The Scottish Tragedy (name used to avoid “Macbeth” curse)
William Shakespeare's play Macbeth includes witches, and theater tradition has it that the play is cursed. Saying the play's name or its lines (outside of an actual performance) is said…
The Unmentionable Play (name used to avoid “Macbeth” curse)
William Shakespeare's play Macbeth includes witches, and theater tradition has it that the play is cursed. Saying the play's name or its lines (outside of an actual performance) is said…
Theatre of the Absurd (Theater of the Absurd)
The term "Theatre of the Absurd" (also "Theater of the Absurd") comes from an essay with that title, by Martin Esslin (1918-2002), in The Tulane Drama Review (May 1960). Esslin…
Thrilledy (thriller + comedy)
A "thrilledy" (thriller + comedy) is a play or film that's part thriller, part comedy. "Retiring to my couch to watch a thrilledy (thriller/comedy) called 'Shallow…
Tin Pan Alley (music publishing industry)
"Tin Pan Alley" was the name of the music publishing area of Manhattan on 28th Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue. Music publishers came to the area in the 1880s and began to leave…
Tin Pan Alleyite
A "Tin Pan Alleyite" is someone who worked on the historical Tin Pan Alley on West 28th Street, or who works with a Tin Pan Alley-type of music publisher, or is a fan of Tin Pan…
Tony Award
The "Tony" award goes annually to Broadway's best. The Broadway theatre award was first given out in 1947. The "Tony" is named after Antoinette Perry (1888-1946),…
Translaptation (translation + adaptation)
A "translaptation" is a work that is both a translation and an adaptation of the original. Playwright David Ives popularized the term in 2010 with his "translaptation" of the…
Triple Threat (acting, singing, dancing)
The term "triple threat" was used in sports (football) in the 1920s; the "triple threat" combination of talents was used in entertainment by the early 1930s. The classic…
Trunk Song
Broadway composers usually have "trunk songs" -- songs that were cut from a musical, but are saved (perhaps in a trunk) to be used in another musical, or to be re-written and used in…
Turkey (a flop production); Turkey Show
A "turkey" is a stage production (later a film and then in extended use) that is unsuccessful -- a "flop" or a "third rate production," as entertainment reporter…
Twenty-Minute Actor (vaudevillian)
Vaudeville was popular in America from the 1880s to the 1930s. Vaudeville acts were short, and a vaudeville actor in the theater was called a "twenty-minute actor." "Twenty-minute…
Two Dow Shay (two show day)
"Two dow shay" is a spoonerism for "two show day." Two shows a day is a business day in the theater, and the joke is that it's so exhausting that even the term can't…
Two Left Feet (clumsy at dancing)
A person who has "two left left" is clumsy and can't do various things, such as dance, play soccer, or march. The "two left feet" expression was popularized by…
Uncle Tom’s Cabin or Black Tin Pan Alley (Gaiety Building)
Entry in progress -- BP Wikipedia: Gaiety Theatre (New York City)The Gaiety Theatre was a Broadway theatre at 1547 Broadway in New York City from 1909 until 1982, when it was torn down. The office…
Wandelprobe (walking rehearsal)
Entry in progress -- BP Theatrecrafts.com -- Glossary WANDELPROBE(German for change rehearsal).Similar to SITZPROBE, the Wandelprobe is a rehearsal with full orchestra, and minor blocking (but not…
Whammy Bar (vibrato for guitar)
American singer and guitarist Lonnie Mack (1941-2016) had a 1963 hit song titled "Wham." Mack became known for the use of a vibrato bar on his guitar., which would soon be known as a…
World’s Greatest Ballroom or World’s Most Famous Ballroom (Roseland Ballroom)
The Roseland Ballroom was originally located at Broadway and 51st Street when it opened in 1919; in 1956, Roseland moved to its current location at West 53rd Street, just off Broadway. Roseland has…
World’s Longest Stage (Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade)
New York City's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924 and has a 2.5 mile route. It has been called the "world's greatest stage" and the "world's longest…