Broadway is famous around the world for its many theaters.
According to the tourism website Visit New York City, the term "Broadway" refers to both a street in New York City and a geographical area of the street that is famous for the performing of live theater. Broadway is the longest street in New York, stretching from Manhattan Island to the Bronx via the Broadway Bridge.
History
The Talkin' Broadway performing arts website reports the site of Broadway has been known throughout history and was used as a trail by Native Americans before the arrival of European settlers. When the Dutch colonized Manhattan Island, a fort was built with a wide entrance that led to a road to the Wall Street gate of the colony. This wide street was named Breedeweg by the colonists; when the British took over control of Manhattan, the street name was anglicized to Broad Way.
Performance
Visit New York City reports that the area of Broadway became the largest and busiest street in New York during the 19th century, making it the ideal place for entertainment entrepreneurs to open businesses. The first professional play did not open in New York until 1750, when the Beggars opera was performed just six times. The Broadway musical is reported by Visit New York City as being created around 1866 by the manager of the 3,200-seat theater Niblo's Garden Auditorium, William Wheatley.
Area
The area of Broadway that has become famous for the performing arts is known as the Great White Way, according to the Visit New York City website, and is positioned in a geographical area marked by the city's streets. A Broadway theater must be positioned between West 41st and 53rd streets and between Sixth and Eighth avenues.
Types
There are a variety of different types of Broadway theater; the New York Theatre Guide classes these as Broadway, off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway. Differences in these theaters are set by size and location. A Broadway theater must be situated within the geographical area of Broadway and have more than 499 seats. Off-Broadway theaters have less than 499 but more than 100 seats, while off-off-Broadway have less than 100 seats. The New York Theatre Guide also explains that the majority of off-Broadway theaters are nonprofit, while Broadway theaters are commercial theaters.
Record
The Visit New York City website says that the musical "The Phantom of the Opera" holds the record for the longest running Broadway production. The musical also holds the record for the highest attendance, with over 10 million people seeing its performances.
