Broadway theatre facts for kids
Broadway theatre is a famous style of live theatre found in New York City. It takes place in 41 professional theaters that each have 500 seats or more. These playhouses are located in the bright Theater District and at Lincoln Center along Broadway in Midtown Manhattan. Together with London's West End, Broadway shows represent the very best live stage performances in the entire English-speaking world.
Even though this performance world gets its name from the great road called Broadway, people often picture Times Square. In truth, only three actual theaters sit right on Broadway avenue itself. These three are the Broadway Theatre, the Palace Theatre, and the Winter Garden Theatre. The other venues line the side streets from the Nederlander Theatre on West 41st Street north to 53rd Street. One special theater, the Vivian Beaumont Theater, sits farther north inside Lincoln Center on West 65th Street.
Broadway is a huge part of tourism in New York City. Millions of visitors arrive from around the globe to sit in the audience and watch exciting stories. The group that represents theater managers, The Broadway League, shares amazing numbers about this magical street. During recent seasons, fans bought more than 1.5 billion dollars in tickets each year. Around 12.3 million ticket buyers filled the seats to cheer for talented performers.
Most shows on Broadway are lively musicals filled with singing and dancing. Great historians like Martin Shefter explain that classic productions created by Rodgers and Hammerstein changed American popular culture. They helped turn New York City into the incredible cultural capital of the world. Outstanding actors and stage crews receive the Tony Awards, which are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. These awards stand as the highest honors in the world of American theatre.
Contents
- What Makes a Theatre Broadway, Off-Broadway, or Off-Off-Broadway?
- The Early History of Live Stages in New York
- How the American Musical Was Born
- The Roaring Twenties and the Golden Age
- Facing Hard Times and Finding New Energy
- How a Broadway Show Works
- Interesting Facts About Broadway Theatre
- See also
What Makes a Theatre Broadway, Off-Broadway, or Off-Off-Broadway?
People often wonder what makes a New York stage a true Broadway house. The secret comes down to the size of the room and its location in the city. Professional rules set by the Actors' Equity Association state that a Broadway theater must hold at least 500 guests. It also must sit inside the famous Theater District or at Lincoln Center.
Theaters with between 100 and 499 seats are known as Off-Broadway stages. These playhouses can sit anywhere in New York City. The smallest venues have fewer than 100 seats and carry the title of Off-off-Broadway. These tiny stages often host avant-garde shows and daring experiments that test creative ideas.
Many of history's greatest hits did not begin inside huge Broadway venues. Creative teams often build shows through workshops and small test runs before facing large crowds. Groundbreaking musicals such as Hair, Little Shop of Horrors, and Spring Awakening started small. Other smash hits like Next to Normal, Rent, Avenue Q, and In the Heights also began off-Broadway. Audiences first discovered Fun Home, A Chorus Line, Dear Evan Hansen, and Hamilton in intimate venues before they moved to Broadway.
The Early History of Live Stages in New York
The story of theater in New York began long before electric lights lit up the sky. Around the year 1750, two actor-managers named Walter Murray and Thomas Kean organized a resident acting troupe. They set up their stage at the Theatre on Nassau Street down in Lower Manhattan. This cozy room held about 280 people. The company delighted audiences with dramatic works by William Shakespeare and light musical stories called ballad operas, including The Beggar's Opera.
In 1752, a manager named William Hallam sent twelve British actors across the sea under the leadership of his brother Lewis. They built a stage in Williamsburg, Virginia, opening with The Merchant of Venice. The Hallam company traveled to New York in 1753 to perform comedies and popular ballad tunes for eager crowds.
Stage shows stopped during the struggles of the American Revolutionary War. When peace returned, entertainment bounced back in a big way. Workers built the giant 2,000-seat Park Theatre in 1798 on Chatham Street near Park Row. A competitor named the Bowery Theatre welcomed guests in 1826.
Popular Pleasure Gardens and Historic Playhouses
By the 1840s, the famous showman P.T. Barnum was running grand entertainment halls in Lower Manhattan. An outdoor attraction called Niblo's Garden opened in 1829 at Broadway and Prince Street. It held 3,000 seats and presented wonderful musical acts and acrobatic spectacles.
New buildings soon joined the booming scene. Palmo's Opera House opened its doors in 1844, though money problems turned it into Burton's Theatre. The grand Astor Opera House welcomed visitors starting in 1847. Different groups of citizens often argued over their favorite performers and styles. In 1849, anger boiled over during the famous Astor Place Riot. Following that dramatic event, entertainment in New York City separated into different styles for different crowds. Wealthy audiences enjoyed classic operas, while other crowds favored variety halls and melodramas.
