What does it mean when something is Off-Broadway?

What does it mean when something is Off-Broadway?

Off-Broadway (and Off-Off-Broadway) theaters is simply the number of seats in the theater. Theaters with a house larger than 500 seats are considered Broadway theaters or On-Broadway theaters. Any theater with less than 99 seats is considered Off-Off-Broadway.

What was the off-off-Broadway movement?

The off-off-Broadway movement began in 1958 as a “complete rejection of commercial theatre”. An off-off-Broadway production that features members of the Actors’ Equity Association may be an Equity Showcase production intended to allow actors to be seen by potential future employers.

Why Is Off-Broadway important?

In two decades of remarkable vitality, Off-Broadway introduced many important theatrical talents, such as the director Joseph Papp, whose later productions included free performances of Shakespeare in Central Park and who formed the Public Theatre, a multitheatre complex dedicated to experimental works. …

What is playing Off-Broadway in NYC?

Off Broadway Shows in New York

  • Into the Woods. Starring Sara Bareilles, Heather Headley and Christian Borle!
  • Jersey Boys. The upbeat, fast-paced Tony Award-winning story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
  • Blue Man Group.
  • Stomp.
  • The Play That Goes Wrong.
  • Perfect Crime.
  • Romeo and Bernadette.
  • Between The Lines.

Where does the term Off-Broadway come from?

Originally referring to the location of a venue and its productions on a street intersecting Broadway in Manhattan’s Theater District, the hub of the theatre industry in New York, the term later became defined by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers as a professional venue in Manhattan with a seating …

How did Off-Broadway get its name?

La Mama Theatre. What was the need for Off-Off-Broadway? The term grew out of the burgeoning theater scene In New York, especially throughout the 1960s, when experimental and avant-garde works could be found around every corner.

Why was Off-Broadway created?

The insurgence of Off-Broadway came about during the 1950’s when many felt Broadway was becoming too commercial. Off-Broadway became a space for poets, songwriters, play writers, designers and more to have a platform to ‘speak’ their voice. This later lead to the creation of Off-Off Broadway in the 1960’s.