Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City. "Off Broadway" originally referred to the location of a venue (and its productions) on a street in Manhattan's Theater District that intersected the street called Broadway—the long-time hub of the theater industry in the United States. Now, generally speaking, the term refers to a professional venue in New York City whose seating capacity is between 99 and 500, or to a specific production that first appeared in such a venue.


The rationale behind the designation is based on the implication that an Off-Broadway production is smaller and less elaborate—in terms of venue size, production cost, etc.—than a "Broadway" production.