STAGE TUBE: Broadway Salutes Honors Longtime Members of Broadway Community

Today at Broadway Salutes, The Broadway League honored members of the community who have worked on Broadway for 25, 35 and 50+ years.

Broadway Salutes is an annual event where the people who dedicate their lives to Broadway are honored. Special recognition is given to the individuals working today who have been a part of the community for 25, 35, and 50-plus years.

The Broadway community is a uniquely committed and extraordinarily talented group. Composed of more than 80,000 professionals, Broadway Salutes honors actors, agents, attorneys, box office treasurers, casting directors, choreographers, composers, designers, directors, dressers, managers, musicians, orchestrators, producers, publicists, stagehands, stage managers, stylists, theater owners, ushers, writers, and many more.

Broadway Salutes began in 2009 when the Broadway League and COBUG joined together to celebrate the professionals that keep Broadway alive. Theatre in New York is known to date back to 1732 with a performance of "The Recruiting Officer" at Maiden Lane and Pearl Street. Theatre gradually moved uptown, with the opening of The Park Theatre in 1798, The Bowery Theatre in 1826, and the Astor Place Opera House in 1847. The heart of theatre was around Union Square in 1870 and Madison Square in 1900. In the 1920s and 1930s a number of theatres consolidated around Times Square which then became known as "The Great White Way" and "The Theatre District," and now is a symbol of New York and of the United States.

Today Broadway jobs are a critical driver in the region's economy. They support an industry that generates more than 10 billion dollars in economic activity each year while providing enlightenment and enjoyment to millions of theatergoers who purchase more than 12.5 million tickets to Broadway shows annually. After a show opens on Broadway, it goes on to play across the world in professional theatres, community theatres, and schools.