Tensions Eventually Leading To The Riot Itself
Supporters of each actor would attend the others performances to heckle and throw items at them, with tensions eventually leading to the riot itself on 10 May 1849. Over 200 people, including civilians, police, and military, either died or were seriously injured during the trouble.
While tensions remained following the Astor Place Riot, Shakespearean plays would remain among the most popular shows, even as musicals began to establish themselves as must-see performances.
What & Where Is Broadway
You will often see the terms Broadway and Broadway show used interchangeably with theater. However, the geographical location of Broadway is New York Citys Theater Subdistrict. In Midtown Manhattan, the Subdistrict runs north to south from West 40th to West 54th Street and east to west between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue.
Although people refer to the entire Subdistrict as Broadway, only three theaters are on Broadway itself.
The Most Popular Broadway Musicals Of All Time
These are 80+ of the most popular Broadway musicals in history, listed according to their durations on the stage. The longest running Broadway musicals are part of the American musical canon with familiar songs that people hum to themselves or sing out loud, featuring stories generations know and love. Each of these productions has been performed at least 1,000 times in New York’s famous Broadway theaters.
So what are the most popular Broadway shows? From well-known classic shows like Les Misérables and Cats to newer hits like Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen, these famous musicals with the most performances still gain new fans each year. Many of them are still running to this day, such as The Phantom of the Opera, which has been performed on Broadway more times than any other production. Among the top 20 most performed shows list below, there are iconic examples of the best of the form and major works from some of the best musical theater writers, choreographers, and performers of all time.
Recommended Reading: How To Make Music Available Offline
The Will Rogers Follies: A Life In Revue
It went up against “Miss Saigon” whose original run continued for the next 10 years, but “The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue” was the clear winner at the 45th Annual Tony Awards. “Follies” won six Tonys and three Drama Desk awards that year, and ran until September 5, 1993, when it closed after 981 performances.
To 80s And 90s Broadway Revival

Save the theater Campaign
Things got so bad for Broadway that by 1982 there was a Save the Theaters campaign. While the campaign centered around saving old theater buildings from sale to property developers rather than saving the industry, it was a sad reflection of the level to which Broadway had fallen.
Attempts to protect old theater buildings as national historic sites through legislation failed. However, in 1983, todays Theater Subdistrict was established, which led to the protection of many buildings. Today, theaters within the Subdistrict can benefit from grants to promote their shows and incentives to undertake renovations. Several theaters also qualify for special provisions within the relevant regulations upholding the Theater Subdistrict.
While Save the Theaters drew attention to Broadway, a revival of sorts was already underway, and hit musicals and shows still cut through to the mainstream.
Read Also: When Does High School Musical The Series Come Out
Natasha Pierre & The Great Comet
Making its Broadway debut in 2016, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 is a sung-through musical based on a part of Tolstoys novel, War and Peace. It focuses on the affair between Natasha and Anatole, and Pierres search for his lifes purpose.
Natasha Rostova arrives in Moscow to await her fiancés return from the battlefield. When she falls under Anatoles spell, its up to Pierre, a family friend going through an existential crisis, to pick up the pieces of her broken reputation. With its innovative score and strong plot, this award-winning musical widens the possibilities for the genre following a highly lauded premiere at Ars Nova in New York City, an Off-Broadway transfer, and a celebrated run on Broadway.
Take Me Out On Broadway
Take Me Out is a play about a professional baseball team and the relationships between the players on it. The story follows Darren Lemming, one of the leagues best players who has never been open about his homosexuality. However, when he comes out to his teammates, they all react differently- some support him while others struggle with how to deal with this new information.
As the season goes on, different things happen that test the teams loyalty to each other. Some members of the team are traded away, and others leave on their own accord, but no matter what happens, they always come back together as a family. This show is a moving look at how sports can bring people together and create bonds that last forever.
The show started previewing on March 10th, 2022, and is set to officially open on April 4th, 2022.
Also Check: Why Is My Apple Music Skipping
Pages In Category Broadway Musicals
The following 200 pages are in this category, out of approximately 933 total. This list may not reflect recent changes .
- This page was last edited on 9 April 2020, at 10:58 .
- Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0 additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
Check out our updated edition of Mastering College Musical Theatre Auditions: Sound Advice for the Student, Teacher, and Parent now available on .
Please subscribe to our blog. Enter your email address on the top right side of the page and click Follow and sign up for our email list.
Visit www.contemporarymusicaltheatre.com for more information on over 180 contemporary musical theatre writers and 550+ songs, all searchable by voice and song type.
