Dancin ' is a musical revue created, directed, and choreographed by Bob Fosse and originally produced on Broadway in 1978. The plotless, dance-driven revue is a tribute to the art of dance, and the music is a collection of mostly American songs, many with a dance theme, from a wide variety of styles, from operetta to jazz to classical to marches to pop. The original production received seven 1978 Tony Award nominations, with Fosse winning for best choreography.
150-429: The show received its first-ever Broadway revival in 2023, under the helm of original cast member Wayne Cilento . In summer 1977, with the development of his film All That Jazz on hold, Fosse decided to eschew collaborators and create a new musical without a story or script, constructed entirely from pre-existing songs, using his choreography as the "words". Fosse witnessed Michael Bennett 's tremendous success with
300-780: A frontage of 106.5 feet (32.5 m) on 44th Street and a depth of 100.42 ft (31 m). The Broadhurst Theatre shares the city block with the Row NYC Hotel to the west. It adjoins six other theaters: the Majestic to the west, the John Golden and Bernard B. Jacobs to the northwest, the Gerald Schoenfeld to the north, the Booth to the northeast, and the Shubert to the east. Other nearby structures include
450-428: A marquee extends above the doors. The southeastern corner of the facade is curved and contains an entrance to the ticket lobby. This entrance contains a double door, above which is a glass transom panel with the word "Broadhurst" inscribed on it. The corner entrance is topped by a broken pediment , which is supported by console brackets on either side and contains an escutcheon at the center. Along 44th Street,
600-546: A 273-performance run. That year, the Shuberts took over the theater's operation from George Broadhurst. In 1931, the Broadhurst staged Herbert Fields and Rodgers and Hart 's musical America's Sweetheart , which continued for 135 performances. Aarons and Freedley gave up their lease on the theater that August, and Norman Bel Geddes produced a short-lived revival of Shakespeare's Hamlet that November. This
750-472: 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. The actors and the crew in these shows tend to regard Sunday evening through Monday evening as their weekend. The Tony award presentation ceremony
900-839: A Theater Advisory Council, which included Papp. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City , Broadway theaters closed on March 12, 2020, shuttering 16 shows that were playing or were in the process of opening. The Broadway League shutdown was extended first to April, then to May, then June, then September 2020 and January 2021, and later to June 1, 2021. Then-governor Andrew Cuomo announced that most sectors of New York would have their restrictions lifted on May 19, 2021, but he stated that Broadway theatres would not be able to immediately resume performances on this date due to logistical reasons. In May 2021, Cuomo announced that Broadway theaters would be allowed to reopen on September 14, and
1050-465: A ballet would "legitimize" him because it was considered a "serious art form" compared to musical theatre dance. However, despite negotiating for a decade with Robert Joffrey , Fosse's ballet never moved beyond the idea stage. Instead, Fosse's concept for this new show was to use classical and show music, popular music , rock and roll , Mozart , Bach , George M. Cohan , and contemporary music by Neil Diamond and Melissa Manchester , anything except
1200-403: A book musical ... that kind of show takes about three years to do. I didn't have those years to sit with a composer and to evolve a book. So I went with music that was already published and forgot about story." Later, on the opening night of Dancin ' , famed librettist Alan Jay Lerner sent Fosse a telegram that said: "You finally did it. You got rid of the author". Fosse started working on
1350-449: 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." Kenrick notes that "the late 1960s marked a time of cultural upheaval. All those changes would prove painful for many, including those behind the scenes, as well as those in the audience." Of the 1970s, Kenrick writes: "Just when it seemed that traditional book musicals were back in style,
1500-663: A cast. There are still, however, performers who are primarily stage actors, spending most of their time "on the boards", and appearing 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. According to Mark Shenton, "One of
1650-434: 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 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 theatres survived. The musicals of
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#17327823349961800-540: 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 1753, performing ballad operas and ballad-farces like Damon and Phillida . During the Revolutionary War , theatre was suspended in New York City. But after
1950-565: A discount of 20 to 50%. The TKTS booths are located in Times Square , in Lower Manhattan , and at Lincoln Center . This service is run by Theatre Development Fund . 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. According to The Broadway League , total Broadway attendance
2100-906: A few exceptions, compared with London runs, until World War I . A few very successful British musicals continued to achieve great success in New York, including Florodora in 1900–01. In the early years of the twentieth century, translations of popular late-nineteenth 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)). Beginning with The Red Mill , Broadway shows installed electric signs outside
2250-432: A frieze of horsemen. The theater was also designed with a false proscenium opening, which gave the impression of a smaller stage suitable for dramas and comedies. The proscenium opening measures about 25 feet (7.6 m) tall and 40 ft (12 m) wide. The depth of the auditorium to the proscenium is 31 ft (9.4 m), while the depth to the front of the stage is 33 ft 2 in (10.11 m). The ceiling
2400-417: A granite water table with terracotta blocks above it. On this story, there are two metal doors and three windows. The stage house has five sash windows on each of the upper stories. These windows are placed within segmental arches made of brick. There is a metal fire escape in front of the stage house, which leads to the fire escape in front of the auditorium's third story. A parapet with corbels runs above
2550-556: A half years. The Broadhurst hosted a revival of the August Strindberg play Dance Of Death in late 2001, featuring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren . The next year, the theater revived Stephen Sondheim 's musical Into the Woods with Vanessa Williams , which ran for 279 performances. Two short runs followed in 2003: Urban Cowboy , with 60 performances, and Never Gonna Dance , with 84 performances. As part of
2700-469: A hiatus mid-run. Subsequently, Ruth Gordon 's version of the Henrik Ibsen play A Doll's House moved to the Broadhurst in 1938. This was followed in 1939 by Dodie Smith 's Dear Octopus ; the musical The Hot Mikado , an all-Black version of The Mikado with Bill Robinson ; and the revue The Streets of Paris with Carmen Miranda and Abbott and Costello . During the 1940s,
