(Applause Books). In 1950, the terms "American theatre" and "Broadway" were virtually synonymous. As the new century begins, Broadway is only a small part of a vital, creative, and varied national theatrical scene. This lively and authoritative book combines a history of the many changes the spread of regional and non-profit theatres, the rise of Off-Broadway and other alternatives, the decline of Broadway with an analysis of their implications and the problems they have brought, a look at new audiences, the causes of failure, and the unexpected complications of success. Hardcover.