Off-Broadway
plays or musicals are performed in New York City. "Off Broadway" originally referred to the location of a venue (and its productions) on a street in Manhattan's Theater District that intersected the street called Broadway—the long-time hub of the theater industry in the United States. Now, generally speaking, the term refers to a venue within the Theater District whose seating capacity is less than 500, or to a specific production that first appeared in such a venue. [1]
The rationale behind the designation is based on the implication that an Off-Broadway production is smaller and less fancy—in terms of venue size, star billing, writers'/choreographers' credentials, production cost, etc.—than a "Broadway" production.
There was a time when, regardless of the size of the venue, a theatre could not be considered Off Broadway if it were within the "Broadway Box (the traditional Broadway Theatre District)." This is no longer the case as evidenced by a number of theatres in that area, including (but not limited to) New World Stages, The Little Shubert Theatre and The Snapple Center. However, if an Off-Broadway theatre is located within the "Broadway Box," then there is a slightly higher minimum salary requirement for actors, according to Actors' Equity (labor union for live-theater performers) rules. [2]
A number of successful Off-Broadway shows have had subsequent runs on Broadway. For instance, the musicals, "A Chorus Line", Godspell
, Avenue Q
, Rent
, Spring Awakening
, Hair
, Grey Gardens
, Little Shop of Horrors
, and Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George
, and the plays Doubt
, I Am My Own Wife
, and Bridge & Tunnel
were initially presented Off Broadway. However, productions such as Stomp
, Blue Man Group
, Altar Boyz
, Perfect Crime
and Naked Boys Singing
have run successfully for several years in Off-Broadway venues. The Fantasticks
, the longest-running musical in theatre history, spent its original 42-year run Off Broadway. [3] In 2008, two Off-Broadway shows, In the Heights
and Passing Strange
, transferred to Broadway.
Off-Broadway shows, performers, and creative staff are eligible for nomination for the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Outer Circle Critics Award, the Drama Desk Award, the Obie Award (presented since 1956 by The Village Voice
), and the Lucille Lortel Award (created in 1985 by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres & Producers). Although Off-Broadway shows are not eligible for Tony Awards, an exception was made in 1956 (before the rules were changed), when Lotte Lenya won for "Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical," for the Off-Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera
. [4]
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OFF BROADWAY TICKETS
| EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
|---|
| Public Opinion Tickets 6/10 | Jun 10, 2026
Wed, 8:00 PM |  | | Large Spoon Album Release Tickets 6/12 | Jun 12, 2026
Fri, 8:00 PM | | | The Holy Friars Tickets 6/13 | Jun 13, 2026
Sat, 8:00 PM | | | Chrissy Chlapecka Tickets 6/17 | Jun 17, 2026
Wed, 8:00 PM | | | Bleach Balta Tickets 6/19 | Jun 19, 2026
Fri, 8:00 PM | |
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