Broadway Museum in New York City. (Photo by Danny Garcia)
Recently, Watermark Out News’ publisher Rick Todd and I attended a very important and educational conference in New York City.
Rick lived in New York several years ago and I’ve visited a handful of times — enough to pretend I know what I’m doing or not react to the odd shenanigans on the streets or subway.
Still, with every visit, I love to play tourist. New York City always offers something new or different for visitors.
My last visit was in the winter of December 2022, just a month after the Museum of Broadway had opened.
My boyfriend will be the first to admit he’s not a fan of live theater — especially musicals — so when I mentioned visiting the museum, he declined.
With this work trip, I wasn’t sure what our schedule would look like but on the last day of a whirlwind, non-stop two-and-a-half-day adventure, I suggested to Rick that we check it out.
Starting at $43 per person, I questioned whether it would be worth it. I mean, I love Broadway shows — and like many gay kids (except my boyfriend), I once dreamed of being on stage in NYC.
So, what should I expect? I was exhausted, was I ready to deal with a building full of (annoying) theater kids who would be singing and dancing as if they were secretly auditioning for some imaginary Broadway producer? I can say that, remember I was one of those kids.
After waiting in a light rain for Rick to grab TKTS tickets for later that night, we made our way to the museum. Like many places in NYC, if you weren’t looking for the marquee or glitzy storefront, you could easily walk right past it. As mentioned, it’s located steps from Times Square at 145 West 45th Street.
We entered through the gift shop, paid for our tickets and climbed up four flights of stairs. Each floor is designed to feel like backstage at a show, low ceilings included, certainly for that added sense of realism of being backstage in a real New York theater. Each floor on the stairwell was labeled as a different department, like hair and makeup, and so on.
At the top floor and the start of the exhibit, a brief video explained the history of New York’s theater scene and how it moved from what is now the Financial District to its broader footprint near Times Square.
From there, the museum guided us through theater history, from the earliest days of a new New York, vaudeville, the downfall of venues becoming adult movie theaters, the Disney-fication of Times Square and into the present.
Packed with art installations, multiple Instagram-worthy photo ops, real show costumes and props, it’s a dream for theater lovers and for anyone who appreciates history.
Theater has always reflected the world around us, giving voice to the voiceless. It can be political and poignant, real and sometimes painful. The exhibit didn’t ignore the era of minstrel shows but later celebrated the rise of Black theater.
There was also a beautiful tribute to those lost during the height of the AIDS epidemic, not just performers on stage but the talent behind the scenes, too.
Additionally, there was a nod to queer characters on the stage, not just side characters. This is where Rick and I saw a familiar face of our dear friend, Sam “Miss Sammy” Singhaus, who appeared in the original cast of “La Cage aux Folles” as one of the original Les Cagelles.
We spent about two hours at the museum. Displays seem to change throughout the year, especially costumes and props. For anyone who appreciates the immense talent behind a show, this museum is totally worth it.
Check out the photos below.
Photos by Danny Garcia.
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