Ethel Barrymore Theatre W. 47th St. (No. 243) 1096 Shubert Organization The Band's Visit[53] Musical November 9, 2017* Open-ended
Eugene O'Neill Theatre W. 49th St. (No. 230) 1066 Jujamcyn Theaters The Book of Mormon Musical March 24, 2011 Open-ended
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre W. 45th St. (No. 236) 1079 Shubert Organization Come from Away[54] Musical March 12, 2017 Open-ended
Gershwin Theatre W. 51st St. (No. 222) 1933 Nederlander Organization Wicked Musical October 30, 2003 Open-ended
Helen Hayes Theatre W. 44th St. (No. 240) 597 Second Stage Theatre Lobby Hero[55] Play March 2018* Limited Engagement
Hudson Theatre W. 44th St. (No. 141) 970 Ambassador Theatre Group 1984[56] Play June 22, 2017 October 8, 2017
Imperial Theatre W. 45th St. (No. 249) 1443 Shubert Organization Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812[57] Musical November 14, 2016 September 3, 2017
John Golden Theatre W. 45th St. (No. 252) 805 Shubert Organization A Doll's House, Part 2[58] Play April 27, 2017 January 7, 2018
Longacre Theatre W. 48th St. (No. 220) 1091 Shubert Organization A Bronx Tale[59] Musical December 1, 2016 Open-ended
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre W. 46th St. (No. 205) 1519 Nederlander Organization Charlie and the Chocolate Factory[60] Musical April 23, 2017 Open-ended
Lyceum Theatre W. 45th St. (No. 149) 922 Shubert Organization The Play That Goes Wrong[61] Play April 2, 2017 Open-ended
Lyric Theatre W. 42nd St. (No. 213) 1938 Ambassador Theatre Group Harry Potter and the Cursed Child[62] Play April 22, 2018* Open-ended
Majestic Theatre W. 44th St. (No. 247) 1645 Shubert Organization The Phantom of the Opera Musical January 26, 1988 Open-ended
Marquis Theatre W. 46th St & Broadway (No. 1535) 1612 Nederlander Organization On Your Feet! Musical November 5, 2015 August 20, 2017
Minskoff Theatre W. 45th St. (No. 200) 1710 Nederlander Organization The Lion King Musical November 13, 1997 Open-ended
Music Box Theatre W. 45th St. (No. 239) 1009 Shubert Organization Dear Evan Hansen[63] Musical December 4, 2016 Open-ended
Nederlander Theatre W. 41st St. (No. 208) 1235 Nederlander Organization War Paint[64] Musical April 6, 2017 Open-ended
Neil Simon Theatre W. 52nd St. (No. 250) 1467 Nederlander Organization Cats[65] Musical July 31, 2016 December 30, 2017
New Amsterdam Theatre W. 42nd St. (No. 214) 1747 Disney Theatrical Group Aladdin Musical March 20, 2014 Open-ended
Palace Theatre W. 47th St. & Broadway (No. 1564) 1743 Nederlander Organization SpongeBob SquarePants[66] Musical December 4, 2017* Open-ended
Richard Rodgers Theatre W. 46th St. (No. 226) 1400 Nederlander Organization Hamilton Musical August 6, 2015 Open-ended
St. James Theatre W. 44th St. (No. 246) 1709 Jujamcyn Theaters Frozen[67] Musical Spring 2018* Open-ended
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre W. 47th St. (No. 261) 650 Manhattan Theatre Club Prince of Broadway[68] Revue August 24, 2017* October 22, 2017
Shubert Theatre W. 44th St. (No. 225) 1460 Shubert Organization Hello, Dolly![69] Musical April 20, 2017 Open-ended
Stephen Sondheim Theatre W. 43rd St. (No. 124) 1055 Roundabout Theatre Company Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Musical January 12, 2014 Open-ended
Studio 54 W. 54th St. (No. 254) 1006 Roundabout Theatre Company
Vivian Beaumont Theater W. 65th St. (No. 150) 1080 Lincoln Center Theatre Junk: The Golden Age of Debt[70] Play November 2, 2017* January 7, 2018
Walter Kerr Theatre W. 48th St. (No. 219) 945 Jujamcyn Theaters Springsteen on Broadway[71] Concert October 12, 2017* November 26, 2017
Winter Garden Theatre W. 50th St. & Broadway (No. 1634) 1526 Shubert Organization School of Rock Musical December 6, 2015 Open-ended

Upcoming productions

The following have been announced as future Broadway productions. The theatre in which they will run may not yet be known, or, if known, may be currently occupied by another show.

