New York City - Zentrum von Hochkultur und Subkultur

Field Trip New York City 2005

The History Of Broadway Theaters Martin Doskoczynski

- 19th ct.: first theaters in Downtown Manhattan: Park Theater on Park Row (1810) and “The Bowery” on the Bowery (1821)
- World of entertainments, theaters, circusses, exhibitions centered on the Bowery
- beginnings of intensive growth of number of theaters and domination (Broadway-Syndicates)
- beginning of “moving to midtown”
- import of many artists from europe
- 1866: “The Black Crook” à first Broadway Musical

- 1900-1920: Beginnings of the Theater District which extended along Broadway from 13th Street to 45th Street
- “The Great White” (Way): Lights illuminating the Theater District
- since 1902: several institutions built on “Longacre Square” à 1904 renaming in “Times Square”
- Theaters: provincial, parochial and patriotic (“Stars and Stripes”)
- Beginning of “realism” and dramaturgy
- Most expensive show in NYC: $2.50 “The Follies of 1907” (1907)
- 1905: “The Hippodrome”-Theater: over 5,000 seats, 1910: 40 theaters in the Theater District
- since 1910: growth of USA and WWI influence Broadway, financial and moral support of the troops
- 1914: for the first time the songs of a play were part of the action; first jazz-musicals
- disputes between actors and producers, strikes; “no more pay, just fair play”
- continuing moving northwards, more and more theaters established in Midtown Manhattan
- vaudevilles, ragtime, blues, jazz; black artists, but also racist plots

- 1920-1940: “The American Theater”: new economic, social and intellectual world, then great depression (since ~1930)
- “The New Theater” established next to central park à American Theater (à New Theater Movement)
- 1925: Civic Repertory Theater: cheap performances for the masses, mix of immigrants, students and uptown theater-goers à training ground for actors
- presentation of black life by black performers
- most famous plays: ~1400 performances (e.g.”Hellzapoppin”)
- big crisis during the depression
- “Federal Theater Project”, “experimental theater”; “Group Theater”: young actors, idealistic group à political theater
- declining number of production but improving quality

- 1940s: “Bright, golden Haze”
- Situation very similar to the 1910s, due to WW.II
- “Nazis” in performances
- comedy and farce to escape the reality of war
- upcoming TV: many movies basing on Broadway-performances
- movies cheaper then plays, rise of costs à decreasing number of performances
- musical no longer escapistic, but also informing and thought-provoking
- first off-Broadway theaters in Greenwich Village
- damage to theater by the “Un-American Activities Committee”
- demonstration for social change and sexual and racial equality by actors in plays

- 2nd half of 20th ct.: NYC cultural capital of the world
- motto: “freedom” and the defense of it
- Broadway-Plays more and more expensive, not affordable for many people
- Even Off-Broadway expensive à off-off-Broadway established
- Importance of Broadway still very high, but for the first time more actors employed outside of NYC than in it (1960s)
- Most popular performances: musicals
- Surroundings of Times Square absolute Center of Broadway-Insitutions, but continuing moving northwards
- Times Square since 1970s affected by drugs, prostitution and sex-cinemas, urban decay, renewal in the 1990s (under Giuliani)

Sources:

JACKSON, K.T. (1995) (Hrsg.): The Encyclopedia Of New York City. University of Yale.

KINGWOOD COLLEGE LIBRARY (2004) (Hrsg.): “American Cultural History”. URL: http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/19thcentury.html. Abrufdatum: 28.02.2005

RUSIE, R.(2004): „Broadway 101. The History of the Great White Way”. URL: http://www.talkinbroadway.com/bway101/. Abrufdatum: 01.03.2004.