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Broadway Theatres and the Impresarios They are Named For

40 venues have the distinction of being known as official Broadway theatres. Some of these venues have been named after people who were heavily involved in creating the Broadway we know today. Many New Yorkers aren’t even aware who these people are (or were), that have Broadway theatres named for them. So here is a guide to impress your friends and traveling companions. A number of theatres on Broadway are named for the impresarios of the theatre; the founders of modern Broadway who put the money and creative talent forward in writing, producing, designing and building theatres. David Belasco built the Belasco Theatre in 1907. It is rumored that Belasco was the first to use the infamous “casting couch” and there have been many reports that his ghost haunts his theatre to this day. In 1917, the Broadhurst Theatre was opened for business by George Howells Broadhurst, who was a dramatist and theatre manager. The theatre has been in constant use as a live theatre venue ever since, recently featuring Daniel Radcliffe in Equus. The Cort Theatre on 48th Street, opened in 1912. The Cort was commissioned by John Cort, also a significant theatre manager originally from Seattle. The Golden Theatre gets its name from John Golden. John Golden acquired it and renamed it after himself in 1937, and although it was turned into a movie theatre during the 1940’s and 1950’s, it has since been converted back to theatrical use. It was the theatre that housed the wildly successful Avenue Q which ran from 2003-2009.

New York Has Loved Live Theatre for 250 Years.

Broadway as we know it is home to the most extravagant and spectacular musicals the world has to offer. It is astonishing to realize that live theatre has been a part of New York’s cultural identity for 250 years. 1750 saw the first theatre go up in New York City. The theatre scene we have today in New York has evolved significantly from its early days. In the beginning Shakespeare’s plays were performed, and by the mid-1800’s minstrel shows were popular. The 19th century New York stage experimented with a variety of entertainment forms; vaudeville, musical entertainment, operas and melodrama to name a few. European burlesque had also made it to New York and thrilled audiences by the end of the 1800’s. We can thank the performers of the 19th century for the beginnings of musical theatre; however the modern musical wasn’t born until the staging of Show Boat in 1927. Instead of being a hobbled together variety show, Show Boat found a way to link the music, story and dance cohesively in one package. The theatre district started life in downtown Manhattan, and over the course of a century moved gradually toward mid-town. Today, the Broadway theatre district has been located in the same area since the 1920’s. Although the musicals today are very different from the entertainment of previous centuries, we must thank the early beginnings of New York theatre for the wonderful shows we are able to see today on Broadway.

Haven’t Seen Avenue Q Yet? Get To the Theatre

To the delight of theatre fans everywhere, the wonderful musical Avenue Q has opened Off-Broadway at the New World Stages. If you haven't heard of the show, Avenue Q pays homage to Sesame Street, using puppets to tell a decidedly adult story. The show has memorable and catchy songs, is side-splittingly funny at times, and will make you cry at others. Although Avenue Q does use puppetry, it is not for children. It is not really suitable for children under 12 and children under four will not be permitted in the theatre. The story centers on Princeton, a newcomer to New York who has big dreams and no money, and therefore settles in Avenue Q, the only neighborhood in his price range. His neighbors gradually come into view and the audience follows them as they toil to find jobs, dates and their purpose in life. Avenue Q is well worth seeing next time you visit New York and has multiple Tony awards to its credit.

Two Amazing Homes Of Live Theatre Off-Broadway

Broadway is not the only place to see great live theatre in New York. A vast number of Off-Broadway theatres are producing work that really deserves to be seen. An inspection of show schedules at Off-Broadway theatres will introduce you to new and interesting plays that you have never heard of. The New York Theatre Workshop is known for its focus on new works. Before heading to Broadway, Rent had its original production here in 1994. Many established directors and writers have worked at the New York Theatre Workshop since its first opening night in 1982. Tony Kushner, Alan Ball and Caryl Churchill are among notables. Opening night for the NYWT's next production is November 13th 2009, when they will be stage The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Another respected Off-Broadway theatre is the Public Theatre which opened in 1967. This theatre, located in the East Village section of Manhattan at 425 Lafayette, started its story with the successful world-premiere of Hair, then some years later A Chorus Line also debuted there. This first run of A Chorus Line sold out before opening night. Over the course of its history hundreds of awards have been bestowed on shows at the Public Theatre. Nowadays the theatre is home to a cabaret pub, and 5 theatre spaces. Their current season is available on their website.

Article Source: http://www.articles-unlimited.com

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