Great Actors Playing William Shakespeare
Actors loved performing the classic tragedies written by William Shakespeare on New York stages. The most admired Shakespearean actor of his era was Edwin Booth. He earned world fame for playing the tragic hero Hamlet. In 1865, Booth played Hamlet for 100 straight performances at the Winter Garden Theatre.
Booth later built his own playhouse called Booth's Theatre, which was run for a time by Junius Brutus Booth Jr.. Famous international performers traveled to New York to tackle timeless roles. Audiences cheered for stars like Henry Irving, Tommaso Salvini, Fanny Davenport, and Charles Fechter.
How the American Musical Was Born
During the middle of the nineteenth century, New York playhouses moved away from Downtown. They traveled up toward Midtown Manhattan because land was cheaper. Early in that century, the land of the future Theater District was quiet farmland. In 1836, Mayor Cornelius Lawrence cut the ribbon for 42nd Street and encouraged locals to enjoy the fresh country air. Decades later, producer Oscar Hammerstein I built the landmark Victoria Theater right along that very avenue.
Broadway's earliest long-running musical hit was a story called The Elves, which played 50 times in 1857. In 1860, actress Laura Keene amazed the city with her musical burletta The Seven Sisters, running for 253 performances. Theater flourished around Union Square in 1870 and shifted toward Madison Square by the late 1890s.
Most historians agree that the modern musical arrived on September 12, 1866. On that night, a grand production called The Black Crook opened on Broadway. It mixed an exciting plot with original songs and beautiful ballet dances. Even though the performance lasted five and a half hours, audiences fell in love with it. It ran for an astonishing 474 performances. That same year, another production called The Black Domino/Between You, Me and the Post was the first to use the label musical comedy.
Vaudeville Fun and Family-Friendly Operas
In 1881, showman Tony Pastor opened the first clean vaudeville house near Union Square, where popular star Lillian Russell sang. The comedy team of Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart created hit shows between 1878 and 1890. Harrigan wrote dialogue and lyrics, while his father-in-law David Braham wrote catchy melodies. Their musical comedies celebrated everyday working people in New York City. Talented vocalists like Vivienne Segal and Fay Templeton helped make their shows huge successes.
The city also welcomed family-friendly comic opera productions from England created by Gilbert and Sullivan. Their joyful show H.M.S. Pinafore swept the city in 1878. American composers soon created their own comic operettas, including Robin Hood by Reginald Dekoven and El Capitan by march king John Philip Sousa.
Record-Breaking Runs and Tin Pan Alley Hits
In 1891, author Charles H. Hoyt debuted a smash hit titled A Trip to Chinatown. It broke earlier records set by Adonis by staying on stage for 657 performances. Years later, the show Irene set a higher mark, only to be topped by the dramatic play Lightnin'.
During 1896, business owners Marc Klaw and A. L. Erlanger formed the Theatrical Syndicate to manage theater bookings nationwide. Meanwhile, song creators working on Tin Pan Alley wrote tunes that thrilled the public. Beloved composers like Gus Edwards, John Walter Bratton, and star George M. Cohan brought upbeat energy to the stage. Cohan captured hearts with hits like Little Johnny Jones in 1904, alongside charming British musical exports like Florodora.
Groundbreaking African Americans broke barriers on Broadway during this time. In 1898, the historic show A Trip to Coontown became the first full musical comedy written, directed, and acted entirely by Black artists. It was joined by the energetic ragtime piece Clorindy: The Origin of the Cakewalk and the 1902 hit In Dahomey.
The Roaring Twenties and the Golden Age
As the twentieth century began, operetta music grew wildly popular. Composer Victor Herbert wrote gorgeous melodies for shows like The Fortune Teller and Babes in Toyland. He also composed classics like Mlle. Modiste, The Red Mill, and Naughty Marietta. Clever lyricists like P. G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, and Harry B. Smith wrote smart shows for smaller playhouses.
When The Red Mill opened, workers placed brilliant electric bulbs across the outside marquee. Because colored glass bulbs burned out fast, theaters used bright white lights. This dazzling glow gave Broadway its famous nickname, The Great White Way.
In 1919, professional performers united under the Actors' Equity Association union. They went on strike until theater managers agreed to give every artist a fair standard contract. Around that time, the powerful Shubert Brothers built and acquired dozens of houses. Long-running plays like Lightnin', written by Winchell Smith and Frank Bacon, became the first to reach 1,000 performances. It held the performance crown until the comedy Abie's Irish Rose passed it in 1925.
Competing with the Silver Screen
During the 1920s, movie houses began offering exciting competition. Early silent movies were quiet, but in 1927, The Jazz Singer introduced synchronized talking and singing pictures. Some worried that cinema would make live theaters obsolete. Old-fashioned music hall acts lost business, but Broadway adapted quickly.
