BroadwayWorld
The largest theater-focused website, covering Broadway and regional theater across the country and globe
Overview
BroadwayWorld is the largest theater news and community website in the world, covering Broadway, Off-Broadway, touring productions, regional theaters, and international stage productions. Its network of regional editors provides local theater coverage that no other outlet matches.
The site features news, reviews, photo galleries, video content, message boards, and a comprehensive database of shows and production credits. Its regional coverage is particularly valuable for actors working outside of New York City.
How It Works
For theater actors, BroadwayWorld is an indispensable resource for tracking the full landscape of American theater. Whether you are in New York or a regional market, the site's localized coverage keeps you informed about productions and opportunities in your area.
BroadwayWorld is free to access. The site is ad-supported and provides all its news, reviews, and community features without a paywall.
Who Uses It
BroadwayWorld's unmatched breadth of coverage makes it the most comprehensive theater resource available. Its regional focus is especially valuable for actors who work outside major metropolitan markets. The site's network of regional editors and contributors ensures that theater activity in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, Philadelphia, and dozens of other markets receives consistent coverage that no other outlet provides. BroadwayWorld's database of shows, performers, and production credits serves as an unofficial record of American theater activity, providing archival value that complements Playbill's historical focus on Broadway-specific documentation. For theater actors working anywhere in the United States — or indeed anywhere in the world — BroadwayWorld's comprehensive coverage ensures that you are never disconnected from the broader theater community regardless of your geographic location.
Pricing & Plans
BroadwayWorld is completely free to access, with all news, reviews, photo galleries, video content, community forums, and database features available without a paywall or subscription requirement. The site generates revenue through advertising and promotional partnerships with theater productions and venues. BroadwayWorld's free access model is particularly important for the theater community, where many performers earn modest incomes and cannot afford premium media subscriptions. The site also operates BroadwayWorld Events, which sells tickets to special events and experiences, and BroadwayWorld Stage, which provides resources for community and educational theater. While the advertising on the site can be visually prominent, the complete absence of paywalled content ensures that every theater professional has equal access to the site's comprehensive coverage and community features.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
BroadwayWorld's greatest strength is its unparalleled breadth of coverage, which extends from Broadway to the smallest community theaters through its network of regional editors who provide localized news, reviews, and production coverage from markets across the United States and internationally. This regional coverage is genuinely unique — no other theater publication maintains dedicated editorial coverage of theater activity in as many geographic markets, making BroadwayWorld an indispensable resource for actors working outside New York City. The site's community features, including message boards and user-generated content, create an active and engaged theater community that connects professionals and enthusiasts across geographic boundaries. BroadwayWorld's database of shows, productions, and performer credits serves as a searchable record of theater activity that is useful for research, resume verification, and tracking the careers of directors and fellow actors. The site's photo galleries and video content document productions in ways that preserve the inherently ephemeral art of live theater. BroadwayWorld's annual awards program, voted on by its readership, recognizes productions and performances in every regional market, providing visibility and validation for theater work that would otherwise go unrecognized by national media.
What Could Be Better
BroadwayWorld's comprehensive coverage comes at the cost of editorial consistency — the quality of writing, reviews, and reporting varies significantly across regional editions, reflecting the diverse skills and experience levels of the site's large network of contributors. The site's advertising is among the most aggressive in entertainment media, with auto-playing video ads, pop-ups, and display advertising that can make the reading experience frustrating and slow page loading times. BroadwayWorld's community message boards, while active, can be hostile environments where anonymous users engage in personal attacks, uninformed criticism, and toxic debate that detracts from the constructive professional discourse the theater community deserves. The site's editorial standards for news reporting are generally solid but less rigorous than those of traditional journalism outlets, occasionally resulting in errors, premature announcements, or inadequately sourced stories. BroadwayWorld's breadth of coverage means that finding specific, relevant content can be challenging without using the site's search and filtering tools, as the sheer volume of daily content across all regional editions is substantial.
Our Recommendation
Every theater actor should use BroadwayWorld as their primary source for comprehensive theater coverage, particularly if they work outside New York City, where its regional coverage is unmatched by any other outlet. The site's database and production archive serve as valuable research tools for tracking productions, directors, and fellow performers across the American theater landscape. Pair BroadwayWorld with Playbill for its institutional authority and historical perspective, and with specialized outlets for deeper critical analysis. Be mindful of the site's message boards — while they can provide useful industry gossip and early intelligence about productions, the anonymous nature of the community means that information should be verified through other sources before acting on it. If you work in multiple theatrical markets, set up BroadwayWorld alerts or regularly check the regional editions covering your target cities to stay informed about production activity and opportunities.
Pro Tips
Configure BroadwayWorld to show coverage from your primary market and any secondary markets where you work or seek opportunities, as the site's regional organization allows you to customize your experience to focus on the most career-relevant content. Check BroadwayWorld's casting announcements and production development coverage regularly to identify upcoming productions in your market — early awareness of shows in development gives you and your representatives more time to pursue audition opportunities before formal casting begins. Use BroadwayWorld's database to research directors, choreographers, and musical directors you may be meeting or auditioning for, as understanding their body of work demonstrates preparation and genuine interest. Participate in BroadwayWorld's annual regional awards voting to engage with the broader theater community and support the work of your colleagues — these awards provide meaningful recognition for performers in markets where national media attention is limited. If you receive a positive review or feature coverage on BroadwayWorld, share it with your professional network and include it in your marketing materials, as the site's comprehensive reach means that casting directors, agents, and producers across the country may see and reference BroadwayWorld content when evaluating your work.