Museum of Broadway - Worth It?

[macbeth]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 12:15pm

I managed to breeze through the museum when it first opened in about an hour, and now have out of town guests who want to go back. Has there been anything new added or are there any plans to go deeper and be more museum like? 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 12:50pm

According to this Reddit post things are looking grim at the “museum” of broadway.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 1:18pm

I've only been once but found it highly enjoyable, especially the David Rockwell exhibit on all the different departments of a show. Obviously it glosses over some things. It spends a little too much time on certain things & shows that had little cultural impact. It doesn't really get into Broadway "scandals" or problematic figures. But overall it is a solid and well-intentioned museum.

Like any place where theatre people gather, there were staffers flat-out talking out their asses and presenting conjecture as fact to visitors who wanted to chitchat, staffers speculating on which shows would hit & flop this season, etc.

There was always going to be a big challenge in starting a museum as a commercial entity (and capitalized like a show), when the majority of museums -- the successful & long-lasting ones -- are not-for-profits. The Academy Museum in LA is the poster child for what the Museum of Broadway SHOULD be (and again, that one's a nonprofit) and its an arm of a larger organization. The Wing or League could have done this years ago if they wanted to.

Hamilton lost their shirts on the Exhibition, right?

Updated On: 1/11/24 at 01:18 PM

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 1:19pm

I enjoyed it when I went but they would definitely need to add a lot more for me to be interested in going a second time.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 9:32pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Hamilton lost their shirts on the Exhibition, right?"

Almost had this completely blocked from my memory. That must’ve been an embarrassing blunder.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 9:43pm

We went in November when they had their one dollar entry promotion and had a fun time. Some really interesting things on display there - but not sure how I would have felt if I paid $40 for it. 

[two ladies tickets]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 9:46pm

It's definitely not worth it. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 1/11/24 at 10:42pm

If this is your first time EVER visiting NYC, then yeah, it definitely would be worth it. Otherwise, I would say pass. Don't get me wrong, it's a great and long-overdue place to learn about the history of Broadway, but it's not the greatest thing in the world. I'd say go once and then be done with it. 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/13/24 at 5:45pm

I enjoyed the visit about 6 months ago, but I felt that it was disproportionately focused on a finite number of very popular shows.  I left thinking it was just so superficial, but I did enjoy it.  Definitely overpriced; but the prices may be necessary, given its non-profit status.  I can't imagine going again unless there is some indication that it is getting into more depth.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/13/24 at 6:21pm

Call_me_jorge said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Hamilton lost their shirts on the Exhibition, right?"

Almost had this completely blocked from my memory. That must’ve been an embarrassing blunder."

Yes, looking back it cost (and lost) $13 million with the intention of having an extended run in Chicago and then touring to other cities. Seller was trying to sell it to an outside company circa 2019 after its early closure, but that appears to have never happened. Looks like some Chicagoans also had issues with its location & lack of real historical artifacts (it was all replicas).

Updated On: 1/13/24 at 06:21 PM

[alexidarling15]

Posted: 1/13/24 at 7:16pm

I also went on $1 day and it was very enjoyable for about 1 hour but not even worth half of $40. I can’t imagine it will last long. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 7:36am

I had a nice time, actually, but have no desire to go back. It's stagnate, the exact opposite of live theater. 

[simplecactus]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 8:43am

Dylan Smith4 said: "If this is your first time EVER visiting NYC, then yeah, it definitely would be worth it. Otherwise, I would say pass. Don't get me wrong, it's a great and long-overdue place to learn about the history of Broadway, but it's not the greatest thing in the world. I'd say go once and then be done with it."

I wouldn’t put this museum on a must do for first time visitors. It’s definitely not worth it in general. I was very disappointed with this museum and was definitely not worth the $40 or whatever I paid for it. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 8:55am

I’ve never gone for a multitude of reasons

1) Anything I’ve ever seen just gives off the whole vibe of “influencer selfie tourist trap” and never anything of actual substance.

2) I have amassed quite a collection of theatre ephemera over the years myself and my memories don’t cost me anything.

3) THE TICKET PRICE. My God. That is a BIG problem for me. When I first saw ticket prices and one of the times listed was $52, I literally said to myself that I could pick up a rush ticket and go see an actual show for that much or less. 

The above poster who mentioned the Academy Museum in LA is absolutely correct. THAT is how you do a museum related to entertainment history. When I went a year or so ago, they had an entire exhibit dedicated to Pedro Almodovar and I left learning so much more about him than just WOMEN ON THE VERGE… To that end, their collection of costumes and props was massive and there was something for everyone there. To top it off - a ticket is $25 MAX.  If the MoB was more like that, then I could justify going.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/14/24 at 9:50am

I thought the museum was just fine. I don't think it's anywhere near as terrible as some folks on here are making it out to be. I spent about 2 and a half hours there. While there are definitely influencer photo ops peppered throughout, it's definitely more than JUST that. That being said, I agree with dramamama that it is definitely a bit stagnant, and I can't say I'd go back again.