Broadway theatre facts for kids
Broadway theatre, often just called Broadway, is a special kind of live show. These shows happen in 41 big, professional theatres in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Each theatre has at least 500 seats. They are mostly found in the Theater District and near Lincoln Center along Broadway street.
Broadway shows, along with those in London's West End, are known as some of the most important and popular live theatre in the world where English is spoken. Even though the area is named after Broadway street, it's very close to Times Square. Only three theatres are actually on Broadway itself: the Broadway Theatre, Palace Theatre, and Winter Garden Theatre. The others are on nearby streets.
The term "Broadway theatre" usually means venues with 500 seats or more. Smaller theatres in New York City are called off-Broadway, no matter where they are located. Very small places with fewer than 100 seats are called off-off-Broadway. These often show more experimental or unique performances.
The Theater District is a famous place that many tourists visit in New York City. For example, in the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 seasons, Broadway shows sold tickets worth about $1.54 billion! About 12.3 million people came to see shows each season. Most Broadway shows are musicals. These musicals have helped make New York City a major cultural center around the world.
Contents
Discovering Broadway Theatre
The History of Broadway Shows
Early Days of New York Theatre
New York City's first important theatre started around 1750. Early theatre groups, like those led by Walter Murray and Thomas Kean, performed plays by William Shakespeare and musical plays called ballad operas. One famous ballad opera was The Beggar's Opera. In 1752, a group of twelve actors came from Britain. They started a theatre in Virginia and later moved to New York in 1753.
During the American Revolutionary War, theatre shows in New York City stopped. But after the war, theatre came back in 1798 with the opening of the 2,000-seat Park Theatre. More big theatres, like the Bowery Theatre, opened in the 1820s.
By the 1840s, P.T. Barnum ran a popular entertainment spot. Places like Niblo's Garden offered many kinds of musical and non-musical shows. Different types of entertainment appealed to various groups of people in the city. Plays by William Shakespeare were very popular. Famous American actor Edwin Booth was known for his role as Hamlet, performing it 100 times in a row in 1865.
How Musicals Began
Theatre in New York slowly moved from downtown to Midtown Manhattan around 1850. This was because land was cheaper and there was more space. In 1836, Mayor Cornelius Lawrence opened 42nd Street, inviting people to enjoy the area. Later, Oscar Hammerstein I built the famous Victoria Theater on West 42nd Street.
Broadway's first long-running musical was The Elves in 1857, which played 50 times. By the early 1900s, many theatres were built around Times Square. This area became the main home for Broadway shows.
Many historians believe The Black Crook, which opened in 1866, was the first modern musical. It combined dance and original music to help tell a story. Even though it was five-and-a-half hours long, it ran for a record 474 performances. That same year, The Black Domino/Between You, Me and the Post was the first show to call itself a "musical comedy".
Tony Pastor opened the first vaudeville theatre in 1881. Vaudeville shows were a mix of different acts like comedians, singers, and dancers. Comedians Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart created musicals about everyday life in New York. These shows were a big step up from vaudeville.
As cities became safer and easier to travel in at night, more people could go to the theatre. This meant shows could run longer and make more money. Family-friendly musical comedies, like those by Gilbert and Sullivan, became very popular. American shows like Reginald Dekoven's Robin Hood (1891) and John Philip Sousa's El Capitan (1896) followed.
A Trip to Chinatown (1891) became Broadway's longest-running show with 657 performances. Later, Irene (1919) and Lightnin' (1918) broke that record. In 1896, a group called the Theatrical Syndicate controlled most theatres in the U.S. for many years.
In 1898, A Trip to Coontown was the first musical comedy entirely produced and performed by African Americans on Broadway. Other successful shows like Clorindy: The Origin of the Cakewalk (1898) and In Dahomey (1902) followed. Many songs for these musicals came from Tin Pan Alley, a famous area where composers like George M. Cohan wrote popular tunes.
Broadway's "Great White Way" Era
In the early 1900s, popular European musical plays were joined by new American shows. Composers like Victor Herbert created many famous operettas, such as Babes in Toyland (1903) and Naughty Marietta (1910).
Starting with The Red Mill, Broadway theatres began using electric signs outside. Since white lights lasted longer, Broadway earned the nickname "The Great White Way". In 1919, actors formed a union called the Actors' Equity Association. They went on strike to get fair contracts, and producers eventually agreed. By the 1920s, the Shubert Brothers owned most of the theatres.
