SHOWTIME FOR MUSEUM OF BROADWAY

CURTAIN’S ALMOST UP FOR IMMERSIVE EXHIBITS THAT PAY HOMAGE TO THE GREAT WHITE WAY

The Museum of Broadway will open next door to the Lyceum Theatre in Manhattan. At left, an exterior rendering. When theater bu s walk into the Museum of roadway, opening this fall right ne t door to the storied Lyceum Theatre in midtown Manhattan, they’ll be able to see the history, artistry, and legacy of roadway musicals, plays, and theaters come to life.

That’s the goal ulie oardman and Diane icoletti, co-founders and college friends, set out to accomplish when they began mapping out the concept for this museum, in 01 .

Finding the right space in the heart of ew ork ity’s theater district a process that began in 018 and continued throughout the pandemic was the first step.

“ e spent a long time looking,” says oardman, an entrepreneur and four-time Tony Award-nominated producer. “ e needed to have at least 0,000 square feet and a ground-floor entrance. e feel so lucky that we found something right ne t door to the oldest operating roadway theater.”

Encompassing four floors, the interactive space, founded in collaboration with Playbill, roadway ares Equity Fights AIDS, the Al irschfeld Foundation, and several other partners, highlights groundbreaking moments throughout roadway’s illustrious history.

“ e got our inspiration from di erent e periential museums,” oardman says. “There will be artifacts, costumes, and history, but instead of seeing it on the wall you will walk through the timeline of roadway.”

Throughout the e perience, visitors will travel through a visual history of roadway, from its inception in the Financial District to its present day in Times Square.

The layout of the museum is intentional: Upon entering the space, fans will learn all about the shows currently running on roadway, including long-running productions and new ones in all 1 theaters. e t, museumgoers will go back in time and learn about the pioneers of roadway, the landmark moments of social change, and delve into the back story behind many of the most beloved plays and musicals of all time via immersive installations designed by leading contemporary visual artists and acclaimed roadway designers.

“As you walk through the museum, you’ll not only see a show’s artifacts but we’ll also have recreations of a set and artistic interpretations of that show,” says icoletti, founder of Rubik Marketing, an award-winning e periential agency in ew ork ity, which has organi ed Game of Thrones and X-Men e periential fan events, among many others. “ e hope that when someone remembers a room for its visual elements it might help them understand the history of roadway a little bit better.”

Another highlight: uests will go backstage to get a taste of “The Making of a roadway Show,” with a special e hibit honoring the community of talented professionals both onstage and o who bring magic to every performance of a roadway play or musical.

In the ground-floor retail store, roadway fans can shop for everything from show-specific items to limited-edition irschfeld merchandise and bespoke products from small local businesses. A ground-floor studio space has been configured for multiple purposes, from kids’ birthday parties and panel discussions to cocktail parties and corporate get-togethers.

There will be show-specific events and, even, classes that will take place in that space.

“For e ample, if you want to take a dance class and learn choreography from the Moulin Rouge instructors, we can do that in that space,” icoletti says.

The space will take its cues from the timed ticket e periences at such e hibits as “ an ogh: The Immersive E perience,” in order to control the flow of guests in the space and enforce social distancing. hether visitors are die-hard roadway fans or simply en oy theater from time to time, the museum’s founders are committed to creating a space that pays homage to roadway’s legacy.

“A roadway museum could be organi ed in a lot of different ways but the path we’ve taken acknowledges that the art we create today can e ist because of all the pioneers who pushed the boundaries,” oardman says. “They really made this art form what it is today and we want to honor that.”