Is there a website that contains Broadway reviews from before the Internet era?

[TheSassySam]

I'd love to read reviews from original productions of various shows. I didn't know if there was a website/database that curated these reviews. 

[CATSNYrevival]

You can look up most if not all of the New York Times reviews.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Ben Brantley has a book published which contains all of reviews spanning the past 2 decades or so. 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Frank Rich's New York Times reviews were collected and published in a book called Hot Seat. It seems to be out of print, but plenty of used copies available on Amazon.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Seat-Theater-Criticism-1980-1993/dp/0679453008

[theatreguy12]

I know IBDB used to have links to some.  I haven't seen them on there anymore though.  Unless they're only there for some shows and I missed them.

[JayG 2]

IBDB is selective in the shows that include reviews. Perhaps they are still researching and filling in the material, but shows that I checked from the sixties or seventies had no links to reviews, but there are some more recent shows that do have that reviews link.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Yes, I highly recommend the Frank Rich review anthology Hot Seat. I read it over and over again as a teenager until it literally fell apart.

Also, John Simon has at least one review anthology.

[Tom5]

YES!! But not on the internet (as far as I know)  Go to the Lincoln Center Library, second floor, ask for the New York critics Theatre Reviews for any year. They have large hard copy volumes for each year going back to the '40! Usually dozens of reviews for every play that opened on Broadway that year. (Dozens of newspapers back then)

[TheSassySam]

Tom5 said: "YES!! But not on the internet (as far as I know)  Go to the Lincoln Center Library, second floor, ask for the New York critics Theatre Reviews for any year. They have large hard copy volumes for each year going back to the '40! Usually dozens of reviews for every play that opened on Broadway that year. (Dozens of newspapers back then)

 

"Nice! I live in Chicago, but visit NYC once a year. I will definitely add this to the list. Hopefully, I can pass off as a resident.  

I wonder if there are any Chicago Tribune archives in the city. I will poke around for them.

 

[MichelleCraig]

For the Internet, I guess the NY Times website is it...but then you're just getting the NY Times reviews. Brantley's book, mentioned earlier, is a fun read...actually, more than that.

 

[Tom5]

Re. Lincoln Center library. All you need is good ID like a driver's license. . You can't take these volumes out, (they must weigh 5 pounds each ). You must read them there. But they're fascinating reading. The reviews are actual photostats taken from the newspapers themselves complete with grainy pictures that may have accompanied the article. So many forgotten plays. Many which closed after one or two performances. You'll also understand why they named a theater after Walter Kerr.

[_IrisTInkerbell]

If you use the New York Times online archive, just keep in mind that you can only read 10 articles a month without a subscription. Other than that it's fabulous, I saved many reviews as pdfs.

 

However, I've been looking for reviews for regional theater productions from the classic summer stock theaters, specifically Wichita and Casa Manana in Forth Worth, TX. I already googled and tried to find something online - without success. Does anybody have any ideas?

I'm trying to get a hold of all reviews Kristin Chenoweth got threw her career. Oklahoma City was amazing that way, their local newspaper has a complete online archive and I even found the reviews of all the OCU productions, and the things she did in summer stock in OCU. But I know she did at least one summer in Wichita and one or two shows in Forth Worth. And I'm also missing the review for the Phantom she did at Northshore Music Theater.

[TheSassySam]

_IrisTInkerbell said: "If you use the New York Times online archive, just keep in mind that you can only read 10 articles a month without a subscription. Other than that it's fabulous, I saved many reviews as pdfs.

 

However, I've been looking for reviews for regional theater productions from the classic summer stock theaters, specifically Wichita and Casa Manana in Forth Worth, TX. I already googled and tried to find something online - without success. Does anybody have any ideas?

I'm trying to get a hold of all reviews Kristin Chenoweth got threw her career. Oklahoma City was amazing that way, their local newspaper has a complete online archive and I even found the reviews of all the OCU productions, and the things she did in summer stock in OCU. But I know she did at least one summer in Wichita and one or two shows in Forth Worth. And I'm also missing the review for the Phantom she did at Northshore Music Theater.

 

"

That's so cool about OCU's productions being mentioned. Did you happen to find the production where she was in Gypsy? I believe she played June in the show. A personal friend of mine was Tulsa in that production and apparently he and Kristin would leave during intermission to go get ice cream at Braum's and come back before the curtain was up. 

[dramamama611]

Here's a related question:  was it common in the 50s, 60s, 70s for non NY reviews to happen?  I guess it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't covered, but I just don't know.

[LizzieCurry]

You mean did local newspapers review local shows? Yes. Yes they did.

[_IrisTInkerbell]

TheSassySam said: "
That's so cool about OCU's productions being mentioned. Did you happen to find the production where she was in Gypsy? I believe she played June in the show. A personal friend of mine was Tulsa in that production and apparently he and Kristin would leave during intermission to go get ice cream at Braum's and come back before the curtain was up. "

I'm not aware of Kristin doing Gypsy at OCU (and I just double-checked the OCU website, they only did that show in '77), but she played June at OKC's Lyric Theatre in the summer of '89, and yes, I found that review, Brett Alan played Tulsa. If that's your friend that's the one  http://newsok.com/lyric-theatres-production-of-gypsy-has-strength/article/2275941

[TheSassySam]

I'm not aware of Kristin doing Gypsy at OCU (and I just double-checked the OCU website, they only did that show in '77), but she played June at OKC's Lyric Theatre in the summer of '89, and yes, I found that review, Brett Alan played Tulsa. If that's your friend that's the one  http://newsok.com/lyric-theatres-production-of-gypsy-has-strength/article/2275941

 

"

WOW! Yes, that is him! I cannot believe you found that. Thank you for sharing. 

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Of course, no problem. Like I said, NewsOK has great (free) archive and a really good search engine. They pretty much reviewed all OCU and Lyric Theater productions, and you can usually also find an announcement piece before Opening Night, in addition to the review.

I wish all regional newspaper had that good an online archive!

[After Eight]

"Go to the Lincoln Center Library, second floor, ask for the New York critics Theatre Reviews for any year. They have large hard copy volumes for each year going back to the '40! Usually dozens of reviews for every play that opened on Broadway that year. (Dozens of newspapers back then)"

 

You can also go to the third floor where these volumes are on open shelves, and you can browse through all of them, as well as many more fascinating reference works on the theatre. The library also made its own scrapbooks of clippings of reviews that include additional reviews to those contained in the annual New York Theatre Critics volumes. These too can be consulted on open shelves, and include some off-Broadway productions as well. These volumes do not go back as far as the aforementioned ones. For older productions, you can request to see reviews of individual shows, and the library will send them up to you.