Musicals

Plays

References

Explanatory notes

  1. ↑ Although theater is the generally preferred spelling in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many Broadway venues, performers and trade groups for live dramatic presentations use the spelling theatre.

Citations

  1. ↑ Pincus-Roth, Zachary. "Ask Playbill.com: Broadway or Off-Broadway—Part I" Playbill.com, February 7, 2008, accessed September 11, 2016
  2. 1 2 "2016-2017 Broadway End-of-Season Statistics" Broadway League, May 23, 2017
  3. ↑ Martin Shefter (1993). Capital of the American Century: The National and International Influence of New York City. Russell Sage Foundation. p. 10.
  4. 1 2 Kenrick, John. "John Kenrick article on the history of NY theatre" Musicals101.com, accessed August 26, 2011 (Copyright 2003–2005)
  5. ↑ "Bowery Theatre history, Internet Broadway Database listing" Internet Broadway Database, accessed August 26, 2011
  6. ↑ Kenrick, John. "Musical Diversions", Theatre in NYC: History – Part II, c. 2005 Musicals101.com, accessed August 26, 2011
  7. ↑ Snyder, Robert W. The Encyclopedia of New York City (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995), Kenneth T. Jackson, editor, p. 1226.
  8. ↑ Hoffos, Signe and Moulder, Bob. "'Desperately Seeking Lydia' and 'Appreciating Lydia'" The Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery Magazine, Vol. 43, Autumn 2006, pp. 1–7
  9. ↑ Gänzl, Kurt. "Lydia Thompson", Encyclopaedia of the Musical Theatre, Blackwell/Schirmer (1994), ISBN 0-631-16457-X
  10. 1 2 "Longest Running Plays in London and New York" dgillan.screaming.net (stagebeauty.net), copyright 2007, accessed August 26, 2011
  11. 1 2 Sheridan, Morley. Spread A Little Happiness:the First Hundred Years of the British Musical, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1987, ISBN 0-500-01398-5, p.15
  12. ↑ Kenrick, John. "Kenrick's summary of New York theatre from 1865–1900" Musicals101.com, accessed August 26, 2011
  13. ↑ Midkoff, Neil. "Discovering Dorothy" home.earthlink.net, accessed August 26, 2011
  14. ↑ Kenrick, John. "Kenrick's summary of the 20th century history of theatre in New York". Musicals101.com, accessed August 26, 2011.
  15. ↑ Atkinson, Brooks (April 2, 1941). "Lillian Hellman's 'Watch on the Rhine' Acted With Paul Lukas in the Leading Part". New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
  16. ↑ Kenrick, John. "History of The Musical Stage. 1950s I: When Broadway Ruled" musicals101.com, accessed December 2, 2012
  17. ↑ Kenrick, John. "History of The Musical Stage.1960s II: Long Running Hits" musicals101.com, accessed December 2, 2012
  18. ↑ Kenrick, John. "History of The Musical Stage. 1970s Part V: Change" musicals101.com, accessed December 2, 2012
  19. ↑ Bloom, Ken. "Introduction" Broadway: Its History, People, and Places (2004) (books.google.com) Taylor & Francis, ISBN 0-415-93704-3, p.xvi
  20. ↑ "Shows Opening During The 1950–1951 Season" InternetBroadwayDatabase, accessed December 3, 2012
  21. ↑ "Shows Opening During The 1969–1970 Season" InternetBroadwayDatabase, accessed December 3, 2012
  22. ↑ "Broadway 1950–1970" mapsites.net, December 2, 2012
  23. ↑ The name of the organization was "Save the Theatres, Inc., as noted in court papers. See Shubert Organization, Inc. v. Landmarks Preservation Commission of the City of New York and Save the Theatres, Inc. Archived May 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine., Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, First Department, May 16, 1991, accessed March 10, 2013
  24. ↑ "Proposal to Save Morosco and Helen Hayes Theaters" Archived May 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine., LHP Architects, accessed March 10, 2013
  25. 1 2 3 Helen Epstein (1996-03-01). Joe Papp: An American Life. ISBN 0-306-80676-2. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  26. ↑ "City Panel Near Vote On Save-The-Theaters Proposals". New York City: NYTimes.com. April 15, 1984. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  27. ↑ Corwin, Betty "Theatre on film and tape archive" Archived September 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine., International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts, accessed May 10, 2013
  28. 1 2 "Bill Summary & Status – 97th Congress (1981–1982) – H.R.6885". Thomas.loc.gov. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  29. ↑ Lynne B. Sagalyn (2003). Times Square Roulette: Remaking the City Icon. MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-69295-3. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  30. 1 2 Peter Bosselmann (August 28, 1985). Representation of Places – Imprimé: Reality and Realism in City Design. ISBN 978-0-520-91826-9. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  31. 1 2 Blank, Matthew. "Weekly Schedule of Current Broadway Shows" Playbill.com, August 21, 2011
