The Attraction of Satan's Circus: New York Broadway Plays

Early New York Broadway plays were mainly chorus line extravaganzas like the Ziegfeld Follies or George White's Scandals.

Broadway defined America's insatiable desire for "more", of everything.

The early years of Broadway were and exuberant time of American self-discovery, scientific exploration, and profound decadence.

The Dutch called it Breede Wegh (Broad Way), the main thoroughfare for New Amsterdam in colonial America.

Through the years “Big Street” has acquired many colorful names many of which marked certain sections of the street: the “Deuce” is the 42nd street intersection.

“The Great White Way” marks the plethora of lighted billboards and neon lights down by Union Square.

Satan's Circus: New York Broadway plays

Broadway didn’t get it's nickname Satan's Circus by being cute and fuzzy.

In the 1920's Broadway offered an entertaining escape from the drudgery of everyday life, and added spice to an already bustling city.

Broadway plays were marked by the handsome stars and the beautiful starlets that graced the golden stage nightly.

In a way that no other show, on or off Broadway, Broadway breathed desire, lust, and sex. In the writer E.L. Doctorow's opinion, Broadway gave us the first true sex symbol, Evelyn Nesbit. The lover of famous architect Stanford White (who would end up dead, shot in the head on the roof of Madison Square Garden, by Nesbit's husband).

Other lusty beauties like Louise Brooks and Clara Bow graced the stages of Broadway, forming a celebrity culture previously unknown to American society. The New York Broadway plays created a "you can look but don't touch--unless you're rich" mentality to the performances.

Brooks and other beautiful women became the sex objects of millionaires, sports and movie stars. For the right price these rich and influential men could buy the affection of the beautiful sirens of Broadway.

In the 1920's New York Broadway was the creative outlet of a nation just recovering from the "War to End All Wars". American life was good, so it seemed, the economy was booming, sports were popular, life was fresh and full of promise.

Broadway and the Rise if the "Gold Digger"

Many New York Broadway shows that ran during the 1920’s were written by Irving Berlin, who wrote “A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody” starring Eddie Cantor and Bert Williams, both who dressed in blackface for the role.

Another huge writer of early Broadway hits, was Avery Hopwood who wrote The Gold Diggers, a tale of women who dig for “success” meaning a wealthy marriage, but who still has a heart of gold.

No one would ever accuse these early plays of being full of meaning and depth, they were mainly Follies as the billboards pointed out, yet throughout the twenties a long string of plays like Showboat were prime examples of New York Broadway plays.