2850-532: A larger theatre. Other productions are first developed through workshops and then out-of-town tryouts before transferring to Broadway. Merrily We Roll Along famously skipped an out-of-town tryout and attempted to do an in-town tryout—actually preview performances —on Broadway before its official opening, with disastrous results. After, or even during, successful runs in Broadway theatres, producers often remount their productions with new casts and crew for
3000-472: A limited season in 1983 at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in Westminster, London. Previews began on November 11, 1983, with the official opening on 14 November 1983, and closing on 28 January 1984. The revue was once again directed by Fosse. At the time of his death in 1987, Fosse was said to be working on Dancin' Too , his proposed followup to Dancin ' . Following Broadway, national tours, and London,
3150-526: 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 , A Chorus Line , Dear Evan Hansen , and Hamilton , began their runs Off-Broadway and later transferred to Broadway, seeking to replicate their intimate experience in
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#17327823349963300-539: A negative COVID-19 test (PCR within 72 hours or antigen within six hours of the performance start time). Beginning November 8, those ages 5–11 also had the option to provide proof of at least one vaccination shot. Effective December 14, in accordance with NYC's vaccination mandate, guests ages 5–11 were required to have at least one vaccination shot until January 29, 2022, where they had to be fully vaccinated. The vaccine mandate lasted until April 30, and attendees were also required to wear face masks until July 1. During
3450-1152: 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 , Clifford Odets , 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 José Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac , Paul Robeson and Ferrer in Othello , Maurice Evans in Richard II and
3600-457: A new score written by a collaborator. He stated publicly that the project would free him from the burden of an artistic partnership: "When you have collaborators, you have all those midnight meetings. I'm tired of those... So I just decided to meet myself at midnight." In a contemporaneous interview, Fosse told the Bulletin : "With a heart attack behind me, I just didn't feel I could spend time on
3750-510: A pre-Broadway try-out run at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre in the summer of 2022, and featured new material, including songs from Fosse's final Broadway musical Big Deal (1986) and restoration of the "Big City Mime" sequence that had been cut from the original production out of town in Boston. The new production also makes a nod to the film universe of Fosse, with a set design featuring scaffolding reminiscent of his film All That Jazz , and
3900-712: A principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre; Edward Love, who had danced with Alvin Ailey; Fosse stalwarts Christopher Chadman, John Mineo, and Richard Korthaze; and new members of the Fosse family like Wayne Cilento . Three months of rehearsal (instead of the usual eight weeks) began at the end of 1977: on the first day, Fosse told the assembled cast: "This is a show about dancing. You have to love to dance, or you should not be in this show. If you do not love it, get out, please. It's going to be hard work for
4050-500: A rate acceptable to the producers, 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, 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 money to
4200-843: A revival of Private Lives with Joan Collins and the play Shimada in 1992. The next hit was Terrence McNally , John Kander , and Fred Ebb 's musical Kiss of the Spider Woman , which opened in May 1993 with Anthony Crivello , Brent Carver , and Chita Rivera ; it ran for 906 performances. Next, the New York Shakespeare Festival presented The Tempest in November 1995, starring Patrick Stewart , for 71 performances. The play Getting Away with Murder flopped in March 1996 after 17 performances, and
4350-431: A run of 253 performances. 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 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
4500-475: A set of plays by Preston Jones . At the end of the year, the theater hosted Larry Gelbart 's farce Sly Fox , starring George C. Scott , which ran for 495 performances. Bob Fosse 's musical Dancin' , starring Ann Reinking and Wayne Cilento , had opened in March 1978. When Dancin' relocated in December 1980, it had had the longest continuous run at the Broadhurst. Immediately afterward,
4650-485: A settlement with the United States Department of Justice in 2003, the Shuberts agreed to improve disabled access at their 16 landmarked Broadway theaters, including the Broadhurst. Billy Crystal 's solo show 700 Sundays , which opened in December 2004, ran for 163 performances and at one point was Broadway's highest-grossing non-musical show. The musical Lennon then had 49 performances at
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4800-481: A show 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 , Manhattan Theatre Club , and Second Stage Theater are the four non-profit theatre companies that currently have permanent Broadway venues. Some other productions are produced on Broadway with "limited engagement runs" for several reasons, including financial issues, prior engagements of
4950-580: 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 Theatre 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
5100-529: Is a Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . Opened in 1917, the theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was built for the Shubert brothers . The Broadhurst Theatre is named for British-American theatrical producer George Broadhurst , who leased the theater before its opening. It has 1,218 seats across two levels and
5250-417: Is a terracotta cartouche containing depictions of swags . The curved corner contains a third-floor window, topped by an oval escutcheon decorated with swags and fleur-de-lis . A terracotta cornice and a brick parapet runs above the auditorium facade. The parapet is stepped and contains a coping made of sheet metal . The stage house is five stories high. The ground floor of the stage house contains
5400-475: Is an internationally prominent tourist attraction in New York City . According to The Broadway League , shows on Broadway sold approximately US$ 1.54 billion worth of tickets in both the 2022-2023 and the 2023–2024 seasons. Both seasons featured theater attendance of approximately 12.3 million each. Most Broadway shows are musicals . Historian Martin Shefter argues that "Broadway musicals, culminating in
5550-416: Is decorated with a medallion containing a light fixture; this is surrounded by a molded band. Doric-style columns separate the boxes from each other, supporting a molding and panel at the top of each wall section. Next to the boxes is a flat proscenium arch, which consists of Doric pilasters on either side of the opening, as well as an entablature above. The entablature contains a central relief panel with