The Roaring Twenties brought lively musicals with breathtaking dancing and memorable songs. Producer Florenz Ziegfeld created spectacular stage revues filled with giant scenery and sparkling costumes. Talented songwriting partnerships wrote timeless tunes for hit comedies. Fans hummed music written by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Vincent Youmans, and the duo Rodgers and Hart. Writers like Noël Coward, Sigmund Romberg, and Rudolf Friml delivered popular stage tunes as well.
Cheery musicals brought laughter to packed houses. Popular shows included Sally, Lady Be Good, Sunny, No, No, Nanette, Oh, Kay!, and Funny Face. Live stages stayed strong because people loved seeing performers up close in person.
Serious Drama and Blockbuster Hits
A giant leap forward in storytelling happened on December 27, 1927, at the Ziegfeld Theatre. The musical Show Boat opened with music by Jerome Kern and words by Oscar Hammerstein II. It tied plot, characters, and music into a powerful narrative, running for 572 performances.
Playwright Eugene O'Neill showed that serious, thoughtful plays could also thrive on Broadway. His dramas included Beyond the Horizon, Anna Christie, The Hairy Ape, Strange Interlude, and Mourning Becomes Electra. His success opened doors for great American writers like Elmer Rice, Maxwell Anderson, Robert E. Sherwood, Clifford Odets, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller. Playwrights George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart kept crowds laughing with witty comedies.
Classic revivals featured world-class talent. Audiences cheered for John Barrymore in Hamlet and Richard III, while John Gielgud starred in Hamlet, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Much Ado About Nothing. Star Walter Hampden joined José Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac. Famous performer Paul Robeson acted alongside Ferrer in Othello. Other highlights included Maurice Evans in Richard II and Katharine Cornell leading productions of Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, and Candida. In 1930, the Theatre Guild staged Roar, China!, making history with Broadway's first mostly Asian cast. As World War II approached, dramatist Lillian Hellman warned audiences about world troubles in her play Watch on the Rhine.
The Golden Age of Musical Theatre
Following the hard years of the Great Depression, Broadway entered its celebrated golden age. The revolution arrived in 1943 with the historic musical Oklahoma!, which played for 2,212 performances. Theatre writer John Kenrick noted that every season sent stage songs straight to the top of popular music charts. Creative teams delivered unforgettable melodies, making the 1950s a high-water mark for musical storytelling.
Facing Hard Times and Finding New Energy
By the late 1960s and 1970s, New York City went through major social changes. Times Square became run-down, and fewer families attended live shows. Theater historian Ken Bloom pointed out that the number of productions fell dramatically. In 1950, Broadway opened 94 different shows, but twenty years later that number plummeted to 59. The total number of open theaters dropped from around 80 in the 1920s down to only 36 by 1969.
To save the industry, caring leaders created the Theatre Development Fund. This helpful charity opened discount ticket booths offering seats at budget prices, helping people fill empty theater chairs.
In 1982, beloved director Joe Papp, founder of The Public Theater, led the famous Save the Theatres campaign. Alongside the Actors Equity union, Papp worked to protect historic Broadway buildings from being bulldozed by developers. Even though a national bill introduced in the 97th Congress failed to pass, public support grew. City leaders under Mayor Ed Koch formed an advisory group to protect these historic landmarks.
Modern Challenges and Fresh Voices
Broadway faced another historic pause when the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City hit in March 2020. Theaters shut their doors to keep audiences safe, turning off their marquees for over a year. Under Governor Andrew Cuomo, plans were made to safely welcome audiences back. In the summer of 2021, Springsteen on Broadway at the St. James Theatre and the play Pass Over reopened the stages. Soon, musicals like Hadestown and Waitress returned. The delayed 74th Tony Awards celebrated theatrical resilience. Health rules required patrons to get the COVID-19 vaccine and wear face masks.
During the pause, theater leaders promised to honor greater diversity on Broadway. The August Wilson Theatre had been named for the legendary dramatist August Wilson in 2005. In 2022, theater owners renamed two beloved houses to honor legendary Black artists. The old Cort Theatre became the James Earl Jones Theatre, and another venue became the Lena Horne Theatre.
Newer hits have brought huge excitement to crowds. Original shows like MJ the Musical, & Juliet, Six, and The Outsiders have drawn energetic young audiences and earned major success.
How a Broadway Show Works
Putting together a Broadway show requires hundreds of skilled professionals working together as a giant team. Let us peek behind the curtain to see how these amazing productions operate!
