Broadway

One of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City, Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 large professional theaters. With over 500 seats, Broadway is located in the Theater District, New York. There is also one theatre in Lincoln Center in Manhattan, New York City. According to The Broadway League, Broadway shows sold approximately $943.3 million worth of tickets in the 2008-09 seasons.

When researching Broadway I went to the most common website and the first hit on Google, Broadway.com. On this website, a customers can purchase tickets for all Broadway shows either online or you can call the toll free number 1-800-Broadway. You can also purchase most off-Broadway shows in London’s West End. It is very easy to buy tickets on the website you would just search for the show you want to see and then there is a buy tickets button you hit where you can then enter your payment information. But for those who do not feel comfortable paying online, they can always call and order tickets off of the toll free number. When you decide on a show, the website will bring you to a calendar of the dates the show is playing and the seats that are available at that date and time.

This website is great for traveling visitors of the city as well as natives. The site also contains the latest coverage, news, reviews, and interviews about the shows, so you can log on and get updates instantly. The website also offers theater packages that help those from out of town find hotels and restaurants during their visit. They also offer last minute Broadway deals and group rates.

The top 10 most popular shows as listed on the website include:
1. Wicked
2. The Addams Family
3. Chicago
4. Memphis
5. Promises, Promises
6. Million Dollar Quartet
7. South Pacific
8. The Lion King
9. Avenue Q
10. Blue Man Group

There is a whole tab related to the Broadway buzz to keep customers up to date with shows. There are 36 shows playing on Broadway right now. The Lion King which is one of the hottest shows to ever play on Broad is included in the shows playing right now.
The stars of the show include:
• Simba Dashaun
• YoungMufasa Nathaniel Stampley
• Nala Ta'Rea Campbell
• Rafiki Tshidi Manye
• Young Simba (alternating performances) Marquis Kofi Rodriquez
• Scar Derek Smith Young
• Simba (alternating performances) Alfonso Romero Jones II
• Zazu Cameron Pow
• Timon Danny Rutigliano

The Lion King is the number one Broadway show I want to see. Since it is so well know and has great reviews. I personally have never been to any Broadway shows but I plan to go to one very soon, and hopefully The Lion King will be my first show. The director of the show is Julie Taymour and the music is done by the famous Elton John. What every raves about the show is the beautiful and creative costumes and puppets that draw the audience into the African show. The Lion King has been one of the shows that has won many awards including, six 1998 Tony Awards. Some recent news I read about the show on Broadway.com includes the cameo appearance by Whoopi Goldberg, and there was some interviews done on Dashaun Young who plays samba in the show.

Currently the longest running show on Broadway is “The Phantom of the Opera which has won 7 Tony Awards and 7 Drama Desk Awards in 1988. “The Lion King” as I mentioned earlier has also won 6 Tony Awards and 8 Drama Desk Awards in 1998.

The show “Cats “was the first musical opened on Broadway in 1982. It won many awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. The show ran for 18 years before it had to close due to lack of audience but it still holds records for longest running Broadway play.