  32. ↑ Simonson, Robert. "When Did Broadway Shows Start Offering Sunday Performances?" Archived October 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Playbill.com, April 1, 2011
  33. ↑ Healy, Patrick. "Time Is Short to See Tony Winners". The New York Times, June 14, 2010
  34. ↑ Shenton, Mark. "Rewarded today, gone tomorrow…" Archived June 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.. The Stage, June 17, 2010
  35. ↑ "Local 802 Agreement". local802afm.org. p. 10. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  36. ↑ Playbill Staff. "Long Runs on Broadway" Playbill.com, November 20, 2011
  37. ↑ https://www.tdf.org/nyc/7/TKTS
  38. ↑ Blank, Matthew. "Broadway Rush and Standing Room Only Policies" Archived May 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.. Playbill.com, March 1, 2011
  39. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. Broadway League Announces 2012–13 Demographics; Young Theatregoers and International Tourists on the Rise" Archived January 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. playbill.com, January 9, 2014
  40. ↑ "Society of London Theatre Annual Report, 2009, p.4" solt.co.uk, retrieved January 4, 2011
  41. ↑ "Tony Awards History" Archived May 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. tonyawards.com, accessed February 25, 2011
  42. ↑ McKinley, Jesse. "Tony Awards Finish Up With a Fuzzy Surprise; Puppet Musical Wins Big, as Does 'My Own Wife'" The New York Times, June 7, 2004
  43. ↑ "Venues at the Internet Broadway Database InternetBroadwayDatabase.com, accessed August 26, 2011
  44. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "Roundabout Announces Broadway Premiere of Marvin's Room" Playbill.com, September 6, 2016
  45. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Groundhog Day Will Follow Jersey Boys into Broadway's August Wilson" Playbill.com, September 13, 2016
  46. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "Michael Moore Teams Up with Michael Mayer for Broadway Debut" Playbill.com, May 1, 2017
  47. ↑ Lloyd Webber, Imogen. "Bandstand, Starring Laura Osnes & Corey Cott, Sets Broadway Theater & Preview Dates" Broadway.com, November 4, 2016
  48. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "Amy Schumer and Laura Benanti Confirmed to Star in Steve Martin's Meteor Shower on Broadway" Playbill.com, August 7, 2017
  49. ↑ Lloyd Webber, Imogen (2016-06-28). "Anastasia, Starring Christy Altomare, Derek Klena & More, Sets Broadway Dates & Theater". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2016-06-28.
  50. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "The Heat Is On! Miss Saigon Broadway Revival Books Dates and a Theatre" Playbill.com, August 4, 2016
  51. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "Broadway Revival of Once on This Island Sets Theatre; Tickets on Sale Now" Playbill.com, May 11, 2017
  52. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "Clive Owen-Led M. Butterfly, Directed by Julie Taymor, Sets Broadway Theatre" Playbill.com, June 19, 2017
  53. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "The Band’s Visit to Arrive on Broadway in the Fall" Playbill.com, May 24, 2017
  54. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Broadway Musical Come From Away Begins in Toronto" Playbill.com, September 15, 2016
  55. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "Chris Evans Will Make Broadway Debut Alongside Michael Cera in Lobby Hero" Playbill.com, April 20, 2017
  56. ↑ Sullivan, Lindsey. "Big Brother Is Watching! Stage Version of George Orwell's 1984 Heading to Broadway" Broadway.com, February 2, 2017
  57. ↑ Viagas, Robert & Gans, Andrew. "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Announces Full Broadway Cast and Dates" Playbill.com, March 29, 2016
  58. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Laurie Metcalf and Chris Cooper Will Star in Broadway's A Doll's House, Part 2" Playbill.com, October 7, 2016
  59. ↑ Gans, Andrew & Hetrick, Adam. "Previews Begin for Broadway's A Bronx Tale Musical" Playbill.com, June 13, 2016
  60. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Sets Broadway Dates; See New Videos" Playbill.com, August 8, 2016
  61. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "The Olivier-Winning The Play That Goes Wrong Sets Broadway Date" Playbill.com, November 14, 2016