The play Lightnin' became the first Broadway show to reach 700, then 1,000 performances. It was the longest-running Broadway show until Abie's Irish Rose broke its record in 1925.
Movies Challenge Live Theatre
Movies became a big challenge for live theatre. At first, silent films were not a huge threat. But by the late 1920s, movies like The Jazz Singer had sound. People wondered if movies would replace live theatre completely. While vaudeville struggled, other theatres found ways to survive.
Musicals in the 1920s often focused on famous actors, big dance numbers, and popular songs. Florenz Ziegfeld created amazing song-and-dance shows with fancy sets and costumes. Shows like Sally, No, No, Nanette, and Funny Face produced many classic songs by composers like George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Live theatre continued to thrive despite the rise of cinema.
Broadway's Golden Age and Beyond
In 1927, Show Boat opened and changed musicals forever. It blended the story, music, dialogue, and setting in a new, powerful way. It ran for 572 performances. The 1920s also saw new American playwrights like Eugene O'Neill. His serious plays showed that audiences wanted more than just comedies. Other great writers like Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller followed.
Classical plays were also popular. Famous actors like John Barrymore and Paul Robeson performed in plays by Shakespeare. In 1930, Roar, China! was Broadway's first play with mostly Asian actors. As World War II neared, many Broadway plays talked about the rise of Nazism in Europe. Watch on the Rhine (1941) was a very successful example.
After the tough years of the Great Depression, Broadway entered a "golden age" with the huge hit Oklahoma! in 1943. It ran for 2,212 performances. Many new musicals in the 1950s had songs that became chart-toppers. This era created many of the classic musicals we still enjoy today.
However, the late 1960s brought big cultural changes. The 1970s saw challenges for Broadway. The Times Square area faced difficulties, and fewer new shows were produced. To help, the Theatre Development Fund started offering discounted tickets through TKTS booths. This helped more people see shows and supported productions with important cultural value.
Saving Broadway Theatres
In the early 1980s, a theatre producer named Joe Papp led a campaign called "Save the Theatres". This group worked to protect historic theatre buildings from being torn down. Papp gathered support from actors and provided resources for the effort.
In 1982, a bill was proposed in Congress to make the Broadway/Times Square Theatre District a national historic site. Although the bill did not pass, the campaign continued. In 1983, they pushed for each theatre to be recognized as a landmark. Eventually, city leaders created a Theatre Advisory Council, which included Joe Papp, to help preserve the district.
Broadway During the Pandemic
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Broadway theatres closed on March 12, 2020. This meant 16 shows stopped playing or couldn't open. The shutdown lasted for many months. In May 2021, New York's Governor announced that Broadway theatres could aim to reopen by September 14.
Springsteen on Broadway was the first full show to return on June 26, 2021. It played to vaccinated audiences. Pass Over was the first new play to open in August 2021. Musicals like Hadestown and Waitress resumed performances in September 2021. The 74th Tony Awards were also held in September 2021 after being postponed.
To keep everyone safe, Broadway theatres required attendees aged 12 and up to show proof of vaccination. Younger children needed a negative COVID-19 test. Face masks were also required for a time.
During the shutdown, major theatre owners promised to increase diversity in their theatres. They renamed some theatres after Black theatrical personalities. The Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in September 2022. The Brooks Atkinson Theatre became the Lena Horne Theatre in November 2022.
Since reopening, existing musicals have done well. However, many new musicals have faced challenges. It is much more expensive to put on a musical now, but ticket prices have not gone up as much. Also, many shows were waiting to open after the pandemic, creating a lot of competition. As of September 2025, only a few new musicals, like MJ, & Juliet, and Six, have reported making a profit.
What Happens Behind the Scenes
A Typical Show Week
Most Broadway shows have evening performances from Tuesday to Saturday, usually starting at 7:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m. Afternoon shows, called "matinées", are on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m., and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. This means a show usually has eight performances a week.
Most shows do not play on Monday. This day is called "dark" because the theatre is closed. Actors and crew often consider Sunday evening through Monday evening their weekend. The Tony Awards ceremony is usually held on a Sunday evening in June to fit this schedule. Some shows have moved their Tuesday start time earlier to 7:00 p.m. This helps local audiences, especially those from outside the city, get home earlier.
Who Owns and Runs the Theatres
Most Broadway producers and theatre owners are part of The Broadway League. This group helps promote Broadway theatre, works with theatre unions, and helps organize the Tony Awards. Even though the League and unions sometimes disagree during contract talks, they also work together on many projects to support theatre in New York.
