What does "Off Broadway" mean?

[kec]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 6:57am

Please forgive the question... it came up on a discussion board I'm on for the film version of POTO. As someone who grew up in NYC, I should know the answer, but it's just one of those things that I never thought about.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 7:21am

Not ON broadway.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 7:41am

It's basically show that's playing in a theatre with less than 500 seats, and not recognized by the League of American Theatres and Presenters.

[kec]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 7:51am

Paradox, THAT I knew... but I was sure there was more to it than that.

"It's basically show that's playing in a theatre with less than 500 seats"

Which is what I thought it might be -- thank you.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 8:29am

It means you work twice as hard for half the salary!

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 8:36am

It means further to walk....but usually not that much further

[BreeDaniel]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 9:44am

I was going to say the same thing Smaxie.

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 10:27am

Off-Broadway theatres have less than 500 seats and are generally (not all of them) located outside of the Theatre District, which runs from 41st -- 54st Streets within two blocks to the east and west of Broadway.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 10:46am

There are dozens of off-Broadway theatres right in the center of the theatre district (the New Victory and The Duke, for example are right next door to the Hilton and American Airlines Theatres). Location has NOTHING to do with any of it.

Here's a spiel I wrote for my blog on the definition of "Off-Broadway":

"The designation of "Broadway" is actually just a determination of the League of American Theatres -- a tiny little exclusive club of the people/corporations who own the current Broadway houses and co-produce the Tonys every year. While, yes, all 39 Broadway houses have at least 500 seats, it's not as if every theatrical venue in New York City with over 500 seats is a Broadway house.

For example, look at the Delacorte -- it has 1900 seats and is dedicated solely to the production of professional legitimate theatre, has top tier designers and directors create their productions and Tony and Oscar winning actors star in their shows...... but it's not a Broadway house. Why? Only because the League says it's not (the main reason is because it's purely not-for-profit and subsidized by the state, city and corporate donors -- the only people who get to be in the League's exclusive club are those who take the same sorts of finanicial risks that they do) .

THEY decide who gets to join their club and who doesn't, based on their own whims. 20 years ago, Porgy and Bess played at Radio City. Because it was an expensive for-profit venture (and some of their producer buddies were co-producing it), guess what? Radio City Music Hall became a Broadway, Tony-eligible house for that production (and that production only). But it's not as if the Radio City Xmas Spectacular gets any Tony consideration year after year. The League does whatever they want and makes all the rules and decisions which are in their best interest -- basically they can designate any theatre in NYC a Broadway house if they want to ...... as long as the owner (and the producers of the shows playing there) are willing to pay the price.

Also significant to the designation is the fact that certain specific contracts are negotiated with each Broadway theatre by each union (Equity, Local One -- The Stagehands Union, Local 802 -- The Musicians Union etc.....).

Off-Broadway is sort of the default category for all those theatres that aren't deemed Broadway theatres. They don't have a "League" or any organization that designates them "Off-Broadway" so there aren't any hard and fast rules. Most have 100 to 499 seats, but then BAM has two theatres (each with 1000+ seats), which are also considered off-Broadway. Same with the Schimmell Center at Pace which has over 500 seats and has hosted several Off-Broadway shows. These theatres all also have contracts with the major theatrical unions, with minimums (usually lower than they are for Broadway) determined by the number of seats.

Off-Off-Broadway generally denotes theatres with fewer than 100 seats (there are hundreds of them in town, often called "black box" theatres). They generally have no specific contracts with the major unions (though Equity showcase rules do apply).

And as far as quality is concerned, frankly, far more good and great new work comes out of the not-for-profit off-Broadway theatres (as well as the non-for-profit regional members of LORT around the country) than opens directly on Broadway. Half the Pulitizer prize winners in the past two decades have been off-Broadway plays (for what that's worth) and a very large percentage of the best new plays and musicals that end up on Broadway come out of the not-for-profit world. Broadway is mostly for undemanding tourists and vacationers, not for people who truly care about the future of the American theatre -- the challenging, groundbreaking and interesting new stuff is Off-Broadway. "

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 10:55am

Margo,

Yes I know that location does not make a theatre Off-Broadway. I was just mentioning that the majority of off-broadway theatres are located outside of the theatre district. I didn't mean for it to come accross that a theatre HAS to be located outside of the theatre district to be considered off-broadway.

What is sad, is that the definition I gave is the exact one in all the theatre arts textbooks accross the country.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 10:58am

It's amazing how most books and sources (and theatre fans) get this wrong. I've even heard that tour guides in Times Square tell the tourists that Off-Broadway just means less than 500 seats, which is only half the story.

[kec]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 11:23am

Thank you Margo...that was very interesting.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 11:34am

In my Broadway history class a few semesters ago, a kid asked what the difference was between Broadway and Off-Broadway and the professor very matter-of-factly gave the "less than 500 seats" answer. I mean, it would've been one thing if it had been any general theatre class, but this was a class specifically about Broadway. I feel like he should have known. I hated having to correct him, but I did anyway.

[grizzabella]

Posted: 3/2/06 at 12:44pm

Thanks, Margo. I was under the misapprehension that Off-Broadway meant under 500 seats, too. I appreciate being enlightened.