What is the difference between off broadway and broadway

For example, the original production of Little Shop of Horrors opened in and ran for five years without ever making it to the Great White Way—although a Broadway revival did pop up in For many productions, Off-Broadway is a stepping stone. Just a few months after opening up at smaller theaters, Hair , A Chorus Line , and, more recently, Hamilton all made the jump to a Broadway stage. That transition isn't always easy. Often, new sets have to be built and, sometimes, key players have to be re-cast.

Furthermore, as producer Gerald Schoenfeld told Playbill in , the Off-Broadway venue where it all began won't want to be left "high and dry" after the show leaves. Broadway productions also come with much higher price tags.

Broadway shows have the strictest guidelines to earn their moniker. In addition to having seats or greater, they must be located in the Theatre District around Times Square in Midtown, Manhattan as well as in venues certified by The Broadway League, the trade association for the Broadway industry. Because of their prime locations, Broadway shows have a greater chance to attract tourists and other theatre-goers, and as such, have long since been known to have much larger budgets and production values than other musicals and stage shows in New York City.

Similarly, they can also attract larger stars, as well as adaptations of famous films and other works whose rights may be expensive to procure. Examples of famous Broadway shows are nearly countless, with The Phantom of the Opera being the longest running show on Broadway to date. For more information, click here. The Steven Spielberg-directed film premieres December 10 in theatres. The film reunites Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennett from the stage adaptation.

The stars of The Music Man take to Instagram to show off their charming offstage chemistry. Follow Playbill Now. A theatre is classed as an off-Broadway theatre if it has a capacity of between and seats and is located in Manhattan.

Some companies have a presence both on Broadway and off-Broadway. Productions can also transfer from an off-Broadway venue to a longer run at a larger venue on Broadway. There are dozens of off-Broadway theatres that you can visit in New York City.