Photography by Paul Kolnik, Courtesy Barlow-Hartman Public Relations

A Brief Early History of Broadway Plays

Broadway is the longest street in New York and it begins in downtown Manhattan and runs through town and across the Broadway Bridge, connecting Manhattan with the Bronx, and through the Bronx. When one refers to the "Great White Way", one is referring to the 36 theaters located between West 41st and 53rd Streets and 6th and 8th Avenues in New York. This small area in the center of the hub of Manhattan has been host to some of the most famous stage productions in the world. Originally, when this land was a Dutch frontier trading post, stage performances were forbidden there.

In 1750, The Beggar's Opera, with 5 performances, was the first professionally performed musical in New York. Across from City Hall Park in 1848, stood the Park Theatre, which was New York's first world renown stage. In the 1800s, Broadway was New York's main street and therefore the most likely place for entrepreneurs to build their entertainment establishments. In 1866 Mr. William Wheatley, who was manager of the Niblo's Garden auditorium which seated 3,200, is credited with being the originator of the Broadway musical. During the mid-19th Century, Broadway burlesque productions were extremely popular. Burlesque started as musical comedy productions - not bump and grind stripping. Gilbert and Sullivan brought wide popularity to the modern stage through-out the 20th Century. Classic productions followed, such as The Wizard of Oz, No Business Like Show Business and George M. Cohan in Little Johnny Jones.

World War and Broadway Plays

Irving Berlin was considered America's most popular composer and he contributed productions such as an army review, "This is the Army." Broadway played a big part in fund raising and moral boosting. Ethel Merman stared in "Something For the Boys," and newcomer Gene Kelly played the title role in "Pal Joey." The American musical was destined to be a main-stay and favorite of Broadway productions.

Broadway Theaters of the Past and Present

During the day when you walk down Broadway, the grand theaters may not look so sparkly or awesome from the street. However once inside you are taken back by the gold gilt and dramatic decor. Victorian, art deco and in some instances just glitz galore. The Broadhurst Theatre opened its doors in 1917 and has a seating capacity of over 1,200. The Palace was built in 1913 and was a heaven for vaudeville with stars such as Eddie Cantor, Jack Benny and Will Rogers. Not all of the grand halls have survived as stages, but their place in the history of Broadway will always remain.

The Millennium and Broadway Plays

This era started with many revivals and some not very noteworthy productions. Mel Brook's brought his screen classic "The Producers" to Broadway in 1967 and it is still playing as of 2005. With the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, the theaters of Broadway closed. Just 10 days after the attack, the production of "Urinetown" opened to rave reviews. The longest running and most successful production in the history of Broadway is "The Phantom of the Opera." This show has received 7 Tony Awards, has been seen by more than 10 million people and just celebrated it's 17th Broadway year.