Broadway Shows Discount Tickets > Broadway & New York Theater Information (Top Page) > What Is Broadway? A Detailed Guide + Discount Ticket Tips

What Is Broadway? A Detailed Guide + Discount Ticket Tips

Broadway is at the heart of New York theater. In this guide, you’ll learn what “Broadway” really means, how it developed, the difference between Broadway and Off-Broadway, and how to find discount tickets for world-famous shows.

What Is Broadway? A Detailed Guide + Discount Ticket Tips

Table of Contents

First Time Seeing a Broadway Show? Start with the Basics

This page is an in-depth guide for readers who want to learn more about Broadway. If you’d prefer a quick, simple overview of what Broadway is and how to buy discount tickets, check the page below first.

It explains in plain English what Broadway means, the different types of theater seating, how to find discount tickets, and basic theater etiquette.

Broadway Basics for First-Time Visitors

What Is Broadway?

Most Broadway Theaters Are Concentrated Around Times Square

West 45th Street lined with theaters “Broadway” is also the name of the famous avenue that runs diagonally through Manhattan. But when people talk about Broadway shows, they generally mean productions presented in Broadway theaters, most of which are located in the Theater District around Times Square.

Broadway theaters typically have 500 seats or more, while Off-Broadway theaters generally have 100–499 seats. Around 41 Broadway theaters are located in New York City, with numerous productions playing throughout the year.

There are exceptions. For example, the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center is located outside the Theater District but is still officially considered a Broadway theater. The Tony Awards, the highest honors in American theater, recognize productions presented in designated Broadway theaters, including the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

How the Modern Musical Developed

Vaudeville, an early influence on Broadway The roots of the modern musical can be traced back to opera. During the late Renaissance, artists and scholars in Florence developed forms of musical drama inspired by Greek mythology.

Over time, lighter forms emerged, including Italy’s opera buffa, England’s comic opera, France’s opéra comique, and Austria’s operetta. These traditions eventually reached America and helped influence the development of musical theater.

At the same time, the United States was developing its own popular musical styles, including ragtime and jazz, while stage entertainment such as vaudeville thrived. Early “musical comedies” often emphasized songs and spectacle more than story.

A major turning point came on December 27, 1927, when Show Boat premiered in New York. With realistic characters, songs that advanced the plot, and themes that addressed social issues, the show helped point the way toward the integrated “book musical.” From then on, writers increasingly aimed to create greater unity between story and score, laying the foundation for the modern musical.

Origins of the Name “Broadway”

A Name with Dutch Roots

Origin of the name Broadway The name “Broadway” comes from the Dutch phrase Brede weg, meaning “broad road.”

Long before European settlement, the route followed part of the Wickquasgeck Trail, used by Indigenous peoples. The trail crossed marshes, rocks, and brush along a route similar to today’s north-south path through Manhattan.

The Road Linking Lower and Upper Manhattan

Understanding Manhattan’s early history helps explain how Broadway developed.

In 1609, the Dutch East India Company hired English explorer Henry Hudson to search for a northwest passage to Asia. After reaching Manhattan and trading with local peoples for beaver and otter pelts, the Dutch later established the colony of New Netherland and founded a settlement at the southern tip of the island. In 1625, they established the town of New Amsterdam.

Dutch settlers traveling from New Amsterdam in the south to farms in the north used the Wickquasgeck Trail and called it “Heerestraat.” That route later became Broadway, originally serving as a practical road connecting the southern settlement with farmland to the north.

How Broadway Became the Theater District

The Theater District centered on Times Square Today, Broadway still runs the length of Manhattan, but the name is also closely associated with the Theater District around Times Square.

A major catalyst was the 1880 opening of the Metropolitan Opera House at Broadway and West 41st Street. Its success drew more theaters to the surrounding neighborhood, helping turn the area roughly between West 41st and West 54th Streets and Sixth and Eighth Avenues into a booming entertainment district.

In 1904, when the New York Times moved into a new tower at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Broadway, the area was renamed Times Square. With electric lights blazing, the district earned the nickname “The Great White Way,” and “Broadway” became synonymous with New York’s Theater District.

Broadway vs. Off-Broadway: What’s the Difference?

It Mainly Comes Down to Seating Capacity

When people say “Broadway shows,” they usually mean productions presented in Broadway theaters. You’ll also hear the terms Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway. These categories are primarily defined by the number of seats in the theater.

Broadway theaters have 500 seats or more, while Off-Broadway theaters generally have 100–499 seats. Smaller Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway venues often present more experimental or unconventional productions, some of which become breakout hits and later transfer to Broadway.

Famous Shows That Transferred from Off-Broadway

Here are a few well-known productions that started Off-Broadway and later transferred to Broadway.

Broadway musical Hadestown

Hadestown

A musical based on singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell’s concept album of the same name.
Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hansen

A story about social media, connection, and a teenager with anxiety who unexpectedly finds himself at the center of a life-changing situation.
Broadway musical Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages

A jukebox musical packed with 1980s rock hits that inspired the film starring Tom Cruise and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Broadway musical Avenue Q

Avenue Q

A puppet-powered musical comedy that playfully tackles themes such as sex, racism, unemployment, and internet addiction. It quickly became a beloved hit in New York.
Broadway musical Be More Chill

Be More Chill

Based on the novel by Brooklyn-born author Ned Vizzini, the show became a viral sensation among younger audiences.
Broadway musical RENT

RENT

Inspired by the opera La Bohème, this musical follows young artists living in Manhattan’s East Village.
Broadway musical In the Heights

In the Heights

Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who later created Hamilton, the musical portrays everyday life in Washington Heights’ Dominican-American community.

Long-Running Off-Broadway Shows

Off-Broadway has been home to many long-running productions. The Fantasticks opened at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in 1960 and ran for an astonishing 42 years, totaling 17,162 performances — far exceeding the longest single run of any Broadway production.

Other notable long-running Off-Broadway productions include Blue Man Group, which opened in 1991, and STOMP, which opened in 1994.

What Is the Theater District?

The Theater District Is the Heart of Broadway

Broadway theaters in New York's Theater District The Theater District is the area around Times Square, roughly between Sixth and Eighth Avenues and West 40th and West 54th Streets. It is one of New York’s main entertainment hubs, home to Broadway theaters as well as cinemas, restaurants, and hotels.

As the city’s center moved northward in the late 1800s, development accelerated in this area. The arrival of the subway in the early 1900s helped shape the district we recognize today. With its brilliant electric signs, the neighborhood earned the nickname “The Great White Way.”

FAQ About Broadway