5700-633: Is flat, containing plasterwork moldings, friezes, and medallions, as well as air-conditioning vents. Chandeliers are suspended from the medallions. Times Square became the epicenter for large-scale theater productions between 1900 and the Great Depression . Manhattan's theater district had begun to shift from Union Square and Madison Square during the first decade of the 20th century. From 1901 to 1920, forty-three theaters were built around Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, including
5850-466: Is operated by The Shubert Organization . Both the facade and the auditorium interior are New York City landmarks . The neoclassical facade is simple in design and is similar to that of the Schoenfeld (formerly Plymouth) Theatre , which was developed concurrently. The Broadhurst's facade is made of buff -colored brick and terracotta and is divided into two sections: a stage house to the west and
6000-533: Is operated by the Shubert Organization . Krapp designed the Broadhurst and Plymouth theaters with relatively simple brick-and-stone facades, instead relying on the arrangement of the brickwork for decorative purposes. The Broadhurst and Plymouth contain curved corners at the eastern portions of their respective facades, facing Broadway , since most audience members reached the theaters from that direction. The use of simple exterior-design elements
6150-510: Is surrounded by a Doric -style cornice as well as a frieze designed in the Adam style . There are also plasterwork panels on the promenade ceiling, which contain chandeliers suspended from medallions. Two staircases with metal railings lead from the promenade to the balcony. The orchestra level is raked , sloping down toward an orchestra pit in front of the stage. The orchestra and its promenade contain walls with plasterwork panels. Doorways on
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6300-571: 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 pm. The rationale for this move was that since fewer tourists take in shows midweek, Tuesday attendance depends more on local patrons. 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
6450-742: The Agatha Christie play Ten Little Indians in 1944, and a transfer of the revue Follow the Girls with Jackie Gleason and Gertrude Niesen in 1945. Morgan Lewis and Nancy Hamilton 's revue Three to Make Ready transferred to the Broadhurst in 1946, and Helen Hayes returned the same year in Anita Loos 's Happy Birthday , which ran for 564 performances. Four revues were staged during 1948 and 1949: Make Mine Manhattan , Along Fifth Avenue , Lend an Ear , and Touch and Go . The 1950s saw several long-running shows, though
6600-565: The Ambassador Theatre , and closed on June 27, 1982, after 1,774 performances (including previews). Dancin ' was a milestone musical for dancers, both artistically and financially; for the first time ever, the entire company of a Broadway show was given principal contracts under Equity, which meant higher salaries. It was a very strenuous show; injuries were common, and the dancers were asked to do more than had ever been asked of dancers on Broadway before or since. Dancin '
6750-610: 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. Of the four non-profit theatre companies with Broadway theatres, all four ( Lincoln Center Theater , Manhattan Theatre Club , Roundabout Theatre Company , and Second Stage Theatre ) belong to
6900-580: 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.) 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;
7050-644: The Music Box Theatre and Imperial Theatre one block north; One Astor Plaza to the east; 1501 Broadway to the southeast; and the Sardi's restaurant, the Hayes Theater , and the St. James Theatre to the south. The Broadhurst is part of the largest concentration of Broadway theaters on a single block. The Broadhurst, Schoenfeld (originally Plymouth), Booth, and Shubert theaters were all developed by
7200-503: The Nederlander Organization , which controls nine theatres; and ATG Entertainment , which owns seven Broadway houses. Both musicals and straight 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 film and television are frequently cast for the revivals of Broadway shows or are used to replace actors leaving
7350-460: The Parthenon , which is mostly hidden behind light boxes. There is a small technical gallery above the rear of the balcony, the front railing of which contains moldings of swags. A Doric-style cornice runs above the balcony walls, wrapping above the boxes and proscenium. On either side of the stage is a wall section with three boxes at the balcony level. The boxes step downward toward the stage;
7500-476: The Roaring Twenties , borrowing from vaudeville, music hall , and other light entertainment, 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
7650-604: The Shubert brothers between 44th and 45th Streets, occupying land previously owned by the Astor family . The Broadhurst and Schoenfeld were built as a pair, occupying land left over from the development of the Shubert and Booth, which were also paired. The Broadhurst/Schoenfeld theatrical pair share an alley to the east, parallel to the larger Shubert Alley east of the Shubert/Booth pair. The Broadhurst/Schoenfeld alley
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#17327823349967800-409: 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
7950-644: The 2023 Tony Awards . Opening Recollections of an Old Dancer The Dream Barre Percussion Dancin' Man Three In One Joint Endeavor A Manic Depressive's Lament Fourteen Feet Benny's Number The Female Star Spot America Improvisation Opening Recollections of an Old Dancer Percussion Three In One Big City Mime Dancin' Man Benny's Number The Female Star Spot Romantic Fantasy Joint Endeavors America No Good Reason At All Intro to Big Deal Big Deal In his The New York Times review, Richard Eder writes
8100-495: The Broadhurst Theatre. The Broadhurst was developed by the Shubert brothers of Syracuse, New York , who expanded downstate into New York City in the first decade of the 20th century. After the death of Sam S. Shubert in 1905, his brothers Lee and Jacob J. Shubert expanded their theatrical operations significantly. The brothers controlled a quarter of all plays and three-quarters of theatrical ticket sales in
8250-511: The Broadhurst and Booth theaters was sold in 2009, and some 1,800 sq ft (170 m ) was sold in 2012. The Shuberts sold a further 58,392 sq ft (5,424.8 m ) of air rights above the Majestic and Broadhurst in 2013. Lucy Prebble 's play Enron flopped at the Broadhurst with 16 performances in 2010, despite critical acclaim on the West End. More successful was
8400-477: The Broadhurst briefly hosted the long-running musical My Fair Lady , and Richard Rodgers 's musical No Strings finished its 580-performance run there. The Tom Jones / Harvey Schmidt musical 110 in the Shade opened in 1963 with Robert Horton , Will Geer , Lesley Ann Warren , and Inga Swenson . The next year, the theater hosted the West End musical Oh, What a Lovely War! . The musical Kelly
8550-447: The Broadhurst have included Hold Everything! , Fiorello! , Cabaret , Grease , Kiss of the Spider Woman , Les Misérables , and Mamma Mia! . The Broadhurst Theatre is on 235 West 44th Street, on the north sidewalk between Eighth Avenue and Seventh Avenue , near Times Square in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City . The rectangular land lot covers 10,695 square feet (993.6 m ), with
