Broadway theatre in New York shimmied to the spotlight in the mid 1750’s. Shakespeare plays and ballad operas moved the heart of the people until the Revolutionary War but resumed full force after America won her freedom from Britain. Broadway bloomed and productions blossomed from ballads to minstrels to variety shows. Once Broadway turned over the new leaf of diversification of performances, upper class patrons snubbed the lower class visitors and Broadway split hairs yet again. Opera dazzled the senses of the upper class, melodramas charmed the lower class, and variety show based in saloons entertained the working class men.

The upper class citizens were not satisfied with only opera and ballad performances and Lydia Thompson changed the face of Broadway yet again. Burlesque shows combined with pantomime, comedy, and improvisation of song and dance excited audiences for an entire season. Electric costumes, saucy presentations, lavish stage décor and effects, with the addition of variety acts took New York by storm and Miss Thompson toured six months out of the year for six, long years.

Broadway first introduced Times Square to brilliant displays of entertainment in the early 1900’s. The performance of Seven Sistersand Laura Keene ran for 253 performances. The Black Crook shattered all previous records in New York for an amazing 474 performances, despite the five-an-a half hour length. William Wheatley produced and directed the first Broadway musical we know today as dance and music combined in a storytelling fashion.

Musicals have certainly come a long way. Today, long running shows shoot as high up in the 1,000’s with Phantom of the Opera taking center stage with a staggering 9,451 and still counting.You can look for tickets at TicketsNow.

Typical Broadway performances run Tuesday through Saturday nightly, and Sunday afternoon. Matinee presentations show Wednesday and Saturday as well. This makes for eight shows per week. A busy schedule for actors and crewmembers, they enjoy a weekend off from Sunday Tuesday.

Broadway performers spend many hours each week preparing for their show, rehearsing their lines, and then, of course, performing in the show. Backstage down time generally needs some creativity. While a few enjoy reading, exercising, yoga, or catching a few shuteyes, a small number take the time for family. Sitting back stage teeters on boredom and an elect number of parents are actually adding a small stipulation of family time backstage into their contracts.

New York Times.com drew attention to Jan Maxwell and her ingenious spin on Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Her son now occupies the fourth floor dressing room at the Music Box, along with Ms. Maxwell. Mother and son time just took on a new meaning and time spent together with mom and boy revolving around lively conversations of book discussions and school projects and assignments.

It is highly understandable as to why Broadway performers need time off for rest and family time. The normal run-time for most shows is 13 weeks. Multiply 13 and 8, you come up with 104 times an actor, dancer, or musician must perform in less than 4 months. Exhausting work that rewards the performing and visual arts genre.

Well-known performers are often cast in Broadway productions and film and television stars are generally top choice for revivals of Broadway shows. This ensures a large audience and successful runs for shows.

Open-ended run times for Broadway shows reign continuously because producers and investors want to see a profit for their investments. Money put into a Broadway production can be a financial gamble. Never sure of the outcome or expectations being met, or exceeded, means investments may pay off, or money could end up down the drain, swept away with the candy wrappers, programs, and ticket stubs left on the floor of the theatre. If a show bombs the first week of performance, or money is being lost at an acceptable rate, producers may keep the show alive in hope of at least returning their investment cost. Open end allows for producers to cut the show when failure happens, or extend the show in case it flowers into a success.

New York tourists generate billions of revenue when paired with hotel and restaurant bookings. Many come to New York for the sole purpose of watching a specific Broadway musical or play. Their visit generally includes a meal and a place to call home for a night or two while they enjoy the show. The 2009 season for Broadway reached 11.89 viewers. Same day tickets, next day matinee sales, and student discounts, along with rush buys and standing room tickets guarantee theatre’s sell out, make a profit, and bring in scores of spectators.

Successful runs in theatre shows often lead to national tours. New productions usually include new cast members and generally move around major US cities across America. These tours sometimes enjoy long runs in distant cities, acquiring great successes. Smaller citiesare charmed and visited by bus tours rather than flight tours, which mean long hours for the performers. However, these tours often provide many little known towns the privilege to experience Broadway when travel to the Big Apple is impossible for it’s residents.

New Broadway shows debut every year, some hitting the big time bulls-eye, a few failing miserably. Times Square has never been more fortunate when a productions sail over in flying colors. After all, when you think of Times Square, the first thing that pops into your mind should be Broadway, second only to the New Year countdown and party.

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