There are also four non-profit theatre companies with Broadway theatres: Lincoln Center Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company, and Second Stage Theatre. These companies have their own agreements with unions.
Three main organizations own or manage most Broadway theatres. The Shubert Organization owns seventeen theatres. The Nederlander Organization controls nine theatres. ATG Entertainment owns seven Broadway houses.
The People Who Make Shows Happen
Broadway shows often cast famous actors from movies and TV in leading roles. This helps attract larger audiences and new people to the theatre. However, many performers are primarily stage actors. They spend most of their time performing live and only sometimes appear on screen.
It has become common for big stars to commit to shorter runs, often around 13 weeks, instead of a year. The size of a Broadway orchestra is set by an agreement with the musicians' union. For example, the Minskoff Theatre must have at least eighteen musicians, while the Music Box Theatre needs nine.
How Long Do Shows Run?
Most Broadway shows are commercial productions. This means they aim to make money for their producers and investors. They usually have "open-ended runs," meaning there's no set closing date. How long they play depends on reviews, word-of-mouth, and ticket sales.
Investing in a show can be risky. Shows don't always make a profit right away. If they cover their weekly costs or lose money at an acceptable rate, they can continue. Sometimes, people involved in a show might agree to lower their pay to keep it from closing. Theatre owners might also reduce rent to help a show stay open.
Some Broadway shows are produced by non-profit groups as part of a season. Other shows have "limited engagement runs" for a set time. This might be due to financial reasons, actors' schedules, or a theatre being available for a short period. However, some limited runs become very popular and extend their time or even become open-ended. This happened with shows like Newsies and Take Me Out.
Historically, musicals tend to run longer than non-musical plays. On January 9, 2006, The Phantom of the Opera became the longest-running Broadway musical. It closed on April 16, 2023, after an amazing 13,981 performances over 35 years.
Who Comes to Broadway Shows?
Seeing a Broadway show is a popular activity for tourists in New York. The TKTS booths sell same-day tickets for many Broadway and Off-Broadway shows at a discount of 20% to 50%. These booths are in Times Square, Lower Manhattan, and at Lincoln Center.
Many Broadway theatres also offer special student prices, "rush" tickets (sold cheaply on the day of the show), "lottery" tickets, or standing-room tickets. These options help fill the theatres and make shows more accessible.
In the 2018–2019 season, Broadway attendance was 14.77 million people. The average age of a Broadway audience member in 2017–18 was 40, which was the youngest in almost two decades. In the 2022–2023 season, 12.3 million tickets were sold. About 35% of attendees were local residents, and 17% were international visitors. The average age was 40.4, nearly two-thirds were women, and 29% identified as a racial minority.
Beyond Broadway: Off-Broadway Shows
The rules for classifying theatres come from agreements with the Actors' Equity Association union. To be considered for a Tony Award, a show must be in a theatre with 500 or more seats in the Theater District.
Off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway shows often offer more experimental, challenging, and personal performances than larger Broadway theatres. Some famous Broadway shows, like Hair, Rent, and Hamilton, actually started Off-Broadway. They later moved to bigger Broadway theatres. Other shows are first developed through workshops or tryouts in other cities before coming to Broadway.
Broadway Shows on Tour
After a successful run in New York, producers often create a "Broadway national tour". These tours travel to major cities across the country with new casts and crews. Sometimes, when a show closes on Broadway, the original production, with many of its actors, becomes a touring company. Some shows might even have several touring companies at once.
For tours in top cities, the entire Broadway production is often moved, and it can run for many months. For example, the first U.S. tour of The Phantom of the Opera needed 26 large trucks to carry all its sets, equipment, and costumes. It took almost 10 days to set everything up in each theatre.
Smaller cities also host national tours, often called "bus and truck" tours. These are smaller versions of the big tours. The casts usually travel by bus, and the sets by truck. These tours often run for weeks, not months, and have simpler sets to fit smaller venues. The actors are still union members but work under a different contract. The Touring Broadway Awards celebrate excellence in touring Broadway shows.
Celebrating Broadway: The Awards
Broadway shows and artists are honored each year by the Antoinette Perry Awards, better known as the "Tony Awards". These awards are given by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. They started in 1947. The Tony is Broadway's most important award, similar to the Academy Awards for movies.
The Tony Awards show became even more important when it started being broadcast on national television in 1967. Celebrities often host the show to attract more viewers. The most recent Tony Awards ceremony was held on June 8, 2025. Other awards for Broadway productions include 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