8700-472: The Broadhurst hosted Peter Shaffer 's Amadeus , with Ian McKellen , Tim Curry , and Jane Seymour ; it ran until October 1983. The Tap Dance Kid opened that December, running for three months before transferring. Next was a revival of Death of a Salesman with Dustin Hoffman , which opened in March 1984 and ran until the end of that year. The Broadhurst was then closed for six months, and
8850-502: The Broadhurst hosted numerous musicals and revues. These included Boys and Girls Together with Ed Wynn , Jane Pickens , and the DeMarcos in 1940, as well as High Kickers with George Jessel and Sophie Tucker the next year. The drama Uncle Harry with Eva Le Gallienne, Joseph Schildkraut , and Karl Malden ran at the Broadhurst in 1942. Further hits at the Broadhurst included Fats Waller 's revue Early to Bed in 1943;
9000-555: The Broadhurst in 2005, followed the next year by Alan Bennett 's play The History Boys . A revival of the musical Les Misérables opened in November 2006, just three years after the long-running original production had closed; it had 463 performances. More revivals followed in 2008, with an all-Black cast in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof , as well as a revival of Equus starring Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths . Next in 2009
9150-530: The Broadhurst in 2012, followed the next year by Nora Ephron 's Lucky Guy , with Tom Hanks in his Broadway debut. In 2013, the musical Mamma Mia! transferred from the Winter Garden Theatre to the Broadhurst for the final two years of its 14-year run. The next shows at the Broadhurst were the play Misery in 2015, as well as the musicals Tuck Everlasting and The Front Page in 2016. The musical Anastasia opened at
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#17327823349969300-467: The Broadhurst in 2017 and ran there for nearly two years. It was followed in May 2019 by Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and in December 2019 by Jagged Little Pill . The theater closed on March 12, 2020 , due to the COVID-19 pandemic . It reopened on October 21, 2021, with performances of Jagged Little Pill , which closed at the end of 2021 due to further pandemic-related issues. It
9450-401: The Broadhurst in November 1988 and ran for just over a year. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) had started considering protecting the Broadhurst as an official city landmark in 1982, with discussions continuing over the next several years. The LPC designated the facade as a landmark on November 10, 1987, followed by the interior on December 15. This was part of
9600-414: The Broadhurst later in 1934. This included L'Aiglon with Ethel Barrymore , as well as Hedda Gabler and Cradle Song . The Broadhurst hosted Robert E. Sherwood 's play The Petrified Forest , with Humphrey Bogart and Leslie Howard , in 1935. Victoria Regina , featuring Helen Hayes and Vincent Price , opened at the end of that year. It ran for 517 performances through 1937, with
9750-536: 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. For Broadway national tours of top-tier cities,
9900-619: 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 eighteen, while at the Music Box Theatre it is nine. 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
10050-614: The COVID-19 shutdown, the Shubert Organization, the Nederlander Organization, and Jujamcyn had pledged to increase racial and cultural diversity in their theaters, including naming at least one theater for a Black theatrical personality. The August Wilson Theatre , owned by Jujamcyn, had been renamed after Black playwright August Wilson in 2005. The Shuberts announced in March 2022 that the Cort Theatre , which
10200-574: 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
10350-456: The Erlanger syndicate. 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. The motion picture mounted
10500-514: The LPC's wide-ranging effort in 1987 to grant landmark status to Broadway theaters. The New York City Board of Estimate ratified the designations in March 1988. The Shuberts, the Nederlanders , and Jujamcyn collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters, including the Broadhurst, on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which
10650-410: The League confirmed that performances would begin to resume in the fall season. Springsteen on Broadway became the first full-length show to resume performances, opening on June 26, 2021, to 1,721 vaccinated patrons at the St. James Theatre . Pass Over then had its first preview on August 4, and opened on August 22, 2021, becoming the first new play to open. Hadestown and Waitress were
10800-604: The Opera at the Majestic Theatre became the longest-running Broadway musical, with 7,486 performances, overtaking Cats . The Phantom of the Opera closed on Broadway on April 16, 2023, soon after celebrating its 35th anniversary, after a total of 13,981 performances. 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
10950-535: The Post was the first show to call itself a "musical comedy". 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
11100-581: The Public Theatre's transfer of The Merchant of Venice , starring Al Pacino , the same year. This was followed in 2011 by Floyd Mutrux 's musical Baby It's You! . Hugh Jackman 's concert special Back on Broadway , which opened the same year, broke the theater's box-office record several times; the current record as of 2023 was set on the week ending January 1, 2012, when the show earned $ 2,057,354. A revival of A Streetcar Named Desire with Blair Underwood and Nicole Ari Parker occupied
11250-438: The Shubert's new 44th Street venue because he wanted a theater to showcase his own work. The Broadhurst opened on September 27, 1917, with George Bernard Shaw 's comedy Misalliance ; the show lasted 52 performances. Despite his early intentions, George Broadhurst did not only stage his own shows at the theater; for example, the Broadhurst hosted a revival of R. C. Carton 's Lord and Lady Algy in December 1917. This
11400-468: The U.S. by 1925. The Shubert brothers had constructed the Shubert and Booth theaters as a pair in 1913, having leased the site from the Astor family. Only the eastern half of the land was used for the Shubert/Booth project; following the success of the two theaters, the Shubert brothers decided to develop another pair of theaters to the west. Herbert Krapp was hired as the architect, while Edward Margolies
11550-569: The auditorium to the east and a stage house to the west. The facade is generally shorter than its width. The ground floor of the auditorium contains a water table made of granite, above which are vertical blocks of architectural terracotta . The rest of the facade is made of buff brick in Flemish bond , laid in a diaper pattern. Along the ground floor on 44th Street, there are glass-and-bronze double doors with aluminum frames and transoms . There are display boxes on either side of these doors, and
11700-404: The auditorium's second and third floors contain a fire escape made of cast iron and wrought iron . There are doors and windows on both levels, leading to the fire escape. In addition, the fire escape's third-floor railing contains cast-iron depictions of ribands and shields. A canopy originally shielded the fire escape at the third floor. Above the center of the third floor, on 44th Street,
