American Airlines Theatre
Encyclopedia
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, located at 227 West 42nd Street
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Design
Originally named the Selwyn Theatre, it was constructed by the Selwyn brothers, EdgarEdgar Selwyn
Edgar Selwyn was a prominent figure in American theater and film in the first half of the 20th Century.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Selwyn flourished in the Broadway theater as an actor, playwright, director, and producer from 1899 to 1942...
and Archie, in 1918. It was one of three theatres they built and controlled on 42nd Street
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
, along with the Apollo and the Times Square Theatre
Times Square Theatre
The Times Square Theatre is a former Broadway theatre, located at 217 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, in New York City.-History:The Times Square Theatre was built in 1920 by the Selwyn brothers. It was one of three theatres they built and controlled on 42nd Street, including the Apollo and the Selwyn...
. It was decorated in the style of the Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
, and originally had 1,180 seats. At the time of its opening, the design had several innovations. Its most novel feature was separate smoking rooms for men and women. Additionally, each dressing room was equipped with a shower and telephone.
Productions
The venue initially hosted major musical and dramatic productions, including Cole PorterCole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
's Wake Up and Dream, and in October 1930 Clifton Webb
Clifton Webb
Clifton Webb was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for his Oscar-nominated roles in such films as Laura, The Razor's Edge, and Sitting Pretty...
appeared there in Three's a Crowd, but eventually became a cinema. It would return to legitimate theatre several times over the next six decades, but eventually fell into disrepair. It was used briefly in the early 1990s as a home for the Times Square Visitors Center and for a limited production of Eugene O'Neill
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish...
's The Hairy Ape, but for the most part, stood vacant.
Renovation
The City and State of New York took possession of the Selwyn in 1990. In 1992, it was one of six 42nd Street theatres to fall under the protection of the New 42nd StreetNew 42nd Street
The New 42nd Street is a not-for-profit organization in Manhattan, New York City. In 1990, The New 42nd Street was formed to oversee the redevelopment of seven neglected and historic theatres on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, and to restore the block to a desirable tourist...
organization. The Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
committed to renovating the Selwyn in 1997. It was restored to its former grandeur (albeit now with just 740 seats), renamed the American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
in honor of its principal sponsor, and reopened on June 30, 2000. The American Airlines Theatre, which is still informally known by its former name among many theatre fans, currently serves as the home of the Roundabout and houses its major dramatic productions.
Productions since June 30, 2000
| Show | Opening day | Closing day | Notes >- | The Man Who Came to Dinner The Man Who Came to Dinner The Man Who Came to Dinner is a comedy in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. It then enjoyed a number of New York and London revivals. The first London production was staged at The Savoy Theatre starring Robert... |
July 27, 2000 | October 8, 2000 | >- | November 14, 2000 | February 4, 2001 | 2001 Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... Best Revival of a Play nominee >- | Design for Living Design for Living Design for Living is a comedy play written by Noël Coward in 1932. It concerns a trio of artistic characters, Gilda, Otto and Leo, and their complicated three-way relationship. Originally written to star Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt and Coward, it was premiered on Broadway, partly because its risqué... |
March 15, 2001 | May 13, 2001 | >- | July 12, 2001 | September 16, 2001 | >- | November 8, 2001 | January 13, 2002 | >- | February 7, 2002 | April 7, 2002 | >- | May 1, 2002 | June 30, 2002 | >- | August 18, 2002 | October 20, 2002 | >- | January 9, 2003 | February 23, 2003 | >- | April 3, 2003 | June 1, 2003 | 2003 Tony Award Best Revival of a Play nominee >- | Big River Big River (musical) Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a musical with a book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller.Based on Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it features music in the bluegrass and country styles in keeping with the setting of the novel... |
July 24, 2003 | September 21, 2003 | 2004 Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical nominee >- | The Caretaker The Caretaker The Caretaker is a play by Harold Pinter. It was first published by both Encore Publishing and Eyre Methuen in 1960. The sixth play that Pinter wrote for stage or television production, it was his first significant commercial success... |
November 9, 2003 | January 4, 2004 | >- | March 25, 2004 | June 6, 2004 | >- | June 25, 2004 | September 12, 2004 | >- | October 28, 2004 | May 15, 2005 | >- | June 16, 2005 | August 21, 2005 | 2006 Tony Award Best Revival of a Play nominee >- | A Naked Girl on the Appian Way A Naked Girl on the Appian Way A Naked Girl on the Appian Way is a play by Richard Greenberg, initially produced by South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California in 2005.-Production history:... |
October 6, 2005 | December 4, 2005 | >- | February 23, 2006 | June 17, 2006 | 2006 Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical >- | Heartbreak House Heartbreak House Heartbreak House is a play written by George Bernard Shaw, first published in 1919 and first played at the Garrick Theatre in 1920. According to A. C. Ward, the work argues that "cultured, leisured Europe" was drifting toward destruction, and that "Those in a position to guide Europe to safety... |
October 11, 2006 | December 17, 2006 | >- | March 8, 2007 | April 29, 2007 | >- | June 28, 2007 | August 19, 2007 | >- | September 21, 2007 | December 16, 2007 | >- | January 10, 2008 | March 16, 2008 | >- | May 1, 2008 | July 6, 2008 | 2008 Tony Award Best Revival of a Play Nominee >- | A Man for All Seasons A Man for All Seasons A Man for All Seasons is a play by Robert Bolt. An early form of the play had been written for BBC Radio in 1954, and a one-hour live television version starring Bernard Hepton was produced in 1957 by the BBC, but after Bolt's success with The Flowering Cherry, he reworked it for the stage.It was... |
October 7, 2008 | December 14, 2008 | >- | January 25, 2009 | March 28, 2009 | >- | April 26, 2009 | July 5, 2009 | >- | October 22, 2009 | December 6, 2009 | >- | January 21, 2010 | March 21, 2010 | >- | April 19, 2010 | July 11, 2010 | >- | October 3, 2010 | November 28 , 2010 | >- | January 13, 2011 | July 3, 2011 |
External links
- Broadway Theatre Guide with full show details for the American Airlines Theatre
- Information and virtual tour at the Roundabout Theatre site
- The Selwyn at the New 42nd Street
- Seating chart
Sources
- Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture, William Morrison, 1999, Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-40244-4
- Lost Broadway Theatres, Nicholas Van Hoogstraten, Princeton Architectural Press, 1997, ISBN 1-56898-116-3