off broadway

[thegoodwitch]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 7:05pm

can anyone give me a clear definition of what off broadway is? i know myself but just wondered what other peoples ideas of 'off broadway' are? thanks!!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 8:41pm

"Off-Broadway" covers professional Equity productions produced in theatres which in most cases have 100 - 499 seats, mostly within the confines of Manhattan. Some are commercial (Dodger Stages, Little Shubert, Union Square) and some are not-for-profit (MTC at City Center, Roundabout's Laura Pels, Playwrights Horizons). Pay scales, costs and union minimums vary depending on the size of the theatre.

This is contrasted to Broadway which is an exclusive club of 39 500+ seat theatres all located between 41st Street and Lincoln Center in Manhattan which have specific contracts negotiated with all of the major theatre unions (Equity, Stagehands, Musicians, Design unions etc... ). These theatres are dedicated year round to the production of "legitimate" theatre -- thus not all theatres in NYC with over 500 seats (Radio City, The Beacon, The Apollo) are Broadway theatres. About half are owned by the Shuberts, while the rest are split up among, Jujamcyn, Nederlanders, Disney, Roundabout (2), MTC (1) and independent owners. Most belong to the League of American Theatres.

Off-Off-Broadway covers the many hundreds of small (under 100 seats), usually black box theatres around the city. They typically don't have any specific contracts negotiated with any of the unions.

[Parks]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 10:04pm

...when Godspell opened, wasn't it an Off-Off-Broadway show? I just can't imagine that...less than 100 seats...wow.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/4/05 at 10:13pm

Godspell opened at The Cherry Lane Theatre which is still an Off-Broadway house (roughly 160 seats).