New York City as we know is comprised of many big name attractions and entertainment spots, decorated with an enormous assortment of dazzling neon lights and signs. One of New York’s main attractions is theatre. Theatre has existed in New York ever since the late 1690’s, as it was the earliest source of entertainment found in New York at the time. In New York, there is a mass selection of theatres scattered all over city of New York. Theatres are halls of mystery, drama, comedy and other invisible emotional expressions we seek out as viewers of these plays. A brand of theatre that is well known in New York is located on the strip called Broadway. Broadway has made a name for its self with its key performances and big name attractions, shows such as Rent, Cats and The Phantom of The Opera. The main Broadway theatre district located in the vicinity of Times Square is a main tourist spot and venue for theatre. The terms Broadway and theatre have become almost synonymous, making New York the center of theatrical entertainment. The theatre has become deeply entwined with the culture of New York. What brings these plays to life is the courageous and amazing actors which, by day blend in with the rest of the crowd as regular commuters and at night take on another persona and become part of the play or performance.
When you mention Broadway, people automatically think of the world’s most famous street, the well-known strip of street located between 41st and 53st on Broadway in Times Square, Manhattan. In reality, a Broadway house is comprised of 499 seats and above in order to be deemed as a Broadway theatre. As an industry Broadway, is a billion dollar production, grossing about $939 million dollars in New York alone, as stated by Broadway producer Pun Bandhu. To this day the Broadway theatre district has been commercialized and advertised widely throughout the City of New York. Billboards and posters filled with key name plays such as the Lion King, Wicked, Momma Mia and many others.
Although the origins of theatre began around the 1690’s, it was around the 1800’s that the emergence of Broadway began. Broadway in New York, at the time, during the early stages of theatre was the epicenter for live theatrical entertainment. Since New York was a mixture of freshly arrived immigrants, all theatrical acts were imported from England. Theatre also was a production meant to provide emotional enlightenment to the public during times of crisis such as the stock market crash and the world wars.
A few entrepreneurs decided to move the theatres away from the downtown area of Manhattan, such as the Wall Street area, and constructed the Madison Square theatre on 29st. At the time no one expected the theatre to become successful, due to the fact; it was far away from the local towns. However later on construction of the Casino theatre followed suit, which became a huge success. Soon other theatres where built around the district and developed into a section of town that consisted of the best in live entertainment. Due to the success of these theatre productions, it greatly impacted the city of New York. The production of the “Black Crook” established itself as Broadway’s first performance which mixed songs, dance and a storyline to accommodate the performance. Theatres in New York consist of a rich and spontaneous culture that has contributed greatly to the reputation of the city. In the 1900’s, Construction of theatres would concentrate around the Flat Iron Building district and soon expand down Broadway into midtown Manhattan.
Broadway itself is the longest running street in New York. The Broadway theatre district however, stretches from 41st street to 53st street between 6th and 8th avenue in Manhattan. Due to the mass array of bright colorful lights and signs that decorate the district of 41st and 53st and Broadway, it gained the nickname the “great white way”. Even though there are 36 total theatres located between 41st and 53st of Broadway, there are only 4 actual theatres physically located on the Broadway strip. The other theatres are either located east or west of the Broadway. However, not all theatrical performances are considered Broadway theatre productions. Actually theatres of 499 seats and above are known as Broadway theatres. Theatres containing 199 seats to 499 seats are considered off-Broadway theatres. Lastly, theaters who contain 99 seats and below are off off-broadway theatres. Theatres such as the off-Broadway theatres are located all over New York, in boroughs such as Queens and Brooklyn. Broadway theatre performances are not always considered better than their off-Broadway counterparts.
The name Broadway itself contains a rich history of famous and prominent theatre performances over years in New York, which legacy still carries on to this day. The Broadway theatre district contributed greatly to the fame and popularity of Times Square, since it is located in the same vicinity. Theatre in New York is an expression of the captured deeper feelings and emotions we find dormant within ourselves, from day to day experiences, released in an emotional performance we, as an audience, can spiritually relate to. When one mentions theatre, you cannot help but relate the idea to the City of New York, due to its contribution to the living art form we know today as theatre.
Work Cited
http://www.videojug.com/interview/the-history-of-broadway-2#what-is-broadway
http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/theatre/theatre_history.shtml
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/bway101/1.html