  62. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Confirms Broadway Opening Night Date and Theatre" Playbill.com, May 4, 2016
  63. ↑ Staff, Broadway.com. "Broadway-Bound Dear Evan Hansen Switches Venue, Will Now Open at Music Box Theatre" Broadway.com, September 12, 2016
  64. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Tix On Sale to General Public for Patti LuPone-Christine Ebersole War Paint" Playbill.com, November 27, 2016
  65. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Now, Forever...and Again! Cats Revival Sets Broadway Dates" Playbill.com, January 21, 2016
  66. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "SpongeBob SquarePants Musical Will Hit Broadway This Fall" Playbill.com, June 5, 2017
  67. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "Disney's Frozen Names Tony-Winning Director and a Broadway Theatre" Playbill.com, September 27, 2016
  68. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "Prince of Broadway Will Open on Broadway This Summer" Playbill.com, December 7, 2016
  69. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "David Hyde Pierce Will Join Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly!" Playbill.com, May 17, 2016
  70. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Steven Pasquale Will Star in Ayad Akhtar's New Play Junk on Broadway" Playbill.com, June 15, 2017
  71. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Bruce Springsteen Confirms Fall Broadway Debut" Playbill.com, August 9, 2017
  72. ↑ Paulson, Michael (2017-04-16). "A ‘Carousel’ Revival Promises Stars, Onstage and Off". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  73. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Jimmy Buffett's Escape to Margaritaville Musical Sets Broadway Theatre and Dates" Playbill.com, June 5, 2017
  74. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "King Kong Musical Will Conquer Broadway in 2018; Harry Potter Scribe Joins Creative Team" Playbill.com, May 17, 2017
  75. ↑ "The Plastics Are Coming! Mean Girls Musical Will Begin Broadway Performances Next March" BroadwayWorld.com, March 10, 2017
  76. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "My Fair Lady Will Return to Broadway in 2018" Playbill.com, March 6, 2017
  77. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "MTC Announces New Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows" Playbill.com, March 22, 2017
  78. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "Mark Rylance Will Return to Broadway in Farinelli and the King" Playbill.com, May 8, 2017
  79. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "The Parisian Woman, with Uma Thurman, Sets Broadway Theatre" Playbill.com, August 3, 2017
  80. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "Tracy Letts' The Minutes Will Transfer to Broadway" Playbill.com, February 16, 2017
  81. ↑ Lefkowitz, Andy (2017-05-17). "Laurie Metcalf & Glenda Jackson to Lead First Broadway Production of Three Tall Women". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2017-05-19.
  82. ↑ Clement, Olivia (2017-05-10). "Downton Abbey’s Elizabeth McGovern Will Lead Broadway Revival of Time and the Conways | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
  83. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "Chris Evans Will Make Broadway Debut Alongside Michael Cera in Lobby Hero" Playbill.com, April 20, 2017

Further reading

  • Ackerman, Alan. "Liberalism, Democracy, and the Twentieth-Century American Theater," American Literary History (2005) 17#4 pp. 765–780.
  • Bordman, Gerald. American Musical Comedy (Oxford University Press, 1982)
  • Bordman, Gerald. American Operetta (Oxford University Press, 1981)
  • Knapp, Raymond. The American Musical and the Formation of National Identity (Princeton University Press, 2005)
  • Middeke, Martin, et al. The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary American Playwrights (2013)
  • Mordden, Ethan. Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theatre (2013)
  • Roudane, Matthew Charles. American Drama Since 1960: A Critical History (1996)
  • Shiach, Don. American Drama 1900–1990 (2000)
  • Stempel, Larry. Showtime: A History of the Broadway Musical Theater (WW Norton, 2010) 826 pp.
  • Weales, Gerald Clifford. American drama since World War II (1962)
  • White, Timothy R. Blue-Collar Broadway: The Craft and Industry of American Theater (2014)
  • Wolf, Stacy. Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway Musical (2010)
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