MORE THAN 13 MILLION PEOPLE PASSED THROUGH THE DOORS OF BROADWAY THEATRES LAST SEASON, WITH SHOWS GROSSING £960M. ENTER TIM HEAP STAGE LEFT — ON A CULTURAL TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY— TO SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT

TIM HEAP

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It’s almost show time in New York’s entertainment district and the buzz of Broadway is palpable. There are long queues on the pavement outside every theatre, as ticketholders wait to take their seats and be transported into a fabulous world of song and dance.

It’s my first time in New York City — the closest I’ve been before now is watching films and stepping in front of a flimsy Broadway backdrop in my school’s production of Guys and Dolls. But in real life, in the neon-lit nighttime, the city sparkles and shimmers brighter than it could in any movie.

I’ve always been one of those “musical theatre gays”, so I jumped at the chance to take a trip to the heartland of the art form. The West End has its charms, of course, but for my money Broadway is where most of the biggest shows — and stars — are born. On my first morning, I shake off the jetlag with a strong coffee and a grab-and-go breakfast, then head to MoMA, on West 53rd Street, for a dose of modern art. With more than 200,000 pieces of art, MoMA’s permanent collection spans four floors and covers all disciplines, with international artists including Van Gogh, Picasso, Cézanne and Rousseau represented, as well as the American pop art pioneers, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.