Until now! NYC getting its very own “Museum of Broadway” opening on November 15, 2022, and they just announced their first rotating special exhibit.
Curated by David Leopold, this exhibit, titled The American Theatre as seen by Hirschfeld, will take visitors through nine decades of Hirschfeld’s iconic images of theater in this country through 25 drawings and prints dating back from 1928 to 2002.
Hirschfeld created more posters for shows than any other artist, and the exhibit will also allow visitors to sit in a replica of Hirschfeld’s barber chair, where he drew all the finished drawings in his career.
Visitors will be brought face to face with the original productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Funny Girl, Beauty and the Beast, and Hairspray, among others. Visitors will also have the chance to create a Hirschfeld portrait of themselves with an app created exclusively for this exhibition.
The concept for this museum has been in the works for a while, and on June 14, the museum released the following teaser video, giving fans a sneak peek at what they can expect to see when the Museum opens this November:
The museum, which will also be interactive for guests, is founded by entrepreneur and four-time Tony Award® nominated producer Julie Boardman, and Diane Nicoletti, founder of award-winning experiential agency Rubik Marketing.
Visitors can expect a behind-the-scenes look at some of Broadway’s most iconic shows, with the help of internationally renowned artists, designers, and theatre historians who have all come together create NYC’s first fabulous, multi-floor, experiential Museum of Broadway.
This includes but is not limited to:
- A visual history of Broadway from its birth to the present day highlighting theater’s pioneers, landmark moments of social change, and many of the most beloved plays and musicals of all time
- Immersive installations designed by leading contemporary visual artists and acclaimed Broadway designers, highlighting pivotal shows that transformed the landscape of Broadway
- “The Making of a Broadway Show,” a special exhibit honoring the community of brilliantly talented professionals – both onstage and off – who bring Broadway plays and musicals to life every night
- A retail store, created in partnership with Creative Goods, that will sell everything a Broadway fan could want, from show-specific merchandise to bespoke products from small local businesses
Overall, the Museum will highlight more than 500 individual productions from the 1700s-present, including The Ziegfeld Follies, Oklahoma!, The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and Rent, among many more yet to be announced.
In addition, the Museum will also feature work from Emmy Award winning illustrator I. Javier Ameijeiras (Rent Live!), neon artist Dani B, Tony Award nominated dancer Robert Fairchild (An American in Paris, former NYCB principal), Drama Desk Award winning scenic designer David Korins (Hamilton, Beetlejuice), choreographer Julio Monge (West Side Story), and dancer Tanairi Vazquez (West Side Story, Hamilton).
“For people all over the world, Broadway is synonymous with NYC. Whether you’re a local or a tourist, a die-hard fan or just a casual theatre lover, The Museum of Broadway aims to offer a bit of education, plenty of appreciation and a whole lot of fun for everyone, young and old and everywhere in between,” co-founder Diane Nicoletti said.
The Museum of Broadway is founded in 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 additional partners to be announced soon.
Timed tickets start at $39, and a portion of every ticket sold will be donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Tickets can be purchased here.
The museum will open at 145 West 45th Street on November 15, 2022.