Happy Monday, Blogfriends! I know, a Monday isn't normally something to celebrate. This is no ordinary Monday, though; today is Cast Member Blog Monday! Today, On Broadway cast member Sarah Brodine gives us a fascinating look at the history of Broadway that includes togas, bump and grind stripping, and yo-yos. Now that is my kind of blog. For more info on upcoming shows, auditions, tech opportunities, workshops, and much more, visit the Arts Collective website and Facebook page.
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“Oh sure, I saw it on Broadway…”
Intoxicating. Delicious. Amazing. Surreal. Extraordinary. Perfection. A wide breadth of descriptors that covers an expanse of timeless stage performance that equals BROADWAY!
Though there are streets, cities, and even boats bearing the name “Broadway,” it is primarily thought of worldwide as the word that symbolizes all that is quintessential theater.
Quite literally, Broadway is the longest street in New York, beginning in downtown Manhattan and ending in the Bronx. When referring to the theater culture, it is inclusive of 40 professional theaters located between West 41st and 53rd Streets and 6th and 8th Avenues in New York. The area is also referred to as “The Great White Way,” due to the lights along the street. They lit up the night in “white” light…hence the name – duh.
[Fun Fact: Broadway was one of the first streets in the US to be lit by electric lights. In 1880, Brush arc lamps lit nearly a mile-long stretch of the street; about 20 years later a headline in the New York Evening Telegram called the stretch the Great White Way.]
Theater has been around since togas were the height of fashion and comes from the Greek “theatre” which means “place for seeing.” It was not until 1750, though, that a permanent theater was established in the Broadway area AND the first professionally performed musical in New York (“The Beggar’s Opera”) debuted. Prior to that time, America’s actors were all London imports who performed an unknown repertoire of plays.
[It just makes you wonder how people got their entertainment…which I guess explains why this is around the same time that yo-yos were patented…]
In the 1800s, Broadway was New York’s main street and therefore the most likely place for entrepreneurs to build their entertainment establishments**.
**Please note: my internet research has led me to believe the phrase “entertainment establishment” is up for interpretation…
Along with straight plays and musicals, vaudeville and burlesque (which started out as musical comedy productions –not bump and grind stripping) were all in full swing by the end of the 19th Century.
Throughout the 1900’s, Broadway shows were strongly influenced by the events of the time, from comedic spoofs to heartfelt dramas. (I mean, think of what they had to work with: prohibition, a stock market crash, world wars, etc.)
Today, Broadway is one of New York City’s most important tourist attractions (right up there with those nifty “I Heart NY" shirts, and the Statue of Liberty).
______________________________________
“Oh sure, I saw it on Broadway…”
Intoxicating. Delicious. Amazing. Surreal. Extraordinary. Perfection. A wide breadth of descriptors that covers an expanse of timeless stage performance that equals BROADWAY!
Though there are streets, cities, and even boats bearing the name “Broadway,” it is primarily thought of worldwide as the word that symbolizes all that is quintessential theater.
Quite literally, Broadway is the longest street in New York, beginning in downtown Manhattan and ending in the Bronx. When referring to the theater culture, it is inclusive of 40 professional theaters located between West 41st and 53rd Streets and 6th and 8th Avenues in New York. The area is also referred to as “The Great White Way,” due to the lights along the street. They lit up the night in “white” light…hence the name – duh.
[Fun Fact: Broadway was one of the first streets in the US to be lit by electric lights. In 1880, Brush arc lamps lit nearly a mile-long stretch of the street; about 20 years later a headline in the New York Evening Telegram called the stretch the Great White Way.]
Theater has been around since togas were the height of fashion and comes from the Greek “theatre” which means “place for seeing.” It was not until 1750, though, that a permanent theater was established in the Broadway area AND the first professionally performed musical in New York (“The Beggar’s Opera”) debuted. Prior to that time, America’s actors were all London imports who performed an unknown repertoire of plays.
[It just makes you wonder how people got their entertainment…which I guess explains why this is around the same time that yo-yos were patented…]
In the 1800s, Broadway was New York’s main street and therefore the most likely place for entrepreneurs to build their entertainment establishments**.
**Please note: my internet research has led me to believe the phrase “entertainment establishment” is up for interpretation…
Along with straight plays and musicals, vaudeville and burlesque (which started out as musical comedy productions –not bump and grind stripping) were all in full swing by the end of the 19th Century.
Throughout the 1900’s, Broadway shows were strongly influenced by the events of the time, from comedic spoofs to heartfelt dramas. (I mean, think of what they had to work with: prohibition, a stock market crash, world wars, etc.)
Today, Broadway is one of New York City’s most important tourist attractions (right up there with those nifty “I Heart NY" shirts, and the Statue of Liberty).
So that's Broadway history in a nutshell. Sometimes serious, sometimes sexy, sometimes funny, but always a razzle dazzle good time. So make sure you come out October 14th to see me and the rest of the cast give you a show like you've never seen before... On Broadway!
my wife and i will be there!!
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