Today , we take another trip to the exciting world of live theater . For many performers -- dancers , singers and actors -- appearing on Broadway is a dream come true ! Broadway is one of New York City's first roads and longest . It is also one of the most famous ! Broadway's Theater District is between 42nd and 53rd Streets in downtown Manhattan . This part of Broadway is the heart of American theater . Broadway was also one of the first streets in New York City to get electric lights . That is why some people call it the “Great White Way .” At night , the lights of Broadway seemed to shine brighter than the stars in the sky . And then there are the stars of Broadway's stages . To make it on Broadway you have to be very good . But you also have to be tough . Performing , in general , comes with a lot of rejection . Actors usually have many doors closed in their faces before other doors , hopefully , open . But even if you are hard-working and gifted , you may also need something else to succeed on Broadway – luck ! Maybe that is why theater people are so superstitious . They have customs or behaviors that many non-theater people may find strange . Take for example , the expression “to break a leg .” This may sound violent . But it is not . We often say this to wish people good luck . In the theater , you should never wish an actor “good luck .” That is considered to be unlucky . (I told you . They have strange customs .) Instead , you should say to them , “Break a leg !” It hardly seems like a nice thing to wish on anyone . Well , there are several explanations . One comes from the wings , or the side areas of a stage in a theater . In the wings , you will find what is called a “leg line .” If an actor passes this line , people in the audience are able to see them . So , this line helps an actor waiting in the wings stay hidden from the audience before going on stage . However , it was a good thing , and even lucky , to cross or break the leg line . This meant they were supposed to be on stage and performing . So , an actor who broke the leg line would get paid -- a very good thing , indeed ! Another explanation comes from the superstitious nature of theater people . To keep bad luck out of a performance , they may try to trick the gods or universe or whatever . They do this by saying something bad -- in this case , “break a leg .” We may not know exactly how this wish of good luck got started . But we do know that it is much better to tell an actor to “break a leg ” -- instead of “good luck .” It may come from the theater , but you can say it to anyone who needs a little luck . You can tell a friend “break a leg ” before they give a speech at a wedding or a big presentation at work . Well , you can say this to almost anyone . I would not say “break a leg ” to a dancer or an athlete . They may take it the wrong way . How do you tell people “good luck ” in your language ? Do you say something different to actors on the stage ?