11850-492: 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. Charles H. Hoyt 's A Trip to Chinatown (1891) became Broadway's long-run champion when it surpassed Adonis and its 603 total performances in 1893, holding
12000-405: The balcony are four paneled piers (corresponding to those at orchestra level), which are topped by Doric-style capitals . The side walls contain plasterwork panels with swags. There are also doorways with pediments, similar to those on the orchestra. Low-relief panels and air-conditioning vents are placed on the balcony's underside. In front of the balcony is a Panathenaic frieze, based on that of
12150-435: The beginning of the nineteenth century, the area that now comprises the Theater District was owned by a handful of families and comprised a few farms. In 1836, Mayor Cornelius Lawrence opened 42nd Street and invited Manhattanites to "enjoy the pure clean air." Close to 60 years later, theatrical entrepreneur Oscar Hammerstein I built the iconic Victoria Theater on West 42nd Street. Broadway's first "long-run" musical
12300-476: 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 [sic] 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 13-week run is the norm." The minimum size of
12450-550: The bill was not passed. The Save the Theatres campaign then turned their efforts to supporting the establishment of the Theater District as a registered historic district . 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. Mayor Ed Koch ultimately reacted by creating
12600-571: The dance-focused musical A Chorus Line , but observed that it actually featured very little dancing in proportion to its talking and singing. For many years Fosse had been working toward choreographing a full ballet, first for the Harkness Ballet in New York, and later, for the Joffrey Ballet , most likely out of a desire to achieve the same status as ballet-turned-Broadway choreographers Jerome Robbins and Agnes DeMille , thinking
12750-422: The decade ended with critics and audiences giving mixed signals." 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." 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). In
12900-553: The earliest shows of the decade were short-lived. For example, Martin Balsam and Walter Matthau starred in The Liar , which lasted only 12 performances in May 1950. Douglass Watson and Olivia de Havilland starred in a 49-performance revival of Romeo and Juliet in 1951, while the musical Flahooley ran just 40 performances afterward. Conversely, the musical Seventeen ran for 180 performances later in 1951. Next
13050-679: The effort. 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". The legislation would have provided certain U.S. government resources and assistance to help the city preserve the district. Faced with strong opposition and lobbying by Mayor Ed Koch's Administration and corporate Manhattan development interests,
13200-431: The end of 1927. It was immediately followed by Winthrop Ames 's version of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice , featuring George Arliss and Peggy Wood . The Lew Brown / B. G. de Sylva / Ray Henderson musical Hold Everything! opened later in 1928 and lasted for 413 performances. The Broadhurst's last hit of the 1920s was George S. Kaufman and Ring Lardner 's play June Moon , which opened in 1929 for
13350-448: The entire Broadway production is transplanted almost entirely intact and may run for many months (or years) at each stop. For example, the first U.S. tour of The Phantom of the Opera required 26 53-foot-long (16.1 m) semi-trailers to transport all its sets, equipment, and costumes, and it took almost 10 days to properly unload all those trucks and install everything into a theater. Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre
13500-456: 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 professional singers ( Lillian Russell , Vivienne Segal , and Fay Templeton ), instead of the amateurs, often sex workers, who had starred in earlier musical forms. As transportation improved, poverty in New York diminished, and street lighting made for safer travel at night,
13650-478: The fifth story of the stage house. The auditorium has an orchestra level, one balcony, boxes , and a stage behind the proscenium arch. The auditorium has about the same width and depth, and the space is designed with plaster decorations in relief . According to the Shubert Organization, the theater has 1,218 seats; meanwhile, The Broadway League gives a figure of 1,186 seats and Playbill cites 1,163 seats. The physical seats are divided into 733 seats in
13800-410: The finale, "Yankee Doodle Disco", which was choreographed by cast member Christopher Chadman. That month, Variety reported that Fosse's all new dance revue would be called Dancers – the title eventually changed to Dancin ' , with the subtitle "A New Musical Entertainment". For his cast, Fosse saw over 1,000 dancers during auditions, settling on 16, including his muse, Ann Reinking ; Charles Ward,
13950-399: The firm of Herts & Tallant . While the facades of the two theaters are similar in arrangement, the interiors have a different design both from each other and from their respective facades. The Broadhurst is designed to complement the Shubert/Booth theatrical pair, with a simple neoclassical facade compared to the Shubert's and Booth's " Venetian Renaissance " designs. The Broadhurst
14100-531: The firm of Johansen-Bhavnani renovated the venue as part of a project that cost $ 2 million. The project entailed rebuilding the stage, redecorating the lobby, enlarging a lounge and restrooms, and modifying the seating areas. This was part of a restoration program for the Shubert Organization's Broadway theaters. The Broadhurst reopened in June 1985 with a gender-swapped version of Neil Simon 's play The Odd Couple ; it lasted until February 1986. The Eugene O'Neill play Long Day's Journey into Night opened at
14250-467: The first musicals to resume performances on September 2, 2021. The 74th Tony Awards were also postponed; the Tony nominations were announced on October 15, 2020, and took place on September 26, 2021. On July 30, 2021, it was announced that all Broadway theaters required attendees to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination . The rule applied to guests ages 12+. Those under age 12 were required to provide
14400-584: The flat proscenium arch, are box seats at balcony level. The Shubert brothers developed the Broadhurst and Plymouth theaters following the success of the Booth and Shubert theaters directly to the east. The Broadhurst Theatre opened on September 27, 1917, with Misalliance ; its namesake had intended to use the theater for his own productions. The Shuberts acquired full control of the Broadhurst in 1929 and have operated it since then. The theater has hosted not only musicals but also revues, comedies, and dramas throughout its history. Long-running shows hosted at
