Show Finder
Todd Haimes Theatre
Website:
www.roundabouttheatre.org
Address
227 W 42nd St
New York, NY 10036
Public Transport
Accessibility
-
Wheelchair Info
Designated, flexible wheelchair seating area behind the last row of the center orchestra and the last row of the mezzanine. -
Entrance
Primary entrance from street, through double doors into outer lobby with box office, through double doors into main lobby, through 2 sets of double doors (each 31") into orchestra. -
Box Office
227 West 42nd St between 7th and 8th Avenues -
Restroom
Accessible restrooms are located on the lobby level (Level 1) and in the Penthouse Lobby (Level 5). -
Assisted Listening System
Assisted listening devices available: infrared headsets free at coatcheck. A photo ID is required to check out a headset. -
Elevator/Escalator
Elevators are available to all levels of the theatre. -
Folding Armrests
Six (6) seats are available with folding armrests. -
Water Fountain
Several accessible water fountains are located throughout the theatre, all reachable by elevator.
Theater Description
Originally named the Selwyn Theatre, it was designed by the architect George Keister and constructed by the Selwyn brothers, Edgar and Archie, in 1918. It was one of three theatres they built and controlled on 42nd Street, along with the Apollo and the Times Square Theatre. It was decorated in the style of the Italian Renaissance, and originally had 1,180 seats.[2] 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.The venue initially hosted major musical and dramatic productions, including Cole Porter's Wake Up and Dream, and in October 1930 Clifton Webb 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's The Hairy Ape, but for the most part, stood vacant.
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 Street organization. The Roundabout Theatre Company committed to renovating the Selwyn in 1997. It was restored to its former grandeur (albeit now with just 740 seats), renamed the American Airlines in honor of its principal sponsor, and reopened on June 30, 2000. It was known as the American Airlines Theatre until 2024, when Roundabout renamed it in tribute to its late, longtime artistic director and CEO Todd Haimes.
