Zhao Ping Li LipingZhao Ping Li Liping

Lei Jie He Xiujuan Lei Jie He Xiujuan

Brief introduction Broadway is a street in Manhattan, New

York. The street across the island of Manhattan from the south to north.

There are a lot of theaters at both sides of the street, so it is the most important cradle（发源地） of drama and musical in the United States. That’s why Broadway became a synonym（代名词） of musical.

Broadway history

Broadway was originally the Wickquasgeck Trail. Upon the arrival of Dutch, they name the road

“Heerestraat” In the 18th century, Broadway ended at the town

commons north of wall street. In the late 19th century, the widened part of

Bloomingdale Road north of Columbus Circle was called “the Boulevard”

At the end of the century, the whole old road was renamed Broadway

1. The First theater: Park Theater,1810

The second theater: the Broadway,1820

Style : Victorian style

2. Rapidly developed: since 1920, after the World War I

Peak time: the late 1920s, in 1925, up to 80

Stagnate: early 1930, economic crisis

3. Now: synonym of theaters

stages:

Features of Broadway performances

shows: musical and opera

consistent style: black tone, exaggerated,

humor, funny, natural

features: easy to understand

full of entertainment

strong commercial colors

Off Broadway

Off Broadway means the drama activities besides New York commercial theatre center . And most were performed in the theatre of 41st street and 56th street or in some old hired halls and basements

To make theatrical experiments in low cost , and provide performance chances for the theatre workers who were not be appreciated.

Since 1950s, there were some attractive dramas preformed in Off Broadway, developed a batch of new theatre workers .

Its influence and scale became more wide gradually.

The development• From geography , Off Broadway have been exceeded

the birth land, and spread all over New York.• From the list of dramas, it not only performed the

typical drama of Shakespeare , Chekhov and Ibsen and so on , at the same time ,it also preformed modern serious drama , musical drama ,and comedies.

• From the performance purposes , some new actors performed for their talent, some theatre works couldn’t be performed in Broadway ,some for commercial benefits and so on.

• In 1960s , Off Broadway reached its heyday( 全盛期 ).

After 1960s ,the drama in Off Broadway became more commercial , and less artistry ;more cost ,and less drama lists .

Many new writers and opera troupes performed again on the remote cocklofts ,cellars ,bars , churches in very low cost .

This phenomenon called “Off-Off Broadway”

Famous musicals in Broadway

　

1982.10 to 2000.6

Famous people

Many Hollywood stars are coming out from the

Broadway stage. One example is Julie Andrews,

she was found by director because she was the

actress in the musical "The Sound of Music”. Then

she changed direction to the screen and became

the American screen idols in 1960s.

Julie Andrews

"Broadway," the meaning of the word today is not just focused on this street or the theater; people use the word to refer to the essence of American drama. So an actor’s name appearing in a Broadway Theater is the symbol of real success.

Today, Broadway musical has become one of the pillars (支柱 )in New York’s cultural industry.

Watching a Broadway musical is an indispensable thing to every tourist who comes to New York.

The Influence of Broadway