I am going to see a broadway.
I had a fun conversation right now with my friend Brad about a drive in theatre.
So, what I was understanding was that his friends had gone to watch a play, sitting in their car. That sounded really odd to me, so I investigated .
hey, so you are sitting in the car and watching a play?
Yes, sitting in the car...watching a movie
You said theatre.
Yes, a drive in theatre.
Hmm, oh, you mean cinema!
Cinema? No, we say theatre.
So if you want to say theatre, like in "I am going to watch a play with a live performance", what do you say?
We say: I am going to a broadway or a broadway play.
Wow, stunning, so I told him, hey Broadway is a place in NY not a definition of a play or theatre.
Anyway, this went on for a while, and he added that they would say "broadway play" to distinguish this from a film or movie.
Never heard that before.
So, what would you say? Americans: do you agree with Brad?
14 Answers
Well, a drive-in (hyphenated) is the name for a movie where you sit in your car and watch the movie.
"My boyfriend and I are going to the drive-in tonight." or
"What was playing at the drive-in tonight? I don't know, I was too busy kissing my boyfriend!"
We would never call it a drive-in theatre. We sometimes call it the drive-in movie, but more often we just omit the word movie. It is just understood.
If you are going to see a live performance you would say either
"We are going to see a play tonight." or
"We are going to the theatre tonight."
If we said that we were going to see a Broadway play, it would mean that we are going to New York to see the play there. The only other time that we would use the word Broadway in reference to a play is to clarify, as in
"Did you see Hamilton yet? Yes, it used to be only on Broadway, but now they have a company here in Chicago."
You would never use the term Broadway play to describe just any old play. Broadway plays describe only those that have played on Broadway. In fact, there is a term, off-Broadway, to describe plays that are in New York City but not on Broadway. It is possible to use that term for many, many plays, sometimes even those that have not played in New York, especially if you are describing it in a disparaging way, such as
"Did you see X play? No, nobody saw it. It was off-off-Broadway and it closed after only 2 performances."
If you are going to see a film, you would say,
"We are going to the movies tonight."
I cannot speak for the entire US, but this is the common terminology for the Midwest (Chicago).
No idea where Brad is from, but I also find his notions a bit odd.
I mean, yes, the place where you watch movies is in fact a movie theater, but in my experience you can and do make the distinction between movie theater and plain old theater, where you watch plays, not movies.
All the references that I could quickly find talk about "going to the drive-in" or "dive-in movies', which are shown in a drive-in movie theater, or as Brad said, dive-in theater.
Reference 1 Reference 2 Reference 3
What I find odd is the statement that Brad does not recognize the word "theater" for plays, and he must add the word "Broadway". This is nonsense to me, as I make a distinction between theater plays, any kind of plays, and Broadway productions, which are a very particular kind of theater play.
I used to be very fond of the theater, when I lived in a place where there were lots of theaters and the tickets were very affordable. We always talked about "going to the theater" or "going to watch a play".
To me, cinema has always involved "going to the movies" or "going to the cinema". I don't think I have ever used the expression "let's go to the movie theater"...
Hoola everyone!! Que pasa?? Jeje, it's the "weird" one 
My name is Brad, born and raised in northern Michigan, an area better known as the "hinterlands"!! The area lacks the social sophistication available where large groups of people live!! In the hinterlands you either go to the drive-in theater, or the movie theater!! To see an off-Broadway musical or performance was unheard of!! You had to drive a considerable distance to such a venue, you labeled the "artsy" type, a rather uncommon form of entertainment, unless you fairly to a college of some sort!! Geographical location dictates the implied meaning in a variety of American terms!@ B-) Thanks to everyone who responded to this thread!! B-)
Just a wild wonder. How long does a Broadway play remain a Broadway play rather than simply a play? Corollary - and does a play which originated anywhere else become a Broadway play if it is revived on Broadway?
I agree with Echo that once a Broadway play, always a Broadway play. I'm not sure about whether plays originating somewhere else would be considered Broadway plays if they were revived there. It is indeed an interesting musing. Shakespeare plays were shown on Broadway in the 1800s but I wouldn't consider Hamlet a Broadway play.
I know that repertory theatres, community theatres, touring companies, colleges and high schools often produce Broadway shows, however, I personally would never say, "I'm going to a Broadway play" unless it was a current play being produced by a Broadway theatre either in NYC or touring. I would just say that I'm going to a play or I'm going to the theatre or I'm going to see the local college's production of Cats or something like that.
"Going to the theatre" always means a play. The only time that the word theatre is used for the movies (cinema) is when you are talking about a specific building, as in
"Would you like to go see Star Wars tonight? Sure, what theatre is it playing in?"
"I want to see that movie in a theatre that is showing it in 3D."
In either of these cases the word "building" can be substituted for "theatre".
