Museum of Broadway to open in Times Square next summer
Rendering by Paul Bennett Architects PC
The first permanent museum dedicated to Broadway will open in Times Square next year. Originally scheduled to debut in 2020 but delayed because of the pandemic, the Museum of Broadway will open at 145 West 45th Street in the summer of 2022, officials announced on Monday. The interactive experience will explore and celebrate the history and legacy of Broadway musicals, plays, and theatres.
With designs by Paul Bennett Architects, the interactive experience will take up multiple floors of the Times Square building. Visitors will travel through the timeline of Broadway, from its birth to the present day, get an up-close look at game-changing musicals, take in the migration of the city’s theaters in the “Map Room,” and enjoy a behind-the-curtain look at the making of a show, including a special backstage exhibit honoring theater professionals.
The museum’s retail store includes custom apparel and souvenirs, including limited-edition Hirschfeld merchandise. Proceeds from a line of costume-specific Hirschfeld drawings will be donated to the Costume Industry Coalition. The online store officially launched on Monday.
The founders of the Museum of Broadway are Tony-nominated producer Julie Boardman and Rubik Marketing founder Diane Nicoletti.
“In the theatre we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We are thrilled to create a museum honoring Broadway’s extraordinary history, the trailblazers who pushed the art form forward and celebrate its bright future,” Boardman said. “We’re delighted to be working closely with members of the theatre community to build an authentic experience that visitors of all ages will enjoy.”
The museum comes as part of a collaboration with Playbill, Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS, The Billy Rose Theatre Division at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, The Al Hirschfeld Foundation, Concord Theatricals, Goodspeed Musicals, and more partners to be announced in the coming weeks.
“It is thrilling to have a permanent museum dedicated exclusively to Broadway theatre open in the heart of the theatre district,” Doug Reside, curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, said.
“Theatre is an art form that regularly remembers its own past through revivals and reinterpretations, and this museum will help to contextualize the story of this repertory both for first time visitors to Broadway and seasoned ticket buyers.”
Tickets to the Museum of Broadway will go on sale later this year.
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