# What makes a Broadway show a Broadway show?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-broadway-show-a-broadway-show/122351>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 4, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-broadway-show-a-broadway-show/122351 "2002-08-04T23:59:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-broadway-show-a-broadway-show/122351/1 "2002-08-04T23:59:32Z")

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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?

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-broadway-show-a-broadway-show/122351/2 "2002-08-05T00:21:09Z")

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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.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-broadway-show-a-broadway-show/122351/3 "2002-08-05T00:29:13Z")

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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.