The Weekly Performance Schedule
Most Broadway productions run on a regular schedule of eight shows per week. The standard work week includes evening shows from Tuesday through Saturday. Evening shows usually start at 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. when the opening curtain rises.
On certain days, theaters offer afternoon shows called matinées. These early shows start at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and at 3:00 p.m. on Sundays. Shows that welcome lots of kids, such as productions by Disney Theatrical Productions, often use earlier start times. Most theaters are dark on Mondays, meaning no shows take place. This gives the hardworking actors and stage crews a chance to rest!
Behind the Scenes: Unions and Theater Owners
The people who own the playhouses and finance the shows belong to The Broadway League. This organization negotiates contracts with artist unions and helps host the Tony Awards ceremony. Four famous non-profit groups run Broadway stages as well: Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company, and Second Stage Theatre. These groups belong to the League of Resident Theatres.
Most Broadway houses belong to three big entertainment companies:
- The Shubert Organization, which operates 17 historic Broadway theaters.
- The Nederlander Organization, which controls nine playhouses.
- ATG Entertainment, which oversees seven Broadway venues.
Star Actors, Understudies, and Musicians
When you see a show, you watch brilliant performers who have trained for years in acting, singing, and dancing. Broadway producers often invite famous movie and television stars to act in plays. Famous Broadway star Nathan Lane starred for a full year in the original run of The Addams Family.
Down below the stage in a special area called the orchestra pit, live musicians play every note of the score. The size of the orchestra is set by rules made with the local musicians union. Big musicals like The Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre use large orchestras of eighteen musicians or more. Smaller musicals like those at the Music Box Theatre might need only nine players to make great music.
The Run of a Show: Hits and Record Breakers
Commercial shows are funded by investors called angels. Most Broadway shows have open-ended runs. This means they will keep playing as long as they sell enough tickets to pay their weekly bills. Some plays have limited engagements, meaning they plan to stay for only a few weeks. However, wildly popular limited plays like August: Osage County, God of Carnage, Newsies, and Take Me Out ended up extending their runs.
Musicals often run much longer than non-musical plays. For many years, the feline musical Cats was the longest-running show on Broadway. Then, on January 9, 2006, the spooky musical The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre took the crown. It finally finished its historic run in 2023 after playing an unbelievable 13,981 times!
Grabbing a Ticket and Joining the Audience
Broadway shows attract millions of theater fans, students, and travelers. Seeing a show is an unforgettable highlight of tourism in New York. To help people buy affordable seats, the Theatre Development Fund runs ticket booths called TKTS. These booths sit in Times Square, in Lower Manhattan, and at Lincoln Center. They offer same-day tickets at big discounts of 20 to 50 percent. Many theaters also offer cheap student rush tickets and digital ticket lotteries!
Broadway on the Road: National Tours
When a show becomes a Broadway smash, producers want to share it with families who cannot travel to New York! They assemble a touring cast and crew to travel across North America on a Broadway national tour.
Large cities host massive productions that bring the full Broadway set along with them. For example, moving the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera required 26 giant 53-foot semi-trailer trucks. It took workers ten full days just to unload the equipment and build the set inside each theater! Smaller towns often host bus and truck tours. These versions travel by bus with compact sets that can be unpacked and packed up quickly. The greatest touring productions used to receive honors from the Touring Broadway Awards.
Prestigious Awards on the Stage
The greatest honors in theater are the Antoinette Perry Awards, known as the Tony Awards. First held in 1947, the Tonys are the theater equivalent of the Academy Awards in Hollywood. In 1967, the ceremony began airing on national television with celebrity hosts. Broadway artists also compete for the Drama Desk Award, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, and the Outer Critics Circle Award.
Interesting Facts About Broadway Theatre
- Broadway has had many names over time, including "Wickquasgeck trail" and Brede Weg ("Broad Way").
- The number of theatres on Broadway grew from about 20 in 1900 to a high of 80 in 1925.
- The Lyceum Theatre was built in 1903 and is now the oldest theatre on Broadway.
- During World War I, the lights of Broadway were dimmed. But people wanted them back so much that the government had to give the city more coal to light them up again!
- People sometimes confused the letter "I" with the number "1." So, most Broadway theatres have rows A-H and then skip to J-Z.
- A Broadway theatre must have at least 500 seats. An Off-Broadway theatre has between 100 and 499 seats.
- The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running Broadway show in history.
- The Lion King has earned the most money of any Broadway show.
- There are 41 Broadway Theatres in New York. But despite the name, only 4 of them are actually on Broadway Street: The Winter Garden, The Roundabout, The Marquis, and The Broadway Theatre.
See also
In Spanish: Circuito de Broadway para niños
