*Includes pictures
*Includes historic descriptions of Broadway theaters and plays
*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading
*Includes a table of contents
Of all the great cities in the world, few personify their country like New York City. As America’s largest city and best known immigration gateway into the country, NYC represents the beauty, diversity and sheer strength of the United States, a global financial center that has enticed people chasing the “American Dream” for centuries.
America’s prototypical metropolis was once a serene landscape in which Native American tribes farmed and fished, but when European settlers arrived its location on the Eastern seaboard sparked a rapid transformation. Given its history of rapid change, it is ironic that the city’s inhabitants often complain about the city’s changing and yearn for things to stay the same. The website EV Grieve, whose name plays on the idea that the East Village “grieves” for the history and character the neighborhood loses every day to market forces and gentrification, regularly features a photo of some site, usually of little interest: an abandoned store, a small bodega, a vacant lot. The caption says, simply, that this is what the site looked like on a given day. The editors of the website are determined to document everything and anything for future generations.
That is hardly a modern phenomenon. New Yorkers have always grieved over the city’s continuous upheavals and ever-increasing size and complexity. By the 1820s, Wall Street had lost whatever charm it might have had; former residents complained that two-story houses had given way to intimidating five-story office buildings. The New York Commercial Advertiser noted in 1825 that “Greenwich is no longer a country village,” but rather an up-and-coming neighborhood. Today, it’s hard to find a history of New York City that doesn’t refer to Henry James’s famous 1908 story The Jolly Corner, in which a man returns to New York after decades abroad only to be horrified by an unfamiliar hellscape of commercial growth. He finds his once-jolly childhood home nearly buried “among the dreadful multiplied numberings which seemed to him to reduce the whole place to some vast ledger-page, overgrown, fantastic, of ruled and criss-crossed lines and figures.” The once-beloved city has transformed itself into “the mere gross generalisation of wealth and force and success.” That childhood home—an 1830s townhouse—in fact belonged to the James family on Washington Square in Greenwich Village. It was destroyed to make way for New York University, which is today embroiled in yet another real estate saga as it plans to expand once again.
Broadway is more than just jazz hands, glittering costumes, tap numbers, and catchy show tunes that loop in one's mind for hours on end with the mildest provocation. Every year, thousands upon thousands of Broadway hopefuls climb on top of one another to hoist themselves onto the grand stage. Countless hours of training, coupled with blood, sweat, and tears, are poured into the craft, all for a chance to see their names emblazoned across the playbills and marquees – not to mention, perform for potential millions. Behind the dazzling lights and razzle and dazzle of Manhattan's legendary theater district is an equally colorful and riveting history. While hers is a story seasoned with innovative triumphs and remarkable firsts, it is also one plagued with scandal and controversy.
Broadway: The History and Legacy of New York City’s Theater Center and Cultural Heart examines the history and legacy of the Big Apple’s theater. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Broadway like never before.
Available On:
Publisher: Charles River Editors
Released: 2017
by Chloe Rabinowitz – May 18, 2026
Masquerade – The Orchestral Score vinyl album has been released.
by Nicole Rosky – May 18, 2026
The Original Broadway Cast Recording of THE LOST BOYS will be available to pre-order Friday, May 29.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – May 15, 2026
Les Miserables: The 40th Anniversary All-Star Cast, a double CD and digital recording featuring Killian Donnelly, Bradley Jaden, and Katie Hall, will be released, timed to coincide with the Arena Spectacular World Tour's final dates.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – May 13, 2026
Beau The Musical will release an Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording led by Drama Desk Award nominee Matt Rodin.
by Josh Sharpe – May 12, 2026
Some buyers who purchased copies of Liza Minnelli's recent memoir, 'Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!' are seeking refunds after determining that the premium signed copies may not be authentic.
by A.A. Cristi – May 08, 2026
Playwright Niki J.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – May 08, 2026
Joy Machine Records will release the new EP The Queen of Magic, the new musical written by Neyla Pekarek – the singer/songwriter formerly of The Lumineers.