14550-419: The front box curves forward into the proscenium arch, while the rear box curves backward into the balcony. At the orchestra level, there are three rectangular openings, corresponding to the locations of former boxes on that level. The front railings of the boxes contain sections of a Panathenaic frieze, separated by fasces made of plaster; the frieze contained depictions of horsemen. The underside of each box
14700-798: The highest commercial level of live theater in the English-speaking world . While the Broadway thoroughfare is eponymous with the district, it is closely identified with Times Square . Only three theaters are located on Broadway itself: Broadway Theatre , Palace Theatre , and Winter Garden Theatre . The rest are located on the numbered cross streets, extending from the Nederlander Theatre one block south of Times Square on West 41st Street, north along either side of Broadway to 53rd Street , and Vivian Beaumont Theater , at Lincoln Center on West 65th Street. While exceptions exist,
14850-457: The inclusion of short dances from Fosse's early career in Hollywood, like "From This Moment On" from the film of Kiss Me, Kate (Fosse's first on-film choreography), and the "Alley Dance" from the film My Sister Eileen (originally danced by Fosse himself). In May 2023, it was announced that the production would close on May 14, 2023 due to declining sales and being completely shut out of
15000-590: The last play by Eugene O'Neill , opened at the Broadhurst in 1967 and featured Ingrid Bergman , Arthur Hill , and Colleen Dewhurst . You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running occupied the Broadhurst for several months in 1968, during the middle of that play's run. The next year, The Fig Leaves Are Falling flopped after four performances, and Woody Allen , Tony Roberts , and Diane Keaton starred in Play It Again, Sam . The Broadhurst
15150-485: The middle-class, variety shows in concert saloons for men of the working class and the slumming middle-class." 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
15300-521: The musical Once Upon a Mattress opened that December with Sarah Jessica Parker , running for 187 performances. In 1998, Jerry Seinfeld performed an original stand-up act at the Broadhurst; his final performance, I'm Telling You for the Last Time , was aired live on HBO . This was followed by Fosse , a revue featuring Bob Fosse shows, which opened in January 1999 and ran for two and
15450-420: The next sixteen years. However, smaller vaudeville and variety houses proliferated, and Off-Broadway was well established by the end of the nineteenth century. A Trip to Coontown (1898) was the first musical comedy entirely produced and performed by African Americans in a Broadway theatre (inspired largely by the routines of the minstrel shows ), followed by the ragtime -tinged Clorindy: The Origin of
15600-710: The next three months. You're going to be exhausted, but that's what this show is about." Despite the lack of creative partners, Fosse still had to negotiate with his co-producer Bernard Jacobs, the president of The Shubert Organization . While the show was out of town in Boston, Jacobs objected to the old-fashioned, literal minded Broadway-style ballet "Big City Mime", which depicted a tourist in Time Square coming in contact with prostitutes, massage parlors, and dance halls. Jacobs also objected to "The Dream Barre", another more risqué number featuring Ann Reinking and Charles Ward. Fosse bowed to Jacobs on "Big City Mime", cutting
15750-557: 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
15900-491: The number, but stood his ground on "The Dream Barre", which would remain in the show until being cut years later on tour. The rest of the show's numbers impressed audiences, and because Fosse co-produced the show, it became his biggest financial success in the theatre. Following its out of town tryout in Boston, Dancin ' opened on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on March 27, 1978. It later transferred to
16050-438: The orchestra, 429 on the balcony, and 24 in the boxes. There are 32 standing-only spots. The theater contains restrooms in the basement and concessions in the lobby. The orchestra level is wheelchair-accessible and contains an accessible restroom; the balcony is not wheelchair-accessible. The rear or eastern end of the orchestra contains a promenade, with four paneled piers supporting the balcony level. The promenade's ceiling
16200-556: 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 , 2012's Newsies , and 2022's Take Me Out . Historically, musicals on Broadway tend to have longer runs than "straight" (i.e., non-musical) plays. On January 9, 2006, The Phantom of
16350-468: The plays of George Bernard Shaw , and Katharine Cornell in such plays as Romeo and Juliet , Antony and Cleopatra , and Candida . In 1930, Theatre Guild 's production of Roar, China! was Broadway's first play with a majority Asian cast. 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
16500-423: 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 need not make a profit immediately; should they make their "nut" (weekly operating expenses), or lose money at
16650-645: The productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein , became enormously influential forms of American popular culture " and contributed to making New York City the cultural capital of the world . New York City's first significant theatre was established in the mid-18th century, around 1750, when actor-managers Walter Murray and Thomas Kean established a resident theatre company at the Theatre on Nassau Street in Lower Manhattan , which held about 280 people. They presented William Shakespeare 's plays and ballad operas such as The Beggar's Opera . In 1752, William Hallam sent
16800-681: The revived musical was reported in The New York Times stating (in alignment with Fosse's dance style), that in this newly updated musical, "A wiggle is worth a thousand words". Broadway theatre Broadway theatre , or Broadway , is a theatre genre that consists of the theatrical performances presented in 41 professional theaters , each with 500 or more seats, in the Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway , in Midtown Manhattan , New York City . Broadway and London 's West End together represent
16950-531: 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 . Theatre in New York moved from Downtown gradually to Midtown Manhattan , beginning around 1850, seeking less expensive real estate. At
17100-474: The same year. Peggy Wood returned to the Broadhurst for Hugo Felix 's Marjolaine in 1922, which had 136 performances. The Broadhurst's productions in 1923 included The Dancers with Richard Bennett and Florence Eldridge , as well as the revue Topics of 1923 with Alice Delysia . In early 1924, the Broadhurst staged Marc Connelly and George S. Kaufman 's play Beggar on Horseback with Roland Young , which lasted for 224 performances. This
17250-473: The season. This is done in order to maximize access to their target audience. 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
17400-678: The shoes are nailed to the floor, and the dancers proceed to move within those confines. He sums up by writing "precision and style mark the evening at its best", but they serve very little. Clive Barnes , newly moved to the New York Post , told Fosse that he thought the show was "tremendous" and "fantastic". The 2022 pre-Broadway production was praised in The San Diego Union-Tribune , which called it "a spectacular production of sight and sound. And most of all, dancin'." On March 19, 2023, an overall favorable review of
