Broadway’s New Green Initiatives

Nicknamed for the millions of lights on theater marquees and billboards that illuminate the legendary area, the “Great White Way” will now burn a bit more “green” as theaters throughout Broadway attempt to reduce their carbon footprint.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, along with his famous friend the Elphaba (the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West from the hit production “Wicked”) launched the “Broadway Goes Green” initiative on Tuesday.

As part of the plan, ten theaters have already replaced over 10,000 incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient ones like LEDs and CFLs. Within the next year, all of the theaters will have made the switch, in addition to other environmentally responsible practices such as:

• Using eco-friendly materials in scenery
• Recycling and reusing sets and props
• Washing costumes in cold water
• Using rechargeable batteries in sound equipment
• Distributing cards with tips to help save the environment to patrons

“By this time next year, the lights on Broadway will burn just as bright, but the energy bills and our city’s carbon output will be lower,” Bloomberg said. “This commitment will raise the level of awareness for everyone involved in these shows including the audiences and that’s going to have an impact that reverberates far beyond the Big Apple.”

The “Broadway Goes Green” plan is part of Bloomberg’s PlanNYC goal to reduce the city’s carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2030.