by Stephi Wild – May 08, 2026
The filmed version of Hamilton will be released for the first time in 4K UHD Blu-ray this summer.
by Stephi Wild – May 08, 2026
Josh Groban released CINEMATIC, a 10-track album of classic film songs via Reprise Records.
by Josh Sharpe – May 06, 2026
NBC's hit sitcom The Office will bring home the extended 'Superfan' cuts of the series in a new box set, as first seen on the Peacock streaming service.
by Josh Sharpe – May 04, 2026
Electronic hip hop producer and composer Sascois is collaborating with poet DENAMIS (aka Dena Igusti) on an upcoming documentary poetry album titled 'Depletion Halos.
by Josh Sharpe – May 01, 2026
A new collection of recordings is now available from Shani Wallis, who starred as Nancy in the 1968 film adaptation of Oliver! The new release is the first retrospective CD spotlighting the early recordings of the performer.
by Nicole Rosky – May 01, 2026
Josh Groban will soon release a new album, Cinematic.
by A.A. Cristi – April 30, 2026
Center Stage Records announced the release of the PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK: THE MUSICAL original Off-Broadway cast recording, featuring music by Greta Gertler Gold and lyrics by Hilary Bell, with a UK premiere planned for 2027.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – April 27, 2026
Tony Award-nominee Melissa Errico and cabaret artist Travis Moser released 'Someday Soon: The Songs of Judy Collins Live at The Green Room 42,' recorded live following a City Winery tour.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – April 24, 2026
The Sound of Music Tiny Vinyl is now available for purchase exclusively at Target.
by A.A. Cristi – April 23, 2026
Countertenor John Holiday announced his debut album, Over My Head, on PENTATONE, blending spirituals, art song, and world premiere recordings by Theo Morrison and Carlos Simon, with pianist Kevin Miller.
by Nicole Rosky – April 24, 2026
Tony Award–winning stage and screen icon Betty Buckley releases her new single, “Enough,” written by GRAMMY® Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles.
by Stephi Wild – April 23, 2026
Broadway performer Joomin Hwang, currently appearing in & JULIET, has released The Rule of Five Journal, a daily practice system rooted in neuroscience and positive psychology designed to build clarity and resilience.
by A.A. Cristi – April 21, 2026
FERRIS BUELLER.
by Nicole Rosky – April 19, 2026
Atlantic Records will release the live recording of Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown’s THE LAST FIVE YEARS (25th Anniversary Live at the London Palladium), featuring Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt and Golden Globe, NBR, and Olivier winner Rachel Zegler.
by A.A. Cristi – April 17, 2026
Garcelle Beauvais will release a new Audible Original, Protecting My Peace.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – April 17, 2026
Jazz vocalist Stevie Holland announced the vinyl release of her album TALK TO YOUR TOMATOES, featuring originals and standards, alongside an upcoming celebratory concert at 54 Below in New York City.
by Josh Sharpe – April 17, 2026
The soundtrack is here for Mother Mary, the new psychosexual pop opera starring Anne Hathaway as the titular pop diva.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – April 16, 2026
Elaine Paige, who was recently honored with the ‘Special Award’ at this year’s Olivier Awards, will release a new album entitled Miscellaneous Paige, on 17th July 2026.
by Stephi Wild – April 16, 2026
Former ballerina and acclaimed author Natasha MacAller, wife of Michael Crawford, has released her third culinary work, The Apothecary Chef.
by A.A. Cristi – April 14, 2026
Kevin Hart's third Audible Original, KIDS MAKE ME ANGRY, chronicles his 21-year parenting journey through eight phases of fatherhood, blending self-deprecating humor with personal reflection on growing up without a father.
by Chloe Rabinowitz – April 14, 2026
South Street Seaport Museum will host a book club discussion of She-Wolves: The Untold History of Women on Wall Street by Paulina Bren, covering women who broke barriers in finance from the 1960s through 9/11.
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