New York State of Mind Trivia Quiz

Answer: the Battery

The lyric comes from the song "New York, New York" from "On the Town" (1944).

The musical follows three U.S. Navy sailors - Gabey, Chip, and Ozzie - on a 24-hour shore leave in New York City during World War II, where each quickly becomes entangled in a fast-moving mix of sightseeing, romantic pursuits, and comic misadventures as they search for connection and excitement before returning to duty.

It premiered on Broadway at the Adelphi Theatre on December 28, 1944, and closed on February 2, 1946, after 462 performances. The song "New York, New York" appears early in the musical as an energetic number performed together by Gabey, Chip, and Ozzie, establishing both the setting and the sailors' enthusiasm for exploring the city during their brief leave.

Answer: Greenwich Village

The lyric comes from the song "Christopher Street" from "Wonderful Town" (1953).

The story follows two sisters, Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, who arrive in New York City's Greenwich Village from Columbus, Ohio, hoping to build careers as a writer and an actress while adjusting to life in a noisy basement apartment and navigating the challenges of making their way in the city.

"Wonderful Town" premiered on Broadway on February 25, 1953, at the Winter Garden Theatre and ran for 559 performances. The song "Christopher Street" opens Act I as a tour guide and the villagers introduce the neighbourhood's colourful atmosphere, establishing the lively setting the sisters are stepping into as their story begins.

Answer: Times Square

The lyric comes from the song "N.Y.C." from "Annie" (1977).

In "Annie," the story follows the optimistic orphan Annie as she leaves Miss Hannigan's harsh orphanage and enters the world of billionaire Oliver Warbucks, where her hope of finding her parents unfolds against the backdrop of Depression-era New York City.

The musical opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on April 21, 1977, and ran until January 2, 1983, completing 2,377 performances across multiple venues. The song "N.Y.C." appears in the show as a bustling ensemble piece sung by Annie, Warbucks, and Grace, highlighting the city's scale, energy, and opportunity while marking Annie's first wide-eyed introduction to Manhattan beyond the orphanage.

Answer: Broadway

The lyric comes from the song "Lullaby of Broadway" from "42nd Street" (1980).

A backstage musical set during the Great Depression, "42nd Street" follows Peggy Sawyer, a young performer who arrives in New York City with big ambitions and unexpectedly rises from chorus girl to leading lady after the star of the new show 'Pretty Lady' is injured.

The show premiered on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre on August 25, 1980, becoming a long-running hit and winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. The number "Lullaby of Broadway" appears as one of the production's signature showstoppers, serving as an energetic celebration of the city's nightlife and performance culture within the larger story of Peggy's ascent.

Answer: the Bronx

The lyric comes from the song "Steam Train" from "Songs for a New World" (1995).

A song-cycle musical by Jason Robert Brown, "Songs for a New World" presents a series of characters at pivotal turning points, unified by the theme of making life-changing decisions rather than by a single narrative. The piece premiered Off-Broadway at the WPA Theatre in 1995 with a four-person cast performing a collection of unrelated but thematically linked stories.

Its first production ran for a limited 3-and-a-half week engagement in 1995, marking Brown's earliest produced work. The number "Steam Train" appears early in the show as a high-energy introduction to one of the performers, using brash, rhythmic storytelling to frame a character who sees himself as unstoppable - a metaphor that also reflects the show's larger focus on seizing defining moments.

Answer: Avenue Q

The lyric comes from "The Avenue Q Theme" from (appropriately enough) "Avenue Q" (2003).

"Avenue Q" is a satirical musical comedy in which puppets and humans share a New York neighbourhood, following recent college grad Princeton as he searches for purpose while navigating adult problems such as work, relationships, and identity.

The show opened on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre in July 2003 after its Off-Broadway premiere earlier that year and ran until September 13, 2009, totaling more than 2,500 performances. "The Avenue Q Theme" functions as the opening musical introduction, establishing the setting, tone, and irreverent "Sesame Street"-style format that frames the show's humour and themes.

Answer: Washington Heights

The lyric comes from "In the Heights" - the opening number of the 2008 musical of the same name.

"In the Heights" follows Usnavi, a bodega owner in Washington Heights, and the surrounding community as they navigate dreams, rising rents, family pressure, and questions of identity over the course of three summer days in a predominantly Latino neighborhood of Upper Manhattan.

After an early 2005 tryout in Connecticut and a 2007 Off-Broadway run, the musical opened on Broadway on March 9, 2008, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, following previews that began on February 14, 2008. It ran until January 9, 2011, totaling 1,185 performances. The song "In the Heights" serves as the show's opening sequence, introducing Usnavi, the neighborhood, and the musical's blend of hip‑hop and Latin styles while establishing the themes of community, heritage, and aspiration.

Answer: Brooklyn

The lyric comes from "Brooklyn's Here" in "Newsies: The Musical" (2012).

"Newsies" tells the story of Jack Kelly and the New York City newsboys who strike against powerful publisher Joseph Pulitzer after he raises distribution prices, dramatizing the real 1899 Newsboys Strike through high-energy dance, solidarity, and youthful rebellion.

Directly adapted from Disney's 1992 live-action musical film "Newsies", the show premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey in 2011 before its Broadway debut on March 29, 2012, following previews beginning March 15. Originally announced as a limited engagement, it became open-ended due to strong demand and ultimately ran until August 24, 2014, totalling 1,004 performances.

The number "Brooklyn's Here" appears late in the show as Spot Conlon and the Brooklyn newsies march in to support the Manhattan strikers, marking a pivotal moment of unity that reinvigorates the movement. It's an anthem of reinforcements arriving - loud, confident, and signalling a turn in the strike's momentum.

Answer: Manhattan

The lyric comes from "The Schuyler Sisters" in "Hamilton" (2015).

"Hamilton" presents the life of Alexander Hamilton through a blend of hip-hop, R&B, and traditional musical theatre, depicting the early American republic with a contemporary voice. The show centers on Hamilton's rise from immigrant outsider to key Founding Father, alongside the political and personal relationships that shape his legacy.

The musical premiered on Broadway on August 6, 2015, following previews beginning July 13 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, after an acclaimed Off-Broadway run at The Public Theater earlier that year. It became a major cultural phenomenon, winning multiple Tony Awards and continuing long‑running productions worldwide.

"The Schuyler Sisters" appears in Act I, introducing Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy as they explore revolutionary-era New York. The number highlights their contrasting personalities - Angelica's intellect and advocacy, Eliza's optimism, and Peggy's caution - while framing them as keen observers of the social and political upheaval around them.

Answer: Harlem

The lyric comes from "Empire State of Mind" in "Hell's Kitchen" (2024).

"Hell's Kitchen" is a semi-autobiographical jukebox musical built around the music of Alicia Keys, following 17-year-old Ali as she comes of age in Manhattan Plaza in the 1990s. It explores family, community, artistic ambition, and the push‑pull between independence and protection in the neighborhood Keys herself grew up in.

The show began Off-Broadway at The Public Theater in November 2023 before transferring to Broadway, officially opening at the Shubert Theatre on April 20, 2024. It earned widespread critical acclaim, multiple award nominations, and a cast recording released on June 7, 2024.

"Empire State of Mind" appears in the musical as a reimagined ensemble number - an R&B-pop anthem reframed with new Broadway orchestration. It becomes a soaring expression of Ali's relationship to New York: the city's grit, promise, and overwhelming energy, serving as a thematic reminder of possibility and the drive to 'make it' against all odds.