Theaters and Shows on Broadway New York

Along with London's West End theatre, Broadway theatre is considered by many to be the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. Broadway theatre, or a Broadway show, refers to a performance staged in one of the thirty-nine larger professional theatres located in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The US has no subsidised theatre program, and the shows that reach Broadway have historically been perceived as being popular and crowd-pleasing.
While the term "Broadway" comes from the street name, it is best described as a theatre district as not all Broadway theatres are located on this street. Musicals tend to have longer runs than do stage plays and on January 9th, 2006, The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theater became the longest running show with 7,486 performances overtaking Cats.
Broadway shows and artists are honoured every June, when the Antoinette Perry Awards (Tony Awards) are given by the American Theatre Wing. The Tony is Broadway's highest theatre award. The classification of theatres is governed by language in Actors' Equity Association contracts. To be eligible for a Tony, a production must be in a house with 500 seats or more, which pretty much defines the Broadway Theatre. Some theatres (by adding or subtracting seats) can convert from Off-Broadway to Broadway and vice versa. Total Broadway attendance in 2005 was just under 12 million, which was approximately the same as London's West End theatre.
The shows that play on Broadway and thrive there have historically been perceived as being generally mainstream and less likely to be as at the forefront of tehatre, than some produced off-Broadway or in regional non-profit theatres.
The Broadway theatre district is a key tourist attraction in New York City. According to The Broadway League, Broadway shows sell over one and a half billion dollars worth of tickets annually.
The Theatre District is an area in Midtown Manhattan in which are located the numerous Broadway theaters, as well as many other theaters, cinemas, restaurants, hotels and other entertainment venues. The Theatre District extends from 42nd Street to 53rd Street, and from Sixth Avenue to Ninth Avenue, and includes Times Square. The Great White Way is the name given to the section of Broadway which runs through the Theatre District.
Theatre Row, is an area on 42nd Street from Ninth Avenue to Eleventh Avenue, which contains many Off-Broadway theatres, and may be considered to be an extension of the Theatre District, although it is not officially a part of it.
Although there are now more exceptions than there once were, generally shows with open-ended runs operate on the same schedule, with evening performances from Tuesday through to Saturday with an 8:00pm curtain, and afternoon matinee performances on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday; typically at 2:00pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays and 3:00pm on Sundays, making an eight performance week. On this schedule, shows do not play on Mondays, and the shows and theatres are said to be "dark" on that day. Actors and crew in these shows tend to regard Sunday evening through Tuesday evening as their "weekend". The Tony Award presentation ceremony is usually held on a Sunday evening in June to fit into this schedule.
In recent years, many shows have moved their Tuesday show time an hour earlier to 7:00pm. The rationale for the move was that fewer tourists took in shows midweek, so the Tuesday crowd in particular depends on local audience members.

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