About this item
Behind the scenes of New York City's Great White Way, virtuosos of stagecraft have built the scenery, costumes, lights, and other components of theatrical productions for more than a hundred years. But like a good magician who refuses to reveal secrets, they have left few clues about their work. Blue-Collar Broadway recovers the history of those people and the neighborhood in which their undersung labor occurred.Timothy R. White begins his history of the theater industry with the dispersed pre-Broadway era, when components such as costumes, lights, and scenery were built and stored nationwide. Subsequently, the majority of backstage operations and storage were consolidated in New York City during what is now known as the golden age of musical theater.
About the Author
Timothy R. White (PhD, Columbia, 2007) is an Associate Professor of History at New Jersey City University, where he teaches courses in urban and modern U.S. history. He has also taught urban history at Columbia University, Yeshiva University, and the New School. As a resident of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and now Jersey City, NJ, he has been an avid theatergoer and Broadway enthusiast for years. His articles have been published by the Journal of Urban History, the London Transport Museum, the Theatre Library Association, and the Academic Forum of New Jersey City University. In addition to writing about New York and other fascinating cities, he enjoys leading walking tours of urban neighborhoods such as Times Square, Greenwich Village, and downtown Jersey City.
