Do broadway plays have to be musicals?

Question:No it does not have to be. As others have said before me it is more of a sure selling product if you have a musical. It is extremely expensive to rent out the a space on broadway, so if you are doing something then you better be sure that it sells out.
"Straight Plays" have never done as well as Musicals, since the advent of the modern musical with Hammerstein II and Kern's "Showboat" back in the 20s. Since then we have musicals have become sure fire hits. Granted Musicals are very very expensive to put on because you have to deal with actors, dancers, writers, musicians, singers, stagehands and designers. And each of those listed have their separate guild that a producer would be dealing with. But if you can get one up then you've normally got a sure thing.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: No it does not have to be. As others have said before me it is more of a sure selling product if you have a musical. It is extremely expensive to rent out the a space on broadway, so if you are doing something then you better be sure that it sells out.
"Straight Plays" have never done as well as Musicals, since the advent of the modern musical with Hammerstein II and Kern's "Showboat" back in the 20s. Since then we have musicals have become sure fire hits. Granted Musicals are very very expensive to put on because you have to deal with actors, dancers, writers, musicians, singers, stagehands and designers. And each of those listed have their separate guild that a producer would be dealing with. But if you can get one up then you've normally got a sure thing.

No they actually don't but most are
oh i love musicals =)

No way. There are a mix of plays and musicals on The Great White Way (Broadway). I think the musicals get most of the attention though. There are lots of famous actors that prefer to do plays since sometimes they have shorter runs.

they don't HAVE to be, but they usually are because of economics. Blockbuster musicals are more likely to make money that other plays, and with the heavy risk involved in putting on anything on broadway, producers prefer a sure thing.

No. The Tonys, which gives awards to Broadway shows, has categories for musicals and nonmusicals. If you go to http://www.ibdb.com/default.asp, this has a listing of Broadway plays. Most of the ones listed under "current" are musicals-- but not all of them.