17550-475: The show in August 1977; intimidated by the idea of having to choreograph two hours worth of material, he asked dancer and choreographer Graciela Daniele to contribute a few numbers to the show, but she declined, saying: "When you are out of ideas, call me. I have the feeling that once you get into it, you're going to want to do it all." He didn't call, eventually devising choreography for the entire show, except for
17700-421: The show is designed to be a musical show — there is no story line. He states that Ann Reinking is clearly the star and she is at her best in the high point of the evening, "Benny's Number", which recreates Benny Goodman and his band using "Sing, Sing, Sing". He also mentions several other dances, such as "Dancin' Man", with the entire cast dressed in "ice-cream" suits and lavender shirts; and "Fourteen Feet", where
17850-501: The show was not performed or revived because the choreography is so demanding. However, several numbers from Dancin ' were recreated for the 1999 dance review Fosse , including: "Crunchy Granola Suite", "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man", "Percussion V", "Mr. Bojangles", and "Sing Sing Sing". A revival of Dancin ' was scheduled to be produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54 for 2009, but it
18000-402: The south (left) wall lead from the lobby, while those on the north (right) and east (rear) walls lead to the exits. The tops of the doorways are flanked by console brackets, which support an entablature and a pediment with anthemia . When the theater was built, the orchestra had a movable floor; half the seating could be removed overnight to accommodate smaller productions. At the rear of
18150-470: The stage for 657 performances. Chinatown itself was surpassed by the musical Irene (1919) in 1921 as the longest-running Broadway musical, and even earlier, in March 1920, by Lightnin' (1918) as the longest-running Broadway show. In 1896, theatre owners Marc Klaw and A. L. Erlanger formed the Theatrical Syndicate , which controlled almost every legitimate theatre in the U.S. for
18300-434: The term "Broadway theatre" is used predominantly to describe venues with seating capacities of at least 500 people. Smaller theaters in New York City are referred to as off-Broadway , regardless of location, while very small venues with fewer than 100 seats are called off-off-Broadway , a term that can also apply to non-commercial, avant-garde , or productions held outside of traditional theater venues. The Theater District
18450-581: The theater in April 1986, with Bethel Leslie and Jack Lemmon , followed later that year by the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby , with Roger Rees . At the end of 1986, Neil Simon's Broadway Bound opened at the Broadhurst with Jason Alexander , Linda Lavin , and Phyllis Newman ; it ran for 756 performances over the next two years. Another Simon play, Rumors , opened at
18600-401: The theater's entrance to the east. The entrance is topped by fire-escape galleries and contains a curved corner facing east toward Broadway . The auditorium contains an orchestra level, a large balcony, a small technical gallery, and a flat ceiling. The space is decorated in the classical Greek and Adam styles , with Doric columns and Greek friezes . Near the front of the auditorium, flanking
18750-680: The theaters could be modified. The lawsuit was escalated to the New York Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the United States , but these designations were ultimately upheld in 1992. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Aspects of Love opened at the Broadhurst in April 1990; despite running for 377 performances, the show lost its entire investment of $ 8 million. Several short-lived shows followed, including André Heller 's Wonderhouse in 1991, as well as
18900-534: 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
19050-481: The theatrical producer and director who established The Public Theater , led the "Save the Theatres" campaign. 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. Papp provided resources, recruited a publicist and celebrated actors, and provided audio, lighting, and technical crews for
19200-461: The time, the average age of theatergoers was 40.4; nearly two-thirds of the audience were women; and 29% identified as a racial minority. 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 are the criteria that define Broadway theatre. Off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway shows often provide
19350-568: The twenties, there were 70–80 theaters, but by 1969, there were 36 left. During this time, many Broadway productions struggled due to low attendance rates, which resulted in perceived mediocrity among such plays. For this reason, the Theatre Development Fund was created with the purpose of assisting productions with high cultural value that likely would struggle without subsidization, by offering tickets to those plays to consumers at reduced prices. In early 1982, Joe Papp ,
19500-568: The vein of Victor Herbert. Live theatre has survived the invention of cinema. Leaving these comparatively frivolous entertainments behind and taking the drama a step forward, Show Boat premiered on December 27, 1927, at the Ziegfeld Theatre . It represented 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
19650-692: The war's end, theatre resumed in 1798, when the 2,000-seat Park Theatre was built on Chatham Street on present-day Park Row . A second major theatre, Bowery Theatre , opened in 1826, followed by others. 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 premier 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
19800-519: Was Lillian Hellman 's Watch on the Rhine , which opened in April 1941. 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 's writings on Broadway musicals, "Every season saw new stage musicals send songs to the top of the charts. Public demand,
19950-539: Was 14.77 million in 2018–2019, compared to 13.79 million in 2017–2018. The average age of the Broadway audience in the 2017–18 theater season was 40, the lowest it had been in nearly two decades. By 2018, about 20% of Broadway tickets were sold to international visitors, although many visitors reported not being able to use their tickets. In 2022–2023, the first full season since the COVID-19 pandemic, Broadway theaters sold 12.3 million tickets, of which 35% were to local residents and 17% to international visitors. At
20100-424: Was a flop in 1965, with just one performance before it closed. It was followed the same year by the West End musical Half a Sixpence with Tommy Steele , which ran for 512 performances. Afterward, in late 1966, the Broadhurst premiered John Kander and Fred Ebb 's Cabaret , which only stayed a short time at the Broadhurst but ultimately lasted for about 1,165 performances. More Stately Mansions ,
