By Hellen Zaboulani
The first permanent museum dedicated to telling the history of Broadway shows plans to open its doors in the very heart of the Big Apple’s theater district.
As reported by the NY Times, the Museum of Broadway is slated to be ready for visitors next summer, with ticket sales planned for launch in 2022. The museum opening was delayed due to the pandemic. It was original supposed to open in 2020.
The planned museum, at 145 West 45th Street, next door to the Lyceum Theater, is being described as an interactive and immersive experience. “We really thought it would be this great idea that was a hybrid of both an experiential museum that’s very interactive and colorful and fun, as well as making sure that we were really getting the integrity of the history of Broadway, by including costumes and artifacts and historic elements as well,” said Diane Nicoletti, one of the museum founders and founder of Rubik Marketing.
Julie Boardman, a four-time Tony nominated producer, is another of the museum’s founders. The Museum of Broadway was also founded in collaboration with Playbill, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, Concord Theatricals and Goodspeed Musicals.
As per the NY Times, the museum will have three integral parts. First the Map room will show the videos illustrating the migration of New York City’s theaters from the financial district to Union Square, Herald Square and finally to Times Square. Next, the Timeline will layout the history of Broadway from its birth till today, highlighting some of the most beloved plays and musicals. This section will also highlight shows now playing on Broadway. The third section is a backstage experience, entitled, The making of a Broadway show. This area aims to honor the professionals and actors, onstage and off, who enable the shows to delight their audiences.
“It really paints the picture of how that all comes to be, and then honors all of the brilliant, talented creatives, and people who bring that to life,” said Boardman, who has also produced and co-produced a long list of shows. “With Covid, and the industry being completely shut down, we’re really excited to be able to open our doors to everyone” next summer, Boardman said.
“No visit to New York City is complete without seeing a Broadway show, and now with this new pop-up museum, visitors can further immerse themselves in the history and legacy of one of our City’s most iconic draws,” NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon had said when the plans were first unveiled.
