The Broadway League, formerly the League of American Theatres and Producers and League of New York Theatres and Producers, is the national trade association for the Broadway theatre industry. Its members include theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in New York and more than 250 other North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry.[1]
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History [edit]
The League was founded in 1930 as the "League of New York Theatres and Producers". It was founded by Broadway theatre operators to further common interests,[2] with the main purpose of fighting ticket speculation.[3] The League's first successful act was the writing of the Theater Ticket Code (together with Actors' Equity) which later became a state law.[3] In the following years the League expanded its charter several times, serving at time as the chief negotiator for producers with craft unions and Actors' Equity.[3] With the decline of Broadway in the 1980s the League changed its name to the "League of American Theatres and Producers".[3] On December 18, 2007 the League changed its name to the current name, "The Broadway League".[4]
Sponsored events [edit]
The Tony Awards [edit]
The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre and are presented by the Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of American Theatre Wing and the League, at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theatre. A discretionary non-competitive Special Tony Award and the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre are also given.[5][6] The awards were founded by the Wing in 1947, and the League started co-presenting them in 1967.[7][8]
The Touring Broadway Awards [edit]
The Touring Broadway Awards (TBAs) recognize outstanding achievement in Broadway plays and musicals that tour North America.[9] Founded in 2000 by the League, the awards were known until 2004 as the National Broadway Theatre Awards.[10]
Broadway on Broadway [edit]
Broadway on Broadway is a free annual outdoor concert kicking off the Broadway season each September, produced by the League and the Times Square Alliance. The event takes place in Times Square, which is shut down for the event.[11] The event was conceived in 1992 as a welcome party for delegates to the Democratic National Convention, which was held in New York that year. The concert returned in July 1993 and 1994 and moved to September on 1995. It has been held in mid-September ever since.[12] The 18th annual show took place on September 13, 2009 and included performances from the casts of 21 musicals.[13]
Stars in the Alley [edit]
Stars in the Alley was a free annual outdoor concert in Shubert Alley in the heart of Manhattan’s Theater District, produced by the League. It was usually held the week of the Tony Awards, and marked the official end of the Broadway season. The 21st annual event was held on June 6, 2007, and the casts of dozens of Broadway shows took part.[14] The event has not returned in 2008 and 2009, and is not planned to return on 2010.[15]
Other notable events [edit]
- Broadway Under the Stars: an annual evening concert that was first held in 2002[16] and was held until 2006.[17]
- Tony Awards Preview Concert: a cabaret-style concert featuring songs from Tony-nominated shows held in 2008[18] and 2009.[19] It was not held on 2010.[citation needed]
Services [edit]
Internet Broadway Database [edit]
The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of the League.[20]
Research [edit]
The League serves as the central hub for statistical information about Broadway theatre production in North America. Its research department maintains historical data on individual playhouses and productions. In addition, many reference documents, including weekly box office grosses and season-by-season statistics, are available to the public, journalists, and scholars via the website. The Research department also publishes annual reports that track trends in the industry over time including the Demographics of the Broadway Audience and Broadway’s Economic Contribution.[21]
Other notable services [edit]
- Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) (formerly Broadway Goes Green): an initiative that promotes environmentally friendlier practices in theatre production, launched in 2008.[22]
- Broadway Fan Club: A monthly newsletter [23]
- Broadway Speakers Bureau: encouraging high school and college students to explore non-performance careers in theatre[24]
- Apple Awards: a program rewarding efforts to support education programs relating to Broadway or touring Broadway shows that was started in 2003[25]
References [edit]
- ^ "The Broadway League - The Official Website of the Broadway Theatre Industry". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "About The League". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ a b c d Ken Bloom (2003). Broadway: its history, people, and places : an encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-93704-7. p. 288
- ^ "League of American Theatres and Producers Announces Name Change". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Tony Awards Home Page". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Tony Awards Who's Who". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Our History". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ Ken Bloom (2003). Broadway: its history, people, and places : an encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-93704-7. p. 531-532
- ^ "Touring Broadway Awards website". Retrieved 2007-04-17.
- ^ "About The Awards". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Broadway on Broadway". The Broadway League. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "The Concert". The Broadway League. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Joe. My. God.: Broadway On Broadway 2009.". September 13, 2009. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ Mark Rupp (June 7, 2007). "Photo Coverage: Stars in the Alley 2007". Broadway World. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Stars in the Alley Home Page". The Broadway League. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Broadway Under the Stars" Debuts in NYC's Bryant Park, June 10". Playbill. 04 Jun 2002. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ Andrew Gans and Ernio Hernandez (26 Jun 2006). ""Broadway Under the Stars" Heads to Central Park June 26 - Playbill.com.". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ Andrew Gans (20 Feb 2009). "2008 Tony Preview Concert Nominated for a New York Emmy Award - Playbill.com.". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ Andrew Gans (30 May 2009). "Tony Awards Preview Concert, Hosted By Harry Smith, Airs May 30". Playbill. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "About IBDB". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Research & Information". The Broadway League. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Broadway Green Alliance". Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Broadway Fan Club". The Broadway League. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Broadway Speakers Bureau". The Broadway League. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Apple Awards". The Broadway League. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
External links [edit]
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