20250-644: Was a 50-performance hit called The Elves in 1857. In 1870, the heart of Broadway was in Union Square , and by the end of the century, many theatres were near Madison Square . Theatres arrived in the Times Square area in the early 1900s, and the Broadway theatres consolidated there after a large number were built around the square in the 1920s and 1930s. New York runs continued to lag far behind those in London, but Laura Keene 's "musical burletta" The Seven Sisters (1860) shattered previous New York records with
20400-487: Was a production of Friedrich Schiller 's Mary Stuart , starring Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter , and a West End transfer of Hamlet , starring Jude Law . Meanwhile, the Shuberts sold 54,820 sq ft (5,093 m ) of unused air development rights above the Broadhurst to a developer in 2007; this allowed the firm to profit from the site, since the theater was landmarked and could not be further developed. A further 9,480 sq ft (881 m ) above
20550-542: Was followed in 1918 by the musical Maytime with Peggy Wood and the play Ladies First with Nora Bayes and William Kent . Rachel Crothers 's comedy 39 East opened at the Broadhurst in 1919, and Jane Cowl and Allan Langdon Martin's collaboration Smilin' Through at the end of that year. George Broadhurst's adaptation of the play Tarzan of the Apes , with real animals, ran for 13 performances in 1921. The Claw featuring Lionel Barrymore opened
20700-524: Was followed in 1932 by Philip Barry 's comedy The Animal Kingdom ; the drama The Man Who Reclaimed His Head ; and Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur 's play Twentieth Century . Next, the Group Theatre occupied the Broadhurst during the 1933–1934 season with a production of Sidney Kingsley 's play Men in White . Eve Le Gallienne 's Civic Repertory Company presented several shows at
20850-502: Was followed in 1958 by the play The World of Suzie Wong with France Nuyen and William Shatner , which lasted for 508 performances. Next, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick 's musical Fiorello! opened at the Broadhurst in November 1959, relocating over a year later in May 1961. Noël Coward 's musical Sail Away opened at the Broadhurst in October 1961 with Elaine Stritch , running for 167 performances. The next year,
21000-524: Was followed in November 2022 by A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical , which ran until June 2024. A single performance of the musical Chess was also hosted at the Broadhurst in December 2022. The next show to be staged at the Broadhurst, the play The Hills of California , opened at the Broadhurst in September 2024, running for two months; this will be followed by Boop! The Betty Boop Musical in April 2025. Productions are listed by
21150-594: Was followed the next year by Michael Arlen 's The Green Hat with Katharine Cornell ; it had 237 performances. The Broadhurst next hosted the revue Bunk of 1926 , which was forced to close in June 1926 due to an injunction against it. Shortly afterward, Alexander A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley leased the Broadhurst Theatre for several years. Jed Harris 's version of the George Abbott and Philip Dunning play Broadway opened that September; it continued for 603 performances, ultimately relocating at
21300-454: Was increasingly hosting musicals, dramas, and comedies by the 1970s, with the decline of revues. George Furth 's Twigs , featuring Sada Thompson , opened at the theater in 1971. Next, Grease had a short run at the Broadhurst during 1972; after transferring elsewhere, the show became Broadway's longest-running musical . It was followed at the end of the year by Neil Simon 's The Sunshine Boys . Herb Gardner 's play Thieves
21450-451: Was nominated for seven and won two Tony Awards . Fosse won for his choreography, and Jules Fisher won for his lighting design. Fisher said that sound designer Abe Jacob should have won a Tony Award, but there was no category for sound design until three decades later. Dancin ' received two national tours, the first from April 16, 1979 to May 18, 1980, and the second from July 29, 1980 to October 9, 1983. Dancin ' also ran for
21600-489: Was performed at the Broadhurst in 1974, and the Royal Shakespeare Company 's revival of Sherlock Holmes opened that year, with John Wood . Productions shown at the Broadhurst in 1976 included Enid Bagnold 's drama A Matter of Gravity , with Katharine Hepburn and Christopher Reeve ; a brief run of the musical Godspell , which had been an off-Broadway hit; and A Texas Trilogy ,
21750-420: Was postponed until the 2009–10 season, and then postponed indefinitely. It was announced on November 11, 2022, that a revival of the show, styled as Bob Fosse's Dancin ' and directed by original cast member Wayne Cilento and produced by Joey Parnes by special arrangement with Nicole Fosse , would play at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway , with opening night on March 19, 2023. The new staging played
21900-511: Was required under New York City construction codes of the time but, unlike Shubert Alley, it was closed to the public shortly after its completion. The Shuberts bought the land under all four theaters from the Astors in 1948. The Broadhurst Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and constructed in 1917 for the Shubert brothers . The Broadhurst and Plymouth were two of Krapp's first theatrical designs as an independent architect after he left
22050-534: Was the builder. Krapp filed plans for a new theater at 235 West 44th Street with the New York City Department of Buildings in January 1917; he revised these plans in March. That August, British-American theatrical producer George Broadhurst leased the theater from the Shuberts, and the venue was renamed for Broadhurst. At the time, Broadhurst was a busy playwright; he staged nearly 30 Broadway and West End plays from 1907 to 1924. He leased
22200-792: Was the revival of the Rodgers and Hart musical Pal Joey in 1952, featuring Vivienne Segal and Harold Lang , which at 542 performances ran longer than the original production. The Spanish Theatre performed several plays in repertory at the Broadhurst in 1953, followed thereafter by The Prescott Proposals with Katharine Cornell. This was followed by long runs of Anniversary Waltz (1954) with Macdonald Carey and Kitty Carlisle ; Lunatics and Lovers (1954) with Sheila Bond , Buddy Hackett , and Dennis King ; and The Desk Set (1955) with Shirley Booth . The Broadhurst hosted Auntie Mame in 1956, starring Rosalind Russell in her last Broadway appearance; it ran for 639 performances. This
22350-413: Was typical of Krapp's commissions for the Shubert family, giving these theaters the impression that they were mass-produced. The Broadhurst and Plymouth theaters' designs contrasted with Henry Beaumont Herts 's earlier ornate designs of the Shubert and Booth theaters. Nevertheless, the use of curved east-facing corners was common to all four theaters. The Broadhurst's facade is divided into two sections:
22500-663: Was under renovation at the time, would be renamed after actor James Earl Jones . In June 2022, the Nederlanders announced that the Brooks Atkinson Theatre would be renamed after Lena Horne , The James Earl Jones Theatre was rededicated in September 2022, while the Lena Horne Theatre was rededicated that November. Although there are some exceptions, shows with open-ended runs generally have evening performances Tuesday through Saturday, with
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