WHAT'S OFF-BROADWAY? WE’RE SO GLAD YOU ASKED.

Off-Broadway is great theatre.

It is theatre created year-round, all over the isle of Manhattan, in theatres with seating between 100 and 499 seats. Off-Broadway is innovative musicals and prize-winning plays; it is one-person shows and spectacular events; it is record-breaking, familiar shows and not-to-be-missed limited runs.
Maybe we should start with the reasons to go...

10 Reasons to Go to Off-Broadway

10. THE COOL FACTOR. For a night on the town that blows your mind, makes you think and keeps you saying “WOW” there’s nothing cooler than Off-Broadway.

9. THE STARS . From Sam Shepard to Cynthia Nixon, Frances MacDormand to Ethan Hawke, Mary Louise Parker to Philip Seymour Hoffman, it’s where our finest actors come out and play.

8. THE INTIMACY . The smaller the theater, the fewer the people to bother you with crinkling candy wrappers or annoying cell phone calls! Plus, shorter lines to the bathroom, and a shorter distance between you and the stellar actors on stage!

7. THE LOCATION . Off-Broadway theaters are in New York’s most happening neighborhoods, just steps from the hottest restaurants, bars and other hotspots!

6. THE AFFORDABILITY . Prices are so low, you’ll have enough cash left over for a great dinner, drinks, AND a babysitter. So, make a night of it!

5. THE SURPRISES . More men painted blue. More death-defying trapeze tricks. More flying food. More searing drama. More snow in spring. In short, more of what you can’t get anywhere else in New York.

4. THE HITS . With FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, ALTAR BOYZ and STOMP, Off-Broadway’s got more long-running smash-hit shows than Broadway!

3. THE VARIETY . From Pulitzer Prize-winning dramas to fun family fare, from laugh-till-you-cry comedies to foot-stomping extravaganzas, there’s something for everyone Off-Broadway.

2. THE BREAKTHROUGHS . Current Broadway blockbusters like IN THE HEIGHTS, SPRING AWAKENING and AVENUE Q all got their start Off-Broadway. What’ll be this year’s next big Broadway hit?

And the #1 reason to Go to Off-Broadway:

1. EVERYBODY’S DOING IT!

THE LEAGUE OF OFF-BROADWAY THEATRES AND PRODUCERS

The League of Off Broadway Theatres was founded in 1959 for the purpose of promoting and fostering theatrical productions produced in Off-Broadway theatres, to assist in the voluntary exchange of information among its members, and to serve as the collective voice of its membership in pursuit of these purposes.

WHAT ELSE DO WE DO?

THE LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS

The League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers instituted the Lucille Lortel Awards to recognize excellence in the Off-Broadway arena and to honor Lucille Lortel's devotion to Off-Broadway. Awarded annually since 1986, the Lortel Awards are produced by the League in association with the Lucille Lortel Foundation. Additional support is provided by Theatre Development Fund.

More than twenty years after the first recipient was honored, the Awards have grown to fifteen competitive categories including Outstanding Musical and Play and include more than 100 eligible Off-Broadway productions per year. The Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Achievement has become Off-Broadway’s most prestigious award and the Awards ceremony has become a highlight of the spring awards season.

Past recipients of Lortel Awards include: Edward Albee, Jane Alexander, Alan Bates, Charles Durning, Uta Hagen, Ed Harris, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Eileen Heckart, Cherry Jones, Tony Kushner, Nathan Lane, John Leguizamo, Julianna Margulies, Arthur Miller, Mary Louise Parker, Parker Posey, Gloria Reuben, Anika Noni Rose, Jason Robards, Mark Ruffalo, Anna Devere Smith, Susan Stroman, Eli Wallach, and Mare Winningham.

The Lucille Lortel Awards nominating/voting committee includes representatives of the Off-Broadway League, the Lortel Foundation, Actors' Equity Association, Society of Stage Directors & Choreographers, journalists, educators, and other artistic contributors to Off-Broadway.

WHO BRINGS THIS WEB SITE TO YOU?

OffBroadway.com is brought to you by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers. Additional support is provided by the Theatre Development Fund. For more information, go to League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers online.