I just got back from visiting NYC where one of my treats was seeing “Into the Woods” at the Broadhurst Theater. The Broadhurst is considered to be a Broadway theater even though it’s not actually on Broadway. It’s on 44th street. The Producers was playing right across the street, also a Broadway show, but not actually on Broadway. So the question comes to mind … what criteria is in effect for a specific theater to call itself a Broadway theater even if the theater itself is not on Broadway?
I don’t have the full answer yet, but a little poking around reveals the following:
To qualify as a “Broadway Theater” a theater (1) Must be in the “Broadway grid” (near Broadway but not necessarily on it, and in the Times Square area), in which certain union pay scales apply; (1) Must have over 499 seats.
There are, at present, 37 official “Broadway” theaters.
Off-Broadway theaters have a capacity of 100-499. I believe there are some in the theater district, and some may actually be closer to Broadway than official “Broadway theaters.” However, traditionally the center of Off-Broadway theaters has been in Greenwich Village. Off-off-Broadway theaters have a capacity of 99 or less.