But "Let's go to the theatre" means a play, not a movie. You would commonly say, "Lets go to the movies." In the States you would not say "Let's go to the cinema." We use the word "cinema" only under rare conditions, as in "I am a fan of the cinema." It is used to describe the genre of entertainment, not the entertainment itself. If you said, "I am going to the cinema" you would sound like a complete snob.
For me personally:
I am going to a theatre- I am going to see a play
I am going to a movie theater- I am going to see a movie
I am going to the drive in (but I accept I am going to the drive-in theatre)- sorry, when I drive by and look at the line, I can’t handle it.
I am going to Cinetopia- I am going to see a movie
I am going to Bridgeport (or X) Regal Cinemas- I am going to see a movie
I don’t use cinema otherwise except as Echoline indicates.
I don’t use Broadway- it seems to me to be something on New York, and I would not know how it would change a play locally (maybe it means it was on Broadway once with these actors, I don’t know, it involves having to find parking in Portland to see a play so I only go when forced).
I have not read most of the entries, so as not to be biased, I did read the most recent by echoline, which I agree with entirely as how I would use the words.
If someone asked me what I'm doing Friday night, I might say:
I'm going to a play.
I'm going to the theatre. (meaning to see a play)
I'm going to a Broadway play. (if it is, in fact, specifically, a Broadway play that's being performed on Broadway in NYC or touring with a Broadway cast)
I'm going to see a movie.
I'm going to the movies.
I'm going to a drive-in theatre. (to see a movie)
I would not ever say:
I'm going to a Broadway.
I'm going to a Broadway play. (if it was not an actual Broadway play)
I'm going to the cinema.
I'm going to the theater. (if I'm going to see a movie)
If it's obvious that you're planning to see a movie you can say: I'll meet you at the theatre. Which theatre? I'm going to the theater on Main St. etc. but if you say you're going to the theater, without any context, you're going to see a play.
Now if you called me and asked where I was and I was sitting in my car at a drive-in movie I might say, "I'm at a drive-in theater." in which case you would know I was at a movie because there are no drive-in theaters that I know of where you can watch plays.
Not being American I would say I am going to see a play/musical/show on Broadway meaning in New York or I am going to see a Broadway play/musical etc which could be in New York but may be in the local theatre on tour.
I'm going to see a broadway is odd. In addition I would start Broadway with a capital B.
I agree with Mardle - having been brought up with and influenced by British English - but my choice of active verb would be a little different from my friends across the pond! Lol !:
I am going to see a play (at the theatre)
I am going to watch a film (at the cinema)
Some people would say 'see a film'
but most people would normally say I am going to watch TV , not see TV
The words in brackets (parentheses) are optional as the context would be understood by most native English speakers.
It would seem that Echo, Rac and Gekko reflect the commonly held view/ usual way of talking (vocabulary) about watching a film or going to the theatre in the United States and that Brad's choice of vocabulary may either be regional or personal. If it is regional, his friends, family and other people living in that region are likely to share that same understanding of his vocabulary....but If it is more of a personal choice to express himself in that way it could lead to a bit of confusion ...in any case, it would certainly be an interesting and perhaps an amusing experience! 
I'm going to the theatre. (meaning to see a play)
Well, this does sound odd to me In American English) , after all in American English "theatre" means cinema ...why not say, let's go to the theatre, or let's meet at the theatre, no need to mention movie
What I find odd is the statement that Brad does not recognize the word "theater" for plays,
Somebody said brad was weird...I def agree!!
He argued that theatre was a movie theatre.
and he must add the word "Broadway". This is nonsense to me, as I make a distinction between theater plays, any kind of plays, and Broadway productions, which are a very particular kind of theater play.
Indeed, this Broadway thing, I directly told him, he would be scolded on the forum, lol, I am going to call him to the thread.
I guess he will deny everything jeje
Just a wild wonder. How long does a Broadway play remain a Broadway play rather than simply a play? Corollary - and does a play which originated anywhere else become a Broadway play if it is revived on Broadway?
Oh strewth this is getting demasiado confuso para un viejo.
I will just settle down with a slab of V B , a pie and sauce and binge on "Game of Thrones".
I wanted to add this to clarify an earlier comment to Brad. Here's what I believe may have happened in some of the more rural areas. This is just my opinion, and not researched.
I believe that we use the word "theater" (and I find it interesting that there are several Americans that use the British spelling) because many theaters were indeed built before the time of "talkies" and were originally where you would go see a real live performance on a stage - vaudeville and small plays. We have one in my hometown that has been in continuous use for over 90 years. When movies became more popular, the "theater" no longer had live performances and only showed movies (but the stage still existed behind the screen); therefore the original name of the building was still used and now referred to as a "movie theater," to make it clear that it was no longer a play, then the name stuck, even when referring to newer built cinemas. It's kind of like saying "dial a number" when there used to be a real circular dial, put some of us old folks (I'm nearly 50) still say that when using a cell phone. Brad, you are not alone! 