Don’t Miss: Can You Add Music To Instagram Posts
The Mystery Of Edwin Drood
Rupert Holmes wasn’t always drinking piña coladas and getting caught in the rain. In 1986, his show, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” was nominated for 11 Tonys, won five awards including best musical.
The musical, whose title changed to “Drood” in the middle of its run, also won eight of its 14 Drama Desk Award nominations. The original production ran for 608 shows before closing on May 16, 1987.
How Do I Choose A Musical
When choosing a Broadway musical, parents should know a little about the plot of the show in question, but other aspects to take into account are the length of the show, the special effects and the language used in the dialogues. This way, you will be able to choose the musical that is most appropriate for your family.
Also Check: Can You Share An Apple Music Account
Kiss Of The Spider Woman: The Musical
A great musical based on Manual Puigs novel.
Kiss of the Spider Woman is set in a South American jail where dissidents are tortured and killed extrajudicially. It follows two convicts who couldnt be more different.
The openly homosexual Molina works as a window-dresser and uses fiction and an intense attachment to Aurora, a dazzling star from the golden age of cinema, to escape the harsh reality of imprisonment. As the two draw on one another to withstand awful anguish, enmity turns to kindness, and then to love. The stage is set for romantic tragedy when the jails warden enlists Molinas help to crack Valentin, threatening him with freedom if he betrays his beloved.
A Complete List Of Contemporary Musicals: 2000

At the beginning of our exploration of contemporary musical theatre repertoire in 2012, Lorene Phillips and I went to the Colony Records to see how many scores we could find for contemporary shows. to read more about our initial research.
To our amazement, we found over seventy selection books for shows presented on Broadway and Off-Broadway, from 2000 to the present. We thought this roster was rather impressive even quite possibly exhaustive. That wasnt far from true, but thanks to Lorenes initial research, we began to compile a more complete list of shows.
Below is the updated list, broken down by genre: Legit, Contemporary Mix, Pop/Rock , Pop/Rock , World Music, and Miscellaneous. Everyone will have a slightly different way of classifying these shows. For us, we felt it was most helpful to categorize the musicals by how the voice was used. The interesting thing about being in the midst of an evolving idiom like musical theatre is that our perception and understanding similarly evolves. So, the careful observer may note certain musicals in a different place now.
We have meticulously gone link by link to make sure you can get to the score, cast album, and MP3 recordings.
You may notice some of the shows were not on our initial list, which means we were able to find a score elsewhere. While we always encourage people to buy locally, its hard to speak ill of Amazons amazing selection and zippy delivery.
You May Like: How To Read Drum Music
Significant Growth In Broadway Began 18 Years Later
However, the Broadway theater scene would not begin to see significant growth until 18 years later when a resident theater company set up at the Nassau Street venue. The most popular shows from 1750 onwards included a variety of William Shakespeares plays. Ballad operas, a precursor to the development and explosion in popularity of musicals, were also popular.
The 1775 1783 Revolutionary War saw the temporary suspension of theater in New York.
Transactions With Third Party E
When you provide personal information to one of Our Sites third party e-commerce partners, vendors or advertisers , this transaction will occur in connection with the site of the e-commerce partner, vendor or advertiser, not on the Site, and, as such, the personal information you provide is collected pursuant to and controlled by the privacy policy of such e-commerce partner, vendor or advertiser. Broadway Direct is not responsible for such parties privacy policies and We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the applicable privacy policy of the e-commerce site with which you transact business or to contact the operator of such site for more information.
You May Like: How Do I Purchase Music
Six Musical On Broadway Nyc
With SIX, an impressive and highly emotional musical from Great Britain composed by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss comes to Broadway in New York. The six divorced women of Henry VIII are invited on stage to describe their fate as queens in a world dominated by men.
Six Broadway New York offers top-notch and entertaining entertainment for the entire family. The characters of the six main actresses were inspired by pop stars such as Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Adele. You can look forward to an impressive evening that evolves from an historical and ironic reappraisal of sorrow and suffering to a boisterous party like a pop concert. The musical Six has been performed in Londons West End, in Chicago, in Boston, in Edmonton, in Sydney, and on several cruise ships. Now Six can be seen on the legendary Broadway in New York.
What Is Abroadwaytheater
A Broadway theater is a venue with a capacity of over 500 theater seats. Theaters below this capacity are known as off-Broadway. As such, it is possible to attend an off-Broadway show on Broadway! However, the majority of off-Broadway theaters are in the nearby Theater Row district on 42nd Street between Ninth Avenue and Eleventh Avenue.
Capacity of Broadway Theater 500+
In total, there are 41 Broadway theaters in the Theater Subdistrict.
