The Broadway Theater was build with amazing performances in mind. Every measure has been used to ensure that the theater offers the maximum in entertainment. Yet, what makes the theater particularly appealing to the public is that is affordable to all people: it is not solely a place for elite people to gather for the purposes of entertainment.
The first show in the Broadway Theater as it is now known was "The New Yorkers"; an ideal play, fitting to the city in which the theater is located. "The New Yorker" was a musical written by Herbert Fields and Cole Porter involving a New York woman from Park Avenue played by Hope Williams. The show was an immediate success and it became incredibly popular, despite its high priced tickets in the 1930's. Of course, the time period in which this show opened needs to be considered: the stock market had just crashed in 1929 and the depression ultimately had a baneful affect on the sale of tickets. Unfortunately, the show ran for a short period: six weeks in all.
The second show to appear on Broadway in 1932 was the "Earl Carroll Vanities". The cast included a young Milton Berle, Helen Broderick, and Harriet Hoctor. The second show faired better than the first, running for a full eleven weeks and receiving rave reviews. The "Earl Carroll Vanities" was followed by "The O'Flynn" in 1934.
The Broadway Theater often staged plays that paralleled the times. In 1942, while involved in World War I, the show "This Is the Army." What's more, the proceeds from the showing of this popular play went toward relief for the soldiers involved in the war. Irving Berlin's musical drew huge crowds and a great deal of money was raised for war relief.
Hundreds of plays and musicals have been staged on Broadway since the doors opened in 1924. The Broadway Theatre stage has seen many acting greats establish their career including Eddie Bracken, Ethyl Merman, Florence Henderson, Jose Ferrer, Tessie O'Shea, Peter Sallis, Jason Robards Jr., Anne Bancroft and more. Further, many well named musicals have been recognized on the stage of Broadway: "Hair," "Guys and Dolls," "Candide," "Zorba," and "Les Miserables" have all been acted out on the Broadway stage.
In 1924, there was no way the success of the Broadway theater could have been predetermined. Nevertheless, the theater remains an attraction to the public until this very day. Musicals and plays are performed every month in the theater and the public will often find that booking tickets in advance is to their benefit.