The birth of a myth
Broadway refers to a location in the theater district in Manhattan, New York. This district extends around Times Square, between 35th and 50th Streets, on both sides of the oldest and longest avenue, which crosses the city diagonally. The definition of a "Broadway Theater" is first and foremost its size, not whether it is located in a particular place or according to its style of performance. It must be able to accommodate 500 people or more. This is the case for about 40 theaters. Below that, it is called an "Off-Broadway Theater", and if it seats less than 100, it is an "Off-Off-Broadway Theater". Broadway theaters also pay performers and technical staff more, mainly because they can sell more seats. Their large stages allow for more elaborate productions, which means a larger audience, but also more expensive tickets. Beyond this perimeter, about 300 small theaters, set up in a variety of spaces (sheds, lofts, garages, churches), offer repertoire outside of the established hits.
In the United States, theater was slow to take hold, as it was viewed with suspicion by the Puritan pioneers. At first, the emphasis was on entertaining, wordless acts that were suitable for a wide audience. The variety, then, was more like a circus or a fair than a theatrical performance. Vaudeville, a variety expurgated of its vulgarities, then minstrels shows, performances composed of songs, dances and sketches which put in scene a group of black musicians, incarnated by white artists with blackened faces, which imitated the accent of the slaves of the plantations, made evolve the genre. These different forms contained the main ingredients of the musical in a scattered fashion: theatrical plot, song, dance, and farce. At the turn of the twentieth century, new names appeared: Victor Herbert, who balanced all his life between light and classical artistic proposals, George M. Cohan who proposed the unofficial anthem of the New York theater district with "Give My Regards To Broadway " and then Florent Ziegfield, and his Ziegfield Follies with their lethal weapon the Ziegfeld Girls, embodiment of beauty and carefree. Little by little, what is called the Musical Book was formed: all the individual practices (tap, singing, dancing) are integrated into the dramatic plot. Several composers emerged thanks to the songs they wrote for the revues, such as Jerome Kern, George Gershwin or Cole Porter. For Broadway, 1927 was a pivotal year in a world where money was flowing for musicals. That year, 8 new theaters were built and about 50 new shows were created (on the evening of December 26, 11 premieres took place at the same time.) Despite the blossoming of talking pictures, the musical comedy genre held up very well in New York and continued to attract more and more people, until it reached its golden age in the early 1950s. The first blockbuster musical was called Oklahoma! It has been performed more than 2,000 times in New York and returns to the Broadway stage in 2019. A quick trip to the Museum of Broadway will tell you all about the theater district and the wonderful world of musicals!
Broadway Madness
Broadway is a special world. Incredible stories have taken place here, embodying New York extravagance. At the end of 2018, for example, some fans were prepared to shell out the crazy sum of US$40,000 for a Springsteen on Broadway ticket, as the artist completed his Broadway residency after 236 shows. An Irish woman, who had waited 4 days on the sidewalk outside the Richard Rodgers Theatre to buy tickets to see Hamilton, realized at the last moment that she was $20 short, so a New York police officer offered her the missing dollars. And it's not uncommon to find aficionados in line to buy tickets, who have traveled several thousand kilometers just to get the precious sesame. The Phantom of the Opera, which ran until 2023 and left Broadway 36 years after its debut, still holds the record for the most successful Broadway musical. Worldwide receipts exceeded $5.6 billion, and Broadway alone generated over $845 million from this success. Broadway's longest-runningrevival is Chicago, which has been running ever since its premiere in 1996. There are dozens of shows on the bill, so choose carefully... And don't make your choice solely on the basis of a particular artist, as actors often change or don't always have the starring role. To discover the greatest hits, check out the results of the Tony Awards, the Oscars for plays. Don't worry if you don't understand the English lyrics: you don't need to be bilingual to follow the show, just enjoy it and let yourself be transported for a few hours. However, if you don't understand English well, avoid shows such as The Book of Mormon, which owe their success more to their genius dialogue than to their necessarily spectacular staging. The alternative is to choose musicals based on films. Because revivals are all the rage. With tried-and-tested works, it means a lower investment and less risk-taking. Choose your seat carefully and arrive at least 30 minutes early. You can also book your restaurant in advance! Or choose to live the American way, and opt for a burger at 5pm. Once the show is over, or when your favorite actor has finished performing, try approaching the stage doors to solicit the performers before they leave and get an autograph.
