While “the Great White Way” refers to the glimmering lights of Broadway; the shows themselves were not always so. “Hamilton” and “Porgy and Bess” being examples.
A new exhibit at the New York Public Library – “Syncopated Stages: Black Disruptions to the Great White Way” features over 250 items on display portraying how artists of colour helped to shape the New York theatrical stage.
The exhibit is set to be on display until February 21.
Curated by award winning playwright, composer, and scholar Michael D. Dinwiddlie; the exhibit includes pieces back to 1825 and features interviews from current actors from “A Strange Loop” and the revival of “Gypsy”.
Dinwiddie died on July 4, 2025 before the show opened.