At Museum of Broadway, resilience, history and LI stars all play leading roles 

As Broadway theaters attempt to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a new museum is looking to attract theatergoers and fans by chronicling Broadway’s history and magic.

The Museum of Broadway, which opened Nov. 15 in Times Square, takes visitors through the eras of Broadway shows. It includes memorabilia and the history of Long Island’s own Broadway stars, Patti LuPone of Northport and Idina Menzel of Syosset, and notes the jukebox musical era that includes Billy Joel’s catalog in “Movin’ Out.”

The museum shows how Broadway has evolved and demonstrated rebirth following historical eras of the Great Depression, World War II, crime in the 1970s and 9/11.

Broadway was dark for its longest period, 18 months, during the pandemic, and founders of the museum say they hope a new era is underway for the Theater District.

The museum was founded by Tony Award-winning producer Julie Boardman and creative director Diane Nicoletti. They noted reflections of society in past plays such as “Oklahoma!,” “Cabaret” and Menzel’s “Rent,” the latter of which depicted the 1980s AIDS epidemic.

“It’s always impossible to know what the future may hold. I think we see theater come to life around you and we start to see the idea that the art we created reflects the society of that day,” Boardman said. “Everything starts with this idea on a blank page, and walking through history, you see the social issues of the day and various shows being created.”

The founders hope the museum becomes a destination for theater fans and Long Islanders visiting the city.

Walking through the museum takes visitors from the past to the present and chronicles the emergence of New York City’s theater scene. Broadway shows started in downtown Manhattan with Vaudeville acts and moved to the modern Theater District, which emerged out of cheaper real estate and the golden age of Broadway after World War II.

Long Island’s contributions at the museum start with LuPone’s  originating the role of Eva Perón on Broadway in "Evita." The museum features LuPone’s original costume, wig and poster from the musical.

Other nods to her work include the original set of "Company" as well as LuPone’s martini glass prop and sticky notes from the 2021 revival; and her tap shoes and captain’s hat from the 1987 revival of “Anything Goes.”

“Patti has had a legendary career and is featured a lot in the museum,” Nicoletti said. “We really sought after having items from individual shows on the timeline. The fact that she is still performing to this day made it more accessible in procuring things.”

Menzel is highlighted for her work in the original cast of “Rent,” in an exhibit by the original stage designer Paul Clay. Visitors can pick up a rotary pay phone to hear interviews with the cast while never-before-seen footage of Menzel and other cast members from the original show plays next to a replica fire escape. The exhibit also includes handwritten notes and pitches by the late playwright Jonathan Larson. 

The “Wicked” exhibit features Menzel singing the signature song, “Defying Gravity,” over a 360-degree model of the Gershwin Theater. The model was made by “Wicked” associate set designer Edward Pierce to show all the elements behind a production, from the stage to behind the scenes. 

Images of Idina Menzel are cast on a wall depicting the set of "Rent" and an incredibly detailed model of the theater and stage of the show "Wicked," which Menzel starred in, at the new Museum of Broadway on W. 45th Street in Times Square.  Credit: Craig Ruttle

“It was such a game-changing show because you can see how many people it brought to do groundbreaking things on Broadway,” Nicoletti said. “'Wicked' brought kids and families and a younger generation into Broadway, and most important to the vitality of Broadway moving forward is bringing in new generations.”

Another era of Broadway features Joel’s “Movin’ Out,” which ran for more than 1,300 performances, along with other jukebox musicals such as “Mamma Mia!” and “Moulin Rouge.”

Other treasures in the museum include the sets from “West Side Story” and “The Producers,” a collection of Tony Awards, Aladdin’s lamp, Elsa’s wig from “Frozen,” Harry Potter’s wand, and costumes from “Hamilton.”

The museum features homages to "West Side Story" including a reproduction of Doc's Drugstore from the original production, "The Producers," "Hello Dolly," "Porgy and Bess," "Showboat," and "A Chorus Line." Credit: Craig Ruttle

From there, visitors can “ease on down the road” from “The Wiz” to go behind the scenes of a theater production, backstage to see things like props, costume design, makeup, and lighting and sound. 

The museum’s featured exhibit, "The American Theatre," runs through the spring and features the artwork of Al Hirschfeld, who became famous for his Playbill illustrations and caricatures.

The founders say the museum will constantly evolve, which could include other Long Island Broadway stars such as Billy Crystal and his “Mr. Saturday Night,” which completed its run after his one-man Long Beach biopic “700 Sundays.”

“In theater, you go into a dark room, surrounded by strangers, and watch what’s happening onstage and it can never exist again,” Boardman said. “It kind of changes some hearts and minds and perspectives as you walk out of the theater. We’ve gone through COVID and politically charged times like with George Floyd. I think these are all things that will end up reflected on the stage in the coming years.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.