00060: THE MUSEUM OF BROADWAY

Advertised as “an interactive and experiential museum that celebrates Broadway’s rich history, starting in 1732,” the Museum of Broadway is one of New York Cities’ latest attraction. For tourists, it is a place where they can buy unique Broadway paraphernalia and learned a little about the ‘in and outs’ of theatre in general. For theatre enthusiasts and artists, the museum gives us an opportunity to rediscover a little more about theatre history, the way it is done, find theatrical gems (original photographs, original props, original costumers, original set designs, etc…)

The museum counts with three floors of historical information, pictures, facts, trivia, and show installations that make you feel as if you were either on stage, or in a movie set. This installations are also very instagram-able. The installations though, are only about specific Broadway musicals that have either made a difference in theatre history or have influenced popular pop culture. 

There is an installation for the original production of Oklahoma! This musical changed the course of how musicals were written and thanks to its creators, a new genre musical theatre was born: The integrated musical. Although Show Boat was the first show to do that, Oklahoma! is the musical that marks the beginning of the Golden Age of the American Musical. 

Likewise there are installations for musicals such as West Side Story, Cabaret, Hair, and The Lion King, among others. Throughout the museum and between the installations, visitors can follow, along the walls, the history and development of Broadway’s plays and musicals. And of course, like everything else that is curated by one person or a group of people, those in charge get to pick what plays and musicals become the narrative of said history and development. I, for example, noticed that the only Chicano play EVER produced on Broadway, ZOOT SUIT by Luis Valdez, is not among the Broadway’s historical narrative. I may sound bias, because I’m a Latinx Theatre Artist but, I think that if the Museum of Broadway is showing visitors the history and development of theatre, you would think that one play that represents a big population of the United States would be part of the narrative. 

I think one of the most exciting parts of the museum is the “behind the scenes” aspect of theatre-making, which it is titled “The Making of a Broadway Show,” where visitors get to learn and interact with the mechanics of creating a script, a score, costumes, props, lights, etc… And then, of course, you have the exhibition of original costumes and props from famous musicals such as Cats, A Chorus Line, The Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton, and Rent, among others.  

For me, the most fascinating aspect of the museum, besides the history and development narrative, was admiring the miniature scale sets and theatre buildings of some Broadway musicals, such as Wicked and In the Heights. I’m sure there are others but I don’t remember them. 

Overall, visiting the Museum of Broadway is a great experience for every theatre aficionado, theatre maker, and theatre artist.