We Endorse! Whoopi Goldberg Has A New Nickname for Broadway: 'The Great Bright Way'

The nation is engaged in challenging conversations about racism, which have reached the lights of Broadway. "The Great White Way" has been a longtime nickname for the New York City theater district, first coined in the early 1900s to pay homage to the dazzling lights of the marquees. But in 2020, the original meaning is lost, with the phrase no longer reflecting the diversity audiences demand on Broadway. So what now? EGOT-er Whoopi Goldberg has a fix!

On the June 24 episode of The View, the morning talk show she co-hosts, Whoopi Goldberg shared a simple update that a friend suggested to her. "We talk about Broadway from time to time [on The View], and I have a pitch," she offered. "Maybe we can stop calling [Broadway] 'The Great White Way' and replace it with 'The Great Bright Way,'" she said. "It's not just the words. It's the way we think about it." Well said, Whoopi! Not only is this change super simple and more inclusive—it's catchy!

Goldberg won a 2002 Tony Award as producer of Thoroughly Modern Millie, and hosted the awards in 2008. Her Broadway acting credits include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Xanadu. Her solo shows Whoopi Goldberg and Whoopi have earned her acclaim. As previously reported, she will reprise her 1992 film turn as Deloris Van Cartier in the London production of Sister Act set for July 2021. Here's hoping we see her back on the Great Bright Way soon enough!

Watch the full clip below.