Choosing your show
If you opt for a very popular show, it's imperative to book in advance, otherwise you won't find a seat on the big day. It's always possible to buy your ticket directly from a TKTS stand, which offers very attractive, unbeatable prices. However, even if this solution is attractive in terms of price, it is less practical, as places are limited and demand is high. It is therefore advisable to get to the TKTS stand an hour before it opens. The Times Square stand is located under the famous red stairs of Father Duffy Square. The Richard Rodgers Theatre is packed every night for the show Hamilton, which tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, an orphaned Caribbean immigrant who is followed from childhood to his commitment to American independence and appointment to the highest offices of the state. In its first performances, Hamilton was often considered revolutionary because of its musical style, which for the first time in the history of the musical leans (a little) towards hip-hop. Winner of eleven Tony Awards, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and repeatedly cited by Hillary Clinton in her official speeches, this show is a huge success, the play is particularly in demand and tickets remain expensive overall. There's a Hamilton app that lets you take part in a lottery that awards tickets for the modest sum of US$10. Aside from the lottery, to get the best prices, you must buy your ticket several weeks in advance of the chosen date, or wait in the queue outside the theater for any cancellations.
Since the 1980s, Walt Disney has been investing in the Musical, exploiting stories that have proved their worth on the big screen. The $20 million invested in The Lion King in 1997 quickly paid for itself. The Tony Award-winning Le Roi Lion - The Lion King is Broadway's best-known musical and a perfect adaptation of the Disney film. The show lasts around 2 hours 45 minutes and takes place at the Minskoff Theater. Another Disney offering, the musical Aladdin plunges you into the world of the Arabian Nights. While there are no parrots or talking monkeys on stage, the staging is sumptuous. It's up to you to guess how the flying carpet miraculously moves before your eyes... This show lasts 2h25 and takes place at the New Amsterdam Theatre.
The show Chicago tells the story of two women imprisoned for crimes of passion, who move between murder, corruption and showbiz. The musical has won six Tony Awards, a Grammy and two Olivier Awards. It is presented at the Ambassador Theatre.
Fans of The Wizard of Oz will want to see Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre to experience the story from a new point of view, that of the witches of the Land of Oz. With its strong women, shattered friendships and puppet power, the play's success is due to the themes it tackles, the Wizard of Oz universe it recaptures and the audience's word-of-mouth.
If you're in the mood for a more original show, check out Stomp, an acoustic choreographic and musical creation that uses everyday objects to transform them into percussion instruments. The show is performed in a small room at the Orpheum Theatre. Even more caustic, The Book of Mormonthe first musical comedy written by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park, has been running since 2011, but has lost none of its truculence. The story of two Mormon missionaries, one earnest and dedicated, the other awkward yet willing, who are sent to Uganda to convert the citizens to the Mormon religion. When they arrive in Africa, they discover a community struggling with poverty, AIDS and violence. Winner of nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2011, this hilarious musical has become a Broadway classic. The show is presented at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.
Another show is My Fair Lady, first performed on Broadway in 1956 and based on a play by George Bernard Shaw written in 1954, which was also adapted for the screen with Audrey Hepburn in the lead role. It follows the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young woman from a poor background with a strong Cockney accent, who meets Henry Higgins, a linguist who attempts to rid her of her working-class ways and bring her into London's high society. Finally, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, whose first shows began in July 2019 and which lines up no fewer than 70 hits, from the 1940s to the present day, including songs by Elton John, Sting, Katy Perry, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie or Bob Dylan.
If you'd like to take your musical theatre experience a step further, take a look at some of the schools of musical theatre. The New York Film Academy offers short dance and singing workshops (1 to 4 weeks), led by some of the artists who perform on Broadway stages. The Broadway Dance Center isn't just for seasoned dancers. This dance school, one of the largest in the world, also offers beginners' courses in all styles, allowing you to step into the shoes of a Broadway performer for a few hours.
