The website Visit-New-York-City states that the area now famous for its theaters and play productions was originally off limits for stage productions when "New Amsterdam" existed as a Dutch trading post. The first play performed in New York City, "The Beggar's Opera," was performed in 1750 in a different area of town. The 1800s brought along great expansion in the theater. Entertainment ventures settled along Broadway, as it was the main street in New York City, and America began producing its own acting talent besides importing European stars.
In 1866, William Wheatley was the manager of the Niblo's Garden auditorium, which held 3,200 people. He is credited as the originator of the Broadway musical, when he decided to add music and dancing numbers to a melodrama called "The Black Crook." During the mid-1800s, musical comedy productions were extremely popular. According to Broadway 101, the first electrically lit marquee sign was erected in 1891 on Madison Square.
Broadway 101 explains that, during World War II, Broadway played a large role in boosting morale and raising money. In June of 1943, Irvin Berlin produced "This Is the Army." The cast included nearly 400 men and the show did over 100performances. The entire proceeds from the play went to the Army Emergency Relief Fund. The performances continued off Broadway and were even performed at front-line stations until 1945.
After September 11, 2001, Broadway theaters closed briefly but, just ten days after the attacks on New York City, the musical "Urinetown" opened and received great reviews. Broadway now consists of many theaters on the main street, Broadway, along with several theaters in the surrounding area. There are "off-Broadway" shows and road shows of Broadway plays as well. Broadway has brought a lively, entertainment-based culture to the heart of New York City and attracts millions of tourists every year.
When "Show Boat," by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, opened on December 27, 1927, the Broadway musical achieved its form. Eugene O'Neill's first Broadway play was "Beyond the Horizon," which won a Pulitzer prize; he was the first major American playwright and went on to garner three more Pulitzer prizes as well as the Nobel prize for literature. Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma" was a groundbreaking production in 1943. Music, comedy, drama, dance and staging were totally integrated in a single show. Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," with the young Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy, thrilled audiences in 1948. The longest running production in the history of Broadway is "The Phantom of the Opera."