History of
Broadway
After
starting in the 1700s with just a few theatres, Broadway has continued
to grow into the theatre capital of the world.
Now when theatre is mentioned, Broadway automatically comes to
mind.
The
street of Broadway began life as an Indian trail called Wickqusgeck
Trail, which ran New York City north to south.
When the Dutch settled on the island, they widened the road in
the south where it led into South Amsterdam, a main city of the
settlement. The street was
now called Heer Straat, or the Gentleman’s Street.
Under the English the street became known as Broadway.
The current street does not, however, follow the Indian trail
exactly.
The
first shows in New York City were performed at the King’s Arms, a
coffee shop that opened in 1696. Between 1750 and 1790 theatres began appearing on and off the
street of Broadway. Audiences
visiting these theatres were rowdy; they threw fruit and booed.
Prostitution was common in the upper balconies.
During the 19th
century, vaudeville and minstrel shows became popular.
Vaudeville was not one story but a collection of talent acts.
Minstrel shows featured whites who would paint their faces black
in imitation of black slaves.
William Henry
Brown opened the first theatre to accept all races.
In 1823 he was forced to close down because of vandalism by
whites.
During the
nineteenth century, the Broadway area served as an entertainment area
for the upper classes, while the Bowrey area, a theatre area no longer
in existence, served as an entertainment area for the working class.
In 1849 two productions of MacBeth were staged: one
located on Broadway with the upper class, British actor William Macready,
and one in the Bowrey area featuring American actor Edwin Forrest.
A riot occurred outside of the upper-class performance because of
press exposure and the anti-British attitude of the time.
The police fired into the crowd, killing 22 and wounding 150.
Because of this, Broadway gradually became a place for all
classes to enjoy entertainment.
Plays
had always featured an orchestra that played during intermissions to
occupy the audience. Black
Crook, however, staged in 1866, was the first play to incorporate
music into the actual show.
By the 1870s,
Broadway had become associated with theatre. Unfortunately, many of the theatres built during this time
burned to the ground, because of the highly flammable combination of
wood building material and gas lighting.
During the
first few decades of the nineteenth century, most Broadway plays were
simply an escape from reality, and were therefore not taken seriously.
Plays were very informal; the audience interacted freely with the
actors.
In 1904, the
opening of the subway increased audiences.
Around this time theatres began to be built in Times Square.
In 1903, electric signs began to appear, earning Broadway the
nickname “The Great White Way”.
In
the roaring twenties, Broadway reached its peak, with lots electric
signs and many productions and theatres.
Because of all of its glitz and glamour, it had a reputation of
being tacky and gaudy.
During
the Great Depression, Broadway crashed with the United State’s
economy. Production numbers
declined and many actors were out of work. Around the same time vaudeville practically disappeared.
Even so, a few memorable debuts of stars and shows were made.
Many
actors joined the Communist party, because they supported their theatres
and actors. Because of
this, plays were used for propaganda.
Left wing productions were fashionable, and shows began to
explore more in-depth issues than before.
During
World War II, actors who belonged to the American Theatre Wing helped
with the war effort. They
did small tasks such as addressing envelopes and boosting the morals of
soldiers. The Stage
Door Canteen, a place where servicemen could enjoy free food and
service, was formed and immediately became a great hit.
After
WWII, Broadway encountered fierce competition from movies and
television. Many theatres
were turned into cinemas or closed down, and a large amount of actors
were out of work. 42nd
street, the former hub of the theatre area, turned into slums where
drugs and prostitution were common.
Although Broadway’s popularity had dropped tremendously, and
“confirming” was popular in the United States at the time,
playwrights and directors were not afraid to express their opinions
using shows.
Between
1950 and 1970 Broadway’s sales continued to decline.
The negative attitude because of world events such as John F.
Kennedy’s and Martin Luther King’s assassinations and the Korean,
Vietnam, and Cold War effected Broadway’s production immensely.
Even with smaller audiences, many famous shows were born,
including West Side Story, Music Man, My Fair Lady,
Sound of Music, The Fiddler on the Roof, Man of La
Mancha, and Hair.
During this time, Times Square
to 42nd Street continued to be a dangerous neighborhood.
The 1980s saw
the import of mega musicals, such as Cats, Les Miserables, and Phantom
of the Opera, and in the 90s, big corporations such as Disney began
producing musicals. The
musical version of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King became great
hits and are still playing today.
Currently,
Broadway grosses about $1.5 billion annually, and is a large tourist
attraction. Ticket prices
have risen over $90 since 1965 and $55 since 1985.
Because of this, audiences are made up of older and richer people
than before. When an actor
stars in a Broadway play, it is considered that they have “made it
big”, and the Tony Awards recognize the best new plays, actors, and
show creators each year. Fortunately,
Times Square and 42nd Street is more clean and wholesome than
before.
Broadway
has seen times of growth, economic depression, and reconstruction, but
through it all it has endured as an icon of American theatre.
Since its beginnings, it has been an attraction for natives and
tourists alike. Based on its long and illustrious history, Broadway should
continue to represent American theatre for many days to come.
Bibliography:
"Broadway
(Manhatten)." Wikipedia. 3 Dec. 2005.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/broadway>.
"Broadway."
A Virtual Tour of New Netherland.
<http://nnporg/newvtour/regions/Manhatten/broadway.html>
"History
of Broadway and Broadway's Impact on America." 2 Dec. 2005. <http://www.mapsites.net/gotham01/webpages/alisonhannah/broadway.html>.
Kenrick,
John. "Theatre in New
York City: A Brief History". Musicals
101. 12 Dec. 2005. <http://www.muscials101.com/bwaythhist.htm>
Loney,
Glenn. "Broadway".
Grolier. Grolier Online.