Define "Off-Broadway"

[somuchtodo]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 7:40pm

In reference to the new beta site - what defines a production as "off-Broadway"? Is there a specific group of theaters? Is it geographical? Defined by number of performances? Equity?

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 7:41pm

Off-Broadway theatres have 100-499 seats.
Off-Off Broadway have 99 or less seats. Updated On: 2/16/08 at 07:41 PM

[george95]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 7:49pm

and the off-broadway theaters still have to be in Manhattan.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 7:51pm

I used to think that Broadway was a strip of theaters ON Broadway, with huge billboards/lights aligning both sides of the street, and that Off-Broadway referred to the next street over, and Off-off Broadway the next two streets, and so on.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 7:59pm

I think most people think that at first.

[george95]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 8:02pm

How about when people who are in a community theater show say "my show is like off OFF off broadway!! hahahahahah! hahahah!!" Im always like that's not funny.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 8:04pm

You know how disappointed I was to learn it wasn't. Disillusionment doesn't beging to define it.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 8:20pm

When a friend of mine told me that one of the differences between the two was the number of seats between Off-Broadway and Broadway I was surprised. Then when I actually seen both a Broadway and Off-Broadway show it made sense and I saw the difference.

[george95]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 8:32pm

Yeah its just weird that its called Broadway theater, then there is a street called Broadway right in the middle of them all, and then there is a theater called the Broadway Theater. Its too much!

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 9:13pm

There are two 499 seat houses in New World Stages.

[somuchtodo]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 10:15pm

ljay and george - thank you for that info!
I'm wondering how far the data base is going to go...will we be able to trace a career over decades.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/17/08 at 3:17am

Yeah its just weird that its called Broadway theater, then there is a street called Broadway right in the middle of them all, and then there is a theater called the Broadway Theater. Its too much!

When he went to New York for the first time, my dad kept saying to me that if a show isn't actually on the street called Broadway it's not really a Broadway show. He was sort of joking. The fact that he was not completely joking was somewhat upsetting.

Oh, how timely: https://www.playbill.com/news/article/115121.html

Updated On: 2/17/08 at 03:17 AM