off Broadway

American  

Or Off Broadway

noun

1. professional drama produced in New York City in small theaters often away from the Broadway area and characterized by experimental productions.

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off-Broadway British  

adjective

1. designating the kind of experimental, low-budget, or noncommercial productions associated with theatre outside the Broadway area in New York

2. (of theatres) not located on Broadway

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off-Broadway Cultural  

1. A descriptive term for part of the theatrical community of New York City that presents small-scale, often experimental dramas. The costs of off-Broadway productions are generally much lower than those of Broadway (see also Broadway) plays.

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Other Word Forms

• off-Broadway adjective

Etymology

Origin of off Broadway

An Americanism dating back to 1950–55

Example Sentences

As they crafted their act through alternative locations Off Broadway, the duo broke through to the mainstream in 1985 on “Saturday Night Live,” where they performed their trick in which an audience member had to guess the correct card to spare Teller from certain death.

From Los Angeles Times

And he transmits the inanity to his characters, who speak, move and act as if they are all part of a stage play that would get laughed off Broadway before previews have even ended.

From Salon

But as relatives arrived at the business off Broadway and 5th Street in downtown Los Angeles on Monday morning, the scope of the loss was clear; millions of dollars in gold and jewels were gone and it was written all over the owner’s face.

From Los Angeles Times

An hour later, Johnny and Beansie were at the Salvation Army storefront south of Canal off Broadway, volunteering to be street Santas, ringing bells, quarters clanking into their tin buckets.

From Salon

The current production’s starry, appealing cast, who also performed in a 2022 Off Broadway run at New York Theater Workshop, helped make the show a must-see even before audiences discovered that they liked the story and the songs and found the show both affecting and artful.

From New York Times

Related Words

• arena
• scene
• set
• spotlight
• theater