Read Also: How To Get My Music Licensed
The Phantom Of The Opera
An Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, The Phantom of the Opera, is about a strange, disfigured man who lives beneath an opera house and becomes enamored with a beautiful soprano named Christine Daaé, whom he teaches the art of opera.
The Phantom has a tragic past that he attempts to hide behind his sinister persona, but to Christine he is a musical angel who she adores. The Phantoms story is about loneliness, love, and music, all of which are universal topics for many individuals.
The Olivier Award in 1986 and the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1988 are among the honors bestowed upon The Phantom of the Opera. It is still the longest-running show on Broadway.
Top 10 Nyc Broadway Shows 2022
Be swept away by the magic of Broadway: dive into one of the musicals on the bill to let your imagination run wild from the heart of the Big Apple. Here’s a list of the favorites and the most frequently asked questions to get tickets.
Isabel Catalán
22 min read
Times Square intersection with Broadway Avenue | ©Hellotickets
Whatever time of year you visit New York, one of the must-do plans is to attend a musical on Broadway, the famous boulevard lined with theaters that runs through the center of Manhattan including Times Square.
With hundreds of annual performances, Broadway is the mecca of New York theater. Many Hollywood actors have stepped on its stages to delight us with their talent and where great actors work hard every performance to become consecrated.
I remember the first time I attended a Broadway musical in New York and it was one of the most exciting moments of the trip. Not only because I love theater, but because the magic of Broadway is something unique that you won’t find anywhere else.
Its musical numbers and majestic stagings transport you to a world of fantasy and leave you speechless, even if you are not even passionate about theater! Here is a list of the ones that, for me, are the best.
Don’t Miss: How To Add Music To My Iphone Library
Fans Of Musicals And Broadway
There is nothing quite like losing yourself in live theatre. For fans of plays, musicals, or just a good story, heading to a Broadway show is an experience like nothing else. Live theatre has the power to move people, distract, and entertain.
Avid fans may even want to make multiple trips to the theatre over the course of a year to take in a few different shows. Typically, the first half of each year has new and exciting plays, which are released to capture the attention of Tony judges. While Tony season may have come and gone this year, there are still new and interesting shows opening throughout the rest of 2022 you cannot miss.
BroadwayMusicals.us is able to bring you the latest Broadway news, behind-the-scenes stories, backstage videos, and expert tips to help you find your next show. From navigating ticketing to your in-theatre experience to keeping you connected to Broadway after the curtain comes down, were here with one mission: to make your Broadway experience the best it can be.
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum

Get ready for some laughs in the comedy musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Set in ancient Rome, the play centers on Pseudolus, a slave who wishes to win his freedom by aiding his young master to win the heart of a girl.
The musical won several Tony Awards, which include Best Musical and Best Author . It also spawned several successful Broadway and West End revivals and a film .
Recommended Reading: How To Put Music On Your Instagram Post
The Introduction Of Musical Theater
2,700 years ago
Although we know the Ancient Greek civilization of around 2,700 years ago included musical elements in theatrical comedies and tragedies, there is little record or knowledge of the music itself. While the origins of modern musical theater exist in Europe, this was very much a development of prominent playwrights and theater directors of the mid-19th century.
The growth of musical theater on Broadway coincided with the relocation of the theater scene in New York, which saw the most famous theaters in midtown rather than downtown.
The desire to take advantage of more affordable real estate was theaters primary motivation. However, this eventually gave extra scope and cash for longer-running shows and a different performance type.
The growth of musical theater on Broadway coincided with the relocation of the theater scene in New York, which saw the most famous theaters in midtown rather than downtown.
The show that we can call the first Broadway musical is a point of dispute.
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Based on Shepherd Mead’s 1952 book of the same name, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” took home seven awards at the 16th Annual Tony Awards, including best musical. Its original production ran from October 14, 1961 to March 6, 1965, boasting 1,417 performances.
Also Check: How To Make Apple Music Shuffle Better
The Life Story Of Michael Jackson
Everyone knows his music and almost everyone knows his life that’s precisely why tickets to the Michael Jackson musical are in such high demand. Few fans of the King of Pop will be able to resist the show that takes place at the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway. If you’ve seen any of his music videos you can already get an idea of what to expect.
Director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon is in charge of the show that is revolutionizing Broadway and that, of course, includes songs like “Billie Jean”, “Thriller”, “Bad”, “Black or White” or “I’ll be there”. A total of 30 of his songs taking as a starting point the rehearsals of his 1992 Dangerous tour and going back to his past covering his childhood in the Jackson 5 and his adolescence.