The Broadway theatre is also commonly known as “Broadway”. It is located in Manhattan, New York. There are 41 theaters in total making up a majority of the American theatre industry.
Many things about the Broadway theater are already well-known since it is one of the most known places for the people who love performing arts.
However, there are still many things which are lesser known about the Broadway theater. In this article, we will take a look at some of the lesser known facts about Broadway Theatre.
It Was Once Called “Great White Way”
Since the streets of Broadway were the first to get lighted with white bulbs in the 1890s, it was called the great white way. Moreover, the signs used by businesses on Broadway were also illuminated by bulbs.
These lights have a great history as well. In WWI, the government dimmed the bulbs of Broadway to make up for the shortage of coal. But the public demanded the government to increase the coal ration of New York to restore the shine in Broadway’s lights.
Broadway Street is The Longest in New York
Do you know the length of Broadway street? Make a guess.
The street runs for over 33 miles, and 18 miles are outside the limits of NYC. This street has connections with the Native American History. The first time Broadway was seen on the official map was in the 1700s.
There Are No I Seat Rows
Do you know that theaters on Broadway don’t have “I” seat rows in them? That’s because the visitors used to confuse “I” for the number 1, and booked the first row only to find out the “I” row is actually the 9th row.
So, to avoid disappointment, Broadway stopped using the letter I in their seat rows.