By Aliza Gans
At this point, there seems to be a museum for almost everything – illusions, ice cream, emojis – but until the fall of 2022, one niche had yet to be filled. Enter center stage: The Museum of Broadway.
An entire building dedicated to the art of theater in New York City – what more could a theater-lover want?
The museum opens with a staircase akin to that of a cramped backstage one, filled with posters of theater vocabulary available to read. At the top, the first exhibit is filled with posters of all the shows currently on Broadway, which constantly changes as new shows open and others close. The exhibit takes you on a journey, beginning with the creation of Broadway in 1732 all the way until today. The museum guides you to a Vaudeville-themed room, the form of theater that preceded the musical, which is intricately themed with authentic items including stunning Vaudeville costumes. From there the timeline continues until you reach the Showboat themed room, where the musical theater we know today got its start. From there, you are slowly brought through time with rooms dedicated to Oklahoma, Rodgers & Hammerstein, West Side Story and all the way to Rent, Hair and Hamilton.
In these rooms the displays vary from props or costumes of a production to behind the scenes photos and notes from each show, as the respective soundtrack plays through the speakers. You might hear some people humming along as they take in the behind the scenes view of their beloved musicals.
The second half of the museum is dedicated to how a show happens; it covers everything from the creative team to all the technical jobs backstage. You learn just how many steps go into a show and the grueling process one takes to get to Broadway. Learning about all aspects of theater is important and highlights the people who don’t often get the spotlight or applause. It sheds light on the immense skills and knowledge required for these jobs that can often get brushed aside.
The production room also included many models of various sets from shows like In the Heights, Be More Chill, and Legally Blonde. A highlight was the 360° view of the Gershwin Theater where Wicked has been playing for over two decades. This model showcases not only the stage, but the backstage complete with actors, set pieces and rehearsal and dressing rooms. While seeing the amount of work that goes into these shows, many iconic props are also highlighted in this section like The Phantom’s mask from Phantom of the Opera, the Genie’s lamp from Aladdin, and a “bundle” of ‘papes’ used in Newsies.
The opportunity to see so many costumes and props up close is not to be missed. Even while sitting in the orchestra it can be easy to miss some details, but seeing them face to face gives you the opportunity to find things you didn’t know before. Some of the costumes have been worn by famous iconic actors such as Lea Michele’s Funny Girl costume, Cynthia Erivo’s costume from The Color Purple and Lin Manuel Miranda’s pair of boots from Hamilton, complete with his signature.
While not every show is given a room, the museum still includes many musicals that have changed the industry. Within each room is information about the composer, writer and what inspired them to create their show. The museum also notes how musical styles in the theater changed over the years from ones with a more classic musical theater sound to unconventional ones set with sounds of rock or folk music. Included in many rooms are clips of videos from documentaries made of certain shows explaining the creative process and how a show evolved as the cast and creator worked together. Here you can learn that Jerome Robbins’s inspiration for Fiddler on the Roof was his visit to his grandparents’ town in Europe in the 50s, only to find it barren and empty. This led him to want to create a piece of art that celebrated the Jewish culture in all its glory and not let time forget what had been, even if none remained.
Fiddler on the Roof isn’t the only show to have a Jewish connection; in fact, from original theater owners to infamous playwrights and composers, Jews were very present in the theater industry. As Jews came from Europe to escape persecution in America, they found that significant discrimination awaited them. Unable to break into typical jobs like bankers, doctors and teachers, many went the route of showbiz, an industry looked down on by the devout Christian population. Jews flourished here, and without them, many of the most well-known works would not exist. What do Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephon Sonheim, Jonathan Larsen, Jason Robert Brown, Jerome Robbins and Stephon Schwartz all have in common? They were Jewish, and helped produce some of the most iconic pieces of musical theater that still are popular and being revived to this day.
The Jewish role in Broadway is fascinating, but none of the information above was mentioned at the museum. While there are rightful mentions of trailblazers in many marginalized communities, the Jewish community seems to have been left off the list with the only mention of one’s Judaism being Fiddler on the Roof. There are many playwrights who draw inspiration and creativity from their Jewish heritage, and our role as a community in this industry deserves acknowledgement.
So if shows are feeling too expensive right now and you’re having theater withdrawal, the Museum of Broadway is the perfect way to fill that Broadway fix you’re craving. Come, seize the day, and get down to the Museum of Broadway.
Sincerely, me.
Photo Caption: The Museum of Broadway